deuils Empire where he holdeth vp his Scepter and ruleth as a Prince Ephes 2.2 Gods kingdome is taken in the Bible two waies especially Generally For that gouernment which is termed u See Ro. Steph. Concord in dictione regnum Bellarm. Catech. cap. 4. Regnum potentiae by which hee ruleth all men and disposeth of all things euen of the deuils themselues according to his good will and pleasure Specially For his administration of the Church and that is Twofold Regnum gratiae the kingdome of grace Regnum gloriae the kingdome of glorie Of that kingdome which is potentiae Regnum it is said by x 1. Chro. 29.11 Dauid Thine is the kingdome O Lord and thou excellest as head ouer all Of that kingdome y Dan. 4.31 Daniel speaketh His kingdome is from generation to generation and his z Dan. 6.26 dominion euerlasting Of that kingdome Christ in the conclusion of his prayer Thine is the kingdome power and glory For albeit peruerse men do mischiefe and obserue not the laws of God yet he raigneth ouer them as an absolute Lord for that when it pleaseth him hee hindereth their designments and when he permits them sometime to haue their desires hee doth afterward punish them according to their owne misdeeds and so a Psal 135.6 Whatsoeuer the Lord pleaseth he doth in heauen and in earth and in the Sea and in all deepe places By his kingdome of grace he gouernes the soules and hearts of good Christians giuing them his spirit and grace to serue him in holinesse and righteousnesse all the daies of their life Christ is the king of this kingdome vpon whome the Father hath conferred b Mat. 28.18 all authority both in heauen and earth The subiects of this kingdome are such as c Psal 110.3 offer vnto him free-will offrings with an holy worship euer ready to giue cheerefull obedience to the rod of his power The lawes of this kingdome are the Scriptures and word of God in this respect called d Mat. 13.11 the kingdome of heauen the e Marke 1.14 Gospell and f Mat. 13.19 word of the kingdome the g Esay 11.4 rod of Christs mouth and h Rom. 1.16 power of his arme to saluation And so consequently the kingdome of grace is a preparation and entrance to the kingdome of glory which is the blessed estate of all Gods elect in that other life where God is to them all in all And in this respect the kingdome of grace many times is termed in the Gospels History the kingdome of heauen as being the way to the kingdome of glory which is in the heauen of heauens This one verse then expounds and exemplifies two prime petitions in the Lords prayer hallowed be thy name thy kingdome come for Iuda was Gods sanctuary because hallowing his name and Israel his dominion as desiring his kingdome to come Let euery man examine himselfe by this patterne whether he be truely the seruant of Iesus his Sauiour or the vassall of Sathan the destroyer If any submit himselfe willingly to the domineering of the diuell and suffer sinne to i Rom. 6.12 reigne in his mortall members obeying the lusts thereof and k Ephes 4.19 working all vncleannesse euen with greedinesse assuredly that man is yet a Chappell of Sathan and a slaue to sinne On the contrary whosoeuer vnfainedly desires that Gods kingdome may come being euer ready to bee ruled according to his holy word acknowledging it a lanthorne to his feet and a guide to his pathes admitting obediently his lawes and submitting himselfe alway to the same what is he but a Citizen of heauen a subiect of God a Saint a Sanctuary Two questions are moued here the first is what antecedent answeres the relatiue his and the second what is meant by Iuda The relatiue eius hath an antecedent l Mollerus implyed howsoeuer not expressed m Genebrard as Psalme 87.1 Fundamenta eius her foundations are vpon the holy hils And God is that antecedent as I haue partly said and it may likewise be fully shewed both out of the text and title The n Euthym. circumstances of the Text leade vs to this antecedent the Lord is the God of Iacob verse 7. Ergo the house of Iacob is Gods Sanctuary the children of Israel Gods dominion Againe the o Bellarmine Title poynts at this antecedent Alleluia praise the Lord as if the Prophet should haue said ye haue good and great cause to praise the Lord because when Israel went out of Egypt and the house of Iacob from among the strange people then Iuda was his Sanctuary c. Lastly though it should be granted that neither Title nor Text here can affoord vs an antecedent yet we need not runne with p In loc Agellius out of this Hymne to fetch one from the last words of the next going before Hee maketh the barren woman to keepe house c. Because his in this verse may be construed of God Catexochen as being hic ille the most high He who turned the hard rocke into a standing water and the flint stone into a springing Well at whose presence the mountaines skip like Rammes and the little hils like yong sheepe yea the Sea fleeth and the earth trembleth at the presence of the Lord at the presence of the God of Iacob By Iuda q Placidus Turrecremat Genebrard some vnderstand Iudea for r Psal 76.1 God is knowne in Iurie his name is great in Israel at Salem is his tabernacle and his dwelling in Sion Å¿ Dr. Incognitus Agellius Other haue construed this onely of the tribe of Iuda for that God in Iuda would chuse a Prince 1. Chron. 28.4 or because the Messias of the world which is the Lord of Lords and King of Kings was to be borne of t Gen. 49.10 that tribe Or because the u See Placidus Bucer Genebrard Dr. Incognit in loc Iewes haue a tradition that Iuda was the first tribe that aduentured after Moses and Aaron and entred into the red sea with vndaunted courage So wee finde in the numbring of Israels hoste that the standerd of Iuda was in the first place Numb 10.14 and Nahshon the sonne of Aminadab was their Captaine Numb 2.3 Hence it is said Cant. 6.11 My soule made me like the chariots of Aminadab or my willing people But x Caluine Rob. Stephanus Tremellius Strigellius Bellarmine most Interpretors vnderstand by Iuda not only that tribe but also the rest of the children of Israel It is nothing but a Synecdoche pars pro toto the chiefe tribe for the whole body of Gods people that went out of Egypt into the land of promise called often in holy Scriptures Israel of the fathers name and Iuda of the chiefe sonnes name Bondage was the perill out of which Israel and Iuda were deliuered and that in the y Plautus in Amphit Poets iudgement is worse then any danger or death omni
witnesseth Psalme 39.6 How can he then that begs his bread but for a day promise to spend his breath in magnifying the Lord for euer Answere is made that the Prophet will not only commend the mercies of the Lord in word but also commit them vnto writing h Eobanus Hessus Vt sciat haec aetas posteritasque legat As the tongue of the Prophet is termed i Psal 45.2 elsewhere the penne of a ready writer so the writing of the Prophet is heere termed his mouth as Euthymius vpon the place Liber Psalmorum * Acts 4.25 os Dauid k Wilcox Hee doth intend to note the mercies of God and to set foorth his truth in a book the which he will leaue behind him as an instrumēt to conuey the same from generation to generation from the generation of l Euthym. Incognit Turrecremat Iewes to the generation of Christians m Hierome Or from the old Testament to the new for the blessed Apostles in their Sermons vsually cite sentences out of the Psalmes S. n 2. Pet. 4.6 Peter telleth vs that the Gospell was preached vnto the dead so may we say that the Gospel is preached by the dead For the most ancient Fathers and other iudicious authors which haue spēt their daies in writing learned expositions godly meditatiōs vpō the holy scriptures although they be dead sleep in the bed of their graue yet they sing alway the mercies of the Lord and shew the truth of his word from one generation vnto another It is reported in our o Malmesbur de gestis Reg. Anglorum lib. 2. cap. 6. Chronicles of Athelstan Parum aetati vixit multum gloriae So many zealous and industrious Doctors haue liued in respect of their age but a little yet in respect of their acts a great while shining still in their works and writings as lights of the world Or the Prophet may be said to sing euer intentionally though not actually p Io. de Combis comp Theolog. lib. 7. cap. 21. For as the wicked if he could liue alway would sinne alway so the good man if God should suffer him alway to breathe on earth would sing alway the mercies of the Lord. Hee will in q 1. Thessal 5.18 all things giue thankes vnto God r Psal 92.2 early telling of his louing kindnes in the morning and of his truth in the night season In the morning ſ Dr. Incognit Turrecremat Glossa that is in a prosperous estate when as the Sunne shineth vpon him he will acknowledge that euery good gift in him is from aboue comming downe from the Father of lights and Father of mercies And in the darke night of aduersitie hee telleth of Gods iustice confessing ingenuously t Luke 23.41 We receiue things worthie of that we haue done Hee giueth thankes vnto the Lord in both in the one highly magnifying Gods fauour in the other humbly vilifying his owne fault u Placidus Jncognitus Or because God hath inspired into man not only the breath of x Gen. 2.17 this present life but of y Iohn 3.16 Apoc. 2.10 that also which is to come the Saints are said to continue their song of Gods praise in the kingdome of glorie which here they begin in the kingdome of grace For so the Spirit Apoc. 19.1 I heard a great voyce of a great multitude in heauen singing Halleluiah saluation and glorie and honour and peace be to the Lord our God It is obiected if the Saints in heauen alway sing the mercies of the Lord then they remember their miseries on earth and if they remember their sinne and sorrow here how can they be perfitly blessed there for the Lord saith z Esay 65.17 I will create new heauens and a new earth and the former shall not be remembred nor come into minde a Gregor moral lib. 4. cap 42. Answere is made that as men in perfit health often remember their terrible fits of their former sicknesse with exceeding ioy yea the more they call into mind their danger past the greater is their delight present euen so the Saints in the kingdome of glorie remember happily their misdeeds and mishaps in this valley of teares but it is without any pollution of sinne or touch of sorrow So b Vbi sup Idem Augustin lib. 22 de Ciuit. dei cap. vlt. Gregorie the Great Erit in illa beatitudine culpae memoria non quae mentem polluat sed qua nos arctius laetitiae astringat vt dum doloris sui animus sine dolore reminiscitur debitorem se medico veriùs intelligat eò magis acceptam salutem diligat quò molestiae meminit quam euasit c August apud Io. de Combis comp Theolog. lib. 7. cap. vlt. Heauenly happinesse consisteth in two things in the necessarie possessing of euery thing which is good and in the necessarie remouing of euery thing which is euill Miserie then is not remembred of the Saints as a matter of griefe but as a motiue to ioy because they bee now d Rom. 7.24 deliuered from this bodie of death and enioy the Crowne of euerlasting life where God is to them e 1. Cor. 15.28 all in all a glasse to their sight hony to their taste musicke to their hearing Balsome to their smelling where f 1. Kings 3.12 Salomons wisedome seemes follie g 2. Sam. 2.18 Ahasels agilitie slownesse Samsons strength weaknes h 2. Sam. 14.25 Absoloms comelines deformitie Caesars empire beggerie Methusalems long life shortnes of daies or a speedie death Thus I haue shewed how the Prophet may be said to sing alwaies the mercies of the Lord in this life vnto the worlds end in the next for euer and euer world without end As for al meanes he praises the Lord with his mouth and all that is without him as also with his minde and al that is within him His i Psal 45.1 heart indites a good matter and his tongue is the penne of a ready writer All his members are for the seruice of his Maker as S. k In loc Augustine glosseth our text Obsequantur membra inquit mea domino meo loquor sed tua loquor annunciabo veritatem tuam in ore meo Si non obsequor seruus non sum si à me loquor mendax sum Ergo vt abs to dicam ego dicam duo quaedam sunt vnum tuum vnum meum veritas tua os meum Now let vs according to this copie draw the lines of our liues vsing all meanes to set foorth the louing kindnesse and truth of the Lord. l Psal 105.1 O give thankes vnto the Lord and call vpon his name tell the people what things he hath done O let your songs be of him and praise him and let your talking bee of his wondrous workes O my soule praise the Lord and all that is within me praise his holie name praise the
is to sit on Dauids seate shall I set vpon thy seate The Lord hath made a faithfull oath Men vse to sweare by him that is greater then themselues Hebr. 6.16 that is by God and that for t Caluin Maâ—lorat in Heb. 6.16 three causes especially 1. Because God is greater then themselues in credit 2. Greater then themselues in knowledge 3. Greater then themselues in power Men by sinne haue lost their credit and therefore doe they pawne the credit of God which is truth it selfe and in cases of necessity for want of other sufficient proofe God is content to pledge his truth for honest men who meane well All men are by nature u Psal 116.10 Psalm 62.9 lyars and x Mark 10.18 onely God is good and true wherefore men vse to sweare by him as being greater in y Primasius Lombard in Heb. 6. credit 2. An oath is for the manifestation of a secret truth or intention of the heart for to sweare in things apparant is to take the name of God in vaine But God alone is the searcher of the z 2. Chron. 6.30 heart and a Psalm 7.10 reines and therefore men vse to sweare by him as greater in b See Thomas 22 a. quaest 89. art 1. knowledge 3. If a man violate his oath and forsweare himselfe the wrong is done directly vnto God his truth is falsified his witnesse abused his name blasphemed and therfore men sweare by him as being greater in power c 2. King 2.23 that he may take vengeance on such wretches as dare wrong his sacred Maiesty But God as hauing none greater to sweare by sware by himselfe to father d Gen. 22.16.18 Abraham in thy seed all the nations of the earth shall be blessed This oath is renued againe to Isaac Gen. 26.3 and repeated often vnto Dauid 2. Sam. 7.12.13 and 1. Chron. 17.12 and 2. Chron. 6.16 and remembred also by the Prophets Esay 55.3 Psalm 89.34 It was in him exceeding rich mercy to giue his bare word that he would in the fulnesse of time giue his only begotten Sonne for the redemption of the world saying the seed of the woman shall breake the serpents head but it was vndoubtedly greater mercy for his seruants better assurance to bind his promise with a faithfull oath swearing by his holinesse that hee will not shrinke from it See my notes vpon Psalme 110. vers 4. Of thy fruit of thy body Saint Peter expounds this of Christ Act. 2.30 for according to the flesh hee was the seed and sonne of Dauid e Lib. 3. cap. 27. Irenaeus and f In loc Augustine and g Hugo in loc other Doctours note that it is according to the Hebrew de fructu ventris of the fruit of thy belly not de fructu femoris aut renum Because thy promised seed is the seed of the woman Genes 3.15 made of a woman Gal. 4.4 hauing the materials of his body from his mother Mary but his formale principium from God the holy Ghost agent in his admirable conception And yet for as much as Mary was of Dauids house it may bee said that her sonne was the fruit of Dauids body For proofe whereof it is said that h Gen. 47.29 Ioseph put his hand vnder Iacobs thigh and the seruant of i Gen. 24.2 Abraham vnder the thigh of his master because saith k De Abra. Patriar lib. 1. cap. 9. Ambrose Christ our blessed Sauiour was to proceed out of the loynes of Abraham Isaac and Iacob For as Christians taking an oath in our time lay their hands vpon some part of that sacred book wherein Christ is reuealed so the Fathers in old time put their hands vnder the thighes of those Patriarches of whom Christ was then to come Moreouer Sonnes are called the fruit of the fathers venter as well as of the mothers according to that of Dauid 2. Sam. 16.11 Behold my sonne which came out of mine owne bowels seeketh my life Shall I set vpon thy seate You haue heard how Christ is the seed of Dauid now let vs examine how he sits on the seate of Dauid Wee reade in the Gospels history that hee l Ioh. 6.15 hid himselfe in a mountaine when as the people would haue made him a King and that hee professed openly before Pilate m Ioh. 18.36 my kingdome is not of this world n D. Incognitus Answere is made that by Dauids seate is meant Hierusalem o Galath 4.26 aboue not Hierusalem here below mysticall Hierusalem and p Apoc. 21.2 heauenly not materiall and earthly So the Lord Psalm 2.6 I haue set my King vpon mine holy hill of Sion that is I haue made my begotten sonne ruler and head ouer the whole Church of which Hierusalem is a figure Sion and the seate of Dauid are to bee construed here typically not topically For Christs high and holy kingdome is internall and spirituall not exaernall and temporall q Augustin Theophylact. in Ioan. 18. See Recognit Bellarmin à pag. 26. ad pag. 46. It is hîc not hinc in the world but not of the world By the preaching of his word which is the scepter of his kingdome hee rules in the r Psal 110.1.2 middest of his enemies and makes them all his foot-stoole conuerting such enemies as appertaine to Gods election and confounding such enemies as are the sons of perdition his Gospell is vnto the one the Å¿ 2. Cor. 2.16 sauour of life vnto life and to the other the sauour of death vnto death See my notes vpon the 110. Psalme 2. and third vers t See August in tract 115. in Joan. As his kingdome is not of the world so the faithfull his voluntarie subiects are not of the world Ioh. 17.16 you were of the world saith our Sauiour to his followers but I haue chosen you out of the world Ioh. 15.19 As his kingdome is spirituall euen so they bee u Rom. 8.14 led by the spirit in x Ioh. 2.27 all things And therefore when you come into Gods house to be made partakers of his holy word and Sacraments open the doores of your eares and gates of your hearts that the y Psal 24.7 King of glory may come in and so dwell in you and raigne in you for euermore Behold hee standeth at the doore and knocketh Apoc. 3.20 Open and obey that hee may set vp his kingdome in the parlour of thine heart It is our daily prayer thy kingdome come the meaning whereof is briefly this O heauenly father let not Satan and sinne raigne in our soules but rule thou by thy word and spirit and so build in vs the kingdome of grace and hasten the kingdome of glory The difference betweene our heauenly King and earthly Princes is great 1. Their dominions are limited and the borders of their kingdomes bounded their people numbred the time of their raigne prescribed But Christ hath
men in the next rewarded amongst Saints and Angels in the kingdome of glory PSALME 113. Praise the Lord ye seruants O praise the name of the Lord. THis Hymne as both Text and Title tell vs in the very beginning is an exhortation to praise the Lord wherein 3. poynts are chiefly regardable quis who ye seruants quomodo how With all praise vers 1. Praise the Lord O praise the name of the Lord. At all times vers 2. from this time forth for euermore In all places vers 3. from the rising vp of the Sunne to the going downe of the same quapropter why for his Infinite power vers 4. Admirable prouidence both in Heauen Earth and that in Publique weales vers 6.7 Priuate families vers 8. The Prophet exhorts c Caluin all people to praise the Lord Young men and maydens old men and Children praise the name of the Lord Psalm 148.12 More specially Gods people which haue tasted of his goodnesse more then other as hauing his d Psal 147.19 statutes and ordinances and couenants and promises and seruice Rom. 9.4 e Wilcox most chiefly the Leuites and Priests as being appointed by the Lord for leaders and guides vnto the rest his seruants after a more special manner as it were in ordinarie All men owe this dutie to God as being the f Psal 95.6 workmanship of his hands Christians aboue other men as being the g Psal 100.2 sheep of his pasture Preachers of the Word aboue other Christians as being h Ephes 4.11 pastors of his sheepe and so consequently paternes in word in conuersation in loue in spirit in faith in purenes 1. Tim. 4.12 Yea but how must almightie God be praised for as not euery one that saith vnto the worlds Sauiour i Matth. 7.21 Lord Lord shall enter into the kingdome of heauen k Basil Chrysost Euthym. so not euery one that hath in his mouth a bare the Lord be praised is a praiser of the Lord but he which is euer readie to suffer and doe the will of his Master and maker God is to be praised in thought and word and deede 1. Cor. 6.20 Glorifie God in your bodie and in your spirit The Lord as being high aboue all heathens and glorious aboue all heauens is blessed euer in himselfe but that hee may be blessed of other let your light so shine before men that they may see your good workes and glorifie your father which is in heauen Matth. 5.16 A leaud life doth occasion enemies of pietie to reuile the Gospell and to blaspheme God Rom. 2.24 but honest behauiour on the contrarie to praise God in the day of visitation 1. Pet. 2.12 In one word l Tileman he doth praise God most who liueth best The Greeke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and the Latin pueri may bee taken for children as well as seruants And therefore the translation of the Psalmes in meter aptly Ye children which doe serue the Lord. There is betweene little children and seruants so great affinitie that in Greeke and Latin seruants are called children and children seruants according to that of m Galat. 4.1 Paul The heire as long as hee is a childe differeth nothing from a seruant And so the translators in vsing the word pueri though aude in Hebrew properly signifieth a seruant n Placidus Bellarmine Dr. Incognitus insinuate that we should be like to little children in seruing of the Lord that is simple meeke pure Praise the Lord O praise the name of the Lord The doubling and tripling of this exhortation is to whet our o Caluine dulnesse and coldnes in executing this office p Placidus to shew that God is to be praised with an earnest affection and zeale For albeit Gods praise be the Christians Alpha and Omega the first and the last thing required at our hands as well in death as life yet such is our negligence that we neede q Esay 28.10 precept vpon precept and line vnto line to put vs in minde of our dutie Or this exhortation is doubled r Wilcox to shew that God alone is worthie al praise the kingdom is his and therfore the glorie frō him is all power therfore to him is due all praise And that not only for a little while but from this time foorth for euermore For the seruants of the Lord are to sing his praises in this life to the worlds end and in the next life world without end See before Psal 89. And as the Lord is to be praised at all times so likewise in all places from the rising vp of the Sunne vnto the going downe of the same ſ Bonauent Mollerus that is in and thorough all the world t Wilcox for he puts the two chiefe parts of the world for the whole world because these two quarters of East and West are most inhabited Many Christian Interpretors and some Doctors of the u Kimchi apud Genebrard in loc Iewes vnderstand this of our Lord Christ whose kingdome is without either limits or end Without limits as hauing x Psal 2.8 the heathen for his inheritance and the vttermost parts of the world for his possession his y Malac. 1.11 name is great among the Gentiles and incense shall be offered vnto him in euery place The which is all one with our text the Lords name be praised from the rising of the Sunne to the going downe of the same Without end for God the Father said vnto God the Sonne z Psal 110.1 sit thou on my right hand vntill I make thine enemies thy footstoole a Psal 89.35 His seate is like as the Sunne he shall stand fast for euermore like the faithfull witnes in heauen Yea though heauen be b Iob. 14.2 no more but perish and waxe old as doth a garment yet he is c Heb. 1.12 euer the same and his yeeres doe not faile The which is answerable to the words of our Prophet here Blessed be the name of the Lord from this time foorth for euermore The Lord is high aboue all heathen The most High deserues to be most honoured but the Lord is high aboue all heathen and his glorie aboue the heauen Ergo worthie to be praised more then all either Princes or people The greatest of all creatures in heauen is an Angell and the greatest of all men on earth is an Emperour but the Lord is greater then both as being their maker d Acts. 17.28 in whom they liue and moue and haue their being Higher then all Heathen infinitly greater then Alexander the Great Pompei the Great Mahumet the Great Higher then all Heauens ayrie where feathered fowles are for he e Psal 18.10 flyeth vpon the wings of the winde and f Psal 68.4 rideth vpon the cloudes as vpon an horse Higher then Heauens glorious where blessed soules are for the heauen of heauens is but his seate where hee reigneth a g Psal
true Christians all of vs are by nature barren of goodnesse conceiued and borne in sinne not able to thinke a good thought 2. Cor. 3.5 but the father of lights and mercies maketh vs fruitfull and abundant alwaies in the worke of the Lord 1. Cor. 15.58 he giueth vs grace to be fathers and mothers of many good deedes i Ambros de interpell libr. 2. cap. 4. Idem Dr. Incognitus in loc in Psalm 102.17 which are our children and best heires eternizing our name for euer PSALME 114. When Israel came out of Aegypt and the house of Iacob from among the strange people c. THere bee two chiefe parts of this Psalme the 1. A description of Israels admirable deliuerance out of Aegypt in the foure former verses 2. A dialogue betweene the Prophet and the Creatures about the same deliuerance in the foure latter verses In the deliueraÌ„ce note 1. The parties deliuered Israel and the house of Iacob being Gods Sanctuarie Seigniorie 2. The perill out of which they were deliuered and k Chrysost Mollerus that was 1. Bondage 2. Bondage among strangers in Aegypt 3. Bondage among such strangers as were cruell a barbarous people 3. The manner how they were deliuered not by meanes ordinarie but miracles extraordinarie wrought on the Water vers 3. The Sea saw that and fled Iordaine was driuen backe Land verse 4. The Mountaines skipped like Rammes c. In the dialogue two poynts are to be considered 1. A question What ayleth thee O thou Sea c. Verse 5.6 2. An l Vatablus Tremellius Bellarmine answere Tremble thou earth c. Or as m Vulgar latine English-Geneua other translations The earth trembled at the presence of the Lord c. When Israel The n Bellarmine latter clause doth expounde the former Israel that is the house of Iacob for this holy Patriarke had two names first Iacob that signifieth a supplantor Gen. 25.26 and then Israel that is one which hath power with God Gen. 32.28 teaching vs hereby saith o In loc Hierome as we haue receiued grace to supplant vice that wee may preuaile with God and see him according to that of p Matth. 5.8 Christ Blessed are the pure in heart for they shall see God As q Gen. 25.22 Iacob and Esau stroue together in their mother Rebeccaes wombe so the r Galat. 5.17 flesh in man lusteth against the spirit and the spirit against the flesh If wee play Iacobs part in supplanting sinne which is a red and a rough Esau we shall assuredly gaine the blessing of our heauenly Father By Iacobs house then is meant his Å¿ Euthym. Genebrard posteritie the children of Israel of whom it is reported by Moses Deut. 10.22 Thy fathers went downe into Aegypt with seuentie persons and now the Lord thy God hath made thee as the starres of the heauen in multitude These people were Gods sanctification and dominion t Geneua gloss that is witnesses of his holy Maiestie in adopting them and of his mightie power in deliuering them u Melancth in loc or his sanctification as hauing his holy Priests to gouerne them in the poynts of pietie and dominion as hauing godly Magistrates ordained from aboue to rule them in matters of policie or his sanctuarie x both actiuely because sanctifying him y Genebrardus Iacobus de Valentia and passiuely because sanctified of him It is true that God as being euer the most holy so well as the most high cannot bee magnified and hallowed in respect of himselfe but in respect of y Caluin in loc other onely For God is sanctified of his seruants as wisdome is said to bee iustified of her children Luke 7.35 that is acknowledged and declared to be iust according to that of the Lord by the mouth of his holy z Ezech. 38.23 Prophet Thus will I bee magnified and sanctified and knowne in the eies of many Nations and they shall know that I am the Lord. Wherefore let your light so shine before men that they may see your good workes and glorifie your Father which is in heauen Againe Iuda was his Sanctuary a Bucer Agellius Râ—b Stephanus because sanctified of him adopted his holy heritage chosen a peculiar and a precious people to himselfe b Deut. 7.6 aboue all Nations in the world I haue carried you said the c Exod. 19.4 Lord vpon Eagles wings and haue brought you vnto me that ye might be my chiefe treasure aboue all people though all the earth bee mine consecrated and hallowed to my worship as holy Temples and Sanctuaries in whome I may rule for so the latter clause may well d Bellarmine explaine the former Iuda was his Sanctuarie because his Dominion in whom he e Chrysost Euthym. Bucer reigned as a king by his lawes and spirit And therefore when Israel asked a king of the Lord to iudge them he said to f 1. Sam. 8.7 Samuel they haue not reiected thee but they haue reiected me that I should not reign ouer them According to this exposition Israel is termed Ex. 19.6 a kingdome of Priests or as S. g 1. Pet. 2.9 Peter hath it a royal Priesthood royall as being his Seigniory Priesthood as being his Sanctuary For the beter vnderstanding of this phrase remeÌ„ber I pra'y that there be two kinds of kingdomes in holy Scripture the kingdome of darknes h Coloss 1.13 which is the kingdome of the deuill and the kingdome of heauen which is the kingdome of God When all had sinned in Adam it pleased the Lord out of his vnsearchable Iustice to lay this heauy punishment on all his posteritie that seeing they could not be content to be subiect to their creator they should become vassals vnder Satans tyraÌ„ny so that all men are now by nature the Children of i Ephes 2.3 wrath and k Ephes 6.12 the Prince of darkenesse ruleth in their hearts vntill Christ the l Luke 11.22 strong man commeth and bindeth him and m Iohn 12.31 casteth him out and so bringeth all his elect out of darkenesse into maruailous light 1. Pet. 2.9 Blind ignorant people cannot abide this doctrine they spit at the very naming of the deuill and say that they defie him and all his euen with all their heart and soule and minde Yet whereas they liue still in ignorance and impiety which are the two maine pillers of Satans kingdome they make plaine proofe that they be Children of the n Luke 16.9 world Children of o Coloss 3.6 disobedience Children of p Hosea 10.9 iniquitie Children of q 1. Sam. 26.16 death Children of the r Iohn 8.44 deuill Children of Å¿ Iohn 17.2 perdition Children of t Mat. 23.15 hell Israel is Gods dominion and Iuda Gods sanctuary but Aegipt and Babylon and other parts and persons of the world liuing in sinne without repentance what are they but the suburbes of hell and as it were the
behold the saluation of the Lord which he will shew to you this day for the Egyptians whom yee haue seene this day yee shall neuer see them againe How then are these two seeming contrarie places in one chapter accorded Israel shall neuer see the Egyptians againe yet afterward Israel saw the Egyptians Answere is made by S. x Quast 51. sup Exod. Augustine yee shall neuer see them againe liuing as to day but yee shall see them dead Ye shall neuer see them againe fighing against you but yee shall see them at your feete drowned in the waters and cast vp at the sea bank Ye shall see thē again to your comfort but ye shal neuer see thē againe to your terror How Iordan was driuen backe you may reade in the third and fourth chapter of Iosua How the mountaines skipped like rammes and the little hils like young sheepe Exod. 19.18 Habacuc 3.6.10 How the hard rocke was turned into standing water and the flint stone to a springing well Exod. 17.6 Numb 20.11 Psal 78.16 and Psal 105.40 The summe whereof is in briefe that all the creatures at the commandement of the Creator are y See Wisd 19.18 turned vpside downe readie to doe or not to doe to shew foorth or keepe in their ordinarie courses according to his good will and pleasure The sea flowing forward at the word of God turned backward the mountaines so called à non mouendo because they doe not moue skippe like rammes and the little hils like young sheepe the hard rocke the flint stone both exceeding drie made standing waters and springing welles It is the nature of z Psal 22.13 ramping and roaring lions to be a Psal 17.12 greedie of their pray yet the Lord b Dan. 6.22 shut the lions mouthes that they could not hurt Daniel in their denne It is the nature of water to drowne and deuoure men in the deepe for the wicked Egyptians sanke to the bottom saith c Exod. 15.5 Moses as a stone yet d Ionas 1.17 Ionas by Gods appointment being throwne into the middest of the sea and swallowed vp in a Whales bellie three daies and three nights was afterward cast out again vpon the dry land safe sound Ionas 2.10 It is the nature of fire to burne and consume yet Shadrach Meshach and Abednego put into a fierie fornace made seuen times more hot then ordinary walked in the middest of the flame without any danger e Dan. 3.27 The fire had no power of their bodies not one haire of their head scorched neither were their coates changed nor any smell of fire came vpon them The blessed man and Martyr of God Saint Bilney for so Father f Serm. 7. before King Edw. 6. Latymer is bold to call him often g Fox Martyr fol. 923. comforted himselfe and his acquaintance with the words of our Lord Esay 43.1 Feare not Israel for I haue redeemed thee I haue called thee by thy name thou art mine when thou passest thorow the waters I will be with thee and thorow the floods that they doe not ouerflow thee when thou walkest thorow the very fire thou shalt not be burnt neither shall the flame kindle vpon thee So h Fox vbi sup fol. 939. Iames Baynham another holy Martyr being at the stake in the middest of furious and outragious flames cried out Behold ye Papists ye looke for miracles and here now yee may see a miracle for in this fire I feele no more paine then if I were in a bed of downe yea it is to me like a bed of roses So i Jo. Crispin in Catalog martyr ex epist Poggij Florentini quae est ad Leonardū Aretinum Hierome of Prage when the deaths man at his burning would haue kindled the fire behinde at his backe left it might otherwise seeme too terrible presently called vnto him and said Come hither and let me see the fire before me for if I had feared the fire I needed not to haue come hither In all things behold then how good and ioyfull a thing it is to serue the Lord to be subiect to his kingdome to march vnder his colours and to fight his battailes For God is a k Exod. 15.3 man of warre yea the Lord of hostes hauing all creatures in heauen on earth and vnder earth at his absolute command to protect such as follow him and to fight against such as fight against him At his word the l Wisd 19.17 elements are changed among themselues as one tune is changed vpon an instrument of musicke and the melodie still remaineth At his word the waues are calme the fire cold the mountaines mouing at his word the valleys m Psal 65.14 sing and the hils dance O n Psal 8.1 Lord our gouernour how excellent is thy name in all the world so o Exod. 15.11 glorious in holinesse fearfull in praises doing wonders able to doe whatsoeuer thou wilt and willing to doe whatsoeuer is best for Iuda thy sanctuarie for Israel thy dominion Mystically the temporall Exodus of Israel out of Egypts bondage p Augustine Hierome Arnobius Iacob de Valentia prefigureth our spirituall deliuerance by Christ from the tyrannous oppression of Satan and sinne Here then according to the methode propounded I am to treate first of the parties deliuered secondly of the perill and place from which all holy Christians are set free thirdly of the manner and meanes of our redemption Concerning the first all true beleeuers as q Galat. 3.29 Paul teacheth are the seed of Abraham and the house of Iacob And the reason hereof is very plaine they be the sons of Abraham that doe the workes of Abraham Iohn 8.59 but Abrahams chiefe worke was faith as the r Gen. 15.6 Rom. 4.3 text expressely Abraham beleeued God and it was imputed to him for righteousnesse Ergo they which are of faith are the children of Abraham Galat. 3.7 Christian people saith ſ In loc Augustine are not aliants from the Common-wealth of God and strangers from the couenants of promise Sed magis Israel as it were more Israel then Israel it selfe t Luther in Galat 3.7 For vnbeleeuing Iewes are the Sonnes of begetting Abraham after the flesh onely but all the faithfull among the u Gen. 12.3 Galat. 3.8 Gentiles are the Sonnes of beleeuing Abraham after the spirit The Lord said to blessed Abraham a Father of many Nations haue I made thee Genes 17.5 that is as Saint Paul expoundeth it Rom. 4.11 The Father of them that beleeue whether they be Iewes or Gentiles as Saint Peter Acts 10.35 In euery Nation he that feareth God and worketh righteousnesse is an Israel accepted of him adopted his Sanctuary wherein hee will bee serued and his Seigniory wherein he will as a King raigne by his holy word and Spirit Now for the second obseruable poynt of our redemption Israels bondage in Egipt liuely represents our miserable thraldome vnder Satan and
Iewes hallowed their Sabbath vpon the seuenth day which is the last day of the week So that Easter day is the Sabbath of Sabbaths an high and holy day from which euery other Sunday hath his name being so called because the sun of righteousnesse arose from the dead vpon this day This day is the Lords day the day which himselfe made so good a day that all his true seruants euer since haue reioyced in it and sanctified their Sabbath on it u Eoban Hessus Haec est illa Dies toti celebrabilis orbi Quem facit proprio signat honore Deus The reasons why we should this day reioyce so much are manifold but they may be reduced all vnto two principall heads A motion from euill Promotion in good Christ on this day rising from the dead ouercame the diuell which is the authour of death and the graue which is the prison of death and sinne which is the x Cor. 15.56 sting of death and the Law which is the strength of the sting of death and all this he did for vs men and our saluation The diuell which is the Prince of y Ephes 6.12 darknesse had no part in the sunne of righteousnesse Christ therefore being z Luke 11.22 stronger then he came vpon him and ouercame him he tooke from him all his armour wherein he trusted and diuided his spoyles and cast him out of his hold that he might haue no part in vs or power ouer vs. As a Ser. de quadruplici debito Bernard sweetly Fortitudo Diaboli per redemptoris vulnera traducta deducta ad nihilum in the words of Saint Paul The God of peace shall tread downe Sathan vnder your feet Rom. 16.20 So he who was aboue the Law was made b Gal. 4.4 vnder the Law that he might redeeme those which are vnder the Law that hee might put out the hand-writing of ordinances that was against vs and fasten it vpon his Crosse Coloss 2.14 So hee who knew no sinne made himselfe to be sinne for vs that we should be made the righteousnesse of God in him 2. Cor. 5.21 He was wounded 〈◊〉 our transgressions and broken for our iniquities Esa 53.5 If the tormentours of Christ should aske now as they did once Luk. 22.64 Who is he that smote thee we may quickly become Prophets and answere for him our sinnes smote him euery one of vs might ingeniously confesse with c Ionas 1.12 Ionas for my sake this great tempest is vpon thee sweet Iesus He triumphed ouer hell and the graue for vs also for as for himselfe it was impossible that the Lord of d Acts 3.15 life should be holden of death Acts 2.24 Wherefore let vs say with Saint e 1. Cor. 15.55 Paul 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 bee to God which hath giuen vs victory through our Lord Iesus Christ And let vs heartily sing with our Prophet Easter is the day which the Lord hath made wee will be ioyfull and glad in it f Bonauēt in loc Some Diuines affirme that the yeere wherein our blessed Sauiour arose from the dead should according to the Law haue been the yeere of Iubile wherein g Leuit. 25.10 liberty was proclaimed in the Land to all the inhabitants thereof euery man returned to his possession and family debts were released and oppressions abated And surely the Iubilees in old time were h Dr. Incognit figures of the ioyes in this acceptable time for by the resurrection of Christ euery true beleeuer is set free from the hands of all his enemies his trespasses are forgiuen and he is restored againe to his interest in that heauenly possession and immortall inheritance which he lost in the transgression of his great grandfather Adam The redemption of Christ is a yeere of Iubile the resurrection of Christ is the chiefe day in the yeere Let vs therefore reioyce for it and be glad in it Dauid saith i Psal 41.11 elsewhere By this O Lord I know thou fauourest me that mine enemy doth not triumph against me k 2. Sam. 22.41 Thou hast giuen vnto me the necks of my foes that I might break them as smal as the dust of the earth and tread them flat as the clay in the street That which hee speaketh of his temporall enemies opposing him in obtaining of an earthly kingdome we may well apply to the spirituall hindering vs in our way to the kingdome of heauen O Lord our strength and redeemer thou hast on this day l Gen. 3.15 broken the serpents head and vtterly confounded all such as hate vs. On this day thou diddest laugh them to scorne and haue them in derision Psalm 2.4 and therefore we will in memoriall of this one day sing thy mercies all the dayes of our life sounding foorth vnto the worlds end This is the day this is thy day which thou Lord hast made wee will reioyce and be glad in it Concerning our promotion in good the resurrection of Christ is a proofe of our iustification a meanes of our sanctification a demonstration of our resurrection First it proueth our iustification according to that of Paul Rom. 4.25 He was giuen to death for our sinnes and is risen againe from the dead for our iustification See the Gospell on S. Thomas day Secondly the resurrection of Christ is a notable meanes to worke inward sanctification as Saint Peter teacheth in 1. Epistle 1. Chap. 3. Verse God hath begotten vs againe vnto a liuely hope by the resurrection of Iesus Christ from the dead And Saint m Rom. 6.4.5 Paul As Christ was raised vp from the dead by the glory of his Father so we should also walke in newnesse of life For if we be grafted with him to the similitude of his death euen so shall we be to the similitude of his resurrection Which words import n Aquin. Aretius Marlorat that as the graft groweth in the stocke and is become one body with it euen so the faithfull haue their liuing and spirituall being in Christ As he by the power of his owne Godhead freed his manhood from death and from the guilt of our sin so doth he likewise free those that are knit vnto him by the bond of one spirit from the corruption of their natures in which they are dead that they may liue vnto God o Raymund de Sabunde Theolog natural tit 277. In the naturall body the head is the fountaine of all motion and sense for the hands and the feet moue by that power which is by sundry nerues deriued from the head and dispersed among the members And so it is in Christs mystical body the Church hee is the head and fountaine of life spirituall and p Perkins exposit Creed art Christ resur that very power of his Godhead whereby he raised vp himselfe when
Israelites are the land of the Lord and the captiuity here mentioned is bondage vnder sinne so Paul Rom. 7.23 I see another law in my members rebelling against the law of my minde and leading me captiue vnto the law of sinne which is in my members O wretched man that I am who shall deliuer me from the body of this death In this captiuity Satan is the Iaylor the flesh is our prison vngodly lusts are the manicles a bad conscience the tormentor all of them against vs onely Christ is Emmanuel God with vs he turneth away the captiuity of Iacob in forgiuing all his offences and in couering all his sinnes For the blessed order of our redemption is x Bellarmin briefly this God out of his meere loue to the world quia bene voluit terrae gaue his sonne the sonne by his death appeased the wrath of his Father and abundantly satisfied the diuine iustice for the sinnes of the whole world God pleased in his sonne Iesu forgiueth all our offences and couereth all our sinnes and remission of sinne releaseth our captiuity Whosoeuer then is a true beleeuer in Christ is the Lords y 1. Cor. 7.22 free-man z See Aquin. lect 4. in Rom. 7. in this life so set at liberty that sinne shall not raigne in his mortall members Rom. 6.12 but in the world to come fully free from all corruption and concupiscence when as his vile body shall bee made like to Christs glorious body Philip. 3.21 the which is called by Paul the glorious liberty of the sonnes of God Rom. 8.21 Turne vs then O God our Sauiour Heere begins the a Bucer Bellarmin petition or b Genebrardus application of the former prophecy wherein the Church heartily desires the father of mercies that he would execute his holy promise concerning our deliuerance by sending his onely Sonne and our only Sauiour Christ Iesus into the world Where as it is said in the prophecie Thou hast turned away the captiuitie of Iacob it is said in the Prayer Turne vs then O God our Sauiour In the prophecie Thou hast taken away all thy displeasure and turned thy selfe from thy wrathfull indignation in the Prayer Let thine anger cease from vs wilt thou be displeased at vs for euer and wilt thou stretch out thy wrath from one generation to another In the prophecie Thou hast been fauourable to thy land thou hast for giuen the offences of thy people and couered all their sinnes in the Prayer Quicken vs O Lord that thy people may reioyce in thee shew vs thy mercie and grant vs thy saluation c Euthym. that is thy Sonne Iesus d Acts 4.12 by whom onely thou sauest The whole Prayer hath as e D. Incognitus one notes two parts 1. The Churches request vnto God that the Messias of the world may come and that for foure causes especially 1. For our reconciliation vnto God vers 4.5 2. For our iustification vers 6.7 3. For our illumination vers 8. 4. For our glorification vers 9. 2. Gods grant to the request of his Church in the fulnes of time Mercie and truth are met together c. I will hearken what the Lord will say The word of God is a lanterne vnto our feete and a light vnto our paths a trustie f Psal 119.24 counseller in all our affaires in our afflictions especially The Lord speakes peace vnto his people both in the bookes of his holy Scriptures and by the mouthes of his godly g Tileman in loc Preachers And therefore such as h 1. Thess 5.20 despise prophecying for some by-respects of tithes and other worldly toyes hate their learned and vigilant Pastors i Luke 19.42 vnderstand not these things which belong vnto their peace It was euer held commendable policie both among Christians and Heathens that a good thing for the Common-weale should be broached by the gratious lip of some man highly honoured in his countrie because his precept is vsually dis-respected whose person is despised And this among other is one cause why some men in Gods house during the time of praying and preaching prattle so much vnto their mates or if their pew-fellow be more deuout prate by nods and fleares and other secret signes vnto their lewd companions further off It is hard for any said Plutarch to change himselfe so much but that a man at one time or other may catch his heart at the tip of his tongue and so surely no hypocrite can so deeply dissemble but a man euer and anon may see his heart at his fingers end his wandring lookes and other irreuerent behauiour in the Temple bewray that his soule doth not magnifie the Lord nor his spirit reioyce in God his Sauiour When thou commest into the Sanctuary thou must either in thy deuotions speake vnto God or else heare what God by his ministrie speaketh vnto thee It is the fashion of worldlings to sue their neighbors for euery trifling trespasse but a true Christian is resolued here with our Prophet I will heare what the Lord God will say concerning me Now hee saith k 1. Cor. 6.5 Is it so that there is not a wise man among you no not one that can iudge betweene his brethren but a brother goeth to law with a brother and that vnder such aduocates and Iudges l Saluianus lib. 5 de gubernat dei qui hac lege defendunt miseros vt miseriores faciant defendendo like the thornie bush fleecing the poore sheepe which in a storme commeth vnto it for shelter It is the fashion of worldlings if they lose goods out of their closet or cattell out of their Close presently to rake hell for help consulting with abominable witches and other wicked agents of the diuell but a good Christian on the contrary saith I will heare what the Lord will say He saith in his law m Exod. 22.18 Thou shalt not suffer a witch to liue Shall I then forsake God who n Deut. 33.26 rideth vpon the heauens for my helpe and the Magistrate Gods deputie to o Rom. 13.4 take vengeance on him that doth euil and seeke comfort at the hands of a Coniurer by blacke Arts and workes of darknesse No Satan if thou wouldest in consideration of my little losse giue me my house full of siluer and gold or couldest as once thou diddest impudently boast vnto my blessed Sauiour bestow on me p Matth. 4.9 all the kingdomes of the world q Numb 22.18 I cannot goe beyond the word of the Lord my God to doe lesse or more It is the fashion of worldlings when their consciences afflict them at any time for sinne to see merry plaies or reade merry bookes or heare merry tales or take merrie cups and so they make the remedie worse commonly then the disease But a good man and a true Christian heares what the Lord saith vnto him in his word and ministrie r Psal 50.15 Call vpon
ergo amorem pro debito charitatem pro munere animum affectum Domino impendamus soluimus PSALM 89. My song shall be alway of the louing kindnesse of the Lord c. THis one short verse containes the summarie pith and k Bellarmin argument of the whole long Psalme wherein obserue the Songs dittie the louing kindnesse and truth of the Lord manifested vnto the whole world generally to Dauids house that is the Church especially Singers duty magnifying the mercies of God alwaies euen from one generation to another And by all meanes with his mouth for that is expressed in this vers with his mind for that is implied in the next I haue said c. l Geneua glosse Wilcox that is beleeued it in my heart and therefore spake it with my tongue Psalm 116.10 For out of the harts abundance the mouth speaketh Mat. 12.34 My song shall be alwaies of the louing kindnesse Or as other translations I will sing the mercies of the Lord his m Vatablus manifold and sundrie mercies as if he should say wee haue tasted of more then of one yea wee haue felt all his mercies I will therefore praise the same for euer I will sing his mercy for creating this vniuerse which is n Io. de combis compend theolog lib. 2. cap. 2. Macrocosmus a great world and for making man which is Microcosmus a little world 1. My song shall set forth his kindnesse for that he gaue me being 2. For adding to my being life which he denieth vnto stones 3. To life sense which hee denieth vnto plants 4. To sense speech and vnderstanding which he denieth vnto bruit beasts I haue great cause to praise the Lord for that I am a man and yet greater for that I am a sound man hauing a due portion of wit and a true proportion of limbs and lineaments maimed neither in the powers of my soule nor in the parts of my body Some men are like the carued images of Pagans and Papists o Psal 135.16 hauing mouthes and speak not eyes and see not eares and heare not feete and walke not hands and handle not I will therfore sing of thy mercies O Lord for giuing vnto me perfect limbes and perfect vse therof eyes to see tongue to speake eares to heare feet to walke I do not want so much as the left hand or the little finger of that hand or the least ioynt of that finger Againe some men are maimed in their minds as being either borne starke fooles O heauie punishment or else for abusing their good wits in bad workes are by Gods secret and seuere iudgement bereft of their intellectuals Some which haue heretofore worshipped Christ at Bethlem haue preached also Christ vnto the King and his Court in Bethel are now lunaticke bound hand and foote in Bedlem p Fatius de mortificatione cap. 2 In nature the middle participates euer with his extreames as the spring which is the middle betweene winter and summer hath as you know part of the winters cold and part of the summers heate and the morning which is the middle betweene night and day hath a little darknesse of the night and a little light of the day so man is created by God tanquam medius inter angelum brutū a middling betweene an Angell and a brute being a good deale better then a beast and a little q Psalm 8.5 lower then an Angell Hauing in respect of his body somthing of a bruit being sensuall and mortall and in respect of his soule somthing of an Angell as being intellectuall and immortall Now then if the spring haue not any heate of summer it is so cold as winter and if the morning haue no light of the Sunne it is so darke as night so man if he want angelicall abilities of the soule is little better then a beast as r Psalm 32.10 horse and mule without vnderstanding for as ſ Orat. de Dione Synesius said A wise man excels a foole more then a foole doth excel a beast As God is principium effectiuum in creatione so refectiuum in redemptione I am exceeding much bound vnto God for creating me when I was not and for preseruing me vnder his wings euer since I was yet I am more bound to his mercy for redeeming me for blessing mee with all spirituall blessings in heauenly things in Christ his Sonne Ephes 1.3 for his electing of me for his calling of me for his iustifying of me for his sanctifying of me These graces are the t Ephes 2.4 3.16 riches of his goodnesse and glory u Bellarmin misericordiae in aeternum euerlasting mercies as reaching from x Bernard ser 2. in ascen Dom. euerlasting predestination to euerlasting glorification O Lord I will alway sing thy mercies in promising and euer shew thy truth in performing thy promise made to Dauid thy chosen seruant concerning thy sonne my Sauiour saying thy seed will I stablish for euer So the y Hierom. Turrecremat Fathers expound our text I will euer sing thy mercies in vouchsafing to send thy sonne to visit thy seruants sicke to death in sinne First I will euer sing of thy mercifulnesse and then I will euer bee shewing thy faithfulnesse z Augustin Neque enim exhiberetur veritas in impletione promissorum nisi praecederet misericordia in remissione peccatorum And what is Gods mercy set vp for euer and his truth established in the heauens but that which a Esay 55.3 Esay termes the sure mercies of Dauid that is as b Act. 13.34 Paul construeth Esay the holy promises made to Dauid and the promise made to Dauid is briefly this thy seed will I stablish for euer and set vp thy throne from generation to generation For the Prophet Ethan here doth c August de ciuit dei lib. 17. cap. 9. Idem Euthym. Tileman in loc allude to the Prophet Nathan 2. Sam. 7. I will saith he from the Lord vnto Dauid set vp thy seed after thee and I will stablish the throne of his kingdome for euer Now this holy promise was not fulfilled in the temporall kingdome of Dauid as Gods people complaine in this Psalme from the 37. to the 45. verse It is therefore to bee construed of Christ and his spirituall kingdome Christ according to the flesh is the d Rom. 1.3 seed of Dauid and the e Mat. 1.1 sonne of Dauid of him it is true which is said heere by the Lord My couenant will I not breake nor alter the thing that is gone out of my lips I haue sworne once by my holinesse that I will not faile Dauid His seed shall endure for euer and his seat is like as the Sunne before me He shal stand fast for euermore as the Moone and as the faithfull witnesse in heauen Of him it is true f Psal 45.7 Heb. 1.8 thy throne is for euer and euer Of him it is
true heaven and earth shall perish and wax old as doth a garment and as a vesture thou shalt fold them vp and they shall be changed but thou art the same and thy yeeres shall not faile Psal 102.27 Heb. 1.12 Thou sweet Iesus art a Priest for euer and a Prince for euer And surely God would haue Dauids earthly kingdom to determine in Iehoiachim and Zedechia that his people might g Hoc admonet vox intellectus in titulo posita Bellar. argum huius Psalmi vnderstand the holy couenant made with Dauid of Christ and that they might pray Lord where are thy old louing kindnesses which thou swarest vnto Dauid in thy truth See S. August de ciuit dei lib. 17. cap. 9.10.11.12.13 Now the Prophet in processe of his hymne describes the natures and vertues of Christ as well inherent in his owne person as infused into his people His Humane nature because the seed of Dauid a perfect man in soule and body against h Bellarmin de Christo lib. 2. cap. 2. Eutycheans i Epiphan haeres 77. Apollinarists k August haeres 11. Valentinians l Alphons de haeres lib. 4. fol. 70. Nestorians m Idem ibid. fol. 73. Monothelites c. His Diuine nature First for that the Church inuocates him as God vers 5. O Lord the very heauens shall praise thy wondrous works and thy truth in the congregation of the Saints By heauen is meant the n Euthym. Tileman Church and the o Augustin Hierom. Preachers of Christ in the Church Secondly Ethan proues Christ to be God by comparison in the 6.7.8.9 verses Who is he among the cloudes that shall bee compared vnto the Lord or what is hee among the gods that shall be like vnto him as if he should say there is neither Monarch on earth nor Angel in heauen his peere Thirdly from the preseruation of all things v. 10.11 Thou rulest the raging of the sea thou rulest the waues thereof when they arise c. Fourthly for that he created the world ver 12.13.14 The heauens are thine the earth also is thine thou hast laid the foundation of the round world c. Hauing thus expressed his natures and shewed him to be p Alphons de haeresibus lib. 1. fol. 25. verus homo verusque Deus tamen vnus vterque He begins in the 15. verse to sing of his vertues as well in his owne person as people For himselfe righteousnes and equity is the habitation of thy seat mercy and truth shall goe before thy face For his people blessed are they that can reioyce in thee they shall walke in the light of thy countenance their delight shall be daily in thy name c. These things affoord manifold instructions according to the prefixed title a Psalme for instruction of Ethan the Ezrarite But the point aimed at most is vndoubtedly q Vatablus Caluin that in all our tentations and tempests of conscience we should flie to the sure mercies and holy promises of God in Christ If once we stay our soules on this anchor hold wee shall escape shipw-rack of faith Ethan who was either penner or singer of this hymne is by r Augustin interpretation robustus one which is strong now no man is strong in this world but hee who relieth vpon the sure promises of God The consideration of our owne merits is able to make vs faint and feeble but our trust in the Lords euerlasting mercies maketh vs like mount Sion which cannot bee remoued but abideth fast firme for euer Psal 125.1 And therefore ſ Galat. de arcan lib. 6. cap. 12. some Diuines haue construed this Scripture by that Ierem. 9.23 Thus saith the Lord let not the wise man glory in his wisdome nor the strong man glory in his strength neither the rich man glory in his riches but let him that glorieth glory in this that he vnderstands and knowes me to bee the Lord which shew mercy iudgement and righteousnesse And as the Fathers vnder and before the law comforted themselues in all afflictions and misery with the consideration of Christs first comming so let vs in the middest of our tentations and troubles bee stedfast and immoueable because we look for his second comming He deferred his first comming a great while yet in the t Galat. 4.4 fulnes of time he dealt with his seruants u Luke 2.29 according to his word So the Saints expecting his second comming crie with a loud voyce x Apocal. 6.10 How long Lord holy and true doest not thou iudge and auenge our bloud on them that dwell on earth And mockers in the last daies also say y 2. Pet. 3.4 Where is the promise of his comming for since the fathers died all things continue as they were from the beginning of the Creation And yet the Lord saith Saint Peter is not slack concerning his promise as some men count slacknes but is patient toward vs and would haue all men come to repentance z Heb. 10.37 Yet a very little while and he that shall come will come and will not tarrie Behold saith he who neuer vttered vntruth a Apoc. 22.12 I come shortly and my reward is with me to giue euery man according as his workes are The life present is so full of diseases and disasters that our happinesse is b Coloss 3.4 hid with Christ in God but whē he which is our life shall appeare then we shall also appeare with him in glorie for hee shall c Philip. 3.21 change our vile body that it may be like his glorious body d Martialis ad Burdegal epist. 8 Non euacuabitur veritas corporis sed non erit pondus fragilitas corruptionis Wherefore let vs alway be rich in the work of the Lord for as much as wee know that our labour is not in vaine in the Lord 1. Cor. 15.58 Hitherto concerning the dittie of the song I come now to the dutie of the singer I will alway sing thy mercies with my mouth I will euer be shewing thy truth from one generation to another I know e Bellarmine some ioyne in aeternum to the nowne misericordias and not to the verbe cantabo making the sense to bee this I will alway sing thy mercies which endure for euer But alwaies is referred as well if not better vnto the verbe I will sing as who would say Lord thy mercies are so manifest and so manifold so great in their number and so good in their nature that I will alway so f Psal 146.1 long as I haue any being sing praises vnto thee Happily some will obiect All flesh is grasse and the grace thereof as the flower of the field the grasse withereth and the flower fadeth away Dauid being persecuted by Saul said g 1. Sam. 20.3 there is but a step between death and me Nay Dauid thy life is shorter then a stride but a spanne long as thy selfe
Lord O my soule and forget not all his benefits who forgiueth all thy sinnes and healeth all thine infirmities who saueth thy life from destruction crowneth thee with louing kindnesse Psal 103. A good Christian is a tymbrel of the holy Ghost his whole life being nothing else but a well-tuned song of Sion alway magnifying the mercies of God in his owne person and inuiting other to doe the same But the m Psal 14.6 mouth of the wicked is full of cursing and bitternes their throate is an open sepulchre destruction and vnhappinesse is in their waies A man of a foule mouth is a beast in the forme of a man his tongue is the tongue of a n Psal 140.3 Serpent Adders poyson is vnder his lips nay worse then a Serpent for it hurts not a man except it be present to see him or to bite him or to strike him with his taile but he which hath a blasphemous and a bitter tongue hurteth all as well absent as present neither sea nor land neither scepter nor sepulchre neither heauen nor hell hindreth him hee blasphemes God he wrongs his neighbour hee raileth on the dead and rageth against the liuing his tongue is the tongue of a Fiend of a Fury For as the holy Prophets of God when they preached had their tongues as it were touched with a o Esay 6.6 coale from the altar of God and as godly men haue their tongues inflamed with the p Mat. 3.11 Acts 2.3 fire of Gods spirit when as they speake graciously so contrariwise when a man speaketh euill his tongue saith S. q Chap. 3.2 Iames is kindled by the fire of hell and Satan comes from thence with a coale to touch his lips and to set them on fire to all manner of mischiefe When as good men speak good things their tongue is r Chrysost hom 99. in Mat. Christs tongue but all manner of cursed and vngodly speaking is no better then the Diuels language Thinke on this all yee that forget God whose mouthes are so farre from singing his mercies alway that yee can hardly come in your communication vnto any full period without interlacing an oath or two It is no wonder that in Italy which is a parcell of Antichrists kingdome blasphemies should be darted out against God and his Christ ordinarily openly being made ſ Relation of Religion sect 53. phrases of gallantrie to the brauer and very interiections of speech vnto the vulgar But in England where the scepter of Christs kingdome hath a long time florished it cannot but wound the hearts of such as mourne for the sins of the land to consider how commonly not onely the ruffin at the tauerne and the rascall on the stage but also the labourer at his worke and the gentleman at his recreation and the very boyes yea babes in the street curse their Maker and reuile their Redeemer Other sinnes are clothed in some sort with excuse before men in respect either of profit or pleasure content or credit but in swearing there is neither good nor gaine nor glorie I beseech you therefore my deare bowels in the Lord instruct your children and seruants how to serue God in a liuely faith and a reuerend feare let your whole life be to them a walking Catechisme that they may sing alway the mercies of the Lord and shew foorth his truth from generation to generation PSALME 110. The Lord said vnto my Lord sit thou on my right hand vntill I make thine enemies thy footstoole THis Psalme saith t In loc Breuis numero verborum sed magnus pondere sententiarum Augustine is in the number of words short but in the weight of matter ample containing so many deepe mysteries and opposing so many dangerous heresies that as u In loc Chrysostome notes we neede many eyes for the right reading and exact vnderstanding of it If we literally referre this vnto Dauid he bringeth in a subiect or a fauourite speaking thus of himselfe The Lord said vnto my Lord the King Dauid as a King is a Lord because the Lieutenant and as it were Vice-gerent of the Lord. In this sense Paul telleth vs that there bee many Gods and many Lords 1. Cor. 8.5 many Gods in title and type but in deed and truth one God only Princes are Gods in name for saith the Lord x Psal 82.6 I haue said ye are Gods but not in nature for yee shall dye like men All higher powers hold their Scepters from the y Prou. 8.15 highest power z Psal 75.8 he putteth downe one and setteth vp another according to the stile Iames by the grace of God c. a Caluin in loc More principally Dauid who was called to his kingdome by Gods especiall grace and vsed his kingdome to Gods especiall glorie For hee was a man according to Gods b Acts 13.22 own heart turning from nothing the Lord commanded him al the daies of his life saue only in the matter of Vriah the Hittite 1. King 15.5 And surely beloued if we will in sensu similitudinario consider earnestly the wonderful vnion of these two kingdomes England and Scotland and the florishing estate of the Gospel vnder the gouernment of our dread Soueraigne wee shall haue good cause to take vp this song The Lord said vnto King Iames our Lord sit in thy throne for I haue both appointed and anoynted thee King ouer great Britannie c Dr. Incognit in loc Or happily Dauid might speake this of himselfe The Lord said vnto me concerning my Lord Saul persecuting me sit thou downe by the power of my right hand and be well assured of my protection vntill I haue made all thine enemies thy footstoole that is all such as hindred thee from thy kingdome obedient subiects vnto thee saying d 2. Sam. 5.1 Behold wee are thy bones and thy flesh So the Lord spake by the Prophet Nathā 2. Sam. 12.7 I annointed thee King ouer Israel and deliuered thee out of the hand of Saul and gaue thee thy Lords house and thy Lords wiues into thy bosome and gaue thee the house of Israel and Iudah and would moreouer if that had bin too little haue giuen thee such and such things c. But because S. Peter Acts 2.34 and S. Paul Heb. 1.13 expound this text of Christ and Christ himselfe applieth it vnto himselfe Matth. 22.44 Mark 12.36 Luk. 20.42 I forbeare to treat any longer of shadowes and come to the substance taking this Psalme for a prophecie concerning Christ in fact and Dauid onely but in figure Christ then is described here 1. e Genebrard As a King vers 1.2.3 2. As a Priest vers 4.5 3. As a Iudge vers 6.7 His kingdome is great in respect of Countenance The Lord said vnto my Lord sit thou on my right hād Continuance Vntill I make thine enemies thy footstoole c. Or f Tremellius three points are remarkable concerning his kingdome 1. His calling to this
kingdom by God the Father vers 1. 2. His administration of this kingdom by the scepter of his word vers 2. 3. His subiects obedience to this administration vers 3. g Apud Pet. Galatin de arcanis lib. 8. cap. 24. Some Doctors among the Iewes haue construed this of Dauids Angel appointed by the Lord for his peculiar guard and guide But I say to them out of S. h Heb. 1.13 Paul Vnto which of the Angels said the Lord at any time sit at my right hand vntill I make thine enemies thy footstoole i Apud Hierom. in Mat. 22. D. Incognit Agellium in loc Other Rabbins expound this of Abraham as making it a thanksgiuing vnto the Lord for the victorie which he got against the foure Kings Gen. 14. Other vnderstand this of k Justin Martyr in dialog contra Triphonem Tertullian lib. 5. contra Marcian Ezechiah other of l Vti Chrysost in loc Zorobabel But all these holy Fathers are dead and haue slept long in the dust of their graue whereas the Lord heere mentioned is a Priest for euer and hath a kingdom m Heb. 1.8 without end And so consequently this Psalme cannot aptly be construed either of man or angell or of any other meere creature but of Christ alone the Messias and Mediatour being the sonne of Dauid as man and the Lord of Dauid as God The Iewes vnderstood not this and therefore they could not answere Christs question Mat. 22.45 If Dauid call him Lord how is he then his sonne neither should we haue learned this except Christ and his Apostles had taught it vs. Nunc ergo saith n In loc Augustine quia didicimus dicimus as we haue read so we beleeue that Christ as being o Philip. 2.6.7 equall to God is the Lord of Dauid as found in the forme of a seruant the sonne of Dauid As p Ioh. 1.1.14 in the beginning the Lord of Dauid as made flesh the sonne of Dauid as q Esay 7.14 conceiued and borne of a Virgin the son of Dauid as Emmanuel the Lord of Dauid See Hierom. in Mat. 22. pet galatin de arcanis lib. 3. cap. 17. lib. 8. cap. 24. Chrysostom D. Incognit August Steuchus Caluin Tileman Agellius Bellarmin alios in loc The Lord said then vnto my Lord is as r Turrecremat Tremellius Genebrardus if hee should haue said God the Father said vnto God the Son And therefore Å¿ Galatin de arcanis lib. 8. cap. 24. Steuchus in loc Rabbi Ionathas translateth it in the Chalde dixit dominus verbo suo the Lord said to his Word Here then obserue t Placid parmen the distinction of persons in the Godhead against u Tileman Artemon Sabellius and Seruetus The Father said vnto the Sonne Ergo the Father is distinguished from the Sonne x August de ciuit dei lib. 11. cap. 10. Lombard 1. sent distinct 2. alius howsoeuer not aliud another person albeit not another substance for as the Father is Lord so the Son Lord and the holy Ghost Lord and yet not three Lords but one Lord as Athanasius in his Creed The Lord said But how when and where the words of our mouthes are first as the y Aristotle Perihermin cap. 1. Philosopher truly notions of our mind So God hath a twofold word z Dr. Incognit ad intra conceiued within himselfe and ad extra reuealed vnto men According to both he said this a Melanct. in loc Immensa sapientia decretum fecit id generi humano patâ—fecit First according to his intrinsecall word he said it before the worlds as it is in the second Psalme vers 7. The Lord said vnto me thou art my sonne this day haue I begotten thee Secondly according to his extrinsecall and reuealed word he said it in the world b Tileman to wit in the beginning Gen. 3.15 the seed of the woman c I said the Lord vnto the serpent will put enmity betweene thee and the woman and betweene thy seed and her seed he shall breake thine head and thou shalt bruise his heele Christ is that promised seed of the woman as being c Rom. 1.3 made of the seed of Dauid according to the flesh he shal breake the Serpents head is all one with our text sit thou on my right hand vntill I haue made all thine enemies thy footstoole My Not onely because to bee borne of my seed and posterity d Agellius but mine in regard of mine affection and particular application As his mother Mary called him my Sauiour and his Apostle Thomas my God and Paul Galath 2.20 Christ loued me and gaue himselfe for me Lord Saint e In loc Hierome and f Apud Genebrard in loc Adonai Adoni other learned in the Hebrew note that in the first place the word translated here Lord is proper onely to God but in the second communicable to men And so Christ according to his manhood began to sit at the right hand of God after his ascension into heauen and not before Christ as the sonne of God was euer at Gods right hand equall in might and maiesty for in the Trinity none is afore or after other none is greater or lesse theÌ„ another but all the three persons are coeternall and coequall As the Sonne is said in this verse to sit at the right hand of the Father so the Father on the Sonnes right hand vers 5. The Lord vpon thy right hand shall wound euen Kings in the day of his wrath But Christ as man was not exalted vnto this honour before his glorious ascension as Saint Peter expoundeth our text Act. 2. â—4 Dauid is not ascended vp into heauen but the Lord said vnto my Lord sit thou at my right hand vntill I make thine enemies thy foot-stoole Therefore let all the house of Israel know for a surety that God hath made him both Lord and Christ this Iesus I meane whom ye haue crucified And Paul Philip. 2.8 He humbled himselfe and became obedient vnto the death euen the death of the Crosse wherefore God hath highly exalted him And in g Ephes 1.20 another place God raised him from the dead and set him at his right hand in heauenly places Yet the Lord said not this vnto Christ as vnto a meere man h Esay 42.8 I am the Lord quoth he this is my name and my glory will I not giue to another but to Christ God and man our Messias and Mediator one person in two natures As Christ is our Iesus Emmanuel he hath i Mat. 28.18 all power in heauen and on earth k Phil. 2.10 At the name of Iesus euery knee shal bow both of things in heauen and things in earth and things vnder the earth l Chrysost Theophylact. Gorran in loc Pauli Angels and Saints in heauen men on earth and the diuels of hell vnder earth Christ hath
all power in heauen m Dr. Incognit as hauing the godly subiect to him out of their deuotion and all power on earth as hauing the wicked made subiect to his foot-stoole will they nill they For there is a n Euthym. Placid parmen in loc idem Aquin. in Philip 2. lect 3. twofold subiection one voluntarie another extorted All glorious Angels all blessed spirits all good men of their owne accord yeeld obedience to Iesus fully cheerfully but the wicked men on earth and the damned fiends in hell in despite of their teeth are blockes at his foot-stoole o August in loc Quaere ergo quem locum habeas sub pedibus domini dei tui nam necesse est vt habeas aut gratiae aut poenae for as euery knee should bow so euery knee shall bow saith p Esay 45.23 Esay that knee that will not out of faith shall out of feare so Dauid here the Lord said vnto my Lord sit at my right hand vntill I make thine enemies thy foot-stoole Vntill This word q Gregor moral lib. 8. cap. 40. Chrysost Incognit Agellius in loc notes here not a piece of time but a perpetuitie For Christ after all his enemies are made his foot-stoole shall euer sit at the right hand of God his throne is for euer and euer Heb. 1.8 And power is vnto him that sitteth vpon the Throne for euermore Apocal 5.13 So donec is vsed Deut. 7.23 The Lord thy God shall destroy them with a mighty destruction vntill they be brought to nought heereby meaning that they shall vtterly bee consumed because they cannot any more resist after once they be brought to nothing And Psalm 112. vers 8. The good mans heart is established and will not shrinke vntill he see his desire vpon his enemies If his heart were not afraid for any euill tidings when his enemies stood vp against him how shall hee shrinke when he sees their neckes giuen vnto him And Matth. 1.25 hee knew her not vntill shee had brought foorth her first borne sonne c. Vntill in that place doth not import as the r Hierom. Chrysost Theophylact. Euthym. Doctors haue well obserued against Heluidius that Ioseph afterward carnally knew Mary for she was a perpetuall virgin as well after as before the birth of her sonne Iesus See 2. Sam. 6.23 Mat. 5.18 and 28.20 It is obiected against this interpretation out of Saint Paul 1. Cor. 15.24 that Christ after he hath put downe all things vnder his feet shall in fine deliuer vp the kingdome to God Answere is made by Chrysostome vpon our text out of Ioh. 16.15 Al things that the Father hath are mine And. Ioh. 17.10 All mine are thine and thine are mine Å¿ Marlorat in 1. Cor. 15.24 As then God the Father was not without his kingdome when as God the Sonne said t Mat. 11.27 Iohn 3.35 all things are giuen vnto me of my Father no more shall God the Son be de-thrond when he shall deliuer vp his kingdome to his Father u See Luther Anselm Lombard in 1. Cor. 15.24 Hee now raignes in secret but when all his enemies once shall be made his foot-stoole then he shall openly rule much more sitting at his Fathers right hand for euermore I make Christ is x Philip. 3.21 able to subdue all things vnto himselfe and according to his power hee shall also put all things vnder his feet 1. Cor 15.27 How then is it true that God the Father saith vntill I make thine enemies thy foot-stoole Answere is made that y Ioh. 5.19 whatsoeuer things the Father doth the same things also doth the Sonne z Euthym. for this action is common to the Sonne with the Father I say common to the Son a Bellarmin in loc in respect of his eternal generation as God and in respect of the hypostaticall vnion as man Yet this worke is ascribed especially to the Father as being a worke of might according to that orthodoxall axiome Works of power are ascribed to the father of wisdome to the Sonne of loue to the holy Ghost Thine enemies b Tileman Heere note that the Church is not a kingdome liuing alwaies in pompe and peace but as c Cant. 6.3 Salomon speakes as an armie with banners exposed to great danger as being opposed by cruel and cunning enemies If any man will take the Churches portraiture let him saith d Loc. Com. tit de persecut verae Eccles Luther paint a seely poore maid sitting in a forlorne wood or wildernesse compassed about on euery side with hungry Lions Woolues Boares Beares in one word with al hateful hurtfull beasts and in the mid'st of a great many furious men assaulting her euery minute as they did here Christ with e Mat. 26.47 swords staues and that which is more terrible threatening fire and water fire to consume her flesh and bones into ashes water to consume her ashes into nothing if it were possible To speake more distinctly Christ and his Church haue f Tileman two sorts of enemies secular and spirituall Secular as idolatrous Gentiles blasphemous Turkes and other barbarous Infidels out of the Church as also violent Tyrants virulent Hereticks fraudulent Antichrists in the bosome of the Church For as g Vbi sup Luther notes out of Augustine the Church hath had a threefold oppression The first violent by persecuting Emperours the second fraudulent by subtill heretickes the third both violent and fraudulent by pestilent Anti-christs in the kingdome of Poperie where the temporall power and spirituall are ioyned together against all that is called God Now Christ is a ruler in the middest of all these h Psal 99.1 the Lord is King be the people neuer so impatient hee sits betweene the Cherubims be the earth neuer so vnquiet Howsoeuer the i Psalm 2. Gentiles furiously rage together and vngodly Princes take counsell together against his annointed he that dwelleth in heauen shall laugh them to scorne hee shall haue them in derision hee shall bruise them with a rod of iron and breake them in pieces like a potters vessell Albeit k Apoc. 7.1 foure wicked Angels stand on the foure corners of the earth holding the foure winds that the wind should not blow on the earth neither on the sea neither on any tree yet l See epist on Al-Saints day Christ hauing the seale of the liuing God cries with a loud voice to the foure angels to whom power was giuen to hurt the earth and the sea Hurt ye not the earth neither the sea neither the trees vntill we haue sealed the seruants of our God in their foreheads He sits at Gods right hand till his enemies are made his foot-stoole m Vatablus in loc that is vntill he say to tyrants and Hypocrites and Heretickes and Anti-christs and to the whole rabble of the reprobate depart from mee yee cursed into euerlasting fire which is prepared for the diuell
and his angels The spirituall enemies of Christ and his Church are Satan and all his complices sinne torment of conscience malediction of the law death hell ouer all which our blessed Sauiour n Coloss 2.15 triumphed openly For in dying hee did ouercome death and in rising againe from the dead hee made the graue his foot-stoole saying o Hos 13.14 O death I will be thy death O graue I will be thy destruction Now beloued his conquest is our victory for hee did ouercome the world for vs and the diuell for vs and death for vs. Hee was wounded for our p Esay 53.5 transgressions and broken for our iniquities his name is q Ier. 23.6 the Lord our righteousnesse he therefore died for our sinnes and rose againe for our Iustification Hee deliuered vs out of the hands of all our enemies that we might serue him all the daies of our life without feare As for our sins hee saith Esa 43.25 I euen I am he that putteth away thine iniquities for mine owne sake and will not remember thy faults r Esay 1.18 Alebeit they were like Crimosin they shall be made white as snow though they were red as Scarlet they shall be like wooll the blood of Iesus Christ cleanseth vs from all sinne 1. Ioh. 1.7 Hee redeemed vs from the curse of the law when he was made a curse for vs Galath 3.13 He put out that hand-writing of ordinances against vs he cancelled that obligation and tooke it out of the way fastening it vpon his Crosse Coloss 2.14 Concerning torment of conscience being iustified by faith we haue peace toward God through Iesus Christ our Lord Rom. 5.1 Lastly touching death and hell he Å¿ Esay 25.8 destroyes death for euer and wipes away the teares from the faces of all his people that they may triumph in the words of t 1. Cor. 15.55 Paul O death where is thy sting O graue where is thy victory the sting of death is sinne and the strength of sin is the law but thankes be to God that hath giuen vs victory through our Lord Iesus Christ He that beleeueth in the Lord Iesus hath u Ioh. 17.3 eternall life neither shall he taste of the x Apocal. 20.6 second death If God then be with vs who can bee against vs If the Lord haue said vnto my Lord sit on my right hand vntill I haue made thine enemies thy foot-stoole What need I feare what either man or Angell or diuell is able to doe against me My Iesus is a y Esay 25.4 refuge against the tempest and a shadow against the heate a z Psalm 46.1 present help in al my tribulation trouble a Rom. 8.33 Who shal lay any thing to my charge seeing it is God that iustifieth and who shall condemne seeing Christ which is dead yea rather which is risen againe sitteth at the right hand of God and maketh intercession for vs daily b Mat. 28.20 Hee saith I am with you till the end and then hee will say vnto vs in the end Come ye blessed of my Father inherit ye the kingdome prepared for you from the foundation of the world The Lord shall send the rod of thy power out of Sion A c Plutarch in the life of Caesar Captaine sent from Caesar vnto the Senators of Rome to sue for the prolonging of his gouernment abroad vnderstanding as hee stood at the Counsell-chamber doore that they would not condescend to his desire clapping his hand vpon the pummell of his sword Well said he seeing you will not grant it him this shall giue it him So when the Citizens of Messana despising Pompei's iuris-diction alleaged ancient orders and priuiledges of the Romans in old time granted vnto their town Pompei did answere them in choller as Plutarch relates in his life What do you prattle to vs of your law that haue our swords by our sides So d Caluino turcis lib. 1. cap. 4. Mahumet dissolueth all arguments by the sword in e Vbertas solieta tract de causis magnitud imperij Turcici his kingdome no man is aduanced vnto places of any great worth or worship but the souldior the f Augerius Busbequius legat Turcic epist 1. left hand among the Turks is accounted most honourable because the sword hangs on that side So Tyrants and Potentates of the world end all their quarrels and make their enemies their footstoole by the sword But the scepter of Christs kingdome is not a sword of steele but a sword of the spirit hee ruleth in the middest of his enemies and subdueth a people to himselfe not by the sword but by the g Melancthon Tileman Vatablus Agellius word for the Gospell is the power of his arme to saluation Rom. 1.16 casting downe holds and imaginations and euery high thing that is exalted against the knowledge of God and bringing into captiuitie euery thought vnto the obedience of Christ 2. Cor. 10.5 And the Lord is said here to send the rod of his power out of Sion according to the prophecies of h Cap. 2. vers 3. Isaiah and i Cap. 4. vers 2. Micah the law shall goe forth of Sion and the word of the Lord from Hierusalem The blessed Apostles as wee reade Act. 2. receiued the gifts of the holy Ghost at Hierusalem and exercised also these gifts of vtterance first in Hierusalem It is true that their k Rom. 10.18 sound went out through all the earth and their words vnto the ends of the world and that they did execute their commission in preaching vnto l Mark 16.15 euery creature but yet according to their masters iniunction Luk. 24.47 they began at Hierusalem So Paul and Barnabas told the Iewes Act. 13.46 It was necessary that the word of God should first haue been spoken vnto you but seeing yee put it from you and iudge your selues vnworthie of euerlasting life loe wee turne to the Gentiles Heere then is a pregnant text to proue that the Gospel is not the word of m 1. Thess 2.13 man but the wisdome of n 1. Cor. 2.7 God and o Ephes 6.17 sword of his spirit for that it is agreeable to the predictions of all his holy Prophets euer since the world began Againe p Tileman in loc this euidence confutes the Iewes obstinately denying that the promised Messias is come His word commeth out of Sion hee must according to this prophecie begin his spirituall kingdome in Hierusalem euen while the Iewes Common-wealth and religion is standing for the scepter shall not depart from Iuda nor a law-giuer betweene his feet vntill Shilo come the people shall be gathered vnto him Gen. 49.10 But alas Hierusalem hath a long time been made leuell with the q Luk. 19.44 ground r Lament 1.1 she that was great among the Nations and Princesse among the Prouinces is now made tributarie Barbarus has segetes the Lord hath so darkened
the daughter of Sion in his wrath and cast downe from heauen vnto the earth Israels glory Lam. 2.1 that the barbarous ſ Apocal. 20.8 Gog and Magog are now lords of that somtime holy land Hierusalem in old time the City of God is now being possessed by the Turkes nothing else but a den of theeues Ergo Christ is that promised Messias it is t Mat. 11.3 he that should come neither need wee looke for another Be thou ruler in the midst among thine enemies By u Agellius Bellarmin rod is meant Christs scepter because strong rods are for the scepters of them that beare rule Ezech. 19.11 and Ier. 48.17 How is the strong staffe broken and the beautifull rod And by his scepter is meant his power and the word is that his power by which he rules in the middest of all his enemies conuerting such enemies as appertain to Gods election and confounding such enemies as are the sonnes of perdition his Gospell is vnto the one the sauour of life vnto life and to the other the sauour of death vnto death 2. Cor. 2.16 The blessed Apostles preached the Gospell in the middest of their enemies x Chrysost Euthym. as being sheepe in the middest of woolues Mat. 10.16 And y Lib. 1. cap. 2. 3. Irenaeus who liued in the next age witnesseth also that the Church encreased in Egypt Lybia France Spaine Germanie comparing the light of the Gospell vnto the Sun illuminating all men excepting such as are lost hauing their mindes blinded by the Prince of this world 2. Cor. 4.4 In all after times vnto this present day Christ ruled and his kingdome florished in despite of all his enemies in the middest of Atheists in the middest of Infidels in the middest of Heretikes in the middest of Hypocrits in the middest of Tyrants in the middest of Turkes in the middest of Anti-christs At the worlds end when our blessed Sauiour sitting at his Fathers right hand shall vtterly z 1. Cor. 15.19 put downe all things vnder his feete the good shall be separated from the bad as a shepheard separates the sheepe from the goates Matth. 25.32 But so long as the world that a 1. Iohn 5.19 lieth in wickednesse continueth the b Matth. 13.30 wheate groweth among tares and the Church is euer as a lilie among c Cant. 2.2 thornes assaulted on the one side by vnbeleeuers and on the other side by mis-beleeuers On the left hand by the blasphemous propositions of Heretikes on the right hand by the contentious oppositions of Schismatikes openly wronged by cut-throate tyrants and secretly wringed by backbyting hypocrites d Lib. de re rustica Varro writes that the Romanes in old time did ouercome their enemies sedendo but the Romanists in our time think to make their enemies as it were their footstoole caedendo by dagge and dagger by powder-plots and powder-shots by fire force furie Yet notwithstanding Christ is a Ruler and his subiects are e Rom. 8.37 more then Conquerours in the very middest of Anti-christianisme For the beheadding of Martyrs is like the f Iustin Mart. in dialog cum Tryphon cutting of vines the more they bee cut the more they prosper and fructifie The g Baro ius praefat tom 8. annal Church faith as Paul 2. Cor. 12.10 When I am weake then am I strong h Loc com tit de Luthero Martin Luther assisted doubtlesse by Gods owne spirit so little regarded the bloodie Papists in the quarrel of Christs Gospel as that he said peremptorily Contemptus est à me Romanus furor feruor And therfore being aduised by some good friends that he would not aduenture himselfe to be present at the meeting of the Germane Princes at Wormes he did answere them in this wise For as much as I am sent-for I am resolued and certainly determined to enter Wormes in the name of our Lord Iesus Christ although I knew there were so many diuels to resist me as there are tyles to couer all the houses in Wormes Fox Martyr fol. 776. And B. i Mr. Fox in his martyrdome Latymer being brought to the stake was so wel assured that Christ euen by his weakenesse should rule in the middest of his enemies as that vpon the kindling of the first fagot hee said to his fellow martyr Bishop Ridley Courage brother Ridley we shal by Gods grace this day light such a candle in England as I hope shall neuer be put out againe In the day of thy power shall the people offer thee freewill offrings Christ by the preaching of his word subdueth vnto himselfe a good and a great people Good They shall offer thee free-will offerings with an holie worship Great The dew of thy birth is of the wombe of the morning In the daies of thy power k Caluin that is in the daies of thy solemne assemblies in the daies of thy l Tremellius Gospell vntill thou shalt ouercome thine enemies with the m 2. Thess 2.8 spirit of thy mouth and abolish thē with the brightnes of thy cōming thy people shall offer free-will offerings vnto thee n Melanct. Mollerus Tileman not enforced by law but cōming out of loue not out of fashion or factiō but in pure deuotion and cheerefull obedience They shall appeare before thee with an holy worship or as our new translation in the beauties of holinesse that is in thy o Tremel Wilcox Temple which is a glorious Sanctuary Psal 29.2 p Agellius Or in a holinesse equalling the holinesse of thy Sanctuary for good Christians are the temples of God 1. Cor. 3.16 Or by beauties of holinesse he meaneth happily the q Tileman Melancthon Mollerus Priests garment insinuating that Christs elect people should be named r Esay 61.6 the Priests of the Lord a chosen generation a royall Priesthood an holy nation a peculiar people shewing foorth the vertues of him that hath called them out of darknesse into marueilous light 1. Pet. 2.9 The summe of all is that the subiects of his kingdome shall appeare before him in ſ Genebrard all kinde of sanctitie t Bellarm. resplendent in holinesse and shining in good workes as lights in the world Philip. 2.15 If all Christs people then offer him free-will offerings with an holy worship hee will not abide such as are hypocrites who serue the truth only to serue their turne u Psal 50.16 taking his couenant in their mouth yet hate to be reformed x Bradford in a letter to the City of London To the petition let thy kingdome come wee must adioyne thy will be done done on earth as it is in heauen Hee will as S. y Apoc. 3.16 Iohn telleth vs spue such out of his mouth as are neither hot nor cold mungrils in religion z 1. Kings 18.21 halting betweene God and Baal hauing as the a Hosea 10.2 Prophet speaks a diuided heart an heart and an
that Christ is our Priest for euer Happie men are they who beleeue this promise for that is t Ioh. 17.3 eternall life but accursed are such as u Heb. 2.3 neglect so great saluation Hee that beleeues not God maketh him a lyar saith Saint x 1. Epist 5.10 Iohn Nay seeing God hath bound his word with an oath hee that beleeues not this record concerning his Son doth accuse God of periurie This ought to comfort vs in all our tentations at the houre of death and in the day of iudgment For albeit we haue sinned against heauen and against earth against God in heauen against our brethren on earth although our sinnes are great for their number and grieuous for their nature yet let vs go y Heb. 4.16 boldly to the throne of grace that we may receiue mercy For as much as wee haue such an high Priest as is touched with a feeling of our infirmities and saith z Mat. 9.13 I am not come to call the righteous to repentance but sinners and sweareth a Ezech. 33.11 as I liue I desire not the death of a sinner let not any despaire b Ferus postil ser 5. in Dom. septuages though he haue denied Christ as Peter and betrayed Christ as Iudas and crucified Christ as Pilate And will not repent The passions of men are ascribed to God secundum effectum as c 1. part quaest 21. art 3. Aquine speakes but not secundum affectum And so the Scripture speaking d Rom. 6.19 grossely to mans vnderstanding saith that the spirit is e Ephes 4.30 grieued that the Lord f Gen. 6.6 repented he had made man and g 1. Sam. 15.11 Saul King and Ionah 3.10 God repented of the euil that he had said that he would doe to Nineueh The Lord in his secret counsell is yesterday and to day and the same also for euer Heb. 13.8 But vnto vs men in his reuealed word hee seemes to put on affections of anger and griefe h Placid parmen behauing himselfe as one who repents and grieues Againe God speakes in his reuealed word somtimes conditionally somtimes absolutely His sentence concerning the destruction of Nineueh was only conditionall if they did not repent according to that of the i Psal 7.13 Psalmist If a man will not turne then hee will whet his sword And therefore when the Lord saw the workes of the men of Nineueh that they turned from their euill waies he turned away his wrath from them Et sic Deus as one pithily non vertitur sed auertitur orationibus nostris But when Almighty God speakes absolutely thou are my sonne and as in our text categorically thou art a Priest for euer c. he will not repent nor k Psal 89.34 alter the thing which is gone out of his mouth See S. Augustine de diuersis quast ad Simplicium lib. 2. quaest 2. Rupert Caluin in caput 3. Ionae Augustin D. Incognit Bellarmin alios in loc Thou art a Priest for euer The Lord teacheth vs how wee should sweare by precept and paterne By precept Ierem. 4.2 Thou shalt sweare in truth in iudgment and in righteousnesse Where l Hierom. in loc Thomas 22â— quaest 89. art 3. Diuines obserue that these three vertues ought to bee the companions of all our oathes Iudgment forbids all rash idle swearing truth all lying and false swearing righteousnesse all blasphemous and vngodly swearing by the creatures God according to this precept sweareth himselfe heere hee sweares in righteousnesse as swearing by himselfe being both omnipotent and omni-scient in truth for that hee will not repent in iudgement saying to his Sonne thou art a Priest for euer m Agelsius in loc When he spake before of Christs kingdome he said onely sit thou at my right hand but now treating of Christs Priesthood hee sweares n Caluin in loc insinuating that the priesthood of Christ is of exceeding great consequence for the Lord instructing vs how we may sweare by his owne example sweares not in any trifling case but for the confirmation of a serious and necessarie truth of a most high nature Let vs examine therefore how Christ is a Priest for ouer An high Priest as the o Heb. 5.1 Scripture defineth is a person called of God from among men that hee may offer both gifts and sacrifices vnto God for the sins of men Such an high Priest is Christ immediately called of God in that he said thou art a Priest and hee gaue himselfe for vs to be both an p See epist 3. Sund in Lent offering and a sacrifice of a sweet smelling sauour to God Ephes 5.2 q 1. Ioh. 2.2 He is the reconcillation for our sins and as an aduocate with the Father in the Court of heauen euer pleading the merit of his oblation and obedience the sole mediator betweene God and man 1. Tim. 2.5 and he is a Priest for euer because with one offering hee consecrated for euer them that are sanctified Heb. 10.14 The powerfull operation of his passion endureth for euer being the r Apoc. 13.8 Lambe slaine from the beginning of the world and bleeding as it were to the worlds end Saint Paul in his Epistle to the Hebrewes hath vnfolded this part of our text so fully that as Å¿ Jn loc Hierome speaks it is superfluous to bring an after or other interpretation I will here rest onely in his Commentatarie consisting of two points especially the 1. Shewing the difference betweene the Priesthood of Aaron and Christ 2. Describing the resemblance betweene the Priesthod of Christ and Melchisedech 1. The Priesthood of Aaron with all the sacrifices and ceremonies belonging thereunto was nothing else but a type of things to come the t Heb. 9. tabernacles and holy places were figures of the true Sanctuarie the diuers washings and other carnall rites were similitudes of heauenly things In a word the whole Law had the shadow of good things to come but not the very substance of the things Hebr. 10.1 But Christ is the u Coloss 2.17 body of the shadow and his Priesthood the truth of Aarons type Ioh. 1.17 The Law was giuen by Moses but grace and truth came by Iesus Christ as being our onely Priest appeasing the wrath of God and taking away the sinnes of the world for x Act. 4.12 among men there is giuen no other name vnder heauen whereby wee must bee saued And therefore the holy Fathers in their killing of beasts and sprinkling of blood had euer an eye to the sheadding of Christs blood on the Crosse beleeuing that his blood should y 1. Ioh. 1.7 cleanse them from all their sinnes and z Heb. 9.12.13 not the blood of goates and calues and buls And the Prophets in their Sermons vsually taxe their hypocrisie who neglecting spirituall deuotions and faith in Christ onely rested and trusted in outward oblations a Esay 1.11
What haue I to doe with the multitude of your sacrifices saith the Lord I am full of the burnt offerings of lambes and of the fat of fed beasts I desire not the blood of bullockes nor of lambes nor of goates incense is an abomination vnto me my soule hateth your new moones and your appointed feasts all of them are a burthen vnto me I am weary to beare them And Mich. 6.7 Will the Lord be pleased with thousands of Rammes or with ten thousand riuers of oyle nay the sacrifice best accepted of God is a troubled spirit a broken and contrite heart O God shalt thou not despise Psal 51.17 2. The Priesthood of Aaron and the kingdome of Israel were distinct offices and incompetible the Priest vnder the law might not incroch vpon the royalties of the King nor the King execute the Priests office for when b 2. Chro. 26.16 Vzziah the King went into the Temple of the Lord to burne incense the Priests of the Lord withstood him and said vnto him It appertaineth not vnto thee Vzziah to burne incense vnto the Lord but to the Priests the sonnes of Aaron consecrated to this office Goe forth of the Sanctuarie for thou hast transgressed and Vzziah the King was a leper vnto the day of his death But Christ is both a Priest and a Prince the Scepter and the Miter meet together in him 3. Aaron Eleazar and c Leuit. 16. euery high Priest vnder the Law did enter into the holy place by the blood of goats and calues which hee did offer for himselfe and for the sinnes of the people But Christ our Priest entred into the most holy place by his owne blood and obtained eternall redemption for vs Heb. 9.12 He d Galath 1.4 gaue himselfe for our sinnes that he might deliuer vs from this present euill world It was impossible that the blood of buls and goats should take away sinnes Heb. 10.4 He therefore did e Ephes 5.2 offer his owne body redeeming his Church euen with his owne f 1. Pet. 1.19 pretious blood 4. Aaron was annointed with an g Leuit. 8.12 Psal 133.2 oyle made of pleasant spices and balsame but God hath annointed Christ with oyle of gladnesse Psal 45.8 The spirit of the Lord quoth h Luk. 4.18.21 he hath annointed me that I should preach the Gospell vnto the poore and hath sent mee that I should heale the broken hearted c. 5. Aaron and euery high-Priest of the Iewes offered vp sacrifice i Leuit. 16.6 Heb. 7.27 first for his owne sinnes and then for the people But Christ as being holy blamelesse vndefiled Hebr. 7.26 who knew no sin 2. Cor. 5.21 who did k Esay 53.9 no wickednesse neither was any deceit in his mouth offered vp himselfe onely for our sins hee was wounded for our transgressions he was broken for our iniquities he carried our sorrowes and with his stripes are we healed 6. Aaron and his successors were Priests of the Iewes and tied only to the Temple of l Deut. 12.11 Iohn 4.20 Hierusalem but Christ is for all persons and all places at all times a Priest for euer an vniuersall Bishop of our soules as he told the woman of m Iohn 4.21 Samaria the houre commeth and is now when ye shall neither in this mountaine nor at Hierusalem worship the Father but the true worshippers shall euery where worship him in spirit and truth 7. Aaron and other Priests vnder the Law were made without swearing of an oath but Christ is made by an oath by him that said vnto him the Lord hath sworne and will not repent thou art a Priest for euer after the order of Melchisedech Heb. 7.20.21 8. Aarons Priesthood was temporarie but the Priesthood of Christ is for euer Eleazar succeeded Aaron and Phineas Eleazar and so downward for among the n Heb. 7.23 Iewes many were made Priests because they could not endure by reason of death but Christ because hee endureth for euer hath an euerlasting Priesthood The Iewes haue now o Song of the three Children vers 38. neither Prince nor Prophet nor burnt offering nor sacrifice nor oblation nor incense for the Lord repented p Bellarmin de cullu sanct cap. 10. §. secundo respondet that is changed Aarons Priesthood but Christ as our text hath it is consecrated by God the Father a Priest for euer None can succeed him hee will not giue his glory to another Esay 42.8 and therefore the blasphemous opinion of the q See Tileman Heshusius in loc Papists is detestable who make the Pope successor vnto Peter and Peter the successour vnto Christ in his Priesthood So they prate print and paint in their r In fine Chron. Marian. Scot. Mart. Polon Catalogues of the Romane Bishops I will not dispute this point after Paul Hebr. 7.25 concluding peremptorily that Christ and onely Christ is able perfectly to saue them that come vnto God by him seeing he liueth euer to lake intercession for them ſ Fox Martyr fol. 1027. as that learned man and martyr Iohn Lambert in his greatest agonie none but Christ none but Christ All the Peters and Peeres and Popes in the world which euer haue been are and shall be cannot sacrifice so much as may satisfie God for the sin of one poore soule Christ alone is our Priest for euer at whose right hand God the Father standeth assistant to t Genebrard in loc performe whatsoeuer he hath either said or sworne to him euen to the confusion of Kings and all other great enemies in the day of his wrath And surely this clause for euer as that holy Martyr of God u Fox Mart. pag. 1271. Iohn Bradford obserued euidently shewes that the Popish Masse is a most iniurious enemie to Christ in respect of his Priesthood and sacrifice The Priesthood of Christ is an euerlasting Priesthood and such a function as cannot goe to another but the Masse doth vtterly put him out of place as though hee were dead for euer and so God were a lyar who said hee should liue for euer Againe it is a pernitious enemie to his sacrifice for to re-iterate a thing once done for the full accomplishing of the end wherefore it was begun declareth imperfection of the same thing before but the Masse-priests re-iterate the sacrifice of Christ once done for the end wherefore it was begun that is for propitiation and remission à poena culpa ergo the Masse-priests make Christs oblation imperfect and deny that the vertue thereof endures for euer See Epistle Sun 5. in Lent I come now to the parallel of Dauid shewing the resemblance betweene Melchisedech and Christ This Melchisedech as Paul Hebr. 7. reports out of Moses Genes 14. was King of Salem and the Priest of the most high God So Christ is described in this present Psalme to be both a King and a Priest the King of Salem that is of x Galat. 4.26
z Mat. 28.18 all power in heauen and earth he shall sit vpon the Throne of Dauid for euer and of his kingdome there is no end Luk. 1.33 2. Other Kings haue power onely ouer our bodies and goods but Christs authority reacheth vnto the soule Their sword is materiall able onely to kill the body but his sword is spirituall proceeding out of his a Apoc. 1.16 mouth able to destroy b Mat. 10.28 both soule and body in hell entring thorow euen vnto the diuiding asunder of the spirit and of the ioynts and the marrow a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart Heb. 4.12 3. Other Kings deriue their authority from him Prouerb 8.15 By me Kings raigne by me Princes rule and stand accountable to him he standeth in the congregation of Princes and iudgeth among gods Psalm 82.1.2 But who shall say to the Lord of Lords Why doest thou so 4. Other Kings reward their fauourites and followers onely with a few titles of honour or with a few parcels of land which are holden of them in fee-farme frank-almoign Knights-seruice c. They make not their vassals heires apparant to their kingdomes but Christ our Lord maketh all his faithfull seruants no lesse then c Apoc. 1.6 Kings and d Rom. 8.17 heires of God euen heires annexed with himselfe If thy children will keepe my couenant Literally this may be construed of Dauids owne children according to the flesh e Mollerus who succeeded him in his Throne 1072. yeeres vntill the Messias borne of his posterity constituted an euerlasting kingdom without end f Caluin According to this sense the Lord saith Ezech. 21.26 I will take away the Diademe and take off the Crowne this shall be no more the same I will ouerturne ouerturne ouerturne it and it shall be no more vntill he come whose right it is and I will giue it him His promise here concerning Christ is absolute but his promise touching other of Dauids house conditionall If thy Children keepe my couenant and my testimonies that I shall learne them g 1. Chron. 28.9 If thou seeke the Lord said Dauid to his sonne Salomon he will bee found of thee but if thou forsake him hee will cast thee off for euer And therefore because Dauids posterity did not obserue his law but follow their owne inuentions hee made them as we reade in the Bibles history captiues of Captaines and gaue their kingdome to another people first vnto the bloodie Romans and now to the barbarous Turkes and so Hierusalem heretofore h Lament 1.1 great among the Nations and Princesse among the Prouinces is made tributarie shee dwelleth among the Heathen and findeth no rest among all her louers shee hath none to comfort her all her friends haue dealt vnfaithfully with her and are made her enemies Mystically the i Arnobius Cassiodorus Hugo Doctors applie this vnto the Children of Christ according to the spirit I will set vpon thy seate that is ordaine Pastors and teachers who shall sit in thy chaire k So that kind of Speech is vsed Mat. 23.2 that is preach thy word and doctrine for the l Ephes 4.11 gathering together of the Saints and edification of the Church euermore This was verified in the blessed Apostles as being made Princes in all lands Psalm 45.17 In one word m Hierome all true beleeuers in Christ are the sons of God and babes in Christ and hee hath as n Ephes 2.6 Paul speakes raised vs vp together and made vs sit together in heauenly places His Charter is faire Matth. 19.28 Verily I say vnto you that when the sonne of man shall sit in the Throne of his Maiesty ye which haue followed me in the regeneration shall also sit vpon twelue Thrones and iudge the twelue tribes of Israel And Apocal. 3.21 To him that ouercommeth will I grant to sit with mee in my Throne euen as I ouercome and sit with my Father in his Throne The o Luther in loc wicked abuse the promises of God applying them vnto themselues which onely belong to the true Church the seed of Dauid according to the spirit So the Papists abuse Christs promise for establishing of the Popes tyrannie p Matth. 16.18 the gates of hell shall not ouercome it and q Mat. 28.20 I will be with you alway till the worlds end Whence they conclude that Peters boat though it may be somtimes in danger shall neuer bee drowned and that the Pope being the Churches head cannot erre r Dr. Fulke in Matth. 16.18 Whereas these promises concerne onely that Church which is built vpon the Rocke Christ and continueth in Saint Peters faith obseruing all things our blessed Sauiour commanded as it is in our text If thy children will keepe my couenant and testimonies that I shall learne them But if the Bishop and Church of Rome dispense with Gods holy word and despise his truth and testimony teaching in stead of his infallible law ſ Mat. 15.9 precepts of men and doctrines of t 1. Tim. 4.1 diuels how shall this or any the like promise belong to them So the wicked in a reprobate sense who make their bellie their god and commit all vncleannesse euen with greedinesse abuse these sweet texts at what time soeuer a sinner c. and Come to me all ye that are wearie and laden and I will ease you c. For this promise concernes only such as are laden and feele the burthen of their iniquitie hauing both a sight and a sense thereof acknowledging that sinne is a u Euthym. in Matth. 11. labour in accomplishing and a load when it is accomplished It appertaineth onely to such as repent and that of all their sinne and that from the heart and bottome of the heart So the carnall Gospellers in comming irreuerently to the Lords Table without any deuotion or due respect to that holy Sacrament abuse the words of our blessed Sauiour This is my body For as the godly Martyr x In his last exam apud Fox fol. 1463. Iohn Bradford well obserued the clause take eate is a precept and the clause this is my body a promise the bread and wine then are not vnto any the body and blood of Christ except they first eate and take and none can take and eate but by y Confess Anglican art 28. faith A worthie receiuer therefore beggeth of God both a pardon of his faults and an encrease of his faith To conclude this point in the law the condition is do this and liue in the Gospell beleeue this and thou shalt be saued He that neglects the precept and yet will chalenge the promise deceiueth himselfe hee shall not rest on Gods holy hil and sit on his happie seat for euermore PSALM 2. Why doe the Heathen so furiously rage together c. This Ode may be diuided into 2. parts the 1. Describes the wickednesse and weaknes of such as bandie thēselues against the
follie who makes the whole world his Diocesse for if a man at the dreadfull day of iudgement shall hardly answere for himselfe how shall the man of sinne answere for all the world Now for as much as euery priuate family is a modell of a kingdome euery man in his owne house is both a Priest and a Prince be wise ye masters and learned ye parents that yee may bring vp your seruants and children in l Ephes 6.4 instruction and information of the Lord serue God in feare and reioyce in him with reuerence giue good examples of piety toward God of pitty toward your neighbours of sobriety toward your selues As m Epist lib. 1. epist 10. Seneca diuinely sic viue cum hominibus quasi Deus videat sic loquere cum deo quasi homines audiant So conuerse with men as if God did see you so conferre with God as if men did heare you Lastly this exhortation to repentance concerneth all men as well the lowest as the highest if the words ministry reach vnto the Soueraigne how shall it come short of the n Euthym. Caluin subiect if o 1. King 18.18 Elias may tell Ahab it is thou and thy fathers house which haue troubled Israel in that yee haue forsaken the commandements of the Lord and haue followed Balaim If p Mat. 14.14 Iohn the Baptist may tell Herod to his beard It is not lawfull for thee to haue thy brothers wife If q 2. Sam. 12. Nathan may tell Dauid the King of his murther and adulterie then assuredly the Prophets of Almighty God may well admonish inferiours tell them of their vaine imaginations raging against the Lord and his annointed Saint Peter told Simon Magus r Act. 8.23 thou art in the gall of bitternesse Saint Å¿ Galath 3.3 Paul called his Galathians fooles because they began in the spirit and ended in the flesh Saint t Iam. 5.3 Iames cried vnto the couetous worldlings your gold and siluer is cankered and the rust of them is a witnesse against you The Pastour may tel his parishioners of their idlenesse oppression hypocrisie drunkennesse c. exhorting them to learne Christ better and to bee more wife Such as continue still irrepentant in their sins are fooles and the longer they continue the greater fooles if once they turne to the Lord and repent they begin to be wise for u Prou. 1.7 the feare of the Lord is the beginning of wisedome And therefore the next point is to bee pressed intelligite nunc be wise now Now while yee are in the x Mat. 5.25 way now while it is called y Heb. 3.13 to day now while it is time z Caluin Genebrard before Gods heauie iudgments ouertake you mentioned in the fifth and ninth verse Sinne is first as it were a Palmer-worme hurting onely the leaues of the tree then a Caterpiller destroying the fruit last of all if it bee not in due time preuented a Canker that deuoures the body Christ often compares his Spouse the Church vnto a Doue whose call is nunc nunc now now and the voice of the Turtle is heard in Gods holy land Cant. 2.12 but the Crow crying a Augustin de verbis dom in euang secund Mat. ser 16. cras cras to morrow to morrow seemes to bee curate to the diuell and vicar of hell An irrepentant sinner in his security sleepes betweene death and the diuel as Peter did betweene two souldiers bound with two chaines Act. 12.6 He that will not vnderstand and bee wise now may perish in his follie before to morrow Boast not thy selfe of to morrow for thou knowest not what a day may bring forth Prou. 27.1 O foole this night may they fetch away thy soule from thee Luk. 12.20 Bee wise therefore now learne now to know your duty and to doe your dutie to the Lord lest in his anger he bruise you with a rod of iron and breake you to pieces as a potters vessell Our vnderstanding must bee first informed and then our affections reformed according to Gods holy lawes b Lactantius institut lib. 4. cap. 4. Sapientia praecedit religio sequitur sapience goeth before religion followeth It is our duty first to know God and then to worship him according to the termes of our c Termes of law Tit. scire facias Common law there must bee first a scire facias and then a fieri facias Wee cannot doe the will of our heauenly Father except we know it and it is not sufficient to know it as d Luk. 12.47 Christ teacheth vs except we doe it The feare of the Lord is the beginning of wisedome a good vnderstanding saith our Prophet haue they that e See notes vpon the 111. Psal doe thereafter Psalm 111.10 He that will commence Doctor in Israel and be learned in Christs schoole must agere poenitentiam as the Latine translation runnes Mat. 3.2 It is not enough f Michael de Hungaria ser 5. Stella in Luk. 15.7 cogitare to thinke of amendment as they who deferre repentance from day to day ye must euen now be wise neither is it enough dicere to speake of repentance like hypocrites who disfigure their faces and looke soure Mat. 6.16 Neither is it enough docere to teach other repentance like Iudas who was an instrument for the sauing of other and yet hanged himselfe Hee that will not burne with the diuell must of necessity turne to God and this turning is a whole not halfe a turne g Ioel. 2.12 Turne ye to me saith the Lord with all your heart c. We haue heretofore played the fooles in abusing our soules and bodies goods vnto the dishonour of God iniuring of our neighbours hurt of our selues It is now time to bee wise and to learne how to be deuout in pouring out our soules vnto God continent in gouerning our body toward our selues iust in disposing of our goods toward other Now the best way to bee learned and to know our duty is to bee versed in Gods booke whereof there be h See Basilicon Doron pag. 7. 8. two parts his old Testament and his new The ground of the former is the Law which sheweth our sinne and containeth iustice the ground of the latter is the Gospell which sheweth our Sauiour and containeth grace The summe of the law is the decalogue more largely dilated in the bookes of Moses interpreted and applied in the Sermons of the Prophets and illustrated by manifold examples of good and euil in the stories of Chronicles and Kings But because no man is able perfectly to keep the whole law or any part therof it pleased God of his infinite goodnesse and wisedome to incarnate his onely Sonne in our nature who for the satisfaction of his iustice might fulfil the course and suffer the curse of the law for vs that since we could not bee saued by doing we might at least be saued by beleeuing
The Gospels of the foure Euangelists historically relate the birth life death resurrection and ascension of Christ The larger interpretation thereof is deliuered in the Apostles Canonicall Epistles and the practice of the Primitiue Church in their Acts and the Reuelation of Saint Iohn is a prophecie concerning the Church vniuersall vnto the worlds end In the foure Euangelists hee that hath eyes to see may reade the text of the Gospell intimating what Christ is in himselfe in the Acts Epistles Apocalyps as it were the Gospels golden glosse vnfolding more fully what Christ is in his members If any then haue a desire to kisse the sonne and to learne how to bee subiect vnto the bords and cords of his kingdome let him exactly i Iohn 5.39 search the Scriptures for they witnesse of him In the ceremonies and sacrifices of the law you may finde him obscurely shadowed in the Sermons and Sacraments of the Gospell openly declared to be the begotten sonne of God and annointed King set ouer his holy hill of Sion Serue the Lord Concerning the doing of our duty k Strigellius two things are required here more especially Feare serue the Lord in feare Faith reioyce vnto him and put your trust in him Faith is opposite to desperation and feare to securitie l Hierome Euthym. That we may not presume wee must serue God in feare that we may not despaire reioyce vnto him in faith and hope Feare may not bee without ioy nor ioy without feare Marke how cautionatly the spirit speakes here serue the Lord but in feare reioyce vnto the Lord but in trembling lest happily we should assume too much vnto our selues and so presumptuously sin he doth admonish vs of one thing m Caluin twice That wee may not be discouraged in seruing of God hee would haue vs to reioyce yet so that our ioy bee with reuerence The deuout women who came to visit Christs sepulchre were filled with feare and great ioy Matth. 28.8 and S. n 1. Cor. 10.12 Paul aduiseth euery man who thinkes he stands to take heede lest he fall and to o Philip. 2.12 worke out their saluation with feare and trembling God abhorreth hypocrites a people that honoureth him with their lips but their p Mark 7.6 heart is farre from him q Placidus his perfit seruice requireth outward obeisance of the body ioyned with inward obedience of the mind as Hierome glosseth our text the seruants of God ought to come into his courts cum tremore corporis timore animae with aufull hearts and trembling hands so r Psal 81.1 100.1 singing to the Lord in gladnes that they may reioyce in the Lord with reuerence This feare may not be seruile but ſ Lorin Turrecremat filiall as a father hee loueth vs and therefore wee must as deare children honour him obeying with a reuerend awe whatsoeuer hee would haue vs either to suffer or doe t Bellarmine Mire miscuit amorem cum timore ac si diceret timete cum amore amate cum timore The last obseruable point is why because hereby yee shall escape Gods heauie curse that falleth vpon such as resist his Christ and obtaine that happy blessing which is promised vnto such as put their trust in him u Agellius Vnderstand then O yee Kings and be no longer obstinate ye haue heretofore stood vp against the Lord his annointed Sonne but now serue the Lord and kisse his Sonne O yee Kings and Iudges of the earth acknowledge that Christ is the King of Kings euen the Lord of all things and Iudge of all men able to make you his footstoole as hauing the heathen for his inheritance the whole world for his possession and holding a rodde of iron in his hand to dash into peeces all such as take counsell together against him Hee is also readie to destroy you for his wrath is kindled and x Deut. 4.24 God is a cōsuming fire y Placidus The more fewel the greater flame Your offences make you the very fewell of his anger and therfore z Dan. 4.24 breake off your sinnes by righteousnesse embrace the bonds of his authoritie which you meant to breake for his a Matth. 11.30 yoke is easie Cast not his cords away for his burthen is light Euen now while you are in the way kick not against the Sonne but kisse the Sonne b See Hierome Steuchus Bucer Agellius in loc Bellarm. de verbo dei lib. 2. cap. 13. that is admit of his doctrine submit your selues to his discipline Christ is the truth and the way that therefore ye may not perish from the right way kisse him and keepe his Commandements as Hierome paraphraseth it pithely Kissing in old time was vsed in token of Deuotion for Idolaters are said to kisse their Idols Hosea 13.2 but Gods people refused to c 1. Kings 19.18 see Hierome in Iob. 31.27 in Hose 13.2 kisse the mouth of Baal From hence worshipping is in Latine called Adoratio Obedience so Samuel kissed Saul 1. Sam. 10.1 and Aaron kissed Moses Exod. 4.27 and it is the manner of subiects at this day to kisse the hands of their Kings Loue so d Gen. 45.15 Ioseph kissed his brethren so e Ruth 1.9 Naomi kissed her two daughters in law so the good old father kissed his dissolute sonne Luk. 15.20 All these kindes of kisses are due to Christ in our deuotion it is our dutie to f Psalm 95.6 fall downe before him and with g Matth. 28.9 Mary Magdalene to kisse his feete yea the feete of h Rom. 10.15 such as bring the glad tydings of his Gospell And in our whole conuersation it is our dutie to giue vnto him our King and Lord the kisses of honor homage seruing him in feare reioycing vnto him with reuerence We must heartily kisse him in faith and not hypocritically like Iudas in fashion only Wherefore i Placidus Steuchus some translations haue it thus adorate purè worship him in truth and puritie k Agellius cleaue to him and embrace his word with as l Bellarmine louing an affection as they doe that kisse one another m Io. Ganeius Parasinus Theologus in loc Atque vni totos ipsi vos dedite tota Mente animoque velut dominum amplexamini eique Figite amicitiae purissima basia sanctae The Sonne came into the world to n Ephes 2.16 reconcile vs vnto God his Father hee came not to kill vs hee came to kisse vs and that as the Church speaks in her o Cant. 1.1 loue-song with the kisses of his mouth His saying Come vnto me all ye that are wearie and laden and I will ease you is a p Melanct. in loc sweet kisse of his mouth His saying I am not come to call the righteous vnto repentance but sinners is another sweete kisse of his mouth His saying God so loued
i Knolles vbi sup fol. 203. Gilderun or lightening k Abraham Bucholcer Iud. Chron. Willegis Archbishop of Mentz was the sonne of a Wheele-wright and therefore that he might alway remember how the Lord had exalted him out of the durt to set him with Princes he caused the walles of his priuie Chamber to be hung with instruments of Carpentry to which hee ioyned this Motto Willegis Willegis recole vnde veneris and from hence the Bishoppes of that Sea giue two wheeles in their armes In England also many Prelates haue been lifted out of the mire to the Miter it is the Lords doing that hath his dwelling on high and yet humbleth himselfe to behold the things in heauen and earth Renowned Sir l Camden in Elizabetha pag. 301 Francis Drake the sonne of a poore Vicar in Kent was in our age both a terror to proude Spaine and the mirrour of England in the most vnknowne and vttermost parts of the world The Scriptures affoord manifolde examples in this kinde Moses a m Exod. 2. cast-away childe was afterward a leader and a god as it were to the children of Israell Exodus 4. So Daniel of a poore Captiue Dan. 1.6 became a chiefe ruler Dan. 2.48 So n Psalm 105.17 Ioseph solde for a bond-seruant whose feete were hurt in the stockes and the iron entred into his soule was afterward Gods high and holy prouidence so disposing set free by Pharao the King he made him also Lord of his house and ruler of all his substance that hee might informe his Princes after his will and teach his Senatours wisdome So the Lord o Psalm 78.71 chose Dauid his seruant and tooke him away from the sheepefold as he was following the Ewes great with young-ones that he might feede Iacob his people and Israel his inheritance the Lord did not onely lift him out of the mire but also preferre him he set him with Princes and p Genebrard those not Princes of other nations as Ioseph was exalted in Aegypt and Daniel in Babell but euen with the Princes of his owne people to wit of his owne countrey where men of eminent parts are most q Iohn 4.44 neglected r Mollerus Or his may be referred vnto God as if the Prophet should haue said hee taketh vp the poore man out of the mire that he may set him in authoritie not among the heathen onely but ouer the Church his owne people the which is the greatest honour of all according to that of Dauid ſ Psal 84 11. I would choose rather to sit at the threshold in the house of my God then to dwell in the tents of vngodlinesse and the good Emperour Theodosius to the fame purpose desired rather to bee membrum ecclesiae quà m caput imperij that is a member of the Church then head ouer all vnbeleeuers Now Dauid was aduanced according to both interpretations in that hee ruled his owne people who were Gods people so the text 2. Sam. 12. Thus saith the Lord God of Israel I annointed thee King ouer Israel and deliuered thee out of the hand of Saul and gaue thee thy Lords house and thy Lords wiues into thy bosome and gaue thee the house of Israel and Iuda c. As God in his holy prouidence taketh vp some poore men out of the mire to set them with Princes euen with Princes of his people so many times he puts downe the mightie from their seate and brings them vnto the very dung-hill t Psal 75.8 hee ruleth as a Iudge he puts downe one and sets vp another Examples hereof in holy Scripture u Ester 3.1 Haman a man exalted aboue all the Princes in Assuerus court was vpon the sudden hanged on the tree that he had prepared for his enemie Ester 7.10 Nabuchadnezzer a proude king was driuen from mens societie to conuerse with beasts x Dan. 4.30 Hee did eate grasse as the Oxen and his bodie was wet with the dew of Heauen till his haires were growne as Eagles feathers and his nailes like birds clawes and all for this end that hee might knowe that the most high ruleth ouer the kingdome of men and giueth it vnto whom soeuer he will y Acts 12.12 Herod in the middest of his glorie when the people hearing his oration in the seate of Iustice gaue a shoute saying The voyce of God and not of man was immediatly smitten by the Lords Angell so that hee was eaten vp of wormes and gaue vp the ghost In prophane historie wee finde that z See Sir Walter Raulegh preface to the worlds hist Darius plaied the part of the greatest Emperour and the part of a most miserable begger a begger begging water of an enemie to quench the great drought of death a Knolles in his life Baiazet the first in the morning was the grand Seignior of the Turkes and in the same day the footestoole of Tamberlaine b Procopius de bello Goth. lib. 1 3. idem Simon Schardius in vita Petri de vineis epist eiusdem praefix vbi multa huiusmodi reperias Bellisarius a most victorious captaine by whose valour and policie the Persians were vanquished the Vandals subdued and Africa recouered to the Empire became before his death a distressed blinde begger in exile begging his bread from dore to dore crauing and crying a peny for poore Bellisarius In our owne Chronicles wee reade that c Holinshead in the life of Rich. the 2. Trisilian chiefe Iustice of England in the dayes of King Richard the second was pulled from the bench aboue to the barre below nay hee which had often iudged other to death in fine was damned himselfe to the gallowes d Holinshead in the life of Edw. the 5. Shores wife the merrie minion of Edward the fourth in her flourishing estate was sued vnto more then all the Peeres in the land but afterward so despoyled of all her goods and so despited by her mercilesse foe then vsurper of the Crowne that none durst giue her so much as a crust of bread or a drop of drinke She who whileom had stretched her selfe on beds of downe and was frolike with Princes in iuorie pallaces ended her dayes in open streete euen in a dirtie ditch nomina fecit aquis as some thinke Shorditch is so called as it were Shores-ditch The Seas of examples in this kinde haue no bottome and therfore we should make no other account of this ridiculous world e Sir Walter Rauleigh vbi sup thē to resolue that the change of fortune on the great theater is but as the change of garments on the lesse for when on the one and the other euery man weares but his owne skinne the players are all one God which is on high and humbleth himselfe to behold the things in heauen and in earth appoynts euery man his part and apparell on the worlds stage lifting vp and pulling downe whome he list He therefore that complaines
were good and not ioyfull it would be tedious if ioyful and not good it might be vicious but good ioyfull together is excellent good omne tulit punctum it is a double sweete when as profit and pleasure meet it is good there is the profit it is ioyfull there is the pleasure It is like the precious oyntment of Aaron there is the sweet of pleasure it is like the dew of Hermon there is the sweete of profit As sweet perfumes are pleasant not only to such as vse thē but also to the whole cōpany so concord is not only profitable to good men which are the peace-makers but euen vnto all other in the same Common-wealth of whatsoeuer function or faction And therefore Dauid being now quietly seated in his kingdome free from warres abroad and iarres at home calleth vpon all his people to confesse that the Lord is gracious and that his mercie endureth for euer But in more particular hee calleth vpon the house of Aaron i Numb 18. that is the Priests and Leuites and that for two reasons especially First because such as trouble Israel hate most of all the Priests and Preachers of the word Secondly k Dr. Jncognit Mollerus because the Priests are the Prouosts of the people Heb. 13.7 the salt of the earth to season other Matth. 5.13 and therefore seeing they be Precentors in Gods quire it is their office to sing first that other may sing after In respect of danger and dutie the house of Aaron haue good cause to praise God more then other and to confesse that his mercies endure for euer Now for as much as m Rom. 2.28 all are not Iewes which are Iewes outward and all are not n Rom. 9.6 Israel which are of Israel I say for as much as there be many o Mollerus Caluin hypocrites as well among Priests and people therfore Dauid in the fourth verse chiefly calleth vpon such as truly feare the Lord Yea let them now that feare the Lord confesse that his mercie endureth for euer For hereby such enioy not only a ciuill and outward peace which is common to the whole State but further a religious and inward peace of conscience which is proper to themselues For when there is p Psal 122. peace within the walles of Hierusalem and plenteousnes within her palaces euery one may goe into the house of the Lord and stand in the gates of the beautifull Temple Then all the Tribes ascend to giue thankes vnto the name of the Lord to q Psal 95.6 worship and fall downe and kneele before the Lord our maker entring into his r Psal 100.3 courts with praise Then as it is in this Psalme they binde the sacrifice with cords euen vnto the hornes of the altar exercising all acts of religion and powring out their whole soule before the God of heauen On the contrarie in time of warre the Gentiles and other who know not God enter into the inheritance of God and defile his holy Temple they doe not only crie Downe with it downe with it vnto the ground as it is in the 137. Psalme but as wee finde in the 79. Psalme they pull it downe in deede and make Hierusalem an heape of stones giuing the bodies of Gods deare seruants to be meate vnto the fowles of the aire and the flesh of his Saints vnto the beasts of the field Ye therefore that doe truly professe haue greatest occasion duly to confesse Gods exceeding mercie for enioying the sweet benefit of peace For if once ye should a little while want the comfort ye reape by publike prayers and preaching in Gods house ye would complaine grieuously ſ Psal 84. Lord how amiable are thy dwellings my soule hath a longing desire to enter into thy courts How blessed are the t Who make their nests in houses and trees neere thy Tabernacle Hen. Mollerus in loc Or mystically whether I lead an actiue life like the Sparrow or a cōtemplatiue like the Turtle thy altars are the best nests to rest in Bellarmine sparow and swallow who may come to thy altars and set vpon thy Temple For one day in thy courts is better then a thousand I had rather be a doore-keeper in the house of my God then to commaund in the tents of vngodlines The reasons of this exhortation are manifold expressed by Dauid here particularly from the 5. verse to 21. but they be generally these Two Gods mercies toward his childrē In generall He is gracious and his mercie endureth for euer In particular to Dauid I called vpon the Lord in trouble and hee heard mee at large c. Gods iudgements vpon his enemies in whose name alone they be destroyed and become extinct as fire among the thornes c. The mercies of the Lord are so rich and abundant that our Prophet u Psal 145.9 else where saith his mercie is ouer all his workes And it is seene in two things chiefly 1. In giuing euery thing which is good 2. In taking away whatsoeuer is euill Now we may the better vnderstand the greatnes of his goodnes in both if wee will examine the breadth and length and depth and height thereof as S. Paul intimates Ephes 3.18 First for the breadth of his mercie whatsoeuer is good is originally from God x Iames 1.17 euery good and perfit gift is from aboue descending from the Father of lights euen the very minnoms and minutes are mercies holden as it were by Franck-almoigne And as hee bestoweth on his euery thing which is good so likewise he takes from them euery kinde of euill Bread taketh away hunger and drinke taketh away thirst and apparell taketh away nakednesse and fire taketh away coldnesse and other things deliuer vs from other miseries in this world But all these creatures are the Lords and they cannot helpe vs except hee blesse them Againe there bee many miseries vnknowne vnto the creatures as the subtile tentations of the diuell and the manifolde blindnesse of our vnderstanding and erroneous conscience from which onely God is able to deliuer vs as being the Phisitian of our soule so well as the protector of our body Moreouer as the creatures take not away all miseries but a few so they take them away not from all but from a few God alone is able to deliuer all men from all miseries and though hee doe not this vnto all yet there bee none but haue tasted of some yea of many of his mercies which occasioned our Prophet to say y Psalm 33.5 the earth is full of the goodnesse of the Lord and our Church to pray O God whose nature and propertie is euer to haue mercy and to forgiue But ye will obiect if the Lord can deliuer from all euill why doth hee not as being the z 2. Cor. 1.3 Father of mercies Answere is made that God our Father in Heauen knowes what is best for vs his children on earth hee therefore doth afflict vs