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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A13068	A third proceeding in the harmonie of King Dauids harp that is to say, a godly and learned exposition vpon 17. Psalmes moe of the princely prophet Dauid, beginning with the 45. and ending with the 61. Psalme: done in Latine by the learned Reuerend Doctor Victorinus Strigelius, Professor of Diuinitie in the Vniuersitie of Lypsia in Germanie, anno Christi, 1562. Translated into English, by Richard Robinson citizen of London. An. Christi, 1595. Seene, perused, and allowed.; Hypomnēmata in omnes Psalmos Davidis. Psalm 45-61. English	Strigel, Victorinus, 1524-1569.; Robinson, Richard, citizen of London.	1595 (1595)	STC 23361; ESTC S117926	98,441	165

towards God the turning of our wil heart from God and burning flames of motions diuersly wandering in the heart But this is a description of originall sinne no doubt of it taken out of Moses who in the eight chapter of Genesis saith The imagination of mans heart is euil euen from his youth ver 2 1. That is men are not only corrupted by euil custome but in the very heart it selfe le●●d inclinations are in children now borne Let therefore this verse be esteemed amongst the special testimonies of original sinne that is of the horrible corruption of humane nature which is full of blindnesse concupiscence and ignorance of her selfe and of sinne Verse 6 But lo thou requirest truth in the inward parts and shalt make me to vnderstand wisedome secretly Hee manifestly witnesseth that God requireth of vs a confession of sinne and that it pleaseth him as it were a worship glorifing him and that he hateth hypocrisie which seeth not nor extenuateth the vncleanes of nature Heither will be reproued with the word of God but blasphemeth and persecuteth the true doctrine For as Saint Augustine sayth notably in these words cited by Prosperus Melior est in malis factis humilis confessio quam in bonis superba gloriatio Better is an humble confession in euil deeds then a pro●●d braging in good workes Also he teacheth that this is secret wisedome namely truely to accknowledge sinne and to take hald of mercy ●nd to beleeue that God will not cast vs away although we be vnworthy and haue deserued his wrath but that he will haue mercy according to his promises This secret wisedome is vnknowen vnto the world and abhorreth from the iudgement of reason neither is that reueiled in the doctrine of the lawe but in the gos●el onely and is vnderstood of them who in extreme feares doe comfort themselues with the consolation of the gospel Verse 7 Thou shalt purge me with Isop and I shall be cleane Thou shalt wash me and I shall be whiter then snowe Verse 8 Thou shalt make me heare of ioy and gladnesse that the bones which thou hast broken may reioyce Verse 9 Turne thy face from my sinnes and put out all my misdeedes He repeateth the first petition touching remission of sinnes and reconciliation and adorneth the same with signes borowed from the ceremony of the lawe For this was the ceremony wherewith they were clensed They were sprinckled with hisop dipped in blood whereby was signified the sprinckling of the blood of Christ who was to come the sacrifice for sinne Thou therefore saith he shalt purge me with hisop and make me cleane that is thou shalt pronounce me loosed from sinne and cleane according to thy promises for the blood of thy sonne But he signifieth by that Leuiticall ceremony of sprinckling that sinne is not taken away but that ceremony of sprinkling and washing were descriptions and signes of the future sacrifices of Christ through whose blood sinne should be abolished and clensed Wherfore he opposeth this verse against the ●euitical ministerie as if he said I craue that th●u wouldest purge me that is that thou woulde●● clense mee with such sprinckling wherewith sinne may truely be taken away and I may be made cleane indeede that is wherewith my conscience may be deliuered from guiltinesse But the Prophet himselfe interpreteth those ceremonies without figure what it is to be purged and washed where he sayeth in the 8. verse Thou shalt make me heare of ioy and gladnes by which words he signifieth that he speaketh touching the consolation which is perceiued or felt by the promise as if he said bring to passe that in mee there may be consolation whereby I may be deliuered from the terrors of sinne And he excellently addeth a description of true repentance or terrors which the accknowledgement of sinne worketh That the bones which thou hast broken may reioyce which trembled for and by reason of the terrors of sinne To the same sence pertaineth the litle verse folowing Turne thy face from my sinne verse 9. For hee craueth that Gods wrath may be taken away that the lawe may not haue any right cause to accuse and condemne his conscience yea though as yet hee had sinne in him So againe these verses doe teach as touching the manner of iustification or reconciliation namely that we are deliuered from terrors and doe obteine forgiuenesse of sinnes so as sinne shall not be imputed vnto vs which as yet sticketh in nature yea euen then when we are reconsiled Verse 10 Make me a cleane heart O God and renew a right spirit within mee Verse 11 Cast me not away from thy presence and take not thy holy spirit from me Verse 12 O giue mee the comfort of thy helpe againe and stablish me with thy free spirit Hitherto hath hee craued grace that is remission of sinnes and reconciliation or free acceptation for the Son of God his sake Now craueth he the gift by grace as saint Paul speaketh that is sanctification as the gift of the holy ghost and a beginning of the life euerlasting and he vseth diuers meanes or proper words first he craueth of God a cleane heart and a right spirit to be giuen him a cleane heart signifieth a heart by faith purified from sinnes or from guiltinesse and now rightly beleeuing of God truely acknowledging God without hypocrisie and false opinions not fleeing from God nor carelesly contenming God but truly fearing God and beleeuing in God Like vnto this is the other also where hee craueth a right spirit that is not wauering in the word not caried about with euery winde of doctrine nor doubting in the will of God But a heart striuing against doubting and surely and firmely setling it selfe in the promise and which surely beleeueth that it hath God merciful and that it is heard of God and in this confidence calleth vppon God and looketh for help from God secondly hee craueth the holy spirit that is sanctifying and illumining in our hearts such motions as he himselfe is for as the holy ghost is a substantiall loue and coeternall ioy betwixt the Father and the Sonne so is he sent into the heartes of beleeuers that hee may inflame in them loue and ioy setled in God like as in 2. Timoth. 1. it is written For God hath not giuen to vs the spirite of feare but of power and of loue and of a sound minde Hee calleth profoundly the holy ghost the spirit of power because it helpeth our infirmity the spirit of loue because he is a flame of mutuall loue not onely betweene the father and the Sonne but also betweene God and the church the spirite of holinesse or chasticement because it brideleth wandering assaults of mindes or as saint Paul saith It mortifieth the deedes of the flesh and ingrafteth in vs better motions acceptable vnto God and wholesome for vs and the whole Church thirdly the psalme nameth principall spirit that is the willing and obedient

to showe For well it will be with the good when wicked are in woe Tho. Buckminster PSAL. XLV Eructauit cor meum ¶ To him that excelleth on Shoshannim a Song of loue to giue instruction committed to the sonnes of Korah The Title TO him that ouercommeth a learned song touching Roses ful of loue sung by the sonnes of Chora IN this title we must first speake of the Author next of the kind of song and lastly of the Subiect as they call it The Authors of this most sweete song were the sonnes of Chora whose father with the opening of the earth beeing swallowed vp died so wretchedly as the 16. Chapter of the booke of Numbers mentioneth But as in punishing the father Gods wrath appeared against those heinous offences so in the giftes of his children is manifested an example of Gods mercy which must be referred vnto Ezechiels sermon in his 18. Chapter The sonne shall not beare the iniquity of the father ●er 20. For that the posterity of Chora was indued and adorned with excellent giftes of the holy ghost and especially with the gifts of prophesie the Psalmes do wel witnes which are intituled to the sonnes of Chora Very wel then touching this progeny prophetical may that be said which Prometheus as AEschilus reciteth speaketh of his deliuerer 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Inuisi patris hoc mihi dulce est pignus In english A sweet pledge is this truly of my father hated before me And the kind of song is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a song of mirth iolity loue or it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a mariage song wherin the holy Ghost is a maker vp of the marriage betweene Christ and his Church For in this kind of matter here is handled an vsuall commendation of the Bridgrome spouse or husband which is borrowed from the excellency of his wisedome and vertue yea from the sweetnes of his humanity from his eloquence his riches dignity or comelinesse of personage or other thinges which are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the leading causes of loue For euery loue is stirred vp by manifestation of some good thing giuen But why is mention made of Roses Roses doe minister matter of ioy and gladnes in garlandes made at marriages therefore they betoken the celebrating of marriages with ioy and that sweet surpassing sauour of the heauenly doctrine which doth chiefly make vp or accomplish this marriage for with the word as with a sweete smelling Rose the mutuall loue betweene Christ his church is confirmed And certes let these seeme to be sufficiently enough spoken touching the Title novve let vs come to the Argument of the Psalme THE ARGVMENT THose things which are said in this Song as touching the Bridegrome and the Bride the Spouse and his Spousesse the Husband and the Wife doe properly appertaine vnto the Messias and vnto the true Church This ground of purpose in the Psalme S. Paules epistle to the Hebrews cap I. doth not only confirme but the confession of the Rabines also For the better learned and sounder sort of the Rabines being vtterly vanquished with the circumstance of the phrase and comparison of the partes thereof doe confesse indeed that this Psalme was written as touching the Messias Now then this ground of purpose in the Psalme being thus confirmed that it speaketh expresly of the Messias and of the true Church let vs compare if it please you the Mariage togither with the league that is betweene Christ and his Church for there are fiue speciall properties or tokens of sincere Matrimony namely the first mutuall loue the second faith the third society or partaking in weale and in woe the fourth procreation of issue and the fift defence from the husband to the wife And first of all indeede the loue of man and wife ought to be feruent without dissimulation and compulsion sincere without suspitions and finally sweetely delightfull without bitternes and disdaine That such kind of loue was in the sonne of God towards his spouses the church his taking of humane nature vpon him doth well witnes for seeing by that secret and marueilous league he ioyned vnto himselfe this nature let vs most firmely beleeue that in Christ there is not a fained but a true and feruent loue towards vs and here hath that sentence of the poet Theocritus his effect Quae minime sunt pulchra ea pulchra videntur amanti Those things indeed which base doe seeme The louer beautifull doth deeme For although the Church by reason of persecution is the more deformed and also in that she carrieth about her the remnants of sinne yet is shee vnfainedly loued of Christ as this Psalme saith ver 12. So shal the king haue pleasure in thy beuty Secondly commeth faith in place Christ loueth the Church onely embracing the gofpell he loueth none other sects either Mahometicall or Hereticall so againe the Church acknowledgeth onely Christ for her Mediator and embraceth his doctrine only and will not be an harlot she polluteth not her selfe with the opinions and worshippings which other sectes doe vse Thirdly there is ordained a Society or partaking of them both in weale and wo Christ bestoweth his benefits righteousnes and life vpon his church returneth vnto himselfe the calamities of the church and was made a sacrifice for our sinnes so againe the Church bestoweth her benefits vpon her husbande namely her confession wherewith shee worshippeth honoureth her husband and becommeth a partaker of the crosse of her husband and like as touching matrimoniall fidelity this Psalme saith in the 11. ver Harken O daughter and consider encline thineeares forget also thine owne people and thy fathers house euen so touching society or partaking of prosperity and aduersity these verses doe make mention ver 14. The kings daughter is all glorious within c. also in the 9 ver All thy garments smell of Myrh Aloes and Cassia out of the Iuery pallaces whereby they haue made thee glad For although these smels or sauours are pertinent vnto the royal estate of any king or Queene yet rightly doe they signifie the afflictions which Christ and his Church do suffer Fourthly there is a generation or ofspring in the Church so as Christ giueth his word and holy spirit wherby daily new members are borne in the Church but this comes to passe by the ministery of the gospell in the church as it were a mother nourishing and bringing vp her child vnto this property of loue let that litle verse be referred ver 17. Insteed of thy fathers thou shalt haue children whom thou maiest make princes in al lāds Fiftly like as it is the spouse or husbands part to defend or maintaine his Spouses and wife so Christ euermore defendeth his church subduing deuils Tyrantes and heretickes and although hee will haue her a partaker with him of his crosse and affliction yet he mitigateth those afflictions preserueth the body of his

the perpetuall preseruation of the doctrine deliuered from God and the safety of his silly flock which reteineth this doctrine and endeuoureth to aduance the same For although the foure kingdomes are dispersed and horrible confusions and verations of all things in mankinde haue beene seene as the whole historie of the world witnesseth yet amiddes so great downefalles and desolations of kingdomes some congregation of God hath remained otherwhiles greater otherwhiles lesser and the doctrine is eftsoones purified and published by apt teachers which the sonne of God sitting at his right hand hath stirred vp and giuen as it were notable gifts vnto his Church Doubtles god suffreth for a season tyrants fanaticall teachers and their Champions to rage with cruelty against the Church and yet in meane time the Confession of many and other signes are euident witnesses of the gospell And afterwardes the furyes of vngodly persons in notable examples are punished like as Pharao the Cananites Iewes and Ethnickes were destroyed whose cruelty was very great Verse 10 Be still then and knowe that I am God I will be exalted among the heathen and I will be exalted in the earth This is a precept wonderfull and vnknowen vnto philosophy but it agreeth with that saying of Isay cap. 30 verse 15 In rest and quietnes shall yee be saued in quietnes and in confidence shall be your strength c. what is that rest and quietnes then what is that to be still Primum tollerare impositas aerumnas Deinde non accersere negotia sine vocatione Tertio non vt solet humana diffidentia Discur●ere ad varia praesidia c. First to beare patiently calamities laied vpon vs. Next of all not to deale in any busines beyond our vocation Thirdly not as mans distrust was wonte to runne hither and thether to seeke diuers safegardes Like as the kings of Iuda one while leaned vppon the Egiptians an other while vppon the Syrian kings and an other while vpon others and being intangled with foolish confederacies were compelled to follow other furies Against this impatience vnnecessarie busines and distrust of such as seeke helpes without a right order are these wordes opposed Be still then and knowe c. that is be silent looke for helpe from God runne not hither and thither into Egypt into Syria to the Turkes nor to the Afrikes In a good cause be ye of quiet mindes and looke for defence from God and if any thing happen otherwise it is yet better to endure calamities than with indirect enterprises to blemish a good cause Verse 11 The Lord of Hostes is with vs The god of Iacob is our refuge The last verse is a conclusion containing a testimony of Gods presence in his church and of deliuerances in calamities which are not to be ouercome or vanquished by mans enterprise PSAL. XLVII Omnes gentes plaudite manibus To him that excelleth a Psalme exhortatory committed to the sonnes of Korah THE ARGVMENT THis is a notable prophecy touching the calling of the Gentiles which saint Paul in his Epistle the second and third chapters to the Epesians doth greatly manifest where he teacheth verse eleuen The Gentiles were in times past without God without Christ without his holy Spirite without promise of the Gospell and without hope of eternall life Then the which misery none could bee conceiued greater For what is man ignorant of God and of Christ but the enimy of God the dwelling place of the Deuill and a Cast-away from God not yet in trueth seeing the wrath of God but within a while after shall feele it and when he would escape beyonde all course of nature yea and would be vtterly brought to nothing and yet cannot but shall be tormented with sorrow euerlasting This horrible figure must we thinke vppon that we may learne to extoll the gathering of the Church from amongst the Gentiles For at this day the Gentiles which are called vnto the society of Gods people are Citizens with the Saintes and of the householde of God 2. Ephes 19. And againe Coheires of one body and coparteners of the promise touching Christ Let others therefore be in loue with frayle and momentany benefits let them thirst after vaine honours let them seeke after corrupt pleasures and their instruments Let vs meruel at and magnifie this benefit that we are cooptate into the City of God and Common wealth of the heauenly Citizens where together with the blessed Angelles we shall liue for euer and euer and shall be filled full of lights and righteousnesse in God Psal XLVII And exposition thereof Verse 1 O clappe your hands together al ye people O sing vnto god with the voyce of melody Verse 2 For the Lord is high and to be feared he is the great king vpon all the earth Verse 3 He shall subdew the people vnder vs and the nations vnder our feete Verse 4 He shall chuse out an heritage for vs euen the worship of Iacob whome he loued Verse 5 God is gone vp with a merry noyse and the Lord with the sound of the trumpe THe kingdome of god saith Paul is not meate and drinke but righteousnes and peace and ioy in the holy ghost Rom. 14. 17. This Psalme describing this kingdome of God and Christ is an exhorter vnto all people to clappe their hands together and to sing with the voyce of melody that is let them shew with gesture and speech their ioyfulnesse illumined by the holy ghost For seeing ioyfulnesse is a motion wherewith the heart contenteth himselfe in some good thing that good thing theweth what is the obiect or contrary vnto this ioyfulnesse Because Iehouah the high fearefull and great king aboue all the earth that is bicause the Messias God and man is the conqueror of sinne and death and bestoweth this victory vpon all that beleeue according to this saying 1 Cor. 5. 57. But thankes be vnto God which hath giuen vs the victory through our Lord Iesus Christ Againe Ioh. 16. Be yee of good comfort I haue ouercome the world verse 33. Moreouer I liue and you shall liue also Iohn 14. 19. Namely through my merite and effectuall power For I by my passion haue destroyed sinne and death and by my resurrection I am so effectuall that I will restore vnto you righteousnesse and life euerlasting This victory and effectuall ●power of Christ raigning doth Paul freely confesse that he had not as yet comprehended at all and saith further his strength striueth that he may by some meanes comprehend the same The same confession let euery one of vs haue in mouth and mind and craue that with a face vncouered we beholding the glory of God may bee transformed as it were into the same image from brightnes to brightnes as it were of the spirit of the Lord. 2. Cor. 3. 18. But although this be the summe of the verses which I haue recited yet notwithstanding let vs if it please you weigh and consider all the words the Messias

be destroyed by the furies of tyrants and heretikes Let vs therefore put great difference betweene the word of God and the word of creatures For he spake and it was done he commaunded and it stoode fast verse 9. Also this place as I saide admonisheth vs touching difference betweene philosophicall assenting and christian faith For in philosophie assent followeth experience as the ●●hysitian hauing approoued that ginger doth warme the stomacke afterwardes affirmeth the same But in diuine consolation we must assent or graunt vnto the externall word and then followeth consolation These things must we learne in the true exercises of repentance and inuocation Verse 8 We wait for thy louing kindnes O God in the middes of thy Temple Verse 9 O God according vnto thy name so is thy praise vnto the worldes end thy right hand is full of righteousnes Verse 10 Let the mount Sion reioyce and the daughters of Iuda be glad because of thy iudgements Forsomuch as thy promises are not fabulous vaine but true ratified and effectuall we looke for mercy according to thy promises that is benefites necessary for the body and soule for mercy is oftentime taken for well-doing and that indeede in the middest of thy Temple that is in the societie of the true church without the which there is neither any saluation nor life Unto this acknowledgement doth spirituall worship and ioy appertaine for rightly and learnedly saide Augustine touching the blessed ones Tantum gaudebunt quantum amabunt tantum amabunt quantum cognoscent They shall reioyce so much as they shalloue they shal loue so much as they shall know For euery affect or motion riseth from the knowledge shewing the obiect as it is saide Ignoti nulla cupido Men desire not that they knowe not To this intent or meaning the Psalme saith here O God according vnto thy name that is thy acknowledgement so is thy praise that is the worship following that acknowledgement For ioy vnspeakeable is the companion both of acknowledgement and worshipping of God which he describing saieth Let the mount Sion reioyce and the daughter of Iuda be glad that is the vniuersall church and all the godly ones because of thy iudgements or because thou art Judge For euen as God sharply punisheth his enemies the epicures and blasphemous persons so he exerciseth lenitie or mercy towardes the godly ones and always in his anger thinkes vpon mercy This great mercy of God mitigating punishementes which we haue deserued all mindes and tongues ought to haue in reuerence like as Ieremy saith Lament 3. 22. It is the mercies of the Lord that we are not destroyed Verse 11 Walke about Sion and goe round about her and tell the towers thereof Verse 12 Marke wel her bulwarkes set vp her houses that ye may tel them that come after Verse 13 For this God is our God for euer and euer he shalbe our guide vnto death Plato saieth Magis amandam esse Patriam quam Matrem quia paetria sit diuinum quiddam We must loue our country more than our mother because our countrey is a diuine benefit But our true countrey ought to be the church and this is diuine indeede for it is the temple of God and the congregation of Christes members Wherfore to loue adorne help and preserue this ought euery man to bestow the addition of their dueties Let the teachers teach aright and with good conuersation adorne the doctrine and let them bee studious of publike concord and let them suffer and beare with some inconueniences lest they troble the publike peace of the church let the Magistrates maintaine peace and discipline and shew themselues nursing fathers of the church and of the schooles Let schollers learne the doctrine necessarie touching God and other good effectes needefull for mankind lest the knowledge of God be extinguished amongst men but let the church be preserued and many bee made heires of eternall life and let discipline be kept in vre Finally let euery one pray for those things which concerne the peace of Hierusalem as in the 122. psalme and sixt verse it is saide which thing who shall so do the hoped for haruest shall not disappoint their good expectation for that psalme promiseth much peace to them that loue the church PSAL. XLIX Audite haec omnes Gentes To him that excelleth a Psalme exhortatory committed to the sonnes of Korah THE ARGVMENT THe whole Psalme is an antithesis or contrary description of the Church and vngodly ones agreeing with the history of the rich Glutton and Lazarus full of vlcers as in the sixeteenth of saint Lukes gospel The thing sheweth that the church is in this life subiect vnto persecution and is oppressed with the kingdomes of this world But contrariwise the vngodly ones rule all at their will and carry stately countenances of credit This inequalitie of euents so troubleth many that they deeme the doctrine of the Church to be like a Cypres tree which though shee be thicke in shew yet is voide and barren of fruit But the Psalme opposeth against this obiection an answer most chiefly agreeing thereto which is borrowed of the issue or euent as if he said Exitus acta probat careat successibus opto c. The end approoues thats done before A wisher may want welfare the more Euery man thinketh the deeds are to be marked by their euents I acknowledge that the Church and all the godly ones for many causes are not opressed with a light burthen of calamities and that the vngodly ones doe by Gods sufferance now and then flourish for a time but at the time of death there is a great difference betweene the godly and vngodly ones For as the dead which die in the Lord that is in true acknowledgement and calling vpon him are blessed Apoc. 14. 13. Because they enioy the eternall company of God So the death of the vngodly ones is the passage vnto eternal misery For as touching the godly ones it is said expresly God shall deliuer my soule from the power of hell because hee shal receiue me verse 15. that is he shall not leaue me in death and destruction But contrarywise of the vngodly ones it is saide They shall neuer see light any more verse 19. That is they shall not feele consolation and gladnesse reposed in God but they shall remaine in torments for euer Seeing therefore all things are in this life short and momentany this Psalm calleth vs from the loue of brittle fading things and carieth vs to the consideration of death and of the future indgement wherein the chaffe shalbe separated from the wheate and the wheate cornes shal for certaine be gathered into the barne of euerlasting life but the vaine chaffe shall be burned with neuer quenched fire If we will regard this iudgement let vs with mightie courage suffer discommodities heere momentany because while we looke and turne vs about as they say behold immortality shall strait be heere Psal XLIX And

God alone then for a man to put his trust in a thousand princes And were it not a thing hatefull I would here commemorate examples of the lightnes and lewd loosenesse of some which haue mu●ded and assaulted with hostilitie euen their very colleges and companions of the same iourney by sea But these new examples I omit and I beseech God that he would vouchsafe to defend vs with the shadow of his hand not onely against our enemies but also against our vnfaythfull and vnconstant companions or sociates Amen Psal LV. And exposition thereof Verse 1 Heare my prayer O God and hide not thy selfe from my petition Verse 2 Take heed vnto me and heare me how I mourne in my prayer THe Sonne of God saith True worshippers do worship God in spirit truth Iohn 4. 23. as if he sayd Hypocrites do pray without vnderstāding without deuotion and with a contradietion without vnderstanding because they consider not the essence and will of God manifested in his commandements and promises neither doe discerne things that are to be asked of God Finally neither consider they what a vertue true prayer is but after the manner of prating Parots doe sound words which they vnderstand not Without deuotion because they feele not spirituall motions in time of prayer as faith hope and patience but they pray with wrath and with doubting that is they do fret and fume in miserie against God and doe doubt of his hearing of them Finally they pray with contradiction speaking one thing and thinking another for though they haue these words in their mouthes Sanctified be thy name Thy kingdome come Thy will be done Mat. 6. 9 10 yet their heart disagreeth from their tongue forasmuch as they vehemently desire and earnestly with for the destruetion of the true knowledge of God and the ouerthrow of Christes kingdome and that many things may be vnthankfully done against God Such is the prayer or rather much lippe labor to little purpose of all them which defend idolles and manifest errours but the godly ones as Dauid in this place do worship the father in spirit and trueth that is doe bring with their prayer true acknowledgement of the essence of God and a consideration of the commandements and promises wherein God made his will knowen and they knowe what benefits God will giue vs without condition and wherein he will require obedience Furthermore they acknowledge and bewaile their sinnes yet with faith they vanquish doudtings beleeuing that though they be vnworthy of themselues yet for the Mediatours sake they are and shall be heard Finally in the prayer of the godly ones there is a consonancy of the minde will heart and tongue then which harmony none can be thought more sweet Let this difference betweene true and hypocriticall prayer be often considered in the Psalmes when indeed it bringeth some light vnto the reading of the Psalmes Now thinke with your selfe how feruent Dauids prayer is Heare saith he my prayer O God and with that he addeth this as it were striuing with doubting Hide not thy selfe from my petition yea and he requireth God to take heed vnto him Take heed vnto me and heare me And least any man should thinke that Dauid is colde or goes about some other thing in time of his praying he affirmeth expresly that he will rule his motions in the same prayer that is he will craue of God with most feruent desires and with all his heart benefits necessary both for his soule and his body But why doth he make mention of being vexed berely because he would signifie that he felt outward feares inward fightings 2. Cor. 7. and did not only striue with externall dangers wherein his body was exercised but also with feares and deiections rising from acknowledgement of sinne and of the wrath of God for most commonly the enemies threatnings and the conflicts of conscience striuing with sinne and with the wrath of God doe come together in one obiect But these things are often times repeated and set foorth in the Psalmes therefore I am now more briefe herein Verse 3 The enemy crieth so and the vngodly commeth on so fast for they are minded to doe me some mischiefe so maliciously are they set against me Verse 4 My heart is disquieted within me and the feare of death is fallen vpon me Verse 5 Fearefulnes trembling are come vpon me an horrible dread hath ouerwhelmed me We need not long interpretation in these complaints because they are vnderstood by considering our owne and others examples for how much euery man suffereth so much he knoweth as one of the old writers saith notably But contrarywise he that is tempted what things doeth he suffer For there are three instruments or meanes to learne diuine things by Meditation Prayer and Temptation for the Scripture deliuered from God needeth no allegorie but contemplation and vnderstanding Seeing then we suffer such like things such complaints become more sweet in taste with vs which are euery where extant in the Psalmes Verse 6 And I sayd O that I had wings like a Doue for then would I flee away and be at rest Verse 7 Lo then would I get me away farre off and remaine in the wildernesse Verse 8 I would make haste to escape because of the stormy winde and tempest He addeth vnto the complaine a prayer of fleeing away Would to God sayth he I might be seperated afarre off from my false and vnfaithfull friends which lie in wait for me nights and dayes and are bent vpon all occasions whereby they may ouerthrow and oppresse mee After the same maner all the holy ones desire to be dissolued and to be with Christ Phil. 1. 23. that is desire a more sincere beholding of God and full and perfect deliuerance from sinne for like as a trauailer making his iourney in the darke knowing neither the way nor the place where he goeth reioyceth when the morning beginneth to waxe light so all the godly ones feeling the burdens of sinne and striuing with diuers dangers do desire to haue fellowship with God and being called to the end of their life doe willingly cast aside the grieuous burden of doubtings and the filthinesse of sinne which is in this our vncleane lumpe of flesh remaining and do wish themselues altogether and alwayes feruently desire to haue the loue of God and gladnesse in God These prayers are neither obscure nor vnknowen to the godly ones I passe on therefore vnto the verses following Verse 9 Destroy their tongues O Lord and diuide them for I haue spyed vnrighteousnesle and strife in the citie Verse 10 Day and night they goe about within the walles thereof mischefe also and sorow are in the middes of it Verse 11 Wickednes is therein deceit and guile goe not out of their streetes Seeing wee must needes be conuersant in the world as it were in Medeas bosome euen vntill the very last end of our life and vocation let vs