to vertuous and godly life séeing I was vexed and turmoyled with continuall miseries séeing that there was neuer a day that did not bring her crosse and trouble to the seruaunts of God and vertuous people These thinges saith the prophet fondly and foolishly I spake to my selfe many times but when I weighed the thing with more iudgement and considered the matter more déepely with my selfe I thought If I thus iudge and speake of God doe I not improue reprehende and condemne the life conuersation and labours of all godly men The which will not be drawen nor inticed from godly life and the loue of vertue by no misaduentures nor afflictions in this world neither doe they iudge that they haue studied and followed godlinesse in vaine whatsoeuer trouble hath happened to them in this world And therfore when I assayed to compasse the cause and veritie of these thinges the greatnesse thereof brought me into much feare and carefulnesse And further I perceiued that I could not come to the knowledge of these thinges except the Almightie God would reueale and open vnto me the mysteries and secretes of his prouidence and wisedome that I might sée and vnderstand what ende and outgoing these wicked men should haue that with most abhomination and blasphemie in this life had most felicitie and pleasure And by tarrying in the thoughtes and cogitations of this case and matter at last I found that these wicked men and women whose felicitie and prosperous estate tormented me their end was most miserable full of wretchednesse and paine THE 18. and 19. Verse 18 Namely thou settest them in slipperie places and castest them downe and destroyest them 19 Oh howe soudeinly do they consume perish and come to a fearefull ende ¶ The plaine explanation Doubtlesse the felicities and pleasures Lord that thou gauest to these wicked doers are slipperie and brittle for so may I well call them because such as enioy them for the most part so abuse them in this life that they loose the life euerlasting THE 20. Verse 20 Yea euen as a dreame when one awaketh so shalt thou make their image to vanish out of the citie ¶ The plaine explanation These wicked mens felicitie vanished as the dreame of him that is awaked For as y e dreame for a time séemeth to be true as long as he sléepeth he supposeth it to be as he dreameth but as the dreame passeth the sléepe being broken so doth these wicked mens felicitie when they depart out of this life THE 21. 22. 23. and 24. Verse 21 Thus my heart was greeued and it went thoroughe my raines 22 So foolish was I and ignorant euen as it were a beast before thee 23 Neuerthelesse I am alwayes by thee for thou hast holden me by the right hand 24 Thou shalt guide mee with thy counsell and after that receiue me with glorie ¶ The plaine explanation Before saith Asaph that I sawe such wicked men as flourished in all felicitie and pleasure caste downe headlong from their places I was wonderfully troubled And no meruell for I was but a foole and an idiote that perceiued not the iudgement of the Lord but as a beast before thée in that respecte Oh Lord yet diddest thou conduct me such a foole as I am to the vnderstanding of thy pleasure in such difficil and hard causes And in their pleasures thou shewedst me their losse and damnation and in mine owne aduersitie and trouble shewedst me my saluation and perpetuall health THE 25. and 26. Verse 25 Whom haue I in heauen but thee And there is none vppon the earth that I desire in comparison of thee 26 My flesh and my heart faileth but God is the strength of my heart and my portion for euer ¶ The plaine explanation When the Prophete hath weighed Gods iudgement towardes such as with iniquitie liued in all pleasure and perceiued that their paines were for euer and their ioyes but for a time he is nowe inflamed with the loue of God and breaketh foorth into these godly words and sentences Who can delight me in heauen but thou O Lord. Whom shal I loue vppon the earth Whom shall I reuerence and honour but thée Doubtlesse of all thinges except thée I passe nothing of nor set stoore by Thée onely I embrace thée onely I desire and thée onely I couet and wishe for for onely thou art to be beloued to be honoured and to be wished for So that both my soule and my body be rauished with the loue of thée for thou art the strength and foundation of my soule and body Thou art my riches my treasure and my euerlasting inheritance THE 27. and 28. Verse 27 For loe they that forsake thee shal perish thou hast destroyed all them that commit fornication against thee 28 But it is good for me to hold me fast by God to put my trust in the Lord God ¶ The plaine explanation And good cause haue I Oh Lord to loue thée for they shall perish and be destroyed as many as loue any thing besides thée and forsake thée Therefore as I knowe it profitable onely to preferre thée O Lord in all loue and fauour so is it méete that I béeing thus saued by the mercie and receiuing so many benefites at thy hand should continually with laude and praise celebrate and magnifie the meruellous works of thy goodnesse and prouidence The end of the Paraphrase or plaine explanation ¶ The principal partes of the Psalme 73. Verse 1. Truely God is louing to Israel c. The first part is conteyned in the first verse and it declareth that God loueth the good although he punisheth them Verse 2. My feete were almost gone c. The second part is conteined in the second verse and it declareth how weake fraile a thing the nature of man is and vppon howe small an occasion it is in danger to fall from God Verse 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. I was greeued at the wicked c. The third part is conteined in sixe verses that follow wherin the felicitie of wicked men consisteth that good men bee so sore greeued Verse 9. 10. 11. Therefore fall the people vnto them c. The fourth part is conteined in other three verses next ensuing And it declareth howe fraile brittle and weake a thing man is that for euery trifle turneth and withdraweth himselfe from God Verse 12. 13. Then haue I clensed my heart in vaine c. The fift parte is conteined in two other verses next following And it declareth howe soone men repent their well doinges Verse 14. Yea and I had almost said euen as they c. The sixt part is conteined in one verse next following And it declareth how great a daunger it is temerously to iudge of God or of Gods people without the word of God Verse 15. 16. 17. 18. 19. 20. 21. Then thoughte I to vnderstand this but it was too hard for me c. The seuenth part is conteined in seuen verses next following And it
his maister and teacher that shall giue him holesome and commodious doctrine meete for the state of the life he hath chosen to liue in this world For all that shall be saued in time to come followe not one kinde of life Some be Magistrates and Rulers appointed to sée both the laws of the realme and the goodes and commodities thereof to be vsed and applyed to the vse and profit of such as be vnder them Some giue them selues to studie and contemplation of heauenly and diuine things not busying them selues with trauels of the body but to knowe them selues the way of life and to be teachers of the same to others Some be giuen to apply the lawes of the Common wealth some to exercise the trade and course of merchandize some one kinde of liuing and some an other But of what art facultie science or kinde of liuing so euer he be that is not contrarie to Gods honour or honestie he may vse therein to serue God to obserue iustice to exercise truth kéepe temperance and be acceptable to God who hath giuen lawes méete and conuenient to Publicans and Souldiers seruants and maisters parentes children husbandes and wiues and so to all other but all these sortes of people must assuredly knowe that in euery of these vocations be more daungers then he that must liue in them is able to beare Therfore from the bottome of his heart he must be assured of this beginning of king Dauids Hymne The Lord feedeth me and I shal lacke nothing And in déede the Lorde hath not only saide He will féede and defende him from all daungers but also saith He wil teach him howe to liue vertuously reuerently towards God and honestly and quietly towardes man what state or vocation so euer he choose to liue in so it be not against Gods lawes and the lawe of nature So saith king Dauid God hath appointed a lawe to rule and teach the man that feareth him what soeuer kind of liuing he appointeth him selfe to liue in What treasure is there to be compared vnto this that man is not onely fed and mainteined by God but also taught and instructed in euery craft and science that he appointeth him selfe to liue in Blessed therefore is the man that in the entrailes and déepe cogitations of his hart can say beléeue féele this to be true that Dauid saith The Lorde ruleth me and careth for me and I shall lacke nothing But yet there is almost nothing spoken that this king would haue chiefly knowne Howbeit doubtlesse they be wonderfull things that preserue and teache all persons both men and women in what so euer kinde of liuing honestly they appoint themselues to liue in He him selfe knew this to be true right wel as it appeareth when he saith Blessed be the Lorde my strength that taught my handes to battel For if the Lord had not taught and ruled him he had bene ouerthrowne many times bycause there was not onely more strength then he had of him selfe against him but also more wit more policie more experience But what things can ouercom that man that is couered with this shielde Dominus regit me The Lord ruleth me Doubtlesse nothing at all whether it be in heauen aboue or in the earth beneath or in hell vnder the earth Notwithstanding this is not all that this doctrine The Lord ruleth me doth for the poore shéepe that is ruled But here must the reader and hearer of this Psalme followe king Dauid and desire to haue the eye of his minde purged and made cleane for if the scales of infidelitie and the loue and delight to sinne remaine or else the minde be otherwise occupied then vpon the vnderstanding of the Hymne he shall heare it or sing it as the vngodly Colleges of Priestes doe that daily bo-o and rore the holy Scriptures out of their mouthes and vnderstand no more the meaning thereof then the walles which they sing and speake vnto We must therfore do as king Dauid did lift vp the eyes of our mindes into heauen and fire our faith as he saith fast in the Lord and then shall we sée the vnspeakable treasures and wisedome that lyeth hid in this meruellous and comfortable head and beginning of this Psalme The Lord feedeth me c. Our Sauiour Christ openeth plainely in Saint Iohn what it is to be the shéepe of God and to be fed by him and saith They wil heare the shepheards voyce but no straungers voyce and bycause they heare the shepheards voyce the shepheard will giue them euerlasting life and no man shall take them out of the shepheards hands There is the greatest treasure and most necessarie riches for the shéepe of God vttered which is not the knowledge of God alone to be preserued in this life and to lacke nothing that is expedient and necessarie for the preseruation thereof but also to vnderstand which wayes the heauenly father teacheth and leadeth vs to the mansion and dwelling place of life euerlasting And if man were wise he might soone perceiue how much the life to come is better then the life present yea be it neuer so fauourably fed and preserued by the heauenly father our shepheard and gouernour For his tuition here of vs although it be sure and so strong that none can take vs out of his handes yet is our safegard and life troubled and mingled with aduersities subiect to persecution and also vnto death but in the life to come Gods tuition is all ioy all myrth all solace with all perpetuitie and endlesse felicitie And of this treasure Dauid chiefly meant in the forefront of the Psalme when he said And I shal lacke nothing For as we sée vntill this life be taken from vs most troubles and most care beginneth and tarrieth in the house of GOD amongest his shéepe whiche be as lambes among woolues Wherefore the voyce and teaching of the shepheard doth heale the mindes of the shéepe Gods deare elect and pulleth from them all vnprofitable feare and carefulnesse it quencheth all flames of lust and concupiscence it maketh and giueth a man a noble and valiant minde to contemne al worldly things it bringeth a man in loue with Gods true honour maketh him ioyfull in trouble quiet in aduersitie and sure that the end of Gods people shal be glorious and ioyfull and also that this fauour of the shephearde shall be his guide into the place of blisse whereas be crownes of euerlasting glorie for such as haue bene led by the Lorde and there they shall lacke nothing For there is neither eye can sée nor toung can speake nor minde can comprehend these ioyes and glorie And therefore the Prophete both constantly and chearefully saide The Lorde feedeth me and I shal lacke nothing for all thinges of this world be but trifles in comparison of things to come Although it be a singular fauour of God to vnderstand his goodnesse and mercie towards vs in things
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
kept out of the conscience and hated as Dauid saith Leaue doing of euill and doe good So like wise he speaketh of a féeling Christian man whose conscience hath tasted howe swéete and amiable God is Taste and feele saith the Prophete howe sweete the Lord is And this assure your selues that when ye féele your sinnes and bewaile the daunger and damnation of them the spirite of God hath wrought that féeling And that troubled and broken heart God wil not despise And there is no doubt nor mistrust of a sensible and féeling sinner but in case he can finde in himselfe no loue to the obedience of God nor desire to do his will by hearing of his word nor any féeling at all of sinne nor desire to be ridde from it by hearing of the lawe he hath knowledge in the minde and speache in the mouth but no consent and féeling in his heart and conscience And this knowledge liueth with sinne and speaketh with vertue whereas the heart conscience consenteth to good and abhorreth euil if the vertue nature of Gods woord by Gods spirite be sealed in the conscience And this doth S. Paule teach wonderfully as wel by faith that commeth by hearing of Gods woord as also of his pretious Supper the Sacrament of his bodie and bloud and passion He saith that The heart beleeuēth to righteousnesse that is to say The conscience and heart of him that is sealed and assured of the vertue and grace of Gods premises in Christ beléeueth to righteousnesse or is ascerteined and knoweth it selfe to be righteous and iust and before God because it hath consented and receiued the mercie of God offered in the Gospel thorough the merites of Christ and then the same faith which God hath sealed in the heart breaketh foorth by confession whiche confession is a very fruite of faith to saluation as it is written by S. Paule in the same place And where this faith is so kindled in the heart there can be none other but such a fruite following it And as possible it is to haue fire without heate or flame as this vertue Faith without the fruite of well doing And that is it that S. Paule saith to the Corinthians As often as ye eate of this bread and drinke of this cupp shew ye the Lordes death vntill he come Wherein Saint Paule requireth a knowledge of Christ in the receiuer not onely in his minde that he knowe Christ died for his sinne and the sinne of the world and to speake and declare the same death with his tongue vnto others but this is the chiefest and most principall commoditie of Christes holy Supper whiche men nowe vngodly call the Masse that the vertue and benefite of Christes death as it is appointed for the remission of his sinnes be sealed and fully consented vnto in his conscience And this knowledge of Christes death with the assurance of the vertue strengthe and power thereof in the heart will and ought to inflame vs to thankesgiuing and to preach and teach vnto others those commodities of Christs death that we knowe and féele first in our selues within our owne spirite and heart Thus I haue tarried longer then I thought in this matter bicause I would bring my selfe and all others as much as lyeth in me to féele that knowledge and talke of vertue and vice of Gods fauour and of Gods punishment is not sufficient and to bring my selfe and all men from knowledge and talke to féeling consenting and a full surrendring of our selues vnto the profite and vauntage of the things which we speake and knowe or else knowledge and speaking please not God nor profite our selues as Christe saith Not euery man that saith Lord Lord shall enter into the kingdome of heauen Therefore did Dauid both knowe speake and féele signed in his heart the fauour helpe and assistaunce of God to be with him into what troubles so euer he should fall and in that féeling did say He would not feare But it may fortune I haue so written of vertue and vice to be knowne of in the minde spoke of with the mouth and felt in the heart that ye may iudge and féele in your selues neuer to haue come to this perfection For this is out of doubt he that hath Gods loue and feare thus sealed in his heart liueth in this life rather an Angelicall life then the life of a mortall man and yet it is euident by king Dauid in this Psalme and by his 121. Psalme and in many more that he was so sure and so well ascertained of Gods present helpe in his troubles that he cared nothing for death or any other aduersities that could happen And doubtlesse we perceiue by his Psalmes in many places y t his faith was as strong as stéele and he trembled not nor doubted any thing but was in manner without all kinde of mistrust and nothing troubled what so euer he sawe contrarie to Gods promises and he passed ouer them as things that could not once withdraw his cogitations from the trueth and veritie of Gods promises which he beleued As Abraham likewise did he staggered not but with constancie of faith would haue killed his owne sonne so strong was his faith But as the gift of faith is a treasure incomparable thus to knowe and féele faith to ouercome all daungers so maketh it the heart of him that is sealed with such a faith to féele the ioyes and mirth vnspeakable But as this faith is the gift of God and cōmeth only from him so is it in him only to appoint the time when it shall come how much and how strongly it shal be giuen at al times which is not at all times like but sometimes so strong that nothing can make the faithfull man afraid no not death it selfe and sometimes it is so strong that it maketh the man afflicted to be contented to suffer yea death it selfe rather then to offend God But yet it is with much cōflict great troubles many heauie meruelous cogitations somtime with such a feare as the man hath much ado to sée féele in the latter end of his heauie conflict the victorie and vpper hand of the temptation And at an other time the Christian man shal finde such heauinesse oppression of sinne and troubles that he shal not féele as much in manner as one sparke of faith to comfort him selfe in the trouble of his minde as he thinketh but that all the floudes and dreadfull assaultes of desperation haue their course through his conscience Nothing féeleth he but his owne minde and poore conscience one so to eate the other that the conflict is more paine to him then death it selfe he vnderstandeth that GOD is able to doe all thinges he confesseth with the knowledge of his minde and with his toung in his head that God is true and mercifull he would haue his conscience and heart to agrée therevnto and be quiet
with anguish or heauinesse for sinne immediately the tongue saith He was borne vnder an euill Planet or in an euill houre and so findeth fault with the worke of God which God made excellent good Thus may ye sée where as the soule of man wayteth not vppon God the impatient man accuseth God and all his workes both in heauen and in earth But the godly féeling the rodde of God for sinne and iniquitie as GOD neuer punisheth withoute iuste cause he firste accuseth him selfe and acknowledgeth his owne offences and then sayeth with the Prophete Micheas I will suffer the indignation of God for I haue deserued it To this wayting vpon the Lorde without quarelling and desperate lamenting exhorted Ieremie the prophete the children of Israel for the time of their being in seruitude and captiuitie of Babylon bidding them to plante and grafte trées and so to prouide for themselues vntil the time were expired of their affliction and captiuitie Men may mourne and lament their sinnes and troubles that they suffer for sinne as we may sée howe the Psalme of the Prophet conteineth the bewailing and wéeping of the people that sate heauily and lamentably by the riuer side in Babylon And the like may ye reade in the Lamentations of Ieremie But this mourning was without desperation and quarelling as the letters and bookes do recorde Besides these thinges the cause of their bewailing and lamenting whiles their soules waited vpon the Lorde differeth from the moste forte of mourners and bewaylers nowe a dayes For we may sée nowe a dayes if the wife bewaile the death of her husbande it is moste commonly because she hath taken from her a louing head and gouernour If the husbande lament the departure of his wife it is because he is bereaued of a faithfull healper If the sonne mourne for the death of his father it is because there is taken from him not onely his father but also his patrone and defender If the parentes be sorrie for the taking away of their children it is because they want their daliaunce sport and pastime with them or such other worldly affections If the prince take gréeuously the calling away of his subiecte from this worlde it is because he lacketh a trustie souldier a faithful capteine a wise counseller or profitable officer If the subiect lamente the death of his prince it is because he hath lost his aduauntage authoritie or estimation If the seruaunt wéepe for his maister it is because with his maister is departed his commoditie and trust of wordly riches and friendship If the maister mourne for his seruaunt it is because there is taken from him a skilfull a diligente or a faithfull doer of his businesse And such like causes as men gréeuously of euerie sort féele and lament If the Parson lament his parishioner it is most commonly because he séeth the breach of an honest housholde decayeth his tenthes and profite And if the parishioner mourne for his pastour most commonly it is because he loss a good companiō or profitable friend If the Bishoppe bewaile the death of suche as dy in his diocesse it is most commonly because he is destitute of suche a one as fauoured much affection to set fourth and doe suche thinges as he worldly desired shoulde goe forewardes or else perchaunce such manner of one as coulde excuse him what negligence or faulte so euer he shoulde perpetrate or committe for the time he were in office If the diocesse be sorrie for the death of the Bishoppe it is because the one parte which is the Clergie doth feare leaste there shall come another that wilbe more diligent and quicke in doing his office and sée that they shall do the same The other partie called the Temporaltie lamente because they haue loste such a one as peraduenture fedd well their belies with bread and béefe or else was so remisse that he woulde suffer all sinne vnpunished and rather be a bearer of the euill then a mainteiner of the good Nowe this is suche béewayling and mourning as Ethnickes Publicanes and Infidels may haue But wherefore the Christian soule that wayteth vppon the Lord without quarell or desperation doth wéep lament reade you the Psalme before named and the lamentations of Ieremie and there shall you finde in the Psalme these words We sate by the riuers of Babylon and wepte when wee remembred thee ô Sion The chiefest cause of their wéeping was because the worde of God was not preached the sacraments ministred nor the Almightie God lauded and praised in the temple of Hierusalem as God had commaunded by his worde This is a moste iust also a moste worthie cause to wéepe for whiles God punisheth vs that for our sinnes not onely our quietnesse wealth but also the worde of God whiche is greater is taken away and his due honour giuen vnto idols For the children of Israel perceiuing that Gods honor was defaced for their sinns they wepte as often as they remembred it as God giue vs grace to doe the same The like did Saint Peter He lamented not because he leafte all his goods for Christes sake but wept that by his deniall of Christe he felte him selfe not constant in the faith and loue of his Maister So did Marie Magdalene bewayle that she hadde offended Christ and not because the world knewe her to be a sinner Saint Iohn Chrysostome hath a notable saying He that feareth more hell then Christ is worthie of hell And that ment the prophet when he cryed out What is there in heauen or in earth that I preferre before thee O Lord. As though he had saide There is nothing can make me as gladde as thy loue towardes me nor any thing so sorrie as thy displeasure good Lorde Thus doth the soule of the verie Christian waite vpon the Lord in all troubles and aduersities and patiently doth beare the punishmentes of sinne and not only beare patiently the paine but also considereth what is the greatest losse that may happen vnto him by reason of troubles Not the losse of worldly richesse landes and promotions nor the losse of health of bodie by sicknesse neither the lesse of the bodie it selfe by death ne yet the losse of the soule into eternall paines But the greatest losse that he weigheth is the losse of the good will of him that made him and of greate mercie redéemed him and with much kindenesse alwayes nourished him That is to be séene in the prodigall sonne whiche when he had spent all his goodes lecherously and brought him selfe to moste miserable pouertie to such extreame famine that he would haue bene glad to haue eaten the meate prepared for the pigs besides the great heauines of hart that weighed the time of prosperitie and conferred it with his estate of so extreame miserie yet nothing made him so sorie and pensiue as the calling to his remembrance howe vnreuerently he had vsed his moste gentle louing
and benigne father who was not onely liberall and frée to his children but also to his hirelings that lacked nothing This consideration of his offence towards his father made him a great deale more sorrie then al the paines he otherwise susteined And thus must euerie Christian waite vpon the Lord and then doubtlesse consolation shall followe as it appeareth by the same prodigal sonne and by this Psalme of the Prophet Moreouer if we marke with what dangers and troubles the soule séeketh her Lorde and spouse Iesus Christ in the mysticall booke of Solomons Ballads we shall sée with what attendaunce diligence and patience the soule waiteth vpon Christ. I sought him saith the soule but I found him not I called him and he woulde not aunswere me The watchmen of the citie found me and beatte mee and wounded me They tooke my robe from me that kepte the walles I require you ye daughters of Hierusalem if ye find my spouse tell him that I am sicke with loue Note these wordes I sought him saith the soule found him not I called him and he answered not Was not this ynough to haue cleane discomforted the heauie sicke and troubled soule that ranne and cryed to her loue and husband Iesus Christe and yet for the time neuer the neare Further in running and calling for him the soule fell into the handes of her enimies that robbed her of her mantell And yet notwithstanding these daungers she cryed out vnto all that she mette that incase they founde her spouse they woulde tell him that she was sicke with his loue Ponder these thinges altogether first to trauell and crye and not to profit Next in trauelling and crying to lose all her goodes yea the mantell that she went in Thirdly to putte her life in daunger with confessing Christe to be her spouse before such as hated him mortally And yet howe did this Christian creature Doubtlesse wayted vpon the Lorde without murmur or grudge And in all these troubles note there is no complaint nor quarell made of her prayers that were not heard of the paines that for the time profited not of y e losse of her goodes and apparell nor yet of the daunger that she was in of her and Christe her spouses enimies But here was the wéeping lamentation and sorrowe that Christ her spouse could not be found In whose loue she burned so ardently that all aduersities gréeued her not neither did shée any thing at all estéeme them but onely the want of Christe was her gréefe and sorowe Yet was she patient and trusted still in the Lorde The like may ye sée by the woman of Canaan howe she called vpon the Lord for her daughter vnto whome Christe made no worde of answere Further his disciples wer troubled and wearied by her importunate suite Also Christe called her in maner no better then a dogge yet was there neither the bitternesse of his wordes nor the inhumanitie of his Apostles that she passed for but she wayted still vppon the Lorde and was nothing sorrowfull for all the sharpe words she suffered but onely because the helpe of the Lord was not extended and bestowed vppon her daughter as she desired But what insueth of suche a patient expectation and sorrowfulnesse of Gods absence Marke what the Prophete sayeth The seconde part of the Psalme 1 For of him commeth my saluation 2 He verily is my strength and my saluation hee is my defence so shall I not greatly fall The seconde parte declareth why the troubled person seeketh health of God HEere firste be thrée doctrines to be noted Firste to knowe by Gods worde that God can helpe The second that God will helpe And the thirde that the afflicted is bounde boldely to require helpe of God Whereof the troubled person muste be assured by the scripture or else he shall neuer finde consolation Now to the firste parte that God can helpe this scripture is to be marked that saith God is omnipotent that is to witt able to do all thinges So said he to Abraham when he eftsoones promised him the land of Canaan I am the God omnipotent walk before me and be perfect The same saide Iacob when Beniamin his young sonne was so instantly desired by his brethren to go into Egypt when they lacked corne My God omnipotent saide Iacob can make the prince of Aegypt fauourable vnto you So did God tell Moses that he was the Lorde that appeared vnto Abraham Isahac and Iacob euen the almightie God The like is in the same booke when God had drowned Pharao and his hoaff Moses gaue thankes and sayde His name was almightie Thus in the word of God we may learne euery where as well by his name as by his most meruellous works that he is omnipotent and there is nothing impossible vnto him Euen so doth the word of God declare that as he is omnipotent and can saue in like manner is he willing and will saue King Dauid saith that He saueth both man and beast In another Psalme he saith God saked him from all aduersities And againe he saith He wil saue all that trust in him And not onely saue but also saue for nothing So God saith by the prophet Esaie I will saue thy children And in the same booke it is declared that Gods hand is not weakened but that he can saue and wil saue This willing nature of God to saue is manifestly opened vnto vs in al the Prophets And in Saint Matthewe Christe saith Hee came to saue such as were lost The same is to be séene in S. Luke howe that The sonne of man came not to damne but to saue S. Iohn the Euangelist saith His comming was to saue the world And S. Paul saith He would all men to be saued Now as the word of God and the examples conteined in the same declare that God can will helpe in the time of trouble and aduersitie so doeth it declare that men be bound to call and séeke for helpe in the time of aduersitie As we read in Esaie the Prophet where God cryeth out in this sort Ye that be a thirst come to the waters c. In S. Matthewe Christ commaundeth all men that be troubled to come vnto him Also in the Psalmes He biddeth all men call vpon him in the dayes of their heauinesse and he will heare them and deliuer them Againe He willeth vs to aske and it shalbe giuen vnto vs. Nowe as these thrée doctrines are to be marked in the almightie God so must they be grounded in the heart of the troubled person And first he must giue this honour vnto God that he alone is able to saue and none but he as the Prophet Esay sayth of him Then being thus persuaded the afflicted person will not séeke helpe at dead Saintes nor at any other creatures hande but at Gods onely And as none
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
in God saith that In this glorious almightie and triumphant God is his glory and desireth to haue part of that victorie and of that meruellous maiestie And as the Psalme saith He calleth and nameth the God of glorie his glorie Oh meruellous and vnspeakable boldnesse and constancie of faith A man nothing but sinne by nature in the sight of God nothing but earth and ashes replenished with all miserie and wretchednesse by nature corrupt the very enimie of GOD a vessell prepared vnto all dishonour ignominie shame and perdition contemned through sinne and shamed before all creatures and yet nowe with all these dishonours by faith saith The king of glorie is his glorie and the conquerour of all dishonour is his shield and buckler Of the other part who can thinke or speake any thing thankfull to suche a king of glory and most mightie conquerour that abhorreth not of mercy to be the honour and glory of so vile sinfull and wretched a thing as man is Whose eyes abhorre no filthe of sinne in penitent sinners whose presence refuseth not the companie of the sicke and miserable whose strength comforteth the weake whose mercy reioyceth the comfortles whose life expelleth death whose health banisheth sicknesse whose loue vanquisheth hatred whose immortalitie giueth euerlasting life and who crowneth vs with endlesse pitie and compassion in ioyes perpetuall Thus the Prophete after he had espied the almightie God in him selfe gloriously to be voyd of all troubles dolours and other aduersities and that he had also conquered gloriously the capteines of al aduersities hell death satan and sinne he challenged by faith and craued by Gods promise to be partaker of Gods glory in this point And doubtlesse he that can féele in his heart that GOD is his glory he shall take no dishonour nor shame by all the workes of the diuell sinner or the worlde Therefore many times in reading or thinking of the Psalmes or other parte of the holy scripture it is expedient to meditate and pray that the word we speake or pray may be vnto vs as much saluation comfort and glory as we perceiue GOD hath appointed in it for vs. And when we say with our mouth to God Thou art my saluation my glorie my rocke and my trust Let vs cry Lorde increase our faith helpe vs for thy name sake constantly to beleeue thee to be vnto vs in deed in spirit as we speake of thee outwardly with our mouth For in case the heart vnderstande not nor beléeue the wordes we speake with our mouthe we honour God in vaine as the scripture saith Let vs therefore praye as Saint Paule teacheth vs saying I will pray with the spirite and I will pray with the minde also When the Prophete hath by faith assured him selfe of Gods fauour he exhorteth all the Christian congregation to doe the same saying O put your trust in him alwayes ye people c. Here the Prophete teacheth what the Minister of the Church Bishop and others should doe when they vnderstand the scripture and learne by it feare and faith loue and hope in GOD they be bound to teache the congregation the same Scriptures for her saluation Whereby is condemned the vse of the Scripture in an vnknowne toung which is directly against Gods worde And here be Kings and Rulers also taught to sée their subiectes tenaunts and seruaunts to vnderstand the worde of God likewise the Father and the Mother the Maister and the Maistresse who be bound to knowe for their saluation the worde of GOD and to teache it vnto others vnder their gouernaunce Therefore in the end of the verse is put Selah As though he had saide Happie be those that put their trust in the Lorde and teach other to doe the same And curssed be those that trust not in the Lord and teach others to do the like THE FIFT PART 9 As for the children of men they are but vaine the children of men are deceitfull vpon the weights They are altogether lighter then vanitie it selfe 10 O trust not in wrong and robberie giue not your selues to vanitie if riches increase set not your heart vpon them The fift part sheweth howe mans power is not to be trusted vnto THE Prophete by no meanes would haue men to put their trust in fleshe and bloud in case they doe they must néedes perishe For when miserable man shall trust in vaine vanitie whiche is man he can be no lesse then vanitie it selfe in whome he hath trusted And this is one miserie and wretchednesse a man to be deceiued of helpe and succour whereas he most trusted to haue bene holpen and succoured Thus must it néedes happen to them that trust in men For men of most excellencie and greatest authoritie riches and power in the world be but vanitie as the Prophete saith Nowe as they be so is their helpe And as their helpe is so is the comfort and consolation of such as seeke help at their handes Those that be trusted vnto be but flesh and bloud the best of flesh and bloud is but vanitie the consolation and helpe of vanitie is miserie and wretchednesse wherefore the Prophete exhorteth all men to beware they séeke not ayde and comfort of man for he is but vaine The Israelites vsed for their helpe against their enimies the Egyptians but the more flesh conspired together the worsse successe had all the battels they fought Nowe as we sée men that haue their trust in men suffer muche trouble and miserie in the world bicause their helpe they trust in is of inferiour strength and power to the troubles and aduersities that they be combred withall So doeth the word of God declare that such men as trust in vanitie haue not onely worldly aduersities against them but also for their so doing trusting in fleshe they be accurssed of God as the scriptures say Curssed be he that trusteth in man So that we sée meruelous and vnspeakable harmes come of the trust in man First miseries of y e world and next the enimitie and cursse of God For he that putteth his trust in man with the same one fact and doing doeth two horrible euils The one he deceiueth him selfe for the vanitie that he trusteth in can not saue him And the other he dishonoureth God that onely can saue in putting his trust in mortall man that can not saue and so maketh of man God to Gods high displeasure and dishonour Euery Christian man therefore should forsake fleshe and bloud and trust in the Lorde Almightie maker of heauen and earth as the Prophet Asaphe did a little before when he saide In God was his glory who could defend him from all hurts present past and to come what so euer they were The like may we sée in Saint Paule that saide God forbid that I should glory in any thing sauing in the crosse of our Lord Iesus Christ by whome the world
of the sect of the Peripatets did hold that a blessed and fortunate life did consist in honestie and said that The same might be accomplished with the voluptuous pleasures of the body and with externall riches honour and felicitie But both these opinions and all the rest are confuted by our sauiour Christ and his holy word He saith This is life euerlasting that men knowe thee O father the only and true God and whome thou hast sent Iesus Christ. And in an other place he saith Euery one that forsaketh house brothers sisters father mother wife children or possessions for my name shall receiue an hundred folde and possesse life euerlasting By these places we knowe that beatitude felicitie consisteth in knowlege working of Gods will which be the causes of quietnesse of conscience and innocencie of life wherein felicitie doth consist as I saide before The right knowledge of GOD bringeth faith in Christe Faith in Christe bringeth tranquillitie of conscience Tranquillitie of conscience by faith worketh charitie and loue to do and worke the will of our heauenly father This may ye sée also in the booke of the Psalmes that felicitie blisse resteth not in these trifling things that glitter to the eye wherewith the Prophete was so sore offended but in knowledge and working of Gods will Blessed is the man whom thou teachest Lord and whom thou instructest in thy lawe And in an other Psalme he saith Blessed is the man that feareth the Lord and desireth to worke his will In these Psalmes if ye reade them with iudgement and prayer to God ye shall finde both knowledge and consolation farre aboue the common sorte of such as reade and vse them in the Churches nowe to the dishonour of GOD and to the destruction of their owne soules And in this matter of felicitie and beatitude of man and woman in this life I would haue you iudge by the scripture of God or else ye shall be deceiued what it is wherein it consisteth and what it worketh for onely the worde of God teacheth and sheweth it and nothing but it The scripture of GOD plainely declareth that nothing can be profitable whiche is not honest and vertuous And vertue is blessed and very felicitie in what condition or state so euer it be neyther can it be increased with any externall or bodily goods or honour neyther yet can it be diminished with any aduersities or troubles And nothing can be blessed but that which is voyde from iniquitie full of honestie and the grace of God As ye may sée in the booke of the Psalmes whereas this matter is plainely set foorth Blessed is the man that hath not walked in the counsell of the wicked nor stoode in the way of sinners nor sate in the chaire of scorners But his delight was in the lawe of God c. And in an other Psalme he saith Blessed are they that be cleane of life and walke in the lawe of God Out of these places we learne that knowledge and innocencie of life worketh felicitie and beatitude We must therefore beware that we iudge not felicitie to be in these inconstant and vncerteine riches of the world but we must contemne them and also beware we feare not the trouble that may happen for such vertues wherein felicitie doth stand And we must vnderstande also that although these vertues wherein felicitie consisteth and suche as be friendes of God dwelleth be afflicted and troubled that neyther the felicitie nor the person in whome it dwelleth is any thing the worse for troubles and aduersities before God but rather the better As ye may sée by the worde of God that saith Blessed be ye when men speak euill of you and persequute you and speake al euill against you lying for iustice sake Be glad and reioyce for your rewarde is great in heauen So did they persequute the Prophetes before you And in an other place it is saide Hee that will come after me let him denie him selfe and take his crosse and followe me The Psalme therfore in this part amendeth the iudgement of weake and wauering Christian men that be offended with the prosperitie of the wicked bicause they do not know nor marke by Gods word wherein felicitie doth consist and that it remaineth in suche vertues as be not diminished nor drowned in the aduersities of this world what so euer daungers happen When was Moses stronger then when he saw of the one side the mounteines of Egypt and of the other side Pharao and his armie and before him the red sea and in the middest of these enimies he and his people standing like shéepe ready for the woolues to be slaine He was neuer more strong nor in this life more blessed then at that time Daniel was neuer better then amongest the Lions We must therefore know the vertues wherein felicitie doth consist to be nothing diminished by sorrowe and trouble nor any thing increased by voluptuous pleasures and brittle honours of this world As S. Paul most godly setteth foorth in his Epistle to the Philippians The things saith he that I thought profite and gaines for Christes sake I esteeme as hurt and damage for whose loue I esteeme all thinges as nothing so that I may winne Christ. And Moses estéemed the treasures of Egypt hurtfull and preferred them not before the reproches and rebukes of the Lord neyther thought he him self rich nor blessed with the riches of Egypt ne cursed when he was in néede and lacked them Elias the Prophet if he had considered his néed and daunger he might haue accounted him selfe very miserable and vnhappie but bycause he knewe it was appointed him of GOD he complained not of Gods doings for he was as well contented to haue bread from God by the Rauen in the morning and water at night from the founteine as though he had had all the world And he was nothing the lesse blessed although he was poore but rather more blessed bycause he was riche to God ward Reade the Gospell of S. Matthewe and sée the practise of this felicitie Moses that was so destritute of all worldly helpe and Helias voyde of all worldly consolation do talke with Christ in the mount of Thabor where as Peter would haue tarried with all his heart although he knewe both Christ and those that he talked with in the estimation of this world were accounted most vnhappie and miserable of all men yet he sawe that transitorie honours riches and felicitie holp nothing to the life euerlasting As Christ plainly teacheth in S. Luke Blessed are the poore for theirs is the kingdome of God Blessed be they that hunger and thirst for iustice for they shall be satisfied Blessed be ye that nowe weepe for ye shall laugh Therefore the pouertie miserie and affliction that the Prophete was in when he spake this Psalme and most godly Hymne hindered nothing at all his felicitie and blessing of God
lament neuer so sore yet he despaireth not but in aduersitie he hath hope and is not confounded as in prosperitie he hath faith and yet presumeth not The desperate man féeleth all troubles and no consolation is wholy ouercome with mistrust ful of incredulitie and cleane voyd of hope as Saule Iudas and others The contemner of admonition hath hope in prosperitie with al presumption as Cain and Pharao and in aduersitie desperation with all mistrust diffidence The Christian afflicted calleth in faith and hope vppon the Lorde and is heard the wicked afflicted calleth not vppon the Lord but is cleane reiected and comfortlesse by Gods most iust iudgement The Christian afflicted séeth all his sinns lesse then the least mercies of God the wicked afflicted séeth the least of his sinnes greater then the greatest mercies of God The one in trouble by faith glorifieth the Lord and by mercie findeth saluation the other in trouble by mistrust dishonoureth the Lord and by iustice findeth damnation The one by troubles thoroughe faith in Christ is made like vnto the sonne of God and cannot be separated from him in eternall life the other by troubles through desperation of Christe is made like vnto Sathan and cannot be separated from him in eternall death The one in eternall life findeth euerlasting ioyes the other in euerlasting death findeth endlesse paines Almightie GOD therefore graunt vs grace in all our troubles and afflictions penitently and faithfully to call vppon him and to finde him merciful vnto vs his wretched creatures Amen The third thing to be noted in this second part is that Gods nature and mans differ much one from the other For man for the most part is no more seruiceable vnto God nor longer friendly vnto man then Gods condition vppon the earth is fortunate and quiet with the world For if stornies arise for Gods cause and troubles happen where quietnesse erst had place the men of the world alter their loue seruice and reuerence and will neither make nor medle with God nor his cause no althoughe tenne thousand idols be brought in for one God as Englishe men haue séene in former time As long as Christ had a king in this realme to hold of his part and that great liuings gaines friendship and loue of y e world rose for Gods sake they dissembled towards his worde and so long as faire wordes could please God he lacked none but now euen such as God did most for doe knowe neither God nor his word but had rather heare tenne times spoken of the falsest tradition that euer man brought into the Churche then once of Christes most holy Gospel so that now mens natures for aduersities sake be cleane turned from God How long the loue of man continueth towardes men daily experience sheweth within one moneth If a man fall into trouble for the most iust cause he that was his friend will not onely alter his loue from him but also all the notes and tokens of the same whereas in prosperitie he was assured both of friendly words and friendly workes in aduersitie he shal find neither words nor workes except words and works of displeasure In prosperitie faire lookes and amiable countenances were as common as the cart way in aduersitie there shall neither looke nor countenaunce be shewed except it be frowning and bending of browes yea and moreouer aduersitie taketh from the dissembling friend all knowledge that euer he had of his friend afflicted that if the poore afflicted although he be euen vnder the nose of his feigned friend with courtesie and all obeisance cannot be knowne Oh God blessed be thy name that withdrawest neither thy knowledge loue nor yet thy helpe from the poore afflicted but hearest them and grauntest them their godly and honest requestes as here this Prophete most godly comfortably writeth of thée For he saith The Lord shall hearken vnto me when I seeke him in the time of my trouble And also the Lord abhorreth not to be present with the afflicted be his troubles neuer so great For I am saith the Lord with him in trouble I will deliuer him and set him in honour c. Of this doctrine we learne two things The one that God hateth not the troubled man for his trouble but for his sinnes Men doe cleane contrarie for the most part For they hate the man for trouble and not for sinne For let the wickedest man aliue haue prosperitie and all wicked men will loue him for his prosperities sake God turneth not his fauour from man for trouble but for sinne The world for troubles sake will not knowe the most deare and honest friend but let the most wicked that liueth by breath haue prosperitie and wicked people will not faile to know him with beck and du-gard if he come into companie Yea rather then faile the most wickedest man aliue shall be narrowly sought out that wicked men may haue acquaintance of him But he that hath God to his friend is sure of a Sauiour as well in aduersitie as in prosperitie as the Prophet here declareth which can in troubles send ease and in quietnes continue ioyes for euer To him therefore be all laude and praise worldes without end Amen The fourth thing to be noted in this second part is the continuance of the faithfull afflicted in prayer vnto God For the Prophet saith that He lifted vp his hands all night and waxed not wearie Of this continuance in prayer we learne two thinges The one perseuerance in prayer and the other patient expectation and willing sufferance vntill God sende redresse and ease To the first the Scripture exhorteth vs that we pray both heartily and continually vnto God not because he is ignorant of our troubles but because we should throughly be brought to vnderstand that there is none can helpe vs out of trouble but hée and also that by continuance in prayer we may the better knowe and more earnestly repent our sinns that be the cause of our troubles thirdly that by often remembrance and diuers rehearsalls of our iniquitie vnto GOD we may the sooner bring both our soules and bodyes into the seruice and homage of Almightie God whome we haue by sinne most gréeuously displeased The second vertue patient expectation in troubles declareth that we be much bound vnto God that chasteneth vs in this life and deferreth not our punishment to the eternall paines in the world to come Also it maketh the minde of man to vnderstand the wisedome of GOD and also the foolishnesse of man that many times for lacke of patient expectation and thankfull sufferance waxeth wearie of his crosse and punishment and also murmureth against God bicause he helpeth not when mans wisedome iudgeth most méete to be holpen But patient expectation prescribeth God no time when to helpe nor yet meanes how to helpe but saith Thy will be done in earth as it is in heauen
vnspeakable wisedome and iustice maketh them for their sinnes aliue and in securitie of conscience to goe to hell As Pharao whilest he followed the Israelites in persequution into the red sea soudenly was drewned Chore Dathan and Abiron whilest they were doing their sacrifices God killed them in opening the earth that swallowed them aliue downe into hell Nowe this inwarde discomfort although it eude not in ioye but onely in such as beléeue their sinnes to be forgiuen in the death and passion of Christ yet we sée by the examples of the scripture that both good and bad suffer and féele this that their spirite will take no comfort But nowe as concerning outward and externall discomfort which is felt as well of such as haue the word of God as such as haue not the word of God but only the lawe of nature As we may sée in the time of the lawe of nature how Noah shewed the discomfort of all men and the destruction of the world for sinne but this discomfort did not enter into the spirites of the hearers Christ complaineth of the same that the people had both discomfort and comfort preached vnto them and yet they receiued none of them both To whome saith Christ should I compare this generation It is like boyes that sit in the streates and cry vnto their fellowes and say We haue played vpon our tymbrels to you and you haue not daunsed we haue soung mourning songs vnto you and ye haue not wept God by his Prophete Esaie saith the same All the day long haue I extended foorth my hand vnto an vnfaithfull and intractable people Meaning that what so euer he threatened or gently offered vnto the Iewes it came no further then the outwarde eare Whereof both the Prophets and Christ him self gréeuously complaine in this sort They haue eares and heare not and they haue eyes and see not Saint Paule rebuketh men also that by the lawe of nature knewe good whereof they should haue reioyced and euill whereof they should haue lamented and yet did not And to leaue off the examples of our fathers mentioned in the scriptures we may sée the same by daily experience amongest our selues We reade in the booke of God we heare by preaching we knowe in our owne consciences the displeasure and anger of God against vs for our sinnes God outwardly sheweth vs the same with many horrible plagues as by sicknesse warre sedition scarsitie enimitie and hatred by the deliuerance and surrender of a whole realme to the vtter destruction thereof into the handes and rule of a straunger and by the deliuery and giuing ouer of Christian soules into the hands and rule of the Antichristian Pope and his wicked Cleargie and yet this discomfort commeth no further then our outward eare If Asaph the authour of this Psalme were amongest vs he would say His spirite would take no consolation And this is an horrible plague that wéekely this Psalme is read amongest the Popish Cleargie and yet it bringeth their spirites to no sorowe nor féeling of God displeasure Wherefore our owne experience teacheth that there is an inward and an outwarde discomfort in this Psalme and in the rest of Gods most holy word The one penitent sinners féele and by it amend their liues and the other some wicked men féele and yet despaire but of the most part of the world it is not felt at all Whereof commeth the contempt of God the loue of our selues and of the world and the losse of our sinfull soules in the world to come Let vs therefore marke the scripture that teacheth this discomfort and pray to God that as we sée it in the letter so we may féele it in the spirite Of the two maner of consolations it shall be saide in the next verse and of the brightnesse and darknesse also in the Psalme hereafter Nowe in the trouble of the spirite is an other thing to be considered whereof the text also maketh mention that is howe the discomfort of the spirite had continuaunce all the night Whereof is to be gathered the greatnesse of discomfort For as the night is a very image of death and the bed a very similitude of the sepulchre and graue euen so is the discomfort of the spirite in the night that will not suffer the body to take rest but to be vnquieted with it selfe The which vnquietnesse of the spirite is a very similitude and image of eternall discomfort in the world to come that both body and soule whiche were created first to inherite the heauenly blisse after the fall of Adam should rest by night as king Dauid saith and after this life for sinne vnforgiuen should for euer be disquieted in the vnquenchable fire of hell Here may we learne the circumstances and causes how the trouble of the Prophet Asaphes spirite was increased It was trouble ingendered by sinne the occasion onely of al mens miseries opened and reuealed vnto the conscience by the law condemned by iustice to eternall fire and it continued al night yea how much more the scripture declareth not In the which night the darknesse thereof represented vnto his eyes outwardly the horrour of hell prison and also his bed the graue and sepulchre wherein al flesh is clad after the spirite departeth The shéetes of mans flesh after this life be nothing but earth aboue and earth vnderneath as whilest it liueth it is clad with such vaine thinges as grow vpon the earth This whole night in discomfort of the spirit declareth two notable things First howe earnestly God is angrie in déede with sinne that putteth man to such long paine for it And the next howe gratious a God he is that will not yet suffer the discomforted spirite to despaire in his discomfort as it followeth meruellously in the next verse 3 When I am in heauinesse I wil thinke vpon God when my heart is vexed I will complaine Sela. Whilest Asaph was thus troubled in spirite he remembred the Lord and called vnto him for helpe First out of this verse it is to be considered that nothing can quiet the comfortlesse spirit but GOD alone But for as much as it séemeth by the partes of this Psalme that followeth that this verse came in by occasion rather then to shewe a full remedie for the Prophetes trouble I will not write what I thinke thereof but deferre the remedie against trouble to such other verses as follow bycause the Prophete saide before that his spirite could take no consolation and that a great many of troubles followe as the Psalme declareth It sheweth that he was not able to beare the troubles of the minde alone without the inuocation and helpe of God Wherefore before he expresseth by writing al his troubles he writeth also howe in the middest of them he did remember and put his trust in the Lord. Out of this we learne howe necessarie it is
the captiuitie of Babylon with such like and yet when they be in troubles themselues these meruellous workes and mercies shewed vnto others cannot comfort themselues Of the thirde sorte be suche as knowe generally the meruellous workes of God and perceiue that in some God is particularly mercifull and from some he findeth it in him selfe singularly the mercie of GOD and from the remembraunce of Gods benefites vnto others he findeth in him selfe the working of Gods mercie and findeth in his conscience such comfort in déede that he remembreth others before him that had of Gods mercies in their time of troubles The moste parte of men consider generally that God is the worker of miracles the common sorte of Christians consider that God hath wrought miracles particularly vpon others but the verie elects and Christians in déede sée the miracles of God wrought particularly vpon others and take consolation singularly of Gods mercies themselues As we sée this Prophete meruellously declareth Gods wonders putteth the generall working of Gods miracles betwéene a singular working of wonders and a particular working of wonders The generalitie is this Thou art God that doth wonders and hast declared thy power amongst people The singularitie and particularitie of Gods working of wonders is the one before and the other behinde The singularitie is in this that he perceiued that is was his owne infirmitie that made him doubt of Gods promises yet Gods singular grace made him singularly féele perceiue that God singularly would be good vnto him The particularitie is in this that he saith With Gods right hand God deliuered the posteritie of Iacob and Ioseph from the seruitude of Egypt c. The way to consider the meruellous works of God is a profitable consideration sight of them as wel to know them as to be y e better for them For there is no man can take commoditie or profite by Gods goodnesse shewed vnto a multitude except he singularly receiue gaine therby him selfe As we sée when a whole multitude was fed meruellously with a fewe loaues and fewer fishes almoste fiue thousande people he taught the consolation and health of mans soule in his owne bloude but none was the better for it but suche as beléeued euerie man for him selfe that which Christ spake The miracles and mercifull helpe of Christe vnto others had nothing profited the poore woman of Canaan excepte she her selfe had bene partaker of the same And as it is in the workes of God that doe comfort the man afflicted so is it in the workes of God that bring men into heauinesse and sorrowe for sinne Generally the worde of God rebuketh sinne and calleth sinners to repentaunce particularly it sheweth vnto vs howe that Dauid Peter Marie Magdalen and others repented But to vs those sorrowes and repentaunce do no good except we euery man singularly repent and be sorrowfull for his sinnes For it is not another mans sicknesse that maketh me sicke nor another mans health that maketh me whole no more is any other mans repentance my repentance or any other mans fayth my fayth but I must repent I must beléeue my selfe to féele sorrowfulnesse for sinne by the law remission therof by faith in Christ. So that euerie priuate man must be in repentaunce sorrie with the true repentaunt sorrie and faithfull with the true faithfull For as God himselfe is towardes man so be all his workes and promises For looke to whom God is mercifull to the same be all his promises comfortable and to whom God is seuere and rigorous to the same Gods threateninges be terrible and his iustice fearefull As king Dauid sayeth With the holie thou wilt be holie and with the innocent thou wilt bee innocent with the chosen thou wilt be chosen and with the peruerse thou wilt be peruerse Such as followe vertue and godlinesse God increaseth with gifts and benefits such as haue wicked manners and by false doctrine decline from the truth in those God is seuere sharp And except such persons repent God wil spoyle them from all iudgement of trueth and being blinde and destitute of knowledge permitte them to the power and dominion of most filthy lustes and abhominable desires So that such as would not loue the beautie excellencie of vertue shal tumble wallowe themselues like swine in the filth vomit of sinne of the which abhominations and iust iudgements of God Saint Paule speaketh in the Epistle to the Romanes For this is to be noted looke as euerie man is euen so he thinketh of God And as the good and godlie man thinketh well of God so doeth he euill and wicked man thinke euill of God Some thincke that man and all worldly thinges be ruled and gouerned by God with greate iustice and inscrutable wisedome with all mercie and fauour Others thinke that GOD ruleth not this world and worldly things and in case they thinke he doe yet do they condemne his administration and rule of iniustice and parcialitie because God doeth as it pleaseth himselfe and not as man would haue him doe And vpon these diuersities of iudgements in mens mindes God is to the godly mercifull and to the vngodly seuere and rigorous If the spirite of man iudge truely and godly of him by and by the spirite of man shall perceiue and féele the heauenly influence of Gods spirite stirring and impelling his spirit to all vertue and goodnesse If the spirite of man be destitute of spirite of God and iudge peruersly and wickedly the spirits of man shall féele the lacke of Gods spirite and true iudgement to blind the eyes of his mind cast him self into al abhomination sinne as the iniquitie of the man iustly hath deserued Of the which thing cōmeth this that as the vertue godlinesse of godly men daily increaseth euen so doeth the iniquitie and abhomination of the vngodly also increase And looke what place and preeminence God obteineth with any man in the same place and preeminence is the man with God And suche as doe godlie after Gods worde honour and reuerence the almightie God iudging aright of Gods might and prouidence they giue moste humble thankes vnto the mercie of God that alone and none but he can teach or instruct the mind of man in true knowledge nor incline his will to godlie doings nor inflame the soule with all her powers to the desire and feruent loue of godlinesse and vertue As we sée by this prophete Asaph in this place that as long as his spirite wanted the helpe of Gods spirite it iudged doubtfully of Gods mercie and promises but when the spirite of God had exiled and banished doubtfulnesse and placed this strong fortresse of confidence The right hande of GOD can chaunge this my wofull and miserable estate with the iudgement and féeling thereof he was rapte and stricken with a meruellous loue of Gods wonders and repeated