more comfort then the first part hath discomfort And it is a plaine doctrine that although y e sinnes of man be many horrible yet be they fewer and lesse in estimation many thousande foldes then Gods mercies Death is declared in the first part of the verse in this that mans infirmitie is not onely sinful in body soule but also doutful of Gods mercy holy promises Yet in the second part by grace is set foorth life and cleane deliuerance from the tyrannie of the diuel the seruitude of sinne the accusation of the lawe and the infirmitie of nature by the strong and mightie power of God whose mercy in Christ is alwayes ready to helpe poore afflicted and troubled sinners After this confession of sinne and the great confidence that the prophet had in God for his mightie power and mercies sake that was both able by power and redy with will to help and remedie this troubled spirite and great aduersities of the Prophet he goeth foorth in the consolation taketh yet more and more of Gods benefites vsed in times towardes such as were afflicted after this sort 11 I will remember the workes of the Lord and call to my minde thy wonders of olde time 12 I will thinke also of thy workes and my talking shall be of thy doings 13 Thy way ô God is holy who is so great a God as our God 14 Thou art the God that doth wonders and hast declared thy power amongest people 15 Thou hast mightily deliuered thy people euen the sonnes of Iacob and Ioseph Sela. 16 The waters saw thee ô God the waters saw thee and were afraid the deapthes also were troubled 17 The cloudes powred out water the ayre thundered and thine arrowes went abroad 18 The voyce of thy thunder was heard round about the lightenings shone vpon the gound the earth was moued and shooke withall 19 Thy way is in the sea and thy pathes in the great waters and thy footsteps are not knowne 20 Thou leadest thy people like shepe by the hand of Moses and Aaron Of these meanes howe men take consolation in aduersitie that the Prophet nowe maketh mention of first we learne what difference is betwéene the consideration of Gods works aduisedly by faith the consideration of Gods workes rashly without faith The which diuersitie is to be séen in this Prophet For the one part as touching the remembring of Gods workes out of faith and in faith he spake before in the second verse and in the fourth verse how that he considered the workes and old doings of the Lord when he was troubled But as ye haue heard because his spirite was in a doubtfulnesse and mamering vppon the certeintie of Gods doinges he felt no consolation thereof but much heauinesse and anguish of minde For those demaundes Will God absent himselfe for euer Will he be no more mercifull and such like heauie and doubtfull complaintes could neuer procéed but from a sorrowful and much troubled conscience But now after that Gods spirit hath wrought in his spirit this assurance and iudgment that God can in him chaunge the conditions of his miseries as ye may sée he maketh no more complaint of doubtfulnesse neither remembreth any more the fearefulnesse of his conscience but goeth foorth with repetition and rehearsall of all thinges comfortably how that God in time past holpe troubled spirites and afflicted personages that put their trust in him So that of this we learne that whosoeuer hath a sure faith in God taketh consolation of Gods word and workes And such as haue not first true faith in God cannot in the spirite receiue comfort of Gods word or workes Outwardly men may meruel at God and his worker but inwardly it easeth not the heauinesse nor yet quieteth the grudge of conscience Wherefore it behoueth vs all that we pray earnestly vnto GOD to giue vs faith to beléeue his word and workes when we heare read or sée them For the word and workes of God do nothing comfort the vnfaithfull as we may sée by the Scripture where God saith He stretched foorth his hand al day long to a people that beléeued not for such as haue eares heare not eyes sée not be rather the worse for Gods word workes then the better Ye shal sée where the spirite of Dauid was replenished with faith he was in assured and ascerteined of Gods present helpe that he said he would not feare although a thousand men inuironed and compassed him round about No he would not feare thoughe he should walk in the shadow of death At another time when faith quailed and waxed faint he was trembling in his spirite and fearefull in his bodie as we may sée when he felt his spirite waxe faint he said My soule is troubled very sore and my bones be weakened And in other of his Psalmes he sheweth that his soule was very heauie and comfortlesse and could take no consolation Also when the spirite is assured of Gods grace then the eyes cannot looke vppon any worke of God but the mind taketh by the contemplation and sight thereof vnspeakeable consolation As Dauid declareth in his Psalmes and saith He would sée the heauens the workes of Gods fingers and would marke how one day was an induction to an other and how the heauens praised the Lord. At an other time when the consolation and life of the spirit was ouer whelmed with troubles he could not sée at all with his eyes but cryed and complained that he was starke blinde And also in that meruellous Psalme in number 88. whereas prayer is made to be deliuered from the horrour and féeling of sinne the Prophet saith that his eyes waxed dimme and blinde The same is to be séene likewise in the crosses and afflictions that God sendeth As long as true faith and confidence remaineth in the heart all troubles be wellcome and thankfully taken as we read When Iob had newes that his goods and chidren were taken from him in manner soudeinly he most patiently said God gaue them and God hath taken them away as God would so it is done But when faith quailed and the spirite was troubled then followed these impatient wordes I would my sinne were layed in one balance and my paine in an other As though God had layed more vppon him then he had deserued When the spirit was quieted for all his pouertie and nakednesse he reioyced and was contented with his birth and comming into the world and also with the state in the world appointed vnto him by God saying Naked I came out of my mothers bellie and naked I shall depart hence againe But when faith fainted then came out these woordes The day the night and the time be cursed wherein I was borne With many more horrible wordes as the text declareth So that we sée whereas Gods spirite wanteth there is no learning nor consolation to be
same members to rise againe at the generall resurrection and they shall suffer with the wicked spirite eternall paines Let this doctrine therefore teach all men to knowe and féele the crueltie of sinne that so painefully vnquieteth doth body and soule and think that if these grudgings discomforts terrours and feares be so great that death it selfe is more tollerable and easie to beare howe much more intollerable and vnspeakeable be the paines of hell which God hath ordeined for all impenitent sinners After this verse of trouble and anguish whereas we sée sléepe taken from the eyes and speach from the tongue followeth next how these great sorrowes were mollified and somewhat diminished 5 I haue considered the dayes of old and the yeres that be past 6 In the night I called to remembrance my song and communed with mine owne heart and my spirite searched diligently I did sayth the Prophet in this great discomfort and heauinesse consider with my selfe the times and worlds of old wherein the Lord had holpen and deliuered my fathers before my time from such troubles as I am in and also from greater And in the night while I was sléeplesse I remembred that many times I lauded and exalted the goodnes of God in my Psalms and Hymns giuing him thanks for his great mercie and goodnes vsed towards his Church at all times and in remembring Gods accustomed clemencie and pitie my spirite was much giuen to debate thinges Out of these two verses we may note diuers doctrines for our consolation in the dayes of our trouble And the first after my minde shalbe concerning the two brightnesse and the two darkenesse in the word of God The one brightnesse is in the letter outwardly and the other brightnesse is in the spirite and heart of the reader of the Scripture This brightnesse or claritie of the letter is this when by reading hearing or thinking of Gods word men learne and knowe that God made all thinges and that he preserueth all thinges and that Iesus Christ his onely sonne is the mediatour betwéene God and man and that he pacified Gods iust ire against man by his bitter death and passion Also he knoweth by the externall histories of the Scripture that GOD hath deliuered many times his people from dangers and perils in maner impossible to be holpen This claritie and brightnesse of the Scripture although it be necessarie yet it is not sufficient for if standeth alone in bare and naked knowledge whiche before God saueth no neither illuminateth the man that hath the knowledge in a sufficient claritie and brightnesse of faith and of Gods promises due in Christ vnto faith As we may sée how the children of Israel had the external claritie and brightnesse of Gods promises vnto Abraham Isahac and Iacob that they and their posteritie should inherite y e lande of Canaan that flowed with all plentie and aboundance yet notwithstanding such as came out of Egypt for the most part perished in the desart wildernesse The Phariseis and learned men amongest the Iewes had the clearenesse and brightnesse of Christes comming of the place he should be borne in and told in that part the trueth vnto Herod yet did they for all this knowledge and claritie abhorre Christ when he came and put him to death most wrongfully The people in like sort saw an external brightnesse in Christ that by his miracles and wonders they thought him worthie to be made a king and yet for all this they cryed out against him Crucifige eum crucifige eum Crucifie him crucifie him The diuel himselfe said he knewe who Christ was the sonne of the most highest and yet for all this knowledge and clearenesse shall he neuer be saued And Christ himselfe also perceiued that this external brightnesse was amongest a great many that called him Lord Lord Yet notwithstanding he said they should not enter into the ioyes of heauen So likewise be there very many at this present time that sée the claritie and brightnesse of Christ outwardly in the letter and yet follow it not here in liuing neither shall they haue the effect of their knowledge in the life to come for their clearenesse is onely knowledge without féeling or practise of the brightnes inwardly which deserueth more stripes then obscuritie or darkenesse doth There is another claritie or brightnes which is an inward vnderstanding and spirituall knowledge and sight of Gods trueth which no man hath but he that is possessed with the spirite of God that whatsoeuer he readeth in Gods word himselfe or heareth preached of other men he vnderstandeth it and consenteth vnto it gladly and willingly As for example God spake vnto Adam and his wordes made him afeard so that he trembled for feare Christ spake vnto Paule and he fell downe flatt and could not abide the peril of Christes voyce So that as the lawe rebuked sinne in the voice and letter it wrought also rebuke and discomfort in the hearts of Adam and Paul and made them afraid inwardly as the voice and letter was terrible outwardly Wherefore they had not onely an externall clearenesse of Gods hatred against sinne but also an internall sight and féeling of the same as the Scripture doth record The like is also in the promises of God when they be preached or read that promise remission of sinne The inward claritie and brightnesse of the same is to féele priuately euery man and woman in his owne conscience through faith in Christ that the same promises doe apperteine and belong vnto himselfe As the Prophet Abacuc saith The iust man liueth by his owne faith Also Christ said vnto the woman of Canaan that it was not good to cast the bread that apperteined to the children vnto dogges she said Yes Lord for the dogges do eate of the crumbes that fall from their maisters table And so doth Christ himselfe vse the brightnesse of his promises to Marie Magdalene Thy sinnes be forgiuen thee Applying the clearenesse of the letter vnto the inward comfort of her soule The same is likewise meruellously expressed in the common créede whereas euery man saith Hée beléeueth in God the father God the sonne and God the holy Ghost and that he beléeueth the remission of sinnes meaning that whosoeuer saith his créed should sée feele in his soule the claritie and brightnesse of his saluation that is conteined in the letter and wordes of the créede But this clearenesse is not séene of all men nor yet of the most part of men As Christ declareth Many be called and fewe chosen Many say Lord Lord and fewe doe the Lords will Therefore Christ saith meruellously concerning the claritie and brightnesse of Gods word inwardly in S. Luke Blessed be they that heare the word of God and keepe it By the which words he declareth that many heare and sée the outward light and trueth of Gods word but very fewe there
the prophet remember the works of the Lord and that of olde time or from the beginning The second I wil think also of al the works of the Lord c. In this that the Prophet sayeth He will remember the workes of the Lorde of olde time or from the beginning we learne that it is expedient to know or at the least way not to be ignorant of any booke in the scripture For where as we finde not consolation in the one we may finde it in the other And where he sayth He wil remember all y e works of the Lord meaning as many as the scripture maketh mention of we be instructed that we cannot sée these works for our erudition neither yet giue y e almightie God thanks except we learne them from one of his bookes to the other And here is to be noted that séeing we be bounde to knowe and to be thankefull for all the workes of God conteined in the scripture we be muche in daunger as well for ignorance as vnthankefulnesse that we knowe not the principall workes of our owne creation or redemption We be therefore admonished to haue bookes to read the works of God and to be diligent to ask better learned then we be what Gods works doe meane As the children by Gods law vs bound to aske the parents the parents bound by the same to teach them then shall both fathers and children finde comfort and consolation against all temptations in the time of trouble and heauinesse As we sée this mans remedie by y e spirite of God riseth from recording meditating and speaking of Gods word and workes Here hath this Prophete meruellously opened howe a man in trouble commeth to consolation and comfort First that the spirite and heart of man must haue such strong fayth as may credite Gods power and also his good will and beléeue that God both can and will for his truethes sake helpe the troubled conscience Therefore Solomon giueth a godlie and necessarie commaundement Keepe thy heart with all circumspection for of it proceedeth life So did Dauid when the Prophet Nathan had made him afraide for the murder of Vrias and the adulterie with Bersaba his cōscience was in great anguishe and feare and among other thinges that he prayed for to God he desired that God would create and make him a newe heart that is to witte to giue him such a stedfast and burning fayth that in Christe his sinnefull heart might be purged And secondarily he prayeth to haue so right and sure a spirite that shoulde not doubt of Gods sauour towardes him Thirdly that God woulde alwayes preserue his holy spirite with the heart regenerated that from time to time the heart might be ruled in obedience towardes God Fourthly he prayeth to be lead with a willing spirite that quietly and patiently he may obey God in aduersities without impatience or grudge against God And where as this knowledge and féeling of the favour of God is in the spirite there followeth recording and remembrance of Gods works meditating and thinking vpon heauenly thinges and the tongue readie also to speake foorth the glory of God to Gods honour and praise and to the edifying of Gods people and congregation after this sorte 13 Thy way oh God is in holinesse who is so great a God as God euen our God Here is a consolation much worthie to be learned and receiued of all troubled men and it is this To vnderstande and perceiue that all the doinges and factes of Almightie God be righteous although many times the fleshe iudgeth and the tongue speaketh the contrarie that God should be too seuere and punishe too extremely As though he did it rather of a desire to punishe then to correct or amend the person punished As we sée by Iobs words that wished his sinnes layed in one balance and his punishment in another balance as though God punished more extreamely then iustly The same it séemeth king Dauid also felte when he sayde Howe long Lorde wilt thou forget me for euer With like bitter speaches in the scripture complayning of Gods iustice iudgement and seueritie The same we reade of Ieremie the Prophete He spake Gods word truely and yet there happened vnto him wonderfull great aduersities the terrour whereof made him curse the day that he was borne in And doubtlesse when he sayde Why haste thou deceiued mee Lorde he thought God was rather too extreame then iust in his punishment to afflicte him in aduersitie and to suffer Passur the high Priest and his enimie to be in quiet and tranquillitie This prophet Asaph was before in great trouble as ye heard and especially of the minde that self not a sure trust and confidence in Gods mercie and thought of al extremities that to be as it is in déed the greatest a minde desperate and doubtfull of Gods mercie yet nowe he saith God is holie in his way and all that he doeth is right and iust We learne hereby that the potte can not say to the Potter Why hast thou made me after this sorte Neither may the mortall man in whom is nothing but sinne quarel with the Lord and say What layest thou vpon me But thinke that although he had made vs both blinde lame and as deformed as monsters yet had he made vs better then euer we deserued And in case he layd all the troubles of the world vppon one man yet are they lesse then one sinne of man doeth deserue Thus hath the Prophet learned nowe and felt and sayth The doinges of God be holie and right and there is none to be compared vnto him and sheweth the cause why none is to be compared vnto God In the declaration whereof he continueth seuen verses and so maketh an ende of the Psalme The first cause why he sayeth none is to be compared vnto God is this 14 Thou art the Lord that doth wonders and hast declared thy power amongest people Firste he noteth generally that God is the doer of wonders and miracles and afterwardes he sheweth wherein God hath wrought these miracles Of this we learne thrée doctrines The one that some men knowe generally that God worketh all thinges meruellously The second that other some knowe that God worketh in some men meruellously The third that other also knowe that God worketh in themselues meruellously Of the first sort be such as know by Gods works generally that God hath and doth dispose all things vpon the earth and nothing hath his beginning nor being but of God of whome Saint Paule speaketh to the Romanes that by Gods workes they knewe God and yet glorified him not Of the seconde sorte be suche as more particularly knowe and speake of Gods miracles as suche be that reade how God of his singular fauour preserued Noah his familie and drowned all the world besides how he brought the children of Israel out of Egypt and deliuered the people from
belonging to this life yet is it not to be compared to the other as Dauid wonderfully declareth in the 25. Psal. When he hath numbred a great many of Gods benefites which he doth bestow vpon his poore seruants in this life he in y e end maketh mention of one specially that passeth them all in these woordes Arcanum Domini timentibus illum testamentum suum manifestabit illis That is to say The Lord openeth to suche as feare him his secretes and his testament The Lorde openeth to his faithfull seruaunt the mysteries and secretes of his pleasure and the knowledge of his lawes And these treasures the knowledge and right vnderstanding of Gods moste holie woorde he sayth was more swéete vnto him then honie or the honie combe and more he esstéemed the vertue of it then he did precious stones Of all giftes this was the principall that God gaue vnto him a right and true knowledge of him selfe Wherefore it shall be moste expedient and necessarie for euerie Christian man to labour studie and pray that he may earnestly and with a faithfull heart knowe him selfe to be no better then a séelie poore shéepe that hath nothing of him selfe nor of any other to saue his bodie and soule but onely the mercie of his shéepehearde the heauenly father and to be assured also that his only mercie and goodnesse alone in Christ and none other besides him is able to féede him so that he shall lacke nothing necessarie in this life nor in the life to come ¶ The second part of the Psalme Wherein the life and saluation of man consisteth THE SECOND VERSE He shall feede me in pleasant pastures and he shall leade me by the riuers side HE shal set me in the pastures most pleasant and rich of his doctrine and in the contemplation of heauenly thinges wherewithall the minds of godly men are nourished and fed with vnspeakeble ioy néere vnto the plentious flouds of the holy Ghost and the swéete waters of the holy Scriptures he will féede me in the which places the shéepe of the Lord are nourished to eternall life abounding with milke and bringing foorth most blessed fruite The Scripture of God vseth this word feede in many significations Sometime to teach and instruct some time to rule and gouerne as magistrates rule their people as wel by lawe as by strength Sometime to punish and correct c. But in this place the Prophet vseth feeding as wel for instruction by Gods word as also for defence and safegard of Gods people by Gods most mightie power He vseth this word pasture for the word of God it selfe as a thing which is the onely foode of a mans soule to liue vppon as the meate and drinke is for the body He vseth this word leade for conducting that the man which is ledd at no time goe out of the way but alwayes may know where he is and whither he is going as in many other of his Psalmes he vseth the same manner of speaking The riuers of refection he vseth for the plentifull giftes of the holy Ghost wherewithall the faithfull man is replenished His saying therefore is as much as if he had spoken without Allegorie or Translation thus He instructeth me with his word and conducteth me with his holy spirite that I cannot erre nor perish In this part of the Psalme be many things worthie to be noted First it is declared that the life of man consisteth in the foode of Gods word then that there is none that giueth the same to be eaten but God our heauenly shepheard the next that none can eate of this meate of Gods word but such as the holy Ghost féedeth with the word Our sauiour Christ declareth that Man liueth not by bread alone but of euery woord that proceedeth out of the mouthe of God Whereby he teacheth vs that as the body liueth by externall meates so doeth the soule by the word of God And no more possible is it for a man to liue in God without the word of God then in the world without the meate of the world And S. Peter confesseth the same For when the Capernaites and many of Christes owne disciples had satisfied their bodies with externall meates they cared not for their souls neither could they abide to be fed nor to heare the meate of the soule spoken of althoughe Christ did dresse it most holsomely with many godly and swéet words they would not tarrie vntil Christ had made that meate readie for them they could be contented to féede their bellies with his meates but their soules they would not commit to his diet but departed as hungrie as they came thorough their owne follie Christ was leading them from the fiue barlie loaues and two fishes wherwith they had filled their bellies vnto the pleasaunt pastures of the heauenly word that shewed neither barlie loaues nor fishe but his owne pretious bloud and painefull passion to be the meate of their soules how be it they could not come in to this pasture nor tast in any case of the swéet herbes and nourishment of their soules When Christ perceiued they would not be ledd into this pleasaunt pasture he let them goe whither they would and to féede vppon what pasture they would And then he asked of his twelue that tarried saying Will ye depart also Peter as one that had fedd both body and soule as his fellowes had perceiued that the body was but halfe the man and that béeing fed there was but halfe a man fedd and also that such meates as went into the mouth satisfied no more then the body that the mouth was made for he felt moreouer that his soule was fedd by Christes doctrine that the hunger of sinn the ire of God the accusation of the lawe and the demaund and claime of the diuel were quenched and taken away he perceiued likewise that the meat which brought this nourishment was the heauenly doctrine that Christe spake of touching his death and passion and he vnderstoode also that this meate passed not into the body by the mouth but into the soule by faith and by the presence of Gods spirite with his spirite that the body also should be partaker as wel of the grace that was in it as of the life So that he felt himselfe not onely to haue a body and a soule aliue but also that they were gratiously replenished with the pastures food of Gods fauour Wherefore he said vnto Christ To whom shal we go thou hast the words of euerlasting life Which wordes in effecte sound no other thing then this Psalme doeth where Dauid saith The Lord feedeth me and I shal want nothing for he leadeth mee into his pleasant pastures and pastureth mee by the riuers side Wherein it appeareth manifestly that the word of God is the life of the soule The Prophete Dauid doeth meruellously open this thing in the repeating so
this hatred of Gods worde the foode of Gods shéepe they would be séene and none but they to loue and honour God but it is not so in their heartes for they haue a contempt of God as their fruites well declare And Christe saith They hate both him and his father yea and that without cause But thou Christian reader sée thou féede thy soule with no other meate then with the holesome pastures of Gods word what so euer the world shal say or doe Looke vppon this text of Saint Iohn When the comforter shall come whome I shall send from my father euen the spirit of trueth which doth proceede from the father he shall testifie and beare recorde of me Weigh that place and thinke wherefore the sonne of man referred him selfe to the witnesse of the holy Ghoste and ye shall knowe that it was for no vntruth that was in the authour being Christe or in the doctrine that he preached but only to make the disciples to be of good comfort and that they should not estéeme the Gospel he preached vnto them any thing the lesse although it had many aduersaries and enimies and was spoken against in maner euery where for against the furie and false iudgement of the world that cōtemned the Gospell they should haue the testimonie of the holy Ghoste to allowe and warrant the Gospell Let vs therfore pray to the heauenly shepheard that he will giue vs his holy spirit to testifie for the word of God the only foode of our soules that it is true that God saith and onely good that he appointeth to féede vs. And this we may be assured of that in this heauie and sorrowfull time there is nothing can testifie for the truth of Gods word and kéepe vs in the pleasant pasture thereof but the very spirite of God whiche we must set against all the tumults and daungers of the world For if we make this veritie of GOD subiect to the iudgement of the world our faith shall quaile and faint euery houre as mens iudgements varie Wherefore let vs pray to haue alwayes in vs the spirite of adoption whereby when our faith shall be assaulted we may cry Father father and the same helpe for the maintenaunce of trueth God promised by his holy Prophete Esaie saying This is my couenant with them saith the Lord my spirit which is in thee and my wordes which I haue put in thy mouth shall not depart from thy mouthe nor from the mouth of thy seede nor from the mouth of the seede of thy seede from hencefoorth vntill the world end Here doth the almightie God set foorth what a treasure and singular gift his worde is and that it shall not depart from his people vntill the worldes end And in these wordes is this parte of Dauids Psalme meruellously opened and set foorth It is the Lorde alone that feedeth and instructeth saith Esaie the Prophet It was not mans owne imagination and intention nor the wisedome and religion of his fathers what so euer they were but it was the Lord that spake and made the couenant with man and put his spirite in man to vnderstande the couenaunt and by his worde and none other worde he instructed man and saide that by this meanes all men should till the worldes ende féede and eate of Gods blessed promises For in his word he hath expressed and opened to euery man what he shal haue euen the remission of sinne the acceptation into his fatherly fauour grace to liue well in this life and at the end to be receiued into the euerlasting life Of these things the reader may knowe what mainteineth life euen the word of God as Christe saith If ye abide in me and my words abide in you aske what ye will and ye shall haue it He shall learne also that it is not Generall counsell Prouinciall counsell the determination and agréement of men that can be the authour of this foode but only God And as God is the only authour of this foode euen so is his holy spirite he that féedeth the poore simple soule of the Christian man with his blessed pasture and not the wisedome of man mens sacrifices or mens doings But as touching the foode of mans soule to be the only word of God I will if it be Gods blessed pleasure to whom in the bitter and painefull passion of Christe I commit my will with my life and death open vnto the shéepe and lambes of God at large in an other booke ¶ The third part of the Psalme Howe man is brought to the knowledge of life and saluation which part sheweth what man is of him selfe and howe he is brought into this life and to feede in the pleasant pastures of Gods worde THE THIRD VERSE He shall conuert my soule and bring me into the pathes of righteousnesse for his names sake MY soule erred and went astray from the right way of godly liuing but the Lord conuerted me from mine errors faultes of liuing and brought me to the obseruation of his holy lawes wherein is conteined all iustice trueth and godlinesse Here is to be noted what degrées and orders the Lord and heauenly shepheard doth vse in bringing his shéepe vnto the pasture of life First he conuerteth the man that is gone astray by his wicked wayes and sinnefull maner of liuing If he were an Infidel he bringeth him first to knowe féele and hate his infidelitie and afterwardes to a true faith If he be a persecuter he sheweth him first his tyrannie and afterward how to vse him selfe méekely If he be a sinful man that liueth cōtrarie to his knowledge profession he bringeth him first to the knowledge and hatred of his sinne and afterwards to the forgiuenes of the same As Christ our sauiour wonderfully teacheth in Saint Iohn where he saith The holy Ghost when he commeth shall rebuke the world of sinne iustice and iudgement By the which wordes he declareth that the faithfull of God can not profite in the Gospell of Christ neither loue nor exercise iustice and vertue except they be taught and made to féele the burthen and daunger of sinne and be brought to humble them selues as men that be of them selues nothing but sinne And therefore the lawe and threatenings of God be verie wholesome whose nature and propertie is to cite and call mens conscience vnto the iudgment of God and to wound the spirite of man with terrour and feare Wherefore Christe vseth a wonderfull way and teacheth the same vnto his Apostles that neither him selfe for that present time nor they in time to come could preach profitably the Gospell wherewith men are led into the swéete and pleasant fieldes of Gods promises by his word except they vse this order to leade them from sinne to iustice and from death to life And as iustice and life commeth by Christe shewed vnto vs in his bitter passion death and glorious resurrection
so doeth sinne and death both appeare and be felt by the spirite of God shewed vnto vs in the lawe This order also fawe the holy Prophet when he saide The Lorde conuerteth my soule and leadeth me into the pathes of righteousnes This is a wonderfull sentence and much and déepely to be considered and weighed of the Christian man The Lorde conuerteth my foule saith Dauid He féeleth in him selfe that as long as the diuell and sinne haue the rule and kingdome in man the soule of man being Gods creature is deformed foule horrible and so troubled that it is like vnto all things more then vnto God and vertue whervnto it was created but when the wicked diuel deformed sinne be by the victorie of Christ ouercome expelled the soule waxeth faire amiable swéete louing pleasant like vnto God againe and cōmeth into order obeisance vnto his creatour so brought into y e pathes of righteousnes féedeth with the rest of Gods well ordered flocke vppon she pastures and foode of his holy worde to doe his blessed will Oh that we would in the glasse of Gods worde looke vpon our owne soules when they be in the tyrannie of the diuell vnder the kingdome of sinne as this king did we should more loathe and detest our owne soule and the companie that our soule is accompanied withall then if we should for all our life time be put into sties with hogges and alwayes be bound during our life to liue with them féede as they féede sléepe and wake as they do and be as they be in all things Looke in the Gospel of Saint Luke and there shall ye sée a man by sinne so foule so disordered so accompanied with swine so hungerbaned so rent and torne so beggerly so wretched so vile so loathsome and so stinking that the very swine were better for their condition then he was But sée howe the heauenly shepheard behelde from his heauenly throne the place of the euerlasting ioyes this poore strayed shéepe féeding not amongst shéepe but amongest swine and yet could not be satisfied therewith And no meruell for swine féede not vpon the meate of shéepe nor yet doe shéepe fill them selues with hogges draffe and swillinges but this shephearde vsed his olde wonted clemencie and strake the heart of his shéepe making him to wéepe and bewayle his condition a man to come to suche dishonour to be coupled and matched with swine to féede like swine eate like swine such meate as swine eate remembring that the worst in his fathers house was a Prince and noble King in comparison respect of him then also being persuaded of his fathers mercy he returned his father brought him into his pleasant swéete pastures gaue him his old fauor accustomed apparel againe as a man to kéepe companie with men no more with adulterous men and vncleane swine howbeit he came not to his old honour againe till the Lord had practised in him that he practised in this Prophete king Dauid Ammam meam conuertit He conuerted and turned my soule It is but a follie for a man to flatter himselfe as though he were a Christian man when his hart and soule is not turned vnto the Lord. He shal neuer féed in the pastures of life but be an hypocrite all the days of his life as the most part of the world be that professe Christes name at this present day They say they be conuerted from the world to God when there is nothing within the pastures of Gods word but that they wil contemne rather then to haue as much as an euil looke of the world for it They say they be conuerted to God when they be contented with the world to honour that for God that is but bread and wine in the matter and substance as the scripture of God and the holy Church of Christ haue taught and beléeued these thousand and fiue hundreth yeares and more Oh Lord be these men turned to thée Be these the men that shall dwell with thée in thy holy mount of Sion and stand in thy holy place Nay doubtlesse for they be not turned to thée but from thée be not with thée but against thée They speak with thée and yet their déedes dishonour thée they talke of trueth and practise lies What good Lord shall thy simple poore vnlearned shéepe do Where shall they séeke thy trueth For the shéepeheards say and sing this Psalme euery wéeke and at euery dirige for the dead and yet they be not conuerted in their spirits to thée that thou mightest lead them into the pathes of righteousnes But Lord there is no man nowe in manner that dare accuse them they destroy themselues and thy shéepe and no man can be suffered with Gods word to remedie it Notwithstanding good Lord although in this world none may accuse them yet they in the world to come shal haue king Dauid whose Psalmes they daily reade and in whom they most glorie to accuse them both of heresie and blasphemie as Moses shall accuse the wicked Iewes whome they most glorie of For as the Iewes read the scripture of Moses and yet were neuer the better so these priests of Antichrist reade the holy scripture yet neither the people nor they themselues are any thing the better And in this they passe y e abhomination of the Iewes Turkes for they were and yet be content that their bookes of religion shal be vsed in their churches in the vulgar and common tongue but these enimies of God and man would not haue the word that God hath appointed for all mens saluation to be vsed in any tongue but in the Latine The God therefore of peace that brought againe from death to life the great shéepheard of the shéepe by the bloud of the euerlasting testament our Lord Iesus Christ conuert the soules and heartes of all those that cause the shéepe of God thus to eate and féed vppon the carrine and infected pastures of mens traditions Amen Nowe as king Dauid in this text hath wonderfully set foorth y e miserable nature of al Gods shéepe and put himself for an example that the nature and condition of all men is corrupt wicked and damnable so that it cannot be partaker of Gods benediction and euerlasting grace except it be borne a newe amended restored and instructed so likewise he sheweth that none conuerteth the soule of man but the heauenly father the great shéepeheard that both séeth the loste state of his shéepe and willeth of his mercie the saluation and calling of the shéepe home againe and then he procéedeth further and sheweth what the heauenly shéepeheard will doe with his shéepe He saith Hee will lead them into the pathes of iustice Wherein the Prophete declareth that it is not onely God that conuerteth the man from euill but also he alone that kéepeth him in goodnes and vertue And therein is shewed a wonderfull miserie and wretchednesse in the soule and
body of man that can neither beginne nor yet continue in a life acceptable vnto God except that GOD wholy worketh the same himselfe And as it declareth the wonderfull wretchednes of man so doeth it manifest and set foorth a wonderful and vnspeakeable mercie and compassion of God towardes man that so meruellously and gratiously he canne be content to helpe and saue his enimie and very aduersarie But herein is required of as many as the Lorde conuerseth from iniquitie and sinnefull liuing that they walke in the same lawe and vse their conuersation in equitie and iustice as it béecommeth obedient men and women redéemed with the shéepeheardes most pretious bloud For the Lord doth not teach his shéepe the truth that they should liue in falsehood neither giueth he them the remission of their sinnes that they should returne to the same againe but because they should studiously applie and diligently exercise themselues in vertuous woorks to the honor of almightie God There be two sortes of people that the Lorde will iudge and punish in the latter day with extreme ire and iustice The one sort be called vpon to learne the knowledge of God and of Gods honour as Gods word commandeth but they will not heare nor obey the calling but knowe God and learne God as the custome and maner of the world is to know him and learne him though it be neuer so farre from the trueth And the other sort be contented to heare and learne to knowe God and to serue him as he teacheth in his holy and most pure word but in their heartes consent not to their knowledge but contrary to it they do outward seruice to a false God and frame their conuersation both in religion toward God and their maners toward men as men of the world do So that God hath no more reuerence of him that knoweth the trueth then of him that is ignorant of the trueth Esaie the Prophet speaketh against the first sort of men that will not heare when they be called nor learne when they be taught and saith When other men shall laughe they shall weepe when other bee merrie they shal be sorrie when other be whole they shalbe sicke when other men shal liue they shall die and when other men reioyce in mirthe they shall lament in sorowe And good cause why saith S. Paule For the Lord hath stretched forth his hand alwayes to a rebellious and obstinate people that will not learne nor knowe his holy will Againe the other sort that knowe and haue learned the Lordes will and pleasure and yet prepare not themselues to doe his will shall be beaten with many stripes saith our sauiour Christ. And the Lord in S. Matthewe doeth wonderfully charge both such as ignorantly doe offend and those that doe with knowledge offend those also that be called vppon to amendment in faith and charitie and those that be not called vppon by preaching of the trueth and saith The greater damnanation is vppon such as know or might knowe or els when they do knowe they be nothing the better for their knowledge He putteth foorth there foure cities Chorozaim and Bethsaida Tire and Sidon two of them many times admonished by Christ to amend the other two not so called vppon neuerthelesse both of them the Lord will iudge but most seuerely such as neglect the word of God when it is offered Therfore it is not ynough for a man to hearken or heare read or learne Gods word but he must be ruled by Gods word frame his whole life after Gods word and before all things auoyd idolatrie by Gods word as king Dauid saith in this Psalme that The Lord did not onely conuert his soule but brought him into the pathes of iustice Let euery man and woman therfore thinke with themselues what knowledge they haue receiued of God for he that hath receiued most shall make accompt for most and the more he knoweth and abuseth his knowledge the more shalbe his damnation and in case they knowe nothing at all and be neuer the better for all the preaching of the Lordes word let them take héede what persons they be and in what place they haue dwelled In case their pouertie was such that they could not heare and their dwelling where as was no preaching at all yet be they vnder the iudgement and damnation of God because they knowe not as Tire and Sidon were If they were of such state as they might haue come if they would and had preachers to tel them the truth in case they would haue heard the trueth such men and women shall be the more in daunger of Gods seuere and iust iudgement For God doth not onely take an accompt of that which men haue receiued if they vse not Gods giftes well but also straightly requireth of them that might haue learned the thing that either willingly or obstinately they refused to learne as ye may sée by Choroazim and Bethsaida God will as well take an accompt of him that refused to receiue the gift of Gods word as he requireth an accompt of him that hath receiued it and abused it Whereby we learne that not onely the man that abuseth Gods word shalbe damned but also he that will not learne Gods word King Dauid had the word offered he receiued it and was carried thereby into the pathes of iustice and liued godly thereafter Nowe he goeth foorth and sheweth wherefore man is brought to life and saluation ¶ The fourth part of the Psalme Wherefore man is brought to life and saluation THE THIRD VERSE continued For his names sake HE brought not me to life and saluation saith the Prophet for any merits or deseruinges of mine but for his owne infinite goodnes sake And whatsoeuer euill hath béene done and sinne committed all these thinges I ascribe to my corrupt nature and accuse my selfe to be the doer of them but if any thing haue béene thought said or done that is vertuous and godly that I wholy ascribe and attribute vnto the mercie of God that gaue me a good minde to wish to do wel and also strength to doe the thinges that he gaue me will to wishe Of this part of the Psalme we learne that man can neither wishe nor speake nor doe any thing nor yet vnderstand any thing that good is but onely throughe the mercie of God who maketh of an ignorant man a man of knowledge of an vnwilling man a willing man of an euill speaker a good speaker and of an euill doer a good doer Therefore S. Paule when he séeth that the nature of man will take vppon her to be the authour of any good thing he accuseth and condemneth her of arrogancie and pride saying What hast thou that thou hast not receiued If thou hast receiued why doest thou glorie as though thou receiuedst not And in the same Epistle he saith that Hee preached Christ crucified which was a slaunder to the Iewes and a foolishnesse to
the Gentiles Yet saith he The foolishnesse of God is wiser then men and the weakenesse of God is stronger then men And that had king Dauid good experience of when he said The Lord ruleth me and I lacke nothing hee putteth mee in a sweete pasture and leadeth mee by the riuers side hee turneth my soule and conducteth mee into the way and pathe of iustice for his names sake and for his mercies sake He sawe the diuel the world his flesh and sinne all conquered by the power of God and for his names sake brought both to liue also vertuously to liue to his honour that gaue the life and to his owne saluation that receiued the life All our teaching a great many of yeares and also your whole labours haue béene chiefly to knowe the miserie of man and the mercie of Almightie God Wherefore it shal not néed long to tarrie in opening of this place of the Psalme for ye be riche in God in these 2. points God giue you grace wel to vse them Yet in any case we must remember that our soules be turned from sinne we accepted as the people of euerlasting life only for Gods mercies sake So doth king Dauid wonderfully open vnto vs in the 32. Psalme where he saith Blessed be they whose sinnes are forgiuen and whose transgressions be couered blessed is the man to whome the Lord imputeth not his sinne Of the which wordes we learne that the godly king called those happie and blessed not that be cleane and pure without sinne for there is no such man in this life but those be blessed whose sinnes the mercie of God forgiueth and they be onely such as vnfeignedly acknowledge their sinne and stedfastly from their heartes beleeue that the death and passion of Iesus Christ is the onely expiation and purging thereof as S. Paule wonderfully expoundeth Dauids woordes in his Epistle to the Romanes As the Prophete by these wordes For his names sake declareth that there is nothing in him nor in any other man wherefore God should turne the soule of man from death to life from errour to trueth from the hatred of God to Gods loue from wandring a stray to a stablished continuance in the veritie of Gods word but only Gods mercie so doth he in other of his Psalmes always when he intreateth of Gods mercie of mans sinne set foorth man so naked and vile as a thing most destitute of all health and saluation and sheweth that none of these giftes remission of sinne acceptation into Gods loue and fauour pasturing of them with his most blessed word can happen vnto any other sauing vnto such as do knowe and earnestly confesse that they be sinners and infected with many contagious daungerous infirmities And therfore he sayth in the 2. verse of y e psalme aboue mentioned Blessed is he to whom the Lord imputeth no sinne in whose spirite there is no guile For there is no greater guile nor more danger in man then to think himself to be somwhat when he is nothing in déede or else to thinke him selfe to be of such puritie of minde as though he néeded not this frée remission and fauour of God And as there is nothing more proude and arrogant then such a minde so there is nothing in man more detestable and miserable Of the contrarie part they be blessed that hunger and thirst for iustice for God filleth the hungrie with good thinges but the proud he sendeth away emptie And that knewe this holie Prophete right well that it was humilitie and the casting downe of him selfe that was most acceptable vnto God and the séeking of health and saluation onely for his names sake that is to say for his mercie promised in the death and passion of his onely sonne our Sauiour Christe In the end of the .xxxij. psalme king Dauid that had thus humbled himselfe bringeth in God that speaketh vnto him whiles he is thus making his complaint of his corrupt nature and sinneful life saying in this manner Intellectum tibi dabo c. that is to say I will giue thee vnderstanding instruct thee in the way thou shalt goe and will haue mine eyes euer vppon thee Wherein he declareth that suche humbled men and lowly persons as knowe their iniquitie shall haue vnderstanding of God and shall not swarue from the right wayes not for their déedes and their deseruinges but for his mercie that vouchsafeth to instruct teach them And so likewise doeth this godlie king shew in this Psalme The Lorde ruleth me and I lacke nothing he feedeth me in sweet pastures and leadeth me by the riuers side he turneth my soule and bringeth me into the pathes of righteousnesse and all for his names sake When he hath opened the saluation of man and also the cause thereof and wherein it consisteth he procéedeth to the fifte parte of his oration and holie Hymne ¶ The fifte parte of the Psalme What trouble may happen to such as God giueth life and saluation vnto THE FOVRTH VERSE Although I walke thorough the vallie and shadowe of death I will feare no euill for thou art with me thy rodde and thy staffe comfort me SEing I haue suche a guide and defender there is no difficultie of perill nor feare of death that I will passe of For what harme can death do to him that hath God the authour of all life with him Or what can the tyrannie of man do where as God is the defender In this fifte part King Dauid sheweth howe the Lord God doeth exercise his shéepe whom he féedeth with his blessed worde in daungers and troubles also how he will defende them in the middest of their troubles what so euer they be In the first wordes of the fift part of this sacred and holy Hymne the prophet declareth that the life of Gods shéepe and people in this worlde can not be without daungers and troubles Therefore Christ sayeth that He came to put fire in the worlde and that the same fire should burne meaning that he came to preache suche a doctrine as shoulde moue dissention and discorde betwéene friend and friend the father and the sonne and sette them at debate Not that his worde is a learning or doctrine of dissention and discorde of it selfe but that by the malice of men that can not abide to be rebuked by the worde of God they will be alwayes at discorde and variaunce with the worde of God and with any friende or foe that teacheth it And the same doeth Christ our heauenly shéepeheard shewe vs both in his doctrine and in his life who was hated and troubled more then any man before or sithens his time and assureth all his to haue troubles in this world yea and death also But it forceth not for he sayth I haue ouercome the worlde And whatsoeuer the dangers bée and howe horrible soeuer they séeme Christe being with vs we néede not to
but the conscience is pricked and oppressed so muche with feare doubtfulnesse of Gods ire for sinne that he thinketh God can be mercifull vnto other but not vnto him And thus doth his knowlege for the time of temptation rather trouble him then ease him bicause his heart doth not or rather can not consent vnto the knowledge yet would he rather then his life he could consent vnto God loue God hate sinne be Gods altogether although he suffered for it al y e paines of the worlde I haue knowne in many good men and many good women this trouble and heauinesse of the spirit for the time as though God had cleane hid him self from the afflicted person and had cleane forsaken him yet at length the day of light from aboue and the comfort of the holy spirite hath appeared that lay couered vnder the veile and couert of bitter cogitations of Gods iust iudgements against sinne Therefore séeing that faith at al times hath not like strength in man I doe not speake to discomfort such as at all times finde not their faith as strong as Dauid did in this Psalme for I know in the holy Saints them selues it was not alwayes like but euen in them as in others And although we can not compare with them in all things in the perfection of their faith yet may they compare them selues with vs in the weakenesse of our faith as ye may sée by the scriptures In this Psalme and in many other ye shall perceiue that Dauid by the constancie and suretie he felt in the promises of God was so strong so ioyfull and comfortable in the middest of all daungers and troubles of death that he did not only contemne troubles and death but also desired death and to be dissolued out of this world as Saint Paule and others did At an other time ye shall perceiue him to be strong in faith but not so ioyful nor yet the troubles so easie vnto him but that he suffered great battell and conflict with his troubles and of the cause of all troubles sinne and transgression of Gods lawes as ye may sée in the sixt Psalme whereas he cryed out and saide Lord chasten me not in thy furie nor punishe me in thy wrath my soule is sore troubled but how long Lord wilt thou deferre help And of such troubled consciences with conflictes ye shall finde oftentimes in the booke of Psalmes and in the rest of Gods scriptures yet shall ye finde the end of the temptation to be ioyfull and comfortable to the weake man that was so sore troubled For although God suffer a long fight betwéene his poore souldier and the diuell yet he giueth the victorie to his seruant as ye may sée in king Dauid When he cryed out that both his body and soule was wearied with the crosse of Gods punishment yet he saide at the last Discedite à me operarij iniquitatis quoniam exaudiuit Dominus vocem fletus mei Depart from me ye workers of iniquitie for the Lorde hath heard the voyce of my weeping And in other of his Psalmes ye shall perceiue his faith more weake and his soule troubled with such anguish and sorrowe that it shal séeme there is no consolation in his soule nor any shewe of Gods carefulnesse towardes him In this state ye may sée him in the 13. Psalme where as a man in manner destitute of all consolation he maketh his complaint saying How long wilt thou forget me The same may ye read also in the 43. Psal. where he sheweth that he his most iust cause and the doctrine that he professed was like altogether to haue bene ouercome so that his spirite was in manner all comfortlesse Then he said to his owne soule Quare tristis es anima mea quare conturbas me Why art thou so heauie my soule why doest thou trouble mee Trust in the Lord c. And in the 42. Psalm he setteth foorth wonderfully the bitter fight and sorrowfull conflicte betwéene hope and desperation Wherin he complayneth also of his own soule that was so much discomforted and biddeth it trust in the lord Of the which two places ye may learne that no man had euer faith at all times like but sometimes more strong sometimes more weake as it pleased God to giue it Let no man therefore despaire although he finde weaknesse of faith for it shall make him to humble him selfe the more and to be the more diligent to pray to haue helpe when he perceiueth his owne weakenesse and doubtlesse at length the weake man by the strong GOD shal be brought to this point that he shal in al troubles aduersities say with the Prophet If I should goe through the shadowe and daungers of death I would not feare what troubles soeuer happen And he sheweth his good assurance in the text that followeth which is the sixt part of this holy and blessed Hymne ¶ The sixt part of the Psalme Whereby the troubles of Gods elect be-ouercome The fourth verse continued and the fift verse expounded For thou art with me thy rod and thy staffe comfort me Thou shalt prepare a table before me against thē that trouble me thou hast annoynted my head with oyle and my cup shall be full SEeing thou art with me at whose power and will all troubles goe and come I doubt not but to haue the victorie and ouerhand of them howe many and daungerous so euer they be for thy rod chasteneth me when I goe astray and thy staffe stayeth me when I should fall Two things most necessarie for me good Lord the one to call me from my fault and errour and the other to kéepe me in thy trueth and veritie What can be more blessed then to be susteined and kept from falling by the staffe and strength of the most highest And what can be more profitable then to be beaten with his merciful rod when we goe astray For He chasteneth as many as he loueth and beateth as many as he receiueth into his holy profession Notwithstanding whilest we be here in this life he féedeth vs with the swéete pastures of holsome herbes of his holy word vntill we come to eternall life and when we put off these bodies and come into heuen and knowe the blessed fruition and riches of his kingdome then shall we not only be his shéepe but also the guestes of his euerlasting banquet The which Lorde thou settest before all them that loue thée in this worlde and doest so annoynt and make glad our mindes with thine holy spirite that no aduersities nor troubles can make vs sorrie In this sixt part the prophet declareth the old saying amongest wise men Non minor est virtus quà m quaerere parta tueri that is to say It is no lesse maistrie to keepe the thing that is wonne then it was to winne it King Dauid perceiueth right well the same and therefore as before in the Psalme he said The Lorde turned his soule
happen vnto vs whether it be aduersitie or prosperitie for they be called cuppes as Christ said of his death Father if it be possible take this cuppe from me And Dauid in the 16. Psalme vseth it for mans prosperitie in God The Lord saith he is the portion of mine inheritaunce and of my cuppe And therein he speaketh in the name of Christ whose inheritaunce is the whole number of the faithfull and saith that His inheritance which is the Church by Gods appointment is blessed and happie for no aduersitie can destroy it This is meant by Dauids words The rod the staffe the table the oyle and the cup and he vseth all these wordes to declare the carefulnesse loue and defence of God towardes miserable man And he could the better speake thereof vnto others bicause he had so many times felt and had experience that God was both strong and faithfull towards him in al time of daunger aduersitie And here is to be noted that the daungers that man is subiect vnto in this life be not alone such as heretofore king Dauid hath made mention of as sicknesse treason sedition warre pouertie banishment and the death of the body but he felt also as euery man of God shall féele and perceiue that there be greater perills and daungers that man standeth in ieopardie of then these be by occasion of sinne the mother of all mans aduersitie Sinne bringeth a man into the displeasure and indignation of God the indignation of God bringeth a man into the hatred of God the hatred of God bringeth a man into despaire and doutfulnesse of Gods forgiuenesse despaire bringeth a man into euerlasting paine and euerlasting paine continueth and punisheth the damned creature with fire neuer to be quenched with Gods anger displeasure which can not be reconciled nor pacified These be the troubles of al troubles sorrowes of al sorrowes as our sauiour Christ declareth in his most heauenly prayer in S. Iohn Non rogo vt tollas eos è mundo sed vt serues eos à malo That is to say I do not saith Christ to his heauenly father pray that thou shouldest take those that I pray for out of the worlde but that thou preserue them from euil And in this prayer he hath wonderfully taught vs that a Christian man is subiect to two troubles one of the body and an other of the soule one of the worlde and another of the diuell As for the troubles of the world he saith It is not so expedient that Christian men be deliuered from them least in idlenesse we should séeke our selues and not God as y e children of Israel did but this he knewe was most necessaâ—â—e that the father should preserue vs in the midst of these troubles with his help from al sinne transgression of his holy lawes this he assured his disciples of al other that put their trust in him not that they should in this life be preserued kept from troubles and aduersities but that the heauenly father should alwayes giue vnto his suche strength and vertue against all the enimies of GOD and mans saluation that they should not be ouer come with troubles that put their trust in him For God suffereth and appointeth his to fight and make warre with sinne and with all troubles and sorrowes that sinne bringeth with it but God will neuer permit his to be deadly and mortally wounded It is therefore expedient that man knowe who he his greatest foes do worke him most daunger There be diuers Psalmes wherein he setteth foorth the perill that he was in as well in his body as in his soule as when he complaineth of his banishment amongst not onely cruell people but also vngodly that sought to take both his mortall life from him and also his religion and trust that he had in Gods worde Wherefore he compareth them to the Tartarians and Arabians men without pitie or religion And the like doth he afterwards in another Psalme where as giuing thankes for his deliuerie he saith that sinners froad vpon his backe and many times warred against him and he should haue bene ouerthrowne if GOD had not holpen him Where in he speaketh not onely of battell with the sworde against the body but also of heresie and false doctrine against the soule As ye may sée howe Senacherib and Iulius the Apostata two Emperours fought against the people of God not onely to take from them their liues but also their religion and true honouring of GOD. And of all battells that is the cruellest and of all enimies the principall that would take the soule of man from Gods word bring it to the word of man And that persecution trouble openly against Gods word coÌ„tinued many yeres vntill Christ was preached abroad princes made Christians Then thought the diuell his kingdome to haue bene ouerthrowne and Christian men might liue in Christes religioÌ„ without any trouble or warre for religion howbeit at length for sinne the diuel entered by subtile meanes not onely to corrupt true religion but also persecuted the true professours thereof vnder the name of true religion and therein vsed a meruellous policie and craft by men that walked inordinately amongest the Christians themselues From whose companies sectes and conuersation S. Paule willed vs to refraine by these wordes Wee commaund you brethren in the name of our Lord Iesus Christ that ye refraine from euery one that is accompted a brother that vseth himselfe inordinately and not according to the institution he receiued of vs. And because ye haue not taken héede of his holy commaundement and kept your selues from danger and peril of heresie sinne idolatrie and superstition by the rod and staffe of God nor haue not eaten your meate of religion at Gods table nor your mindes haue béene annoynted with the holy Ghost as Dauid in this Psalme saith that he was against all troubles by these meanes defended and mainteyned that no perill of the bodie by the sword nor perill of y e soule by false doctrine could hurt him therefore marke a little and see the daungers that haue hurted both you and your conscience also not like to be healed as farre as I can sée but more hurt hereafter For the way to heale a man is to expell and put away sicknesse and not to increase and continue the sickenesse From whome thinke ye that S. Paule commaunded you to restraine in the name of our Lord Iesus Christ He saith From him that behaueth himselfe inordinately Who is that think ye S. Paule saith He that ruleth not himselfe after the rule and institution that he himselfe had taught the Thessalonians So y e we must refraine then from all such as conforme not them selues to y e institution of S. Paule yea although he be an angel from heauen This departure from such as haue ruled and put foorth errours and lies is not newe but hath béene vsed in England
of English men more then twentie yeares since we departed from the sea of Rome for the ambition of the Romish bishops that transgressed both this ordinance of S. Paul and also of Christ. Of the which deadly and pestilent ambition the prophet Ezechiel prophesied and so did also S. Paule if prophesies by God and commaundements by his holy Apostles had any thing preuailed in our dull and naughtie heartes Read the places sée your selues what is spoken of such a wicked shéepeheard I doe put you in minde of this wicked sea because I do sée that contrarie to the word of God contrarie to the lawes of the realme most godly against the Popes supremacie against all our othes that be Englishmen and against all the old godly writers this Antichrist member of the diuel is not vnlike to haue the regiment of your soules againe which God forbid I doe exhort all men therefore to beware of him as of one that came naughtily to such vsurped authoritie and whose authoritie is not onely the trouble of all Christian realmes and princes but also of all Christian soules And as he hath béene alwayes a trouble vnto the one so hath he béene a destruction to the other as I will a little declare vnto you that ye may know him the better and so by the rodde and staffe of Gods word defende your selues from him The Gréeke Church for this ambition of the Romishe bishop separated her selfe from the Church of Rome and would not haue to do with her For after that the Gréekes knewe that the bishops of Rome ment to take from them their liberties they would not indure it yet did the Romish bishops alwayes to come to the supremacie picke quarels and maters to fall out vpon first with the Clergie and then with the Laitie Platina writeth howe Pius bishop of Rome béeing deceiued by one Hermes a very euill man began a new order about the kéeping of Easter day and altered the time that the Apostles and their disciples vsed vntill Pius dayes which was to celebrate and kepe the day of the resurrection of our Sauiour Christ the fourtéenth moone of y e first moneth which is with the Iewes our March And although it be wel done to kéepe it vpon the Sunday yet was this an horrible presumption vpon so light a cause to excommunicate the Gréeke Church and to make diuision where before was vnion It came to passe in Victors time the first which was about the yeare of our Lord two hundred and in the time of Iraeneus the bishop of Lugdune the disciple of Iohn the Euangelist this Victor would haue cōdemned the Gréeke Church procéeded with excommunication against it had not Iraeneus letted it yet was it the elder Church and had continued in the doctrine of the Apostles from Christes time and had Iohn the Euangelist amongest them for the space of thréescore and eight yeares after Christes ascension And notwithstanding the Gréeke Church was the elder Church yet the Romane Church to be equall with them according to the doctrine of Christ and his Apostles also according to the decrée that was made in the generall Counsell at Nice And the Gréeke Church neuer contented with the Romish Church for the Supremacie vntill a proud and arrogant Moncke that feigned humilitie was preferred to be bishop of Cōstantinople which came to such arrogancie of spirit that he would haue béene taken for the vniuersall head of y e Church which was a very marke to know that he was of Antichrist and not of Christ as Gregorie the great writeth to Constantia the Empresse and at length this proud Monke at a Synod kept at Constantinople created himselfe the vniuersall head of the Church Although before his time one Menna and other archbishops of Constantinople for the dignitie of the imperial state being there were called vniuersal Patriarches yet that was by name alone and without execution of authoritie in any foreigne bishopricke or Church But such was the ambition of these bishops that walked as S. Paule saith inordinately that they would haue the head and principalitie of religion and of the Church at Constantinople because there was the head and principalitie of the worldly kingdome and so they began betime to confound the ciuil policie with the policie of the Churche vntill they brought themselues not onely to be heads of the Church but also Lords of all Emperours and kings and at the last of God and Gods word as ruthfully it appeareth in mens conscience at this present day Which abhomination and pride Pelagius the second bishop of Rome both spake and wrote against and would that he nor any man els should haue the name of a generall bishop And S. Gregorie doeth confirme the same godly sentence of his predecessour Pelagius and would not when he was commaunded by the Emperour whome Iohn the bishop had abused take the Archbishop of Constantinople for the vniuersall head nor condescend vnto the Emperours commaundement and wrote to the Empresse that it was contrarie to the ordinance of Christ and his Apostles and contrarie to the Counsell of Nice He said also that such new arrogancie was a very token that the time of Antichrist drew nigh And Gregorie did not onely write and speake against this arrogancie and pride but suffered also great danger as Platina writeth and so did al Rome by the Lombards that Mauricius the Emperour made to besiege Rome because Gregorie refused to obey the Archbishop of Constantinople as the head of the Church But although Pelagius Gregorie and other godly men detested and abhorred this wicked arrogancie to be the vniuersall head of the Churche yet the bishop of Rauenna began amongst the Latines to prepare the way to Antichrist as Paulus Diaconus saith and separated himselfe from the societie of other Churches to the intent he might come to bee a head himselfe But what at length came of it Platina writeth And within a short time after Boniface the third being the bishop of Rome about the yeare of our Lord sixe hundred and seuen Phocas the Emperour iudged him to be head of the Church against both the bishop of Constantinople also of Rauenna and such a sentence was méet for such an arbitrour Phocas was a wicked man a couetous man an adulterer and a traiterous murtherer of his Lord maister Mauricius and this man to make God and the Romans amends gaue sentence that the bishop of Rome should be the vniuersal head of the Church But here was contemned the sentence and doctrine of Christ and his Apostles and also the decrées of the holy Counsell of Nice And no meruell for they condemned both partes of arrogancie and vsurpation and not only these Counsels but all other for many yeares which decréed that although one seate was named before the other yet the bishop of the principall seate should not be the chiefest priest or head of the rest but onely
execrable thinges of Gregorie the seuenth Yet was Englande free from this beaste of Rome then in respecte of that it was before the idol was expelled in king Henrie the 8. time But Alexander the third neuer rested to moue men to sedition vntil such time as king Henrie the seuenth was content to be vnder him as other were And all this suffered England for Thomas Becket the Popes Martyr When they were crept vp into this high authoritie all their owne creatures bishops of their secte Cardinals priestes monkes and friers could neuer be contented to be vnder the obedience of the princes and to say the trueth princes durst not in maner require it for they were in danger of goods and life And y e Emperour Henrie the seuenth was poysoned by a monke that poysoned the idol of the Masse both a god and minister méete to poyson men and both of the Popes making And what conscience did they make of this thinke ye Doubtlesse none at all for the Pope saith and so do al his children that he can dispense and absolue themselues and al men from what othes soeuer they haue made to God or man This enimie with his false doctrine is to be resisted and ouercome by the word of God or els he wil destroy both bodie and soule Therefore against all his craftes and abhominations we must haue the Rodd the Staffe the Table the Oyle the Cup that Dauid speaketh of in a readinesse to defend our selues with all Now followeth the last part of this holy Hymne ¶ The seuenth part of the Psalme What the ende of Gods troubled people shalbe THE SIXT VERSE The louing kindnesse shal followe me all the dayes of my life and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for euer I Will in the middest of all troubles be strong and of good chéere for I am assured that thy mercie and goodnesse will neuer forsake me but will continually preserue me in all dangers of this life and when I shall depart from this bodily life thy mercie wil bring me into that house of thine eternal ioyes whereas I shall liue with thée in euerlasting felicitie Of this part we learne that the dangers of this life be no more then God can and will put from vs or preserue vs in them when they come vnto vs without danger also that the troubles of this world be not perpetuall nor damnable for euer but that they be for a time onely sent from God to exercise and proue our faith and patience At the last we learne that the troubles being ended we begin and shall continue for euer in endlesse pleasure and consolation as Dauid sheweth at the end of his Psalm So doeth Christe make an ende with his disciples when he hath committed them for the time of this life to the tuition of the heauenly father whiles he is bodily absent he saith at length they shalbe where he is himselfe in heauen for euer For in this life all be it the faithfull of God haue consolation in Gods promises yet is their ioy very darke and obscure by reason of troubles both without and within outwardly by persequution inwardly by temptation Therefore Christ desireth his father to lead and conduct his Church in trueth and veritie whiles it is here in fight persequution with the diuel vntill it come to a perfect and absolute consolation where as no trouble may molest it For then and not before to what perfection soeuer we come shall wee be satisfied as Dauid saith The plentifulnesse of pleasure and ioy is in the sight and contemplation of thee ô Lord. For Then shal the minde of man fully be satisfied when he being present may presently beholde the glorious maiestie of God for God hath then al ioyes present to him that is present with him then man knoweth God as he is knowen of God These ioyes in the end of troubles should giue the troubled man the more courage to beare troubles patiently and be persuaded as S. Paule teacheth that The troubles of this present life be not worthie of the ioyes to come whiche shall be reuealed to vs when Christ commeth to iudge the quick and the dead To whome with the father and the holy Ghost be all honour and praise world without end Amen ¶ AN EXPOSITION vppon the 62. Psalme made by the constant Martyr of Christe Maister IOHN HOOPER Bishop of Glocester and Worcester THE ARGVMENT THe Prophete in this Psalme doeth declare by his owne experience how the trueth of Gods worde and such as fauour and followe the same be esteemed and vsed in the worlde of worldly men the trueth it selfe reiected and the louers thereof slaundered and persequuted And seeing trueth and true men before the Prophetes time in his time and after his time were thus miserably afflicted in this psalme he writeth his own condition and miseries with certeine and most comfortable remedies whiche wayes the afflicted person may best comforte him selfe and passe ouer the bitternesse and daungers of his troubles and suffer them as long as God layeth them vppon him patiently So that whosoeuer from the feeling of his heart can say this Psalme and vse the remedies prescribed therein by the spirite of God doubtlesse he shall be able to beare the troubles bothe of the diuell and man patiently and contemne them strongly ¶ The partes of the Psalme be in number generally two 1 In the first is conteyned how that the fauour of God and his helpe is able to remedie all aduersities 2 In the second is conteyned how that the fauour of man and his helpe is able to redresse no aduersities The first part comprehendeth eight verses of the Psalme The second part conteyneth the other foure verses that next followe to the end of the Psalme ¶ These two generall partes doe conteine more particular partes in them in number sixe 1 First what is to be done by the Christian man that is afflicted 2 The seconde parte sheweth why the troubled man in trouble looketh for helpe of God 3 The third parte declareth how soudenly God can destroy the persquuters of the trueth 4 The fourth part conteyneth the repetition of the first and the second part with more causes shewed why patiently trouble is to be borne and faithfully to be beleeued that God can and will remedie it 5 The fifte part declareth that mans power is not to be feared nor his friendshippe to be trusted vnto for no man is able to damne or saue 6 The sixte parte setteth foorth how that God hath promised to helpe the afflicted and will assuredly perfourme it ¶ The Psalme with the partes before named where they beginne and where they ende 1 My soule truely wayteth still vpon God The first parte teacheth a man to flie vnto God in the time of oppression and trouble 2 For of him commeth my saluation He verily is my strength and my saluation hee is my defence so shall I not greatly fall The second
the first parte is to marke and sée that in the verie electes of God and most excellent personages amongest holie men there is sometime quiet patient and thankfull sufferance of aduersitie strongly that it séemeth in the soule of him that is troubled there is so constant and strong faith that it maketh all sorrowes and troubles rather pleasaunt and swéete then heauie burdenous or painefull At another time troubles séeme vnto them so heynous and grieuous that the burden of them is as great a paine as death not onely vnquieting the bodie but also verie sore vexing of the spirite with these and like cogitations God hath cast me out of his sight God will haue mercie vppon me no more My soule is heauie and troubled And this diuersitie of increase and decrease of faith and hope of holie men and women before our time teacheth vs great wisedome and consolation wisdome in that we sée faith and hope be not naturall qualities in man although he be neuer so vertuous or neuer so gratiously elected by God to eternal saluation but they be the mercifull giftes of God giuen vnto man for Christes sake and wrought by the holie Ghost aboue mans deseruings We learne also that the giftes of God faith hope and charitie patience and sufferance with such like vertues be not at all times of like condition and strength in man but at sometime so strong that nothing can feare vs and at another time so weake that all thinges do make vs dismayed and fearefull Now and then it is so doubtfull that we cannot tell whether it were best to suffer for the trueth or else to be released consenting vnto falshoode Thus God vseth his giftes in vs not alwayes after one sorte partely for our sinnes and partely to proue vs and to bring vs to a certeine knowledge of our infirmitie and weakenesse From Saule Iudas and Caine he tooke his spirite cleane to punishe their iniquitie and wickednesse And from Iob to attempte his patience and to make his féele that of him selfe he coulde beare nothing We learne consolation out of this texte in this that in our troubles the Lord forsaketh vs not but comforteth vs. And the more our troubles and aduersities be the more is his grace and fauour towardes vs. As the Prophet sayth in another of his Psalmes As aduersities oppressed my heart so thy consolations Lorde reioyced me In the whiche Psalme ye may sée what consolation the afflicted conscience taketh in aduersities The Psalme is made against the wicked oppressoures and persequutors of the poore Wherein they say As the tyrannie of the wicked troubleth vs so thy consolations good Lorde do reioyce and comfort vs. and the same sayth Saint Paule to the Corinthians As the afflictions of Christe doe abounde in vs euen so by Christe aboundeth our consolation There is also to be noted in that the prophete sayeth His soule wayteth vpon the Lorde Many men can dissemble iniuries wrongs and oppressions outwardely Some times when they be not able to reuenge and some tunes when they dare not reuenge for lacke of opportunitie and occasion lest more harme mighte insue of that their enterprise As the Iewes durst not kill Christ a great while for feare of the people yet were they murderers in their hearts before God the fact outwardly not then being don Some againe reuenge not bicause they thinke dissembled patience will gaine worldly commodites riches Howbeit this quietnesse refraining from reuenging is nothing worth before God But when the hart soul waiteth vpon God is contented to be as God maketh it y t wayting seruice of the soul the Lord delighteth in and is pleased withall This is a godlie doctrine much to be desired to haue the minde contented with such things as be troublesome and painefull to the bodie outwardly And where the minde wayteth not patiently vpon the Lorde in trouble it will appeare diuers wayes Sometime many yeres after the displeasure is done the man that suffered the displeasure reuengeth it wrongfully and cruelly as the Phariseis and the highe priestes deferred the bloudie fact in the killing of Christ vntil they had gotten time and opportunitie for their purpose Sometime the impatience and vnquietnesse of the minde appeareth with checkes and taunting aunsweres vnto God as when God asked Caine Where his brother Abel was he asked God againe Whether he were his brothers kéeper or no The same wayes appeared Pharaoes vnquietnesse When God would haue had him to dismisse his people he asked What God he was vnto whome he should doe such homage and seruice Somtime it appeareth by desperate weighing the greatenesse of trouble not considering the mercie of God that is greater then sinne As Caines vnquieted soule for the killing of Abel brought his tongue to blaspheme the mercie of God saying that His iniquitie was greater then the mercie of God could forgiue So did the wicked soule of Iudas that betrayed Christ make his tongue confesse before the Pharisées his treason and wickednesse and neuer to call vpon Christe for remission thereof Sometime the impatience of the mind is knowen outwardly by finding fault with Gods workes As when Adams minde was vnquieted for the eating of the apple he said vnto God that his wife the woman that he gaue vnto him deceiued him Achab the wicked king being impatient with the scourges that God sent vpon his Realme for his owne sinnes and the peoples picked a quarell with the good prophete Elias saide that he troubled all his Realme So saide the Iewes against Paule This is he that troubleth all the worlde This is daily séene when so euer the minde and the soule is vnquieted the fault is laide vpon Gods worke As if the higher powers hang a true man and saue a théefe deliuer Barabbas hang Christ streight way the tongue walketh that He is set in authoritie by God In déede so he is but yet to punishe the euill and to mainteine the good and not to molest the good and mainteine the euill as commonly now a dayes is séene Simon Magus shalbe at libertie and Simon Peter in chaines Annas and Caiphas shall rule like Lordes Christe and Saint Paule shalbe ruled and suffer death althoughe not personally in their owne bodies yet in their members and disciples Let the minde of the théefe be touched for thefte streightway pouertie the worke of GOD beareth the blame Let whoredome vexe the whoremongers minde immediately the tongue complayneth vpon Gods worke youth strength and such other Let the minde be troubled with couetousnesse by and by Gods worke wife children be alledged for excuse For they must be prouided for saith the couetous man when he hath enoughe for himselfe and tenne times as many moe children as God hath sent him if it were thankfully vsed towardes God and liberally towardes the worlde So that if any man be touched
Christ and his church Winchester fell into such a trembling and feare that with all hast he wrote his purgation in a booke named True obedience and Boner set an epistle before it both they crying our against the Pope as against a tyrant and false vsurper of authoritie in this Realme although they thought nothing lesse Thus we may sée how incōstant trembling and quaking these tottering wicked persequuters of Gods word be I could declare more of their religion to be of the same conditions but because these two and Tunstal the bishop of Duresme be knowen openly to y e world by their bookes to be such I speake onely of them When the prophet hath declared that the persequuters of the godly shall soudenly perish he telleth the cause why they shall perish Because they deuise how to put him downe saith he whome God will exalt And after that the Prophete hath shewed that the cause of their fall and punishment is their conspiracie against Gods elect he setteth foorth by what meanes the wicked vse to depose persequute tumble downe the people of God By lies saith the Prophet and by imagining of falshod and vntruth And when he hath declared that the wicked do purpose to bring their case and matter against the godly with lies he sheweth after what sort and fashion lies by wicked men be vsed To bring mischiefe to purpose This is the letter of the Psalme concerning the third part of it Now there is in euery of these sentences profite to be gathered by the reader or hearer of it First is to be noted the conspiracie and treason of the wicked against God If it please the Lord to fauour and aduaunce one the nature of the wicked is as much to deface that God would haue honoured as may be As God bare fauour and aduaunced Abel Cain wrought treason and killed his brother for the loue that God did beare him The Lord appointed Samuel to rule the wicked people misliked that which God best approued God would exalt Dauid Saule Absolon and Achitophel would prefer themselues Againe the Lord appointed Noah to teache the people to beware of the vniuersall floud the people preferred liers vnto whom God neuer gaue his holy spirite God elected Ieremie the true prophete the people aduaunced Passur the false prophete The Lord exalted his deare sonne and willed the world to learne of him the people preferred the Pharisées desired the Iudge to hange Christ. God commanded his word onely to be taught but the world plucketh it so downe that either they cleane refuse the word or els they will haue it none other wise then it is authorized and made true by man God saith That which is wisedome before the world is foolishnes before him The world recompenseth most arrogantly God with the like accompteth all his wisedome and learning foolishnes in respecte of worldly wisedome counsell and religion But what saith the Prophet Asaphe shall become of these Nemrods and controllers of God They shal saith he quickly fall and be destroyed as a tottering wall Here we sée howe controlling and amending of Gods workes at length spéedeth and what is the end of these persecuting Giants of Gods afflicted They fight they fare foule they moue heauen and earth to alter the purpose and minde of God but He that sitteth in heauen laugheth them to scorne And they themselues that thus wickedly vse Christe and his members fal downe and come to nought as old rotten and dustie walles And in the other part that these shameles tyrants conspire thus against Christ and his people by lies and falshoode is declared the filthines of their conscience that be so farre past shame and honestie that they care not so they may obteine their wicked purpose howe craftily or falsly they lie or calumniate any sayinges or doinges of God or man As the diuel their father when God had exalted man into Paradise he wished him out of it and began to worke mans destruction with calumniating and false lying vppon Gods owne word When God had set vp Dauid to reigne Absolon his owne sonne thinking the better to pull his father downe lied falsly vppon him to the people said that There was no Iudge appointed in Israel to heare causes and to end them betwene man and man So slaundered he his father a man of good iustice and aduaunced himselfe that neuer knewe what iustice ment The good Prophet Elias likewise whome God appointed to warne the people to beware of sinne king Achab to disgrace him lied falsly vppon him and said that He was the troubler of the common wealth So Christ whom God had elected to saue the world from death and damnation the wicked sort of the world said Hee hath saued others but he cannot saue himselfe Againe God sent him to be amongest the troubled to comfort them but such as wanted consolation when they sawe him prayed him to depart out of their countrie because with his presence they loste their swine God said that Paule was the chosen vessell to beare the name of him thorough all the Gentiles Tertullus and the other Iewes said He was one that molested all the world Euen so at this time there is neither honest nor vertuous man that God exalteth to speake the trueth but the wicked saith He is an heretique a scismatique a traitour But séeing it is none other then alwayes hath béene accustomed falsly to be layed to such as God loueth it must be borne patiently But nowe the Prophet sheweth how these liers and enuious persecuters vse their lies They giue faire woordes with their mouth saith the prophet but they curse with their heart By these wordes we may learne that there are thrée maner of ways that lies do harme The one when they be openly and plainly vsed The other when open falshoode outwardly is cloked with pretended trueth And the third when they be dissembled outwardly yet in the heart they lie hid tarying for a time when they may be put abroad to do mischiefe to worke the destruction of the godly But for as muche as the diuell the father of all lyes knoweth that such as he inspireth with lyes can not do harme with his lyes except they be vsed as the persons be qualified amongst whom the lyes must be sowen he teacheth his disciples to vse them as opportunitie and occasion shall serue Manifest and vncouered lyes he causeth to be vsed amongest suche as doe not knowe nor loue the trueth For those lyes shall stablishe and confirme the wicked in their errour and wickednesse As for example Absolon and Achitophel tolde the people as many lyes in maner as they did words against king Dauid and when they were by Absolons faire wordes alienated from king Dauid and bent vnto his sonne bicause he
his helpe any longer they would yealde them selues into the handes of their enimies but God stayed their fall and that by the handes of a woman And if there had not bene more mercy in GOD then faith in them their féete had not onely slipt but also all the whole lande countrie and citie The like ye may sée also in the notable historie of Hester whereas the very rocke and chiefe stay of the Iewes health Mardocheus made suite to the Quéene for Asuerus pardon for the life of the Iewes when sentence and iudgement was past against them of death So that if faith in the promises of God had not stayed him he had slipt and falne downe to sée al things against him and his countrimen But before men vtterly fall the Lorde is with them and preserueth them with his mercy as Dauid saide When my feete were moued thy mercy oh Lord stayed me The thirde thing to be noted of these wordes is the manner of the Prophetes speaking which must be marked and vnderstoode or else the reader or hearer of the Psalmes shall take no profite My feete were almost gone and my treadings had well nigh slipt By the féete he vnderstandeth the minde and by the treadings well nigh slipt he vnderstandeth the iudgement and wisedome of the minde As foule and slipperie wayes be daungerous for the féete so be the workes of God to the minde that is not illuminated with the light of Gods word And as the slipping and running away of the feete causeth all the body to fall euen so the ignorance of the mind causeth both body and soule to fall and gréeuously to misseiudge the workes of God And as the fal of the body sowceth and defileth it self with mire and dirt euen so doth the fall of the minde defile both body and soule with impatience and enuious indignation at Gods workes So that the Prophete saith by these wordes My feete were almost gone and my treadings had well nigh slipt My minde was so troubled to sée God suffer the euill in such prosperitie and the good in suche aduersitie that my iudgement almost slipt from the right sentence of thée O Lorde and very scarsly I auoyded most haynons sinne towardes thée in controlling of thy most wise and iust doings If we marked the pithe and wisedome of the scripture we should sée many thinges more in our selues then we doe doubtlesse growe to an excellencie in wisedome and finde out what euils we be most inclined vnto Amongst all other hatred and indignation of other mens prosperitie is not the least nor the most seldomest And in déed the father of sinne the diuell hath that in him First he disdained God and his felicitie but he wan nothing thereby but euerlasting paines Then he enuyed man his felicitie yet the wicked spirit gayned nothing to him self but double damnation and losse of vs all And this séede of the diuell descended into our nature as we may sée and made Caine to kill Abel his brother made Ismael to persequute Isaac Esau Iacob Dathan and Abiron Moses and Aaron Aaron and Marie his sister Moses Iacobs children Ioseph Saule Dauid Herode and the Phariseis Christe and Iohn the Baptist the tenne Apostles Iohn and Iames Peter Saint Iohn the Euangelist and the members of the diuell and Antichriste in this our time the members of Christe So that they be not onely almost falne but also the Lorde help them and vs all altogether sliden to enuie and indignation and likewise to violent oppression of Gods holy word But let vs not slip ne fall into indignation that they prosper and we are afflicted but say in the middest of these oppressions of the good and prosperitie of the euill Truely God is louing vnto Israel and let vs praye also for their amendment ¶ The third part 3 And why I was grieued at the wicked c. HErein is conteined what the felicitie of the wicked is and wherein it consisteth that the godly be offended with all when they flourishe and be in honour and the poore members of Christe persequuted and without all honour and be rather worms then men yea the dogs and brute beastes of the enimies be in more estimation then the poore beléeuers in Christe Out of this part is to be noted First a great fault and ouersight in the people of God for lacke of iudgment and true knowledge wherein trueth and verie felicitie in déede consisteth the lacke of the which knowledge maketh men both impatient and lewde iudges of Gods holy workes The Prophete therefore herein amendeth his owne and our ignorance and willeth vs to knowe perfectly wherein felicitie and happinesse doth rest The Christian must vnderstand and assure him selfe that the felicitie and euerlasting beatitude of man is wrought by quietnesse of conscience and innocencie of life of which two partes and vertues in this tract I will speake more hereafter as well what they be what be the causes of them as what is the effect of them I wil assure you if we knowe not these thinges well our religion will be but a while permanent and true vnto God To enter therefore into the knowledge of the matter wherein the beatitude felicitie of man consisteth it is requisite to cast some cloudes and darknesse vpon these worldly things that wicked men possesse and godly men thinke them thereby to be happie Looke as the Sunne at the rising and passing ouer the earth doth hide and couer the globe sphere of the Moone and darkneth also the light and clearenesse of the starres euen so doth the tranquillitie of conscience and the brightnesse of faith and charitie that dwelleth in the heart of the faithfull darken and hide all things that séeme beautifull and voluptuous to the world and carnall lustes of man And he that hath a testimonie at home in his owne conscience that he is in the fauour of God will not greatly passe of other mens iudgements whether they saue or damne laud or disprayse nor yet greatly passe although he lacke such notes of riches and glory as worldly men iudge and knowe felicitie by For he that knoweth surely wherein felicitie doth consist will not take the worldly opinion of men for his recorde nor for his rewarde neither will he greatly feare for any damnation or punishment that the world can annexe and ioyne vnto his life for this mortall time It is therefore Christianitie to knowe that felicitie and beatitude resteth in the riches of the mind by Gods grace wrought by the holy Ghost for the merites of Christ. There was amongst the Philosophers great diuersitie of opinions in this matter wherin felicitie beatitude shoulde consist Some saide it rested in this a man still and continually to be voyde from anguishe and sorrowe Other saide it consisted in the knowledge of thinges Some saide in pleasure and voluptuousnesse Aristotle and Theophrastus and such other as were
Also Lord if thou wilt thou canst deliuer me As the Prophete vseth here in this Psalme He called and cryed vpon the Lord all the night and attended patiently when God would helpe leaning altogether to his blessed will and pleasure to doe or not to doe as him best pleased ¶ The third part What great and perillous daungers the man that is troubled shall suffer for the time of his trouble 2 My soule refused comfort 3 When I am in heauinesse I will thinke vpon God when my heart is vexed I will complaine Sela. 4 Thou holdest mine eyes waking I am so feeble I can not speake 5 I haue considered the dayes of olde and the yeres that be past 6 In the night I called to remembraunce my song and communed with mine owne heart and my spirite searched diligently 7 Will the Lord absent him selfe for euer and will he be no more intreated 8 Is his mercy cleane gone for euer And is his promise come vtterly to an end for euermore 9 Hath God forgotten to be gratious and will he shut vp his louing kindnesse in displeasure HEre in these verses it appareth what terrible and fearefull thinges a man that is in trouble shall suffer and be vexed withall And the first that the Prophete mentioneth is in the end of the second verse and it is this My soule refuseth comfort Of this aduersitie and anguishe of the soule we may learne many thinges First that as long as sinne appeareth not nor is felt the minde of man is quiet iocund and pleasant and the mirth and pleasure of the minde reioyceth the body and maketh it lustie and pleasant not féeling at all the breache of Gods commanundements neither passing any thing at all of sinne nor euill conuersation but rather delighting in things that displease God then in any vertue or honestie But when trouble sicknesse or death commeth then most commonly though men sée not the horrour of their sinnes to repent yet féele they the horrour thereof to desperation and that once felt in the soule all the ioyes of the worlde can not comfort the troubled person As Adam with all the solace of Paradise could not reioyce when his soule felt the abhomination of his offence towardes God Caine could neuer plucke vp merrie countenaunce for the cruell killing of his brother Abel Peter coulde not stint wéeping for his denyall of Christ vntill Christ looked vpon him Marie Magdalene could not put vp her head from vnder the table for shame of her sinne vntill Christe had forgiuen her nor the poore woman that was taken in adulterie vntil her offences were pardoned Neither yet could this Prophetes spirite take any consolation as long as his sinnes were felt and not pardoned Whereof followeth this saying A small trouble of conscience putteth away all ioy and mirthe of the world Wherefore it is wisedome and also the duetie of all Christian people to auoyde sinne and the enimitie of God which onely troubleth the conscience and to put the body to all paines possible yea and to death it selfe rather then to put the soule in daunger towardes God as Saint Paule writeth to Timothie his disciple and not without cause For as the spirite that contemneth God and féeleth for his contempt Gods displeasure can not take comfort but is full of anguish heauinesse inward and in the outward man full of paine and sorrowe so likewise shal the soule in the life to come inwardly féele vnspeakable grudgings and sorrowes and outwardly the vnquenchable and euerlasting fire of hell And here is to be noted that the very elect and dearest friendes of Christe be not frée from trouble and anguish of minde for their sinnes perpetrated committed against God But this is a consolation that the elect as they finde anxietie and anguish of minde for sinne in this life so in this life is the consciēce that is troubled by grace quieted that it may after this life finde eternall rest And it is a common order and ordinarie way whereby GOD vseth to bring the sinner to acknowledge and repent his sin and so from knowledge and repentaunce to the forgiuenesse of his sinne to shewe and set before the conscience of the sinner his sinne as the example of king Dauid and others do declare My sinne saith Dauid is alwayes before me As though he had said In case I coulde hide mine iniquitie from all the world yet can I not excuse it before God nor hide it from mine owne conscience And euery mans sinnes thus open before God and knowne and felt in his own conscience bringeth the soule into this discomfort and heauinesse that it refuseth all consolation and comfort as this Prophet Asaph sayth meruellously in this second verse of his Psalme There is to be noted out of this comfortlesse spirite of the Prophete Asaph an other most necessarie doctrine for euery Christian creture which is this that there is two manner of discomfortes or two sortes of heauinesse in the word of God that is appointed to leade vs in the time of this wretched life as there is in it also two manner of consolations There is two manner of brightnesse and clearnesse and two manner of darknesse and obscurenesse in it as it shall appeare in the treatise of this Psalme hereafter And bycause the diuersitie is not marked the worde of God doeth many times and in many places and persons no good at all There is a discomfort inwardly and a discomfort outwardly in the scripture The discomfort inwardly is when the sinneful man or woman séeketh and suffereth the same discomfort in his soule that the lawe of GOD doth open and proclame against him for his sinnes committed against God and his lawe so that as the lawe commaundeth after this sort Agite poenitentiam Repent ye so the man that is commaunded by the lawe to be sorie and heauie for his sinnes is sorrie and heauie in déede by the working of Gods spirite as we may sée in Adam what inward feare and discomfort he had when he heard the voyce of God after the doing of his sinne Caine the like Dauid the same with Peter Paule and others in the word of God This discomfort inwardly is felt of al Gods elect that be able to learne and knowe the nature of Gods lawe and the damnation and curse of God vpon sinne For this is a generall commaundement to all fleshe borne and conceiued in sinne Agite poenitentiam Repent ye It is also many times felt of suche as dye and liued wickedly As Saule and Iudas whose spirites in their discomforts refused al consolation and so dyed without comfort in great anguishe and perturbation of minde But that is not generall in all wicked and damned persons for many times they féele no discomfort nor heauinesse of spirite inwardly in this world but God of his
spirite with heauinesse and anguish without comforte and consolation so in this verse is there consolation in the letter in the voice in the mouth mentioned of inwardly the same consolation felt in the spirite And as outwardly Gods displeasure troubled him so inwardly Gods holy name promises comforted him And this is to be noted least we should heare of consolation outwardly or reade it in the booke of the holy Bible and yet inwardly neyther féele nor knowe any consolation at all In the end of this verse is put this worde Sela. And it doth note vnto the Reader or Hearer what a miserable and comfortlesse thing man is in trouble if God be not present with him to help him It is also put as a spurre pricke for euery Christian man and woman to remember and call vpon God in the days of their troubles For as the Iewes say where so euer this word Sela is if doth admonish and stirr vp the Reader or Hearer to marke what was saide before it for it is a worde alwayes put after very notable sentences Then followeth the rest of suche paines troubles as this Prophet suffered whilest the Lord laide his crosse vpon him after this sort 4 Thou holdest mine eyes waking I am so feeble I can not speake Before he saide his spirit could take no consolation which was a gréefe vnspeakable For no thought is able to comprehend the anguish of the mind much lesse is the toung able to expresse it But now he sheweth a further increase of discomfort and saith that The terrour of his mind was such that he was not only comfortlesse but the Lord also to the increase of sorrowe kept sléepe from him And as the greatnesse of Gods punishment suffered him not to sléepe so would it not permit him to speake but made him speachlesse such was the great punishment of God towardes him Here is the tyrannie and violence of sinne to be perceiued and séene which is first in this verse to be noted It taketh all mirthe from the spirite and bringeth in heauinesse and discomfort It taketh away sléep and placeth for it tediousnesse and sorowfull watch It taketh away also the speache of the tong and leaueth the man mute and speachlesse If sinne can do so painful things in the body and soule whilest they be yet conioyned together and there is hope of remission what can it doe when the one is in the earth and the other in hell separated or else both of them conioyned againe in the resurrection of the wicked where there is no hope of redemptiō but assuraunce of euerlasting paine Besides this it is to be noted in this verse conteyning the increase of the Prophetes heauinesse what a precious iewel man or woman hath that hath a quiet heart and peaceable conscience For where so euer they be there be all the members of man woman wholy bent vnto the seruice and honouring of God The eyes shall neuer be turned from their seruice neyther shall the toung ceasse if it be able to speake to sound foorth alwayes the glory of God As Dauid saith Mine eyes be alwayes towardes the Lord. Againe I lifted vp mine eyes vnto the Lord. As the eye of the handmaide attendeth vpon her Maistres so our eyes attend vpon the Lord. Againe Mine eyes Lord be not proud And in another Psalme he saith There should come neither sléepe ne slumber in his eyes vntil he had prouided a place for y e arke of God to rest in In case the spirite be troubled or in a contempt of Gods lawes not liking his holy deuises the eyes be eyther troubled with ouermuch watch as in this Psalme we sée or else bent to sée vanitie the lustes and concupiscence of the flesh and the world Wherefore Dauid prayed the Lord to turne his eyes that they looked not vpon vanitie For the eye of him that hath not a right spirit is insatiable And many times the eye wheras the spirit is without the fauour of God abhorreth Gods owne good giftes As the eyes of the Israelites lothed Manna in the desert saying Our eyes see nothing but Manna euen so the toung also of the godly spirited man will sound the glory of God as king Dauid vsed his toung and will not hinder it by naughtie speach If the spirite be voyde of Gods feare then doth it speake of malice falsly to slander the good as king Dauid doth declare or else for trēbling or quaking it can speake nothing at all as ye may perceiue by y e Prophet Asaph in this place He that will therfore consider accordingly the greatnesse of this feare in the spirite and howe it taketh away the office of euery member externall doubtlesse must labour to haue the spirite that Dauid prayeth in this sorte Cor mundum crea in me deus spiritum rectum innoua in visceribus meis Create in me a cleane hart O Lord and renue in me a right spirite In the which verse the Prophete prayeth first to haue such an heart as by faith in Christe may be cleane and purged from sinne and next to haue a certeine and sure spirite that doubteth nothing of Gods promises towardes him For such a spirite within the body of man or woman maketh the heart so ioyfull that no sorrow can molest it and it strengtheneth so euery member that they will be giuen to nothing so much as to the seruice of God But if the spirit be wicked doutlesse the outwarde members will serue nothing but iniquitie if it be troubled the outwarde members can not be quiet For as the soule giueth life to the body so doth the vertue of God in the soule drawe the outward partes of the body vnto the obedience of vertue And contrariwise the vice of the soule draweth the members of the body vnto the seruice of sinne and iniquitie And as the eares and eyes of man were made by God to be instruments to heare and sée Gods will and pleasure by them sith man fell in Paradise knowledge might come into the soule and spirit of man by hearing Gods word preached séeing his sacraments ministred so by them abused in hearing and seeing of sinne and abhomination there entreth into the soule much vile filthinesse and transgression The Prophete Asaph therefore doth admonish vs to beware that we bring not our spirites into discomfort by sinne and transgression of Gods lawes for if we do whether y e offence be done in the spirite by the euill that naturally is in it by originall sinne by the temptation of the diuell or by the meanes of any member of the body doubtlesse the trouble of the spirit shal not only take away the office of the members as ye sée in this place the speache of the toung and the closing of the eyes be taken away but at the length also God shall make the same body and the
Psal. 129. 2. Thes. 3. Gala. 1. Ezech. 34. Actes 20. Antoninus histor tit 13. 3. 23. 13. Distinct. 99. nullus Antoninus tit 12. cap. 3. De gestis Longobard lib. 3. cap. 12. In Leon. 2. Platina in Bonifac. 3. Paulus Diaconus de gestis Long. lib. 4. cap. 11. De simplicitate clericorum To be called Pope was at the first generall to all bishops Histor. lib. 2. cap. 27. Gal. 2. Con. Nicen cap. 6. Hee meaneth here authoritie to electe bishops to haue power of bothe swords Alberus Crantzius ecclesiast histor li. 6. Abbas Vspergensis in suo chronico Platina in Alex. 3. Psalm 16. 2 Cor. 13. Rom. 8. When doth the soule of man waite vpon the Lorde in the dayes of trouble or els hath silence Iob. 1. Iob. 3. Psalm 31. Iob. 13. 17. Psalm 23. What it is to haue the soule to waite vpon the Lorde in the time of trouble Psalm 31. 42. 43. 77. Increase and decrease of faith in the faythfull Wisdome to be learned of the premisses faith hope charitie c. be not at al times of like strength Consolation The Lord forsaketh not his people in trouble Psalme 44. 2. Corin. 1. Mat. 10. 26 Iohn 11. 18 Luke 19 Note The impatience of the minde is many ways knowen Caine. Gene 4. Pharao Exod. 5. Gene. 4. Abel Iudas Matth. 27. Adam Gene. 3. Achab. 3. Reg. 18. Iewes Act. 21. 23. Simon Magus Theefe Whoremongers Couetous men Gene. 1. Prou. 18. The godly feeling the rod of God doe accuse thēselues acknowledging their offences to haue merited the same Mich. 7. Psal. 137. Note Why sate the people by the riuer side of Babilon A iust cause of lamentation Peter Matth. 27. Marie Magdalen Luke 7. Io. Chrysost in Epist ad Rom. c 1. 2. Psal. 73. What is the gretest losse that a Christian cōsidereth The prodigall son Luke 15. Canti 5. Note Note diligently What dangers a christian shall fall in and his duetie in seeking Christ prescribed A notable example The soule that hath a feruent loue to Christ the troubles she susteineth in seking him greeueth her not but the not finding of her spouse is the onely cause of her sorrowe The woman of Canaan Matth. 15. Patient expectation of redresse taketh all scourges and troubles in good part Three doctrines to be noted God is omnipotent Gene. 17. Gene. 43. Exod. 6. Pharao Exod. 15. As God is able so is he willing to saue Psalm 26. Psalme 34. Psalme 36 Psalm 56. Esaie 49. and 59. Iere. 15. 23. Ezech. 34. Daniel 12. Ose. 1. Sophon 3. Zachar. 8. 9. 10. Matth. 18. Luke 9. Iohn 3. 1. Tim 2. As God can will helpe so doth hee command vs to call vnto him for helpe Esaie 55. Matth. 11. Psalm 50. Matt. 7. 18. Marke 11. Luke 11. Ioan. 14. 15 16. 1. Ioh. 5. God alone is able to saue and none but he Esaie 45. No helpe to be soght at dead saincts c. but onely of God God is inclined of himselfe to haue mercie The afflicted by the commandement of God taketh and acitie to approch to his mercie Esaie 1. Sapient 15. Psalm 62. Cantic 1. Consolation Read the booke of Solomons Ballads Prodigall sonne Luke 15. Let vs not bee ashamed to go to our heauenly father and confesse our sinnes be they neuer so horrible for when soeuer we return from our wickednes he remēbreth no more our transgressions but embraceth vs as his deare children The heauenly father is to be resorted vnto in the dayes of necessitie hunger for he only hath the breade of mercy to seede his children What caused the prodigal sonn to resort vnto his father in the time of miserie The woman of Canaan They that come vnto christ must debase thē selues with humilitie Marie Magdelen God is both omnipotent and mercifull Rocke Matth. 7. He that buildeth vpon the rocke is wise What is the rocke If the rock were not sure the builder building woulde come to ruine To builde the house of God is to teache saluation in Christe Act. 5. Act. 7. Act. 9. If Christe had not bene the rocke of strength it selfe he had bene cast down Christ was slandered before he was borne Matth. 1. 2 Christ per sequuted as soone as he was borne Christes own kinse folke were raised against him Luke 4. Christe slaine Luke 23. Christe commended his disciples to the protection of his Father Iohn 17. Math. 16. Apoc. 12. Hee that hath God for his rock is assured of a sauiour Application of gods strength by faith to his owne defence Faith is the gift of God Hee that feeleth in himselfe God to be his saluation hath the greatest treasure of all The abuse of Gods word prouoketh this vengeance Gods word in an vnknowne tongue amongest the people to be lamented Defence Two doctrines Note Nothing can hurt him that is in Christ Iesu. The faith full beleeueth that as God is able to saue generally so is he to saue particularly Defence of God towards his people in this life Iohn 17. They that wil liue in Christe must suffer persequution Iohn 16. Matth. 10. Cant. 2. Matt. 13. 7 The faithfull congregation is likened to a shipp a house a woman trauelling with child c. Apoc. 12. Iohn 17. Who doe suffer in this world greatest troubles Prouerb 3. Hebr. 12. Apocal. 3. 1. Peter 4. Rom. 8. Consolation Cantic 2. They whō God calleth of mercie out of this life be voyd of all troubles Apoc. 21. The description of the heauenly ioyes The defence of God towards his in the life to come Esaie 66. The fauour of God towardes his in this world is annexed with troubles Trouble shall not ouercome Gods children Desperation God leaueth only to his enimies Note the difference betweene Gods children and such as be not his The wicked persequuters be as a tottering wall soudeinly ouerthrowen in their most prosperitie Zenecharib Beuedab 3. Reg. 20. 4. Reg. 8. 18. 19. Exod. 14. Hester 7. Iudith 13. Holofernes The presence of Gods fauour towards his is the destruction of the wicked God doth so strike the heartes of the wicked with feare that one man in a good cause is able to withstand tenne Note Deut. 28. Daniel 5. A hand writing in the wall feared the Emperour of the Caldees in his most iollitie Iohn 18. Christ asking his murderers whome thei soght they fell vppon the ground Luke 23. Note diligently Iacob Genesis 43 Ioseph The children of Israel Exod. 23. They that persequute Christes flocke at this present haue no assurance but flesh and bloud Stephen Gardener Edmund Boner A booke De vera obedientia Read Tunstals sermon against the bishop of Rome the treason of Cardinal Pole Why shal the persequuters of the godly perish By what meanes do the wicked put downe the people of God Caine. Abel Genesis 4. 1. Reg. 8. 1. Reg. 18. 3. Reg. 15. Gene. 6. 7. Ierem. 20. Matth. 3. 17. 28. Iohn 5. 1. Cor. 1. What shal become of the controllers of