hee was dead he conuaieth from himselfe to his members and thereby raiseth them vp from the death of sinne to newnes of life For the better vnderstanding of this point let vs examine the meanes and the measure of the spirituall life For the meanes if wee will haue common water we may goe to the common well and if we desire water of Life we must haue recourse vnto Christ who saith q Ioh. 7.37 If any man thirst let him come vnto me and drinke and r Ioh. 4.14 hee shall haue a well of water springing vp into euerlasting life Now this well as the woman of Samaria said of Iacobs well is very deepe and we haue nothing to draw with And therefore wee must haue pipes and conduits to conuay the same vnto vs and these pipes are the sincere preaching of the word and the right administration of the Sacraments As for the preaching of Gods holy Word Christ openly proclaimeth in the fifth of S. Iohns Gospell at the 25 Verse The dead shall heare the voyce of the Sonne of God and they that heare it shall liue Å¿ August tract 22. in Ioan. IdeÌ„ Caluin alij in loc Where by dead is meant not the dead in the graue but the dead in sin For so the Scripture speaketh elsewhere t Matth. 8.22 Let the dead bury the dead and Ephes 5.14 Awake thou that sleepest and stand vp from the dead and 1. Tim. 5.6 A widow liuing in pleasure is dead while shee liueth He that hearts the word and abideth in vnbeliefe continueth among the dead but saith our Sauiour u Iohn 5.24 Verily verily I say vnto you he that heareth my word and beleeueth in him that sent me hath euerlasting life and shall not come into condemnation but hath passed from death vnto life because the words that I speake vnto you are spirit and life Ioh. 6.63 that is conueying vnto your dead hearts spirit and life As Christ when he raised vp dead men only spake the word and they reuiued and at the last day when the x 1. Thessal 4.16 trumpet of God shall blow the dead shall rise againe so it is in the first resurrection they which are dead in their old sinnes are raised againe to newnes of life by his powerfull voyce vttered in the Gospels ministerie We reade of three that Christ raised from death y Matth. 9.25 Iairus daughter newly dead the z Luke 7.15 widowes sonne dead and wound vp and lying on the hearse and a John 11.44 Lazarus dead and buried and stinking in the graue Now these three sorts of Coarses as b Serm. 44. de verbis dom de hac allegoria vide eundem tract 49. in Ioan. Augustine notes are three sorts of sinners Iairus daughter lying dead in her fathers house resembleth those that sinne by inward consent the widowes sonne being carried out of the gate of the Citie those that sinne by outward act Lazarus hauing been dead and buried foure daies those that sinne by continuall habite The first day saith Augustine hee was dead by conceiuing sinne the second by consenting to sinne the third by committing sinne the fourth by continuing in sinne The young maiden lay in a bed the yong man in a coffin Lazarus in a graue The first was dead but an houre the second but a day the third foure daies After their raising vp Iairus daughter instantly walked because for her that had stept aside but by consenting to sinne it was easie to recouer and to walke foorth-with in the waies of Gods holie Commandements The widowes sonne sat vp began to speake was deliuered to his mother because for him which had actually transgressed it was a matter of greater difficultie to recouer and therefore by little and little hee came to it as c Con. de misericord Domini Erasmus obserueth excellently First sitting vp by raising vp himselfe to a purpose of amendment then beginning to speake by confessing his owne miserie and acknowledging Gods mercie lastly being deliuered to his mother by returning to the bosome of the holie Church and enioying the remission of his sinnes Lazarus came foorth of his graue bound hand and foote with bands because for him that had a d Moles imposita sepulchro ipsa est vis dura consuetudinis August ser 44. de verb. Dom. stone laid vpon him and had made his heart as hard as a graue-stone or as a e Iob. 41.15 nether milstone by making a custome and as it were a trade of sinne it was in the iudgement of man impossible to recouer And yet Christs omnipotent voyce brought him foorth bound hand and foote and brake these bands asunder and restored him againe to the libertie of the sonnes of God The f Confess Anglican art 25. Sacraments are conduit-pipes also whereby God inuisibly conueieth his vitall or sauing graces into the heart if they be rightly vsed that is if they be receiued in vnfained repentance for all our sinnes and with a liuely faith in Christ for the pardon of the same sinnes And in this respect aptly compared vnto g Cant. 2.5 flagons of wine which reuiue the Church being sicke and fallen into a swound As for the measure of spirituall life deriued from our head Christ it is but small in this world and giuen by little and little the which is figured in the h Ezech. 47.3.4.5 vision of water that ranne out of the Temple First a man must wade to the ancles then after to the knees so to the loynes and last of all the waters grow to a riuer that cannot be passed ouer euen so the Lord conueieth his gifts and graces by little and little till his children at the last attaine a large measure thereof and haue full growth in Christ The same wee may likewise see liuely described in the vision of drie bones Ezech. 37. The Prophet in a vision is carried into the middest of a field full of dead bones and the Lord commanded him to prophecie ouer them and to say to them O yee drie bones heare the word of the Lord. At the first there was a shaking and the bones came together bone to bone vers 7. then the sinewes and flesh grew vpon them and vpon the flesh a skinne couered them vers 8. â—â—en hee prophecied vnto the winde and they liued and stood vpon their feete for the breath came vpon them and they were an exceeding great armie of men vers 10. i These bones are the whole house of Israel vers 11. but the faithful are Gods Israel Hereby doubtlesse is signified not only the state of the Iewes after their captiuitie but in them the state of the whole Church in whose heart God almightie worketh his graces of regeneration by little and little First he giueth his children flesh and then a skinne to couer the flesh and afterward hee powreth vpon them further gifts of his spirit to quicken them and to make them aliue vnto God 3. The resurrection of Christ is a k Non modo per seipsum probauit resurrectionem Saducaeis sed in seipso omnibus Tertul. lib. de carnis resur demonstration of our resurrection according to that of S. Paul 1. Cor. 15.12 If it be preached that Christ is risen againe from the dead how say some among you that there is no resurrectioÌ„ of the dead Yea but ye will obiect what promotion is that vnto the godly seeing all men at the last day must of necessitie rise againe Answere is made that the wicked are raised by the power of Christ as a Iudge to condemne them on the contrarie the faithfull are raised by the power of Christ as a Iesus to saue them Almightie God said vnto Adam At what time he should eate of the forbidden fruite he should l Gen. 2.17 dye the death Hereby m August de Ciuitat dei lib. 13. cap. 12. Aquin. Dion Carthus in Gen. 2. meaning a double death as the Scripture speaks n Apoc. 20.6 elsewhere the first and the second death Naturall death is the dissolution of the bodie spirituall death is the destruction of the soule eternall death is both of body and soule Prima constat ex duabus secunda ex omnibus tota saith Augustine Now Christ as a Iudge raiseth againe the reprobate from the first death that hee may inflict vpon them all the punishments of the second death as a reward of sinne but hee raiseth his elect as their head and redeemer that they may bee partakers of the benefit of his death enioying both in bodie and soule the kingdome of glorie which hee hath so dearely bought for them Wherefore seeing on this day wee haue been deliuered from so much 〈…〉 promoted vnto so much good let vs o Chrysost Euthym. Placidus spirituallie reioyce being p Dr. Incognitus glad inwardly ioyfull outwardly q Colos 3.16 singing vnto the Lord with a grace in our hearts This is the day which the Lord hath made FINIS
witnesseth Psalme 39.6 How can he then that begs his bread but for a day promise to spend his breath in magnifying the Lord for euer Answere is made that the Prophet will not only commend the mercies of the Lord in word but also commit them vnto writing h Eobanus Hessus Vt sciat haec aetas posteritasque legat As the tongue of the Prophet is termed i Psal 45.2 elsewhere the penne of a ready writer so the writing of the Prophet is heere termed his mouth as Euthymius vpon the place Liber Psalmorum * Acts 4.25 os Dauid k Wilcox Hee doth intend to note the mercies of God and to set foorth his truth in a book the which he will leaue behind him as an instrumēt to conuey the same from generation to generation from the generation of l Euthym. Incognit Turrecremat Iewes to the generation of Christians m Hierome Or from the old Testament to the new for the blessed Apostles in their Sermons vsually cite sentences out of the Psalmes S. n 2. Pet. 4.6 Peter telleth vs that the Gospell was preached vnto the dead so may we say that the Gospel is preached by the dead For the most ancient Fathers and other iudicious authors which haue spēt their daies in writing learned expositions godly meditatiōs vpō the holy scriptures although they be dead sleep in the bed of their graue yet they sing alway the mercies of the Lord and shew the truth of his word from one generation vnto another It is reported in our o Malmesbur de gestis Reg. Anglorum lib. 2. cap. 6. Chronicles of Athelstan Parum aetati vixit multum gloriae So many zealous and industrious Doctors haue liued in respect of their age but a little yet in respect of their acts a great while shining still in their works and writings as lights of the world Or the Prophet may be said to sing euer intentionally though not actually p Io. de Combis comp Theolog. lib. 7. cap. 21. For as the wicked if he could liue alway would sinne alway so the good man if God should suffer him alway to breathe on earth would sing alway the mercies of the Lord. Hee will in q 1. Thessal 5.18 all things giue thankes vnto God r Psal 92.2 early telling of his louing kindnes in the morning and of his truth in the night season In the morning ſ Dr. Incognit Turrecremat Glossa that is in a prosperous estate when as the Sunne shineth vpon him he will acknowledge that euery good gift in him is from aboue comming downe from the Father of lights and Father of mercies And in the darke night of aduersitie hee telleth of Gods iustice confessing ingenuously t Luke 23.41 We receiue things worthie of that we haue done Hee giueth thankes vnto the Lord in both in the one highly magnifying Gods fauour in the other humbly vilifying his owne fault u Placidus Jncognitus Or because God hath inspired into man not only the breath of x Gen. 2.17 this present life but of y Iohn 3.16 Apoc. 2.10 that also which is to come the Saints are said to continue their song of Gods praise in the kingdome of glorie which here they begin in the kingdome of grace For so the Spirit Apoc. 19.1 I heard a great voyce of a great multitude in heauen singing Halleluiah saluation and glorie and honour and peace be to the Lord our God It is obiected if the Saints in heauen alway sing the mercies of the Lord then they remember their miseries on earth and if they remember their sinne and sorrow here how can they be perfitly blessed there for the Lord saith z Esay 65.17 I will create new heauens and a new earth and the former shall not be remembred nor come into minde a Gregor moral lib. 4. cap 42. Answere is made that as men in perfit health often remember their terrible fits of their former sicknesse with exceeding ioy yea the more they call into mind their danger past the greater is their delight present euen so the Saints in the kingdome of glorie remember happily their misdeeds and mishaps in this valley of teares but it is without any pollution of sinne or touch of sorrow So b Vbi sup Idem Augustin lib. 22 de Ciuit. dei cap. vlt. Gregorie the Great Erit in illa beatitudine culpae memoria non quae mentem polluat sed qua nos arctius laetitiae astringat vt dum doloris sui animus sine dolore reminiscitur debitorem se medico veriùs intelligat eò magis acceptam salutem diligat quò molestiae meminit quam euasit c August apud Io. de Combis comp Theolog. lib. 7. cap. vlt. Heauenly happinesse consisteth in two things in the necessarie possessing of euery thing which is good and in the necessarie remouing of euery thing which is euill Miserie then is not remembred of the Saints as a matter of griefe but as a motiue to ioy because they bee now d Rom. 7.24 deliuered from this bodie of death and enioy the Crowne of euerlasting life where God is to them e 1. Cor. 15.28 all in all a glasse to their sight hony to their taste musicke to their hearing Balsome to their smelling where f 1. Kings 3.12 Salomons wisedome seemes follie g 2. Sam. 2.18 Ahasels agilitie slownesse Samsons strength weaknes h 2. Sam. 14.25 Absoloms comelines deformitie Caesars empire beggerie Methusalems long life shortnes of daies or a speedie death Thus I haue shewed how the Prophet may be said to sing alwaies the mercies of the Lord in this life vnto the worlds end in the next for euer and euer world without end As for al meanes he praises the Lord with his mouth and all that is without him as also with his minde and al that is within him His i Psal 45.1 heart indites a good matter and his tongue is the penne of a ready writer All his members are for the seruice of his Maker as S. k In loc Augustine glosseth our text Obsequantur membra inquit mea domino meo loquor sed tua loquor annunciabo veritatem tuam in ore meo Si non obsequor seruus non sum si à me loquor mendax sum Ergo vt abs to dicam ego dicam duo quaedam sunt vnum tuum vnum meum veritas tua os meum Now let vs according to this copie draw the lines of our liues vsing all meanes to set foorth the louing kindnesse and truth of the Lord. l Psal 105.1 O give thankes vnto the Lord and call vpon his name tell the people what things he hath done O let your songs be of him and praise him and let your talking bee of his wondrous workes O my soule praise the Lord and all that is within me praise his holie name praise the
heart like the b Aul. Gellius Noct. attic lib. 16. cap 15. Hares in Bisaltia or the Partridges in Paphlagonia c Bradford in a letter to Dr. Hill Physitian The way of Christ is so straite that it will suffer no reeling to this side or that side if any halt in it hee is like to fall off the bridge into the pit of eternall perdition The Lord for our example hath inflicted heauie iudgements in all ages vpon such as haue not vprightly walked but halted before him I will onely remember one which happened vpon d Fox Mart. fol. 1911. Castellanus who hauing first inriched himselfe by the Gospell and afterward forsaking the pure doctrine thereof and turning againe to his popish vomite so that hee persecuted the Christians in Orleance by the hand of God was strickē in his body with a grieuous sicknesse vnknowne to the Physitians the one halfe of his bodie burning as hot as fire and the other being so cold as Ice and so miserably crying and lamenting ended his life The dew of thy birth is of the wombe of the morning A very difficult place diuersly construed either of Christ himselfe or of his gifts or of his people First of Christ himselfe and that in respect of his Godhead and of his Manhood Of his e Chrysost Hierome Augustine Euthym. in loc Idem Ambrose de fide lib. 1. cap. 6. Euseb hist lib. 1. cap. 4. Godhead that the Father saith vnto him of the wombe that is of mine owne essence before the early morning that is before the world was thou hast the dew of thy youth or birth noting his eternal generation before all worlds as is shewed Prou. 8.22.23.24.25 And according to this sense the Septuagint Interpretors haue translated of the wombe before the morning starre begat I thee If it bee meant of his Manhood it may bee f See Tertull. lib. 5. cont Mar. Iustin dialog cum Tryphon Galat de arcanis lib. 3. cap. 17. Melanct. in loc thus expounded of the wombe of the darke morning or Virgine thou hast the dew of thy birth If we will vnderstand it of his g See Steuchus Mollerus in loc gifts and grace the plentifull and abundant dew of thy gifts and gladnesse aboue thy fellowes was in thee from the very wombe But because Dauid in this verse speakes neither of the person nor of the gifts of the Messias but of his subiects I side with h Bucer Caluine Mollerus Tileman Geneua gloss Strigellius Tremellius our Diuines who reade and interpret it after this sort thy youth or new-borne people shal be to thee at the morning By the preaching of thy word thou shalt bring forth a people not only good but also great whose increase shall be so plentifull and wonderfull as the drops of the morning dew For as the dew that secretly falles from heauen abundantly couereth and refresheth all the earth so thy word by the secret operation of the holy spirit i Deut. 32.2 stilling as the dew and as the showre vpon the herbes is that k 1. Pet. 1.23 immortall seede by which an incredible number of children are begotten vnto God ouer-spreading the face of the whole world according to that of S. l Iohn 1.12 Iohn To them hee gaue power to be the sonnes of God euen to them that beleeue in his name which are borne not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man but of God This exposition I take to bee most agreeable to the drift of our text and to the words of our translation m Buchanan Paraphras in loc Non roris imber ante lucem argenteis tot vest it arua gemmulis Quà m multa cunctis gentium de finibus ad te propago confluet The Lord sware and will not repent Men as Paul teacheth Heb. 6. sweare by him that is greater then themselues but almightie God as hauing none greater to sweare by sware by himselfe to father Abraham Genes 22.16 By my selfe haue I sworne saith the Lord because thou hast done this thing and hast not spared thine onely sonne therfore will I surely blesse thee will greatly multiplie thy seede as the starres of the heauen and as the sand which is vpon the sea shore and thy seede shall possesse the gate of his enemies and in thy seede all the nations of the earth shall be blessed This oath is repeated and renewed againe vnto Isaac Genes 26.3 The Lord appeared vnto him and said I will performe the oath which I sware vnto Abraham thy father And the seruants and Saints of God euer highly reuerenced and esteemed this oath He saith our n Psal 105 8. Prophet is the Lord our God he hath alway been mindfull of his couenant and promise that hee made to a thousand generations euen the couenant that hee made with Abraham and the oath that he sware to Isaac And Ierem. 11.4 Thus saith the Lord ye shall be my people and I will be your God that I may confirme the oath which I haue sworne vnto your fathers And Zacharias in his hymne Blessed be the Lord God of Israel for he hath visited and redeemed his people c. As he spake by the mouth of his holy Prophets euer since the world began c. performing that oath which he sware to our forefather Abraham It was in the Lord great mercy to giue his word that hee would in the fulnes of time send his Sonne for the redemption of the world saying The seede of the woman shall breake the Serpents head but it was assuredly greater mercie to sweare by his o Psal 89.34 holinesse that he would performe this promise God is truth and we haue good cause to beleeue him vpon his word who made vs and all things else by his p Psal 33.9 word but yet for our better assurance being desirous more abundantly to shew vnto the heires of promise the stablenes of his counsell bound himselfe with an oath that by two immutable things in which it was impossible for him to lye we might haue strong consolation Heb. 6.18 These two things are his word and oath His word is true Psal 33.4 I quoth the Lord q Ezech. 37.14 haue spoken it and I will performe it r Numb 23.19 God is not as man that he should lye neither as the sonne of man that hee should repent hath hee said and shall hee not doe it and hath hee spoken and shall he not accomplish it ſ Luk. 21.33 Mat. 5.18 Heauen and earth shall passe away but not one iot of his word shall passe away till all things bee fulfilled And if his bare word be thus immutable then his * Quoad nos oath much more which among men is an end of all strife Heb. 6.16 Behold then here the goodnesse of the Father of mercies and God of comfort who for our sake did not onely say but also sweare
and scourge vs for our benefit Saint a 2. Cor. 12.8 Paul desired thrice to be deliuered from the buffeting of the flesh and not heard that Gods power might be made perfit thorough weakenesse And so the Lord tooke not from Lazarus his sicknesse and pouertie that hee might crowne him with a greater mercy commanding his b Luke 16.22 Angels to carrie him into the bosome of Abraham And so he suffers his seruants to be tempted and tried with imprisonment and losses and crosses for their good in this respect he is tearmed the God of all consolation 2. Cor. 1.3 of all as knowing how to comfort vs in all our tribulation a present helpe in euery kinde of trouble Nothing in the world can doe this and therefore c Iob. 16.2 Iob said to his acquaintance who could not vnderstand his griefe aright miserable comforters are ye all Againe God is the God of all comfort in that he comforts his children so fully that it is a ioyfull thing for them to bee sometimes in affliction For as the sufferings of Christ abound in them euen so their consolation aboundeth thorough Christ 2. Cor. 1.5 Touching the length of his mercy Dauid saith it endureth for euer as his mercy compasseth vs about d Psalm 32.11 on euery side so likewise at euery season it continueth vnto our end and in the end yea further in that other life which is without end his mercies are from euerlasting to euerlasting that is from euerlasting predestination to euerlasting glorification His mercies in forgiuing our offences and in couering all our sinnes are exceeding long the Lord saith our Prophet is e Psalm 103.8 full of compassion and mercie long suffering and of great goodnesse For though impenitent sinners prouoke him euery day walking in their owne waies and committing all vncleanesse euen with greedinesse yet he neuerthelesse affoords his good things in f Acts 14.17 giuing them raine and fruitfull seasons and filling their hearts with foode and gladnesse his mercie doth exceede their malice being patient toward them and desiring that none should perish but that all should come to repentance 2. Pet. 3.9 Hee maketh as though hee sawe not the sinnes of men because they should amend Wised 11.20 Christ aduiseth vs Mat. 18.22 to forgiue one another not onely seauen times but also seuenty times seuen times and Luke 6.36 to be mercifull as our Father in heauen is mercifull insinuating hereby that God is infinitely mercifull vnto sinners euen to great sinners which owe his Iustice tenne thousand talents Concerning the depth of his mercy loue is seene in our Sayings Doings Sufferings Loue superficiall is in word onely that which is operatiue manifesting it selfe in deedes is deepe but the profoundest of all is in suffering for another Now the Lord hath abundantly shewed his mercies in all these First in his word written and preached written g Macab 12.9 For wee haue the holy Bookes in our hands for comfort and whatsoeuer things are written afore time were written for our learning that we through patience and comfort of the Scriptures might haue hope Rom. 15.4 By his word preached for the Ministers of the Gospel as h 2. Cor. 5.20 Ambassadors entreate you to be reconciled vnto him vnto them is committed the word of reconciliaton and peace they be the i 1. Cor. 4.1 disposers of his mysteries and messengers of his mercies it is their duty to binde vp the broken hearted And therefore Dauid saith in the 85. Psalme verse 8. I will hearken what the Lord will say concerning me for he shall speake peace to his people Secondly God sheweth his mercy toward vs in his doings in k Psalm 103.4 sauing our life from destruction and in crowning vs with his louing kindnesse But as loue is seene in deedes more then in words so more in suffering then in doing and of all suffering death is most terrible and of all deaths a violent and of all violent deaths hanging vpon the Crosse is most hatefull and shamefull yet God so loued the world that he gaue his onely begotten Sonne to dye for our sins on the Crosse Doubtlesse one wil scarce dye for a righteous man but yet for a good man it may be saith l Rom. 5.7 Paul that one dare dye but he setteth out his loue toward vs seeing that while we were yet sinners and his enemies Christ dyed for vs. Lastly for the height of his mercy the depth appeareth in it's effects but the height by the cause moouing to mercy which is exalted aboue the Heauens according to that of Dauid m Psalm 36.5 In Coelo misericordia tua Domine Men vse to pitie their seruants in respect of their owne commoditie the which is the lowest degree of mercy for euery man if he be not a foole pittieth his very n Prouerb 12.10 beast Other pitie men in regard of friendship and alliance which is an higher degree of mercy Some shew pitie to men in that they be men not onely flesh of our flesh and bone of our bone but also created according to Gods owne likenesse and similitude which is among vs the highest degree of mercy Now God takes pitie on all things as being his Creatures on men especially being created after his owne Image but on true Christians principally being the Sonnes and heires of his kingdome If any shall aske what cause moued him to make the world to create man after his owne likenes to iustifie sinners and adopt vs for his children it is nothing else but his meere mercy that endureth for euer He loued vs when we would not yea when wee could not loue him and he continueth his goodnes not in respect of his owne benefite for hee needes not our helpe but onely for our good The Lord is gracious because gracious And therefore the blessed Angels aptly diuided their Christmasse Caroll into two parts o Luke 2.14 Glory to God on high and on earth peace God hath indeed all the glory but we reape the good of his graciousnes and mercie that endureth for euer I called vpon the Lord Hitherto King Dauid concerning the graciousnesse of God in generall He comes now to treate of his mercy toward himselfe in particular the which is applyed by Diuines vnto the p Augustine Mollerus Church and q Caluin Placidus Tileman Agellius Christ himselfe who was in his Passion heard at large and in his Resurrection he saw his desire vpon his enemies The pith of all which is summarily comprised in the 24. verse This is the day which the Lord hath made let vs reioyce and bee glad in it In which obserue 1. What day is meant by this day 2. How the Lord is said to haue made this day more then other daies 3. Why we should in this day so made reioyce and be glad For the first r Bucer Caluin Mollerus litterally this ought to be referred vnto the solemne day wherein Israel
mee in the time of trouble so will I heare thee and thou shalt praise me Å¿ Psal 31.27 Be strong and he shall stablish your heart all ye that put your trust in the Lord. Come to me all ye that labour and are laden and I will ease you Though hope seeme to tarrie t Habacuc 2.3 yet waite for it shall surely come and not stay u See Dr. Hull ser of the blessed In-mate God is like the bridegrome Ioh. 2. who kept his best wine for his last seruice First he propounds and propines vnto his followers the cup of his Crosse yee shall drinke indeed of my cup Matth. 20.23 but in conclusion hee turnes his Crosse into a Crowne Reuelat. 2.10 Be thou faithfull vnto death and I will giue thee the crowne of life First hee doth humble then exalt first he x Deut. 32.39 killeth and then hee cureth A tristibus semper sed necessarijs inchoat Deus deinde progreditur ad hilariora saith y In Iere. hom 1. Origene God euer begins at necessarie discontentments and so proceedeth vnto things more pleasing He saith I wound and I make whole I kill and giue life He saith not I will first make aliue and then I will destroy but first he z Ierem. 1.10 plucketh vp and then he planteth first he doth ouerthrow then he buildeth first he mortifieth our earthly members of sinne then he quickneth our inward man to grace Ioseph after he had worne the Iaylors iron chaine Genes 40.3 was adorned with the golden chaine of Pharao the King Gen. 41.42 Mordecai first among pages at the Court a Ester 4.2 gate was afterward honoured with the Kings ring and raiment and mounted on the Kings horse and it was openly proclaimed before him euen through the streetes of the Citie Thus shall it be done to the man whom the King will honor Ester 6.11 All which examples are Commentaries vpon our text and shew that howsoeuer almightie God punisheth his people for a time yet if they will heare what he saith he will in fine speake peace vnto them But the Psalmist addeth here by way of caueat Let them not returne againe to their follie Sinners are fooles and their faults are their follies as the Scriptures euerie where speake in the Prouerbs especially Couetousnesse is a follie Drunkennesse a follie Whoredome a follie Atheisme follie Idolatrie follie God in his Sonne speaketh vnto his people peace but let them take heed that they returne not againe to their follie like the b 2. Pet. 2.22 sowe to the wallowing in mire and the dogge to his own vomite c John 5.14 Behold thou art now made whole sinne no more lest a worse thing come vnto thee Tnou doest euery day beg of our heauenlie Father that his kingdome may come looke then vnto the next clause that his will may be done in earth as it is in heauen Mercie and truth are met together d Tileman Bucer Vatablus When as Gods people heare what he saith vnto them in his holy word then all things are full of mercie truth righteousnesse and peace then the land shall giue her increase that is the Church abound with these good fruites of faith e Genebrard Tremel Wilcox Some say that these vertues meete together and kisse but in diuers subiects As for example mercy from God and truth from men as if hee should say God will turne his owne iustice toward his people into mercie and their hypocriticall hearts and foule hands into sound and sincere dealing and so righteousnesse and peace kisse The righteousnesse of God in executing his promises faithfully breeds in his people peace of conscience to their endlesse comfort Other affirme that these vertues meete together in one subiect and that in God Man Christ God and man They meete together in God for all the pathes of the Lord are mercie and truth Psalm 25.9 f Agellius Bellarm. in Psal 24. mercie in making and truth in keeping his promise to his people Saint g Rom. 15.8 Paul saith Iesus Christ was a minister of the Circumcision for the truth of God to confirme the promises made vnto the Fathers and that the Gentiles might glorifie God for his mercie God promised his Sonne vnto the h Rom. 9.4 Iewes and he gaue him in the i Galat. 4.4 fulnes of time to bee both a k Luke 2.32 light to the Gentiles and glorie of his people Israel l Hierome Augustine Turrecremat Herein shewing his mercie more principally to the Gentiles his truth vnto the Iewes and so his mercie and truth embraced each other in that hee made m Ephes 2.14 both people but one to wit one flock in n Iohn 10.16 one sheepfold vnder one shepheard If we take truth and righteousnes for Gods iustice in punishing mercie and peace for his gratiousnesse in pardoning yet they meete together in all his waies vnto such as keepe his couenant and his testimonies For as the o Prou. 12.10 mercies of the wicked are full of crueltie so the very iudgements of God vpon his seruants are full of mercie In his p Habacuc 3.2 wrath he remembers pitie punishing a little that he may pardon a great deale destroying the flesh only to saue the spirit 1. Cor. 5.5 q Bernard serm cont vitium ingrat Misericordiae res est aliquando subtrahere misericordiam It was good for Ioseph that he was a captiue good for Naaman that he was a leper good for Bartimaeus that he was blinde good for Dauid that he was in trouble r Fox Martyr fol. 1476. Bradford thanked God more of his prison then of any parlour or pleasure Å¿ Rom. 8.28 All things are for the best vnto the faithfull And so Gods mercie and truth are met together righteousnesse and peace haue kissed each other his mercy being iust and his iustice mercifull But God in giuing his only Sonne vnto the world more abundantly shewed his mercie and iustice kissing one another His iustice requires t Ezech. 18.20 that euery soule that sins should dye but his mercie desires not the death of a sinner Ezech. 33.11 Hee therefore gaue his Sonne to dye for our sinnes and to rise againe for our iustification and so both his iustice is satisfied and sinners are saued In Christs aduent mercie and truth are met together righteousnesse and peace haue kissed each other u Serm. 1. de annun Dom. Bernard hath a pretie Dialogue to this purpose betweene righteousnes and truth on the one side mercie and peace on the other part contending about the redemption of mankinde Christ our blessed Messias and Mediatour ended the quarrel at his comming and made them all exceeding kinde kissing friends for in giuing himselfe a x 1. Tim. 2.6 ransome for all men he did at once pay both vnto Iustice her debt and grant vnto Mercie her desire 2. Righteousnes and peace meete together in man so
Saint y Jn loc Augustine expounds it an vniust man is full of quarrels like Ishmael z Gen. 16.12 euery mans hand is against him and his hand against euery man but he which is righteous and giueth euery man his due shall haue peace so much as is a Rom. 12.18 possible with all men especially with his own selfe and soule Righteousnes and peace are so neere so deare that thou canst not haue the one without the other Vnam vis alteram non facis happily thou wouldest enioy peace but thou wilt doe no iustice The b Virgil Poet could say Pacem te poscimus omnes interroga quoth c Vbisup Augustine omnes homines vultis pacem vno ore respondet totum genus hominum opto cupio volo amo Well then if thou desire peace do iustice for peace saith I am a friend only to such as loue my friend d Psal 34.12 What man is hee that lusteth to liue and would faine see good daies keep thy tongue from euil and thy lips that they speake no guile eschew euill and doe good seeke peace and ensue it Nay thou need not seeke it for it will of it selfe come to kisse her sister Righteousnesse e Basilius Agellius If men haue truth and righteousnesse God will affoord mercie and peace So the Prophet expressely Keepe innocencie and take heede vnto the thing that is right for that shall bring a man peace at the last Psal 37.38 At the first happily thou maist haue warre with vngodly men of this world for f Bradford apud Fox Martyr fol. 1491. doe well and heare ill is written on heauens doore but hereafter at the last assuredly thou shalt haue peace to thy soule g Tileman Tremellius Or righteousnes and peace meete in euery true beleeuer because being iustified by faith wee haue peace toward God through Iesus Christ our Lord Rom. 5.1 3. Righteousnes and peace meete in Christ God and man for by these two h D. Incognitus in loc some Diuines vnderstand the old Testament and the new The Law doth exact iustice requiring of a malefactor i Exod. 21.24 eye for eye tooth for tooth hand for hand foote for foote but the Gospell is full of mercie and peace saying vnto the sinner who truly repenteth him of his sinnes and vnfainedly beleeues the word of promise k Matth. 9.2.22 Sonne be of good comfort thy sinnes are forgiuen thee Daughter be of good cheere thy faith hath made thee whole l Mark 10.52 Goe thy way thy beleefe hath saued thee m Iohn 5.14 Behold thou art now made whole sin no more These two Testaments meete together in Christ as in their proper center they kissed each other on this day because the Gospell performed what the Law promised n Euthym. Or hee shewed truth in his words and mercie in his workes o Iob. 17.6.17 Hee deliuered the will of God vnto men and his word is truth Hee made the p Matth. 11.5 blinde to see the lame to go the deafe to heare he cleansed the lepers he cured the sicke he raised vp the dead and these without question are workes of mercie Or by these two vertues vnderstand q Euthym. Christs two natures his diuine nature by mercie hauing r Matth. 9.6 power to forgiue sinnes and to heale ſ Matth. 8.16 all manner of sicknesse by truth his humane nature 1. For that hee had true flesh and not as Heretikes imagined a phantasticall bodie 2. For that he was a man after Gods owne image t Ephes 4.24 created in righteousnes and true holinesse he was blamelesse and vndefiled Heb. 7.26 he knew no sinne 1. Cor. 5.21 hee did no wickednesse neither was any deceit in his mouth Esay 53.9 and so truth and mercie met together in the personall vnion of his two natures And this exposition is more probable by the next verse Truth shall florish out of the earth and righteousnes hath looked downe from heauen Christ is truth as he u Joh. 14.6 saith of himselfe I am the way the truth c. and Christ is our righteousnes 1. Corinth 1.30 x Hierome Arnobius Agellius Now Christ as man and borne of the Virgine Mary budded out of the earth and as God hee looked downe from heauen That men might bee iustified by grace from heauen it pleased him on this day to bud out of the earth in the words of S. y Jn loc Augustine Vt iustitia prospiceret de caelo id est vt iustificarentur homines diuinâ gratiâ veritas nata est de Maria Virgine vt possit pro illis iustificandis offerri sacrificium sacrificium passionis sacrificium crucis vnde offerret sacrificium pro peccatis nostris nisi moreretur quomodo autem moreretur nisi carnem indueret quomodo carnem indueret nisi veritas de terra oriretur z Genebrard Other otherwise when righteousnesse that is Gods grace lookes downe from heauen then truth among men florisheth vpon earth a Placidus Parmen Or before Christs comming the whole world was full of vntruths all the Gentiles adored false gods and many Iewes worshipped the true God falsely But the Sunne of righteousnesse appearing in our Horizon b 1. Pet. 2.9 called vs out of darknesse into marueilous light teaching that onely c 1. Kings 18.39 the Lord is God and that an d 1. Cor. 8.4 Idoll is nothing and so truth florisheth out of the earth and righteousnesse hath looked downe from heauen e Augustine Tileman Or truth springs out of the earth and righteousnesse lookes downe from heauen when a sinner humblie confesseth his faults vnto God according to that of Saint f 1. Epist 1.8.9 Iohn If wee say that wee haue no sinne wee deceiue our selues and truth is not in vs if wee acknowledge our sinnes he is faithfull and iust to forgiue vs our sinnes and to cleanse vs from all vnrighteousnes g Bellarmine Or the diuine iustice manifested it selfe from heauen in Christs springing out of the earth For hereby we know the h Rom. 1.18 wrath of God is reueiled from heauen against all vngodlinesse and vnrighteousnesse because nothing could expiate the sinnes of men but the death of Gods owne and onely Sonne hee budded out of the earth and was buffeted vpon the earth and buried vnder the earth and all this and more then this he did suffer and doe for our redemption and ransome i Paulinus epist lib. 1. epist 4. Quid illi pro malis meis quae pertulit quid pro bonis suis quae contulit referam quid pro suscepta carne quid pro alapis quid pro flagellis pro cruce obitu sepultura rependam esto reddamus crucem pro cruce funus pro funere numquid poterimus reddere quod ex ipso per ipsum in ipso habemus omnia c. reddamus
ergo amorem pro debito charitatem pro munere animum affectum Domino impendamus soluimus PSALM 89. My song shall be alway of the louing kindnesse of the Lord c. THis one short verse containes the summarie pith and k Bellarmin argument of the whole long Psalme wherein obserue the Songs dittie the louing kindnesse and truth of the Lord manifested vnto the whole world generally to Dauids house that is the Church especially Singers duty magnifying the mercies of God alwaies euen from one generation to another And by all meanes with his mouth for that is expressed in this vers with his mind for that is implied in the next I haue said c. l Geneua glosse Wilcox that is beleeued it in my heart and therefore spake it with my tongue Psalm 116.10 For out of the harts abundance the mouth speaketh Mat. 12.34 My song shall be alwaies of the louing kindnesse Or as other translations I will sing the mercies of the Lord his m Vatablus manifold and sundrie mercies as if he should say wee haue tasted of more then of one yea wee haue felt all his mercies I will therefore praise the same for euer I will sing his mercy for creating this vniuerse which is n Io. de combis compend theolog lib. 2. cap. 2. Macrocosmus a great world and for making man which is Microcosmus a little world 1. My song shall set forth his kindnesse for that he gaue me being 2. For adding to my being life which he denieth vnto stones 3. To life sense which hee denieth vnto plants 4. To sense speech and vnderstanding which he denieth vnto bruit beasts I haue great cause to praise the Lord for that I am a man and yet greater for that I am a sound man hauing a due portion of wit and a true proportion of limbs and lineaments maimed neither in the powers of my soule nor in the parts of my body Some men are like the carued images of Pagans and Papists o Psal 135.16 hauing mouthes and speak not eyes and see not eares and heare not feete and walke not hands and handle not I will therfore sing of thy mercies O Lord for giuing vnto me perfect limbes and perfect vse therof eyes to see tongue to speake eares to heare feet to walke I do not want so much as the left hand or the little finger of that hand or the least ioynt of that finger Againe some men are maimed in their minds as being either borne starke fooles O heauie punishment or else for abusing their good wits in bad workes are by Gods secret and seuere iudgement bereft of their intellectuals Some which haue heretofore worshipped Christ at Bethlem haue preached also Christ vnto the King and his Court in Bethel are now lunaticke bound hand and foote in Bedlem p Fatius de mortificatione cap. 2 In nature the middle participates euer with his extreames as the spring which is the middle betweene winter and summer hath as you know part of the winters cold and part of the summers heate and the morning which is the middle betweene night and day hath a little darknesse of the night and a little light of the day so man is created by God tanquam medius inter angelum brutū a middling betweene an Angell and a brute being a good deale better then a beast and a little q Psalm 8.5 lower then an Angell Hauing in respect of his body somthing of a bruit being sensuall and mortall and in respect of his soule somthing of an Angell as being intellectuall and immortall Now then if the spring haue not any heate of summer it is so cold as winter and if the morning haue no light of the Sunne it is so darke as night so man if he want angelicall abilities of the soule is little better then a beast as r Psalm 32.10 horse and mule without vnderstanding for as ſ Orat. de Dione Synesius said A wise man excels a foole more then a foole doth excel a beast As God is principium effectiuum in creatione so refectiuum in redemptione I am exceeding much bound vnto God for creating me when I was not and for preseruing me vnder his wings euer since I was yet I am more bound to his mercy for redeeming me for blessing mee with all spirituall blessings in heauenly things in Christ his Sonne Ephes 1.3 for his electing of me for his calling of me for his iustifying of me for his sanctifying of me These graces are the t Ephes 2.4 3.16 riches of his goodnesse and glory u Bellarmin misericordiae in aeternum euerlasting mercies as reaching from x Bernard ser 2. in ascen Dom. euerlasting predestination to euerlasting glorification O Lord I will alway sing thy mercies in promising and euer shew thy truth in performing thy promise made to Dauid thy chosen seruant concerning thy sonne my Sauiour saying thy seed will I stablish for euer So the y Hierom. Turrecremat Fathers expound our text I will euer sing thy mercies in vouchsafing to send thy sonne to visit thy seruants sicke to death in sinne First I will euer sing of thy mercifulnesse and then I will euer bee shewing thy faithfulnesse z Augustin Neque enim exhiberetur veritas in impletione promissorum nisi praecederet misericordia in remissione peccatorum And what is Gods mercy set vp for euer and his truth established in the heauens but that which a Esay 55.3 Esay termes the sure mercies of Dauid that is as b Act. 13.34 Paul construeth Esay the holy promises made to Dauid and the promise made to Dauid is briefly this thy seed will I stablish for euer and set vp thy throne from generation to generation For the Prophet Ethan here doth c August de ciuit dei lib. 17. cap. 9. Idem Euthym. Tileman in loc allude to the Prophet Nathan 2. Sam. 7. I will saith he from the Lord vnto Dauid set vp thy seed after thee and I will stablish the throne of his kingdome for euer Now this holy promise was not fulfilled in the temporall kingdome of Dauid as Gods people complaine in this Psalme from the 37. to the 45. verse It is therefore to bee construed of Christ and his spirituall kingdome Christ according to the flesh is the d Rom. 1.3 seed of Dauid and the e Mat. 1.1 sonne of Dauid of him it is true which is said heere by the Lord My couenant will I not breake nor alter the thing that is gone out of my lips I haue sworne once by my holinesse that I will not faile Dauid His seed shall endure for euer and his seat is like as the Sunne before me He shal stand fast for euermore as the Moone and as the faithfull witnesse in heauen Of him it is true f Psal 45.7 Heb. 1.8 thy throne is for euer and euer Of him it is
that Christ is our Priest for euer Happie men are they who beleeue this promise for that is t Ioh. 17.3 eternall life but accursed are such as u Heb. 2.3 neglect so great saluation Hee that beleeues not God maketh him a lyar saith Saint x 1. Epist 5.10 Iohn Nay seeing God hath bound his word with an oath hee that beleeues not this record concerning his Son doth accuse God of periurie This ought to comfort vs in all our tentations at the houre of death and in the day of iudgment For albeit we haue sinned against heauen and against earth against God in heauen against our brethren on earth although our sinnes are great for their number and grieuous for their nature yet let vs go y Heb. 4.16 boldly to the throne of grace that we may receiue mercy For as much as wee haue such an high Priest as is touched with a feeling of our infirmities and saith z Mat. 9.13 I am not come to call the righteous to repentance but sinners and sweareth a Ezech. 33.11 as I liue I desire not the death of a sinner let not any despaire b Ferus postil ser 5. in Dom. septuages though he haue denied Christ as Peter and betrayed Christ as Iudas and crucified Christ as Pilate And will not repent The passions of men are ascribed to God secundum effectum as c 1. part quaest 21. art 3. Aquine speakes but not secundum affectum And so the Scripture speaking d Rom. 6.19 grossely to mans vnderstanding saith that the spirit is e Ephes 4.30 grieued that the Lord f Gen. 6.6 repented he had made man and g 1. Sam. 15.11 Saul King and Ionah 3.10 God repented of the euil that he had said that he would doe to Nineueh The Lord in his secret counsell is yesterday and to day and the same also for euer Heb. 13.8 But vnto vs men in his reuealed word hee seemes to put on affections of anger and griefe h Placid parmen behauing himselfe as one who repents and grieues Againe God speakes in his reuealed word somtimes conditionally somtimes absolutely His sentence concerning the destruction of Nineueh was only conditionall if they did not repent according to that of the i Psal 7.13 Psalmist If a man will not turne then hee will whet his sword And therefore when the Lord saw the workes of the men of Nineueh that they turned from their euill waies he turned away his wrath from them Et sic Deus as one pithily non vertitur sed auertitur orationibus nostris But when Almighty God speakes absolutely thou are my sonne and as in our text categorically thou art a Priest for euer c. he will not repent nor k Psal 89.34 alter the thing which is gone out of his mouth See S. Augustine de diuersis quast ad Simplicium lib. 2. quaest 2. Rupert Caluin in caput 3. Ionae Augustin D. Incognit Bellarmin alios in loc Thou art a Priest for euer The Lord teacheth vs how wee should sweare by precept and paterne By precept Ierem. 4.2 Thou shalt sweare in truth in iudgment and in righteousnesse Where l Hierom. in loc Thomas 22â— quaest 89. art 3. Diuines obserue that these three vertues ought to bee the companions of all our oathes Iudgment forbids all rash idle swearing truth all lying and false swearing righteousnesse all blasphemous and vngodly swearing by the creatures God according to this precept sweareth himselfe heere hee sweares in righteousnesse as swearing by himselfe being both omnipotent and omni-scient in truth for that hee will not repent in iudgement saying to his Sonne thou art a Priest for euer m Agelsius in loc When he spake before of Christs kingdome he said onely sit thou at my right hand but now treating of Christs Priesthood hee sweares n Caluin in loc insinuating that the priesthood of Christ is of exceeding great consequence for the Lord instructing vs how we may sweare by his owne example sweares not in any trifling case but for the confirmation of a serious and necessarie truth of a most high nature Let vs examine therefore how Christ is a Priest for ouer An high Priest as the o Heb. 5.1 Scripture defineth is a person called of God from among men that hee may offer both gifts and sacrifices vnto God for the sins of men Such an high Priest is Christ immediately called of God in that he said thou art a Priest and hee gaue himselfe for vs to be both an p See epist 3. Sund in Lent offering and a sacrifice of a sweet smelling sauour to God Ephes 5.2 q 1. Ioh. 2.2 He is the reconcillation for our sins and as an aduocate with the Father in the Court of heauen euer pleading the merit of his oblation and obedience the sole mediator betweene God and man 1. Tim. 2.5 and he is a Priest for euer because with one offering hee consecrated for euer them that are sanctified Heb. 10.14 The powerfull operation of his passion endureth for euer being the r Apoc. 13.8 Lambe slaine from the beginning of the world and bleeding as it were to the worlds end Saint Paul in his Epistle to the Hebrewes hath vnfolded this part of our text so fully that as Å¿ Jn loc Hierome speaks it is superfluous to bring an after or other interpretation I will here rest onely in his Commentatarie consisting of two points especially the 1. Shewing the difference betweene the Priesthood of Aaron and Christ 2. Describing the resemblance betweene the Priesthod of Christ and Melchisedech 1. The Priesthood of Aaron with all the sacrifices and ceremonies belonging thereunto was nothing else but a type of things to come the t Heb. 9. tabernacles and holy places were figures of the true Sanctuarie the diuers washings and other carnall rites were similitudes of heauenly things In a word the whole Law had the shadow of good things to come but not the very substance of the things Hebr. 10.1 But Christ is the u Coloss 2.17 body of the shadow and his Priesthood the truth of Aarons type Ioh. 1.17 The Law was giuen by Moses but grace and truth came by Iesus Christ as being our onely Priest appeasing the wrath of God and taking away the sinnes of the world for x Act. 4.12 among men there is giuen no other name vnder heauen whereby wee must bee saued And therefore the holy Fathers in their killing of beasts and sprinkling of blood had euer an eye to the sheadding of Christs blood on the Crosse beleeuing that his blood should y 1. Ioh. 1.7 cleanse them from all their sinnes and z Heb. 9.12.13 not the blood of goates and calues and buls And the Prophets in their Sermons vsually taxe their hypocrisie who neglecting spirituall deuotions and faith in Christ onely rested and trusted in outward oblations a Esay 1.11
passages as they follow the chase And therefore hee shall lift vp his head as hauing a full victorie to his aduancement and exceeding glorie for so this manner of speech is vsed Gen. 40.13.20 PSALME 132. Lord remember Dauid and all his troubles c. THis hymne consists of two parts a Prayer for the Prince Priests people with a commemoratiō of their zeale to Gods holie worship and seruice from the 1. to the 11. verse Promise made by God particularly to Dauid and his seede as also generally to the whole Church as the ground of the prayer from vers 11. to the Psalmes end The penner of this Psalme prayes for the y Bucer Wilcox King first as the chiefe Lord remember Dauid And then afterward for his state both z Luther Mollerus Strigellius Ecclesiasticall and Ciuill the Church and Common-weale The Church Arise O Lord into thy resting place that is thy Temple let thy Priests bee clothed with righteousnes The a Tileman Common-weale Let thy Saints sing with ioyfulnes c. The which is answerable to the Suffrages in our Liturgie Indue thy Ministers with righteousnes and make thy chosen people ioyfull And happily the Church of England aimed at this Prayers order in the composition of the Letanie where praying more particularly wee beseech God in the first place to blesse our most gracious King and gouernour In the next to blesse the whole Clergie Bishops Pastors and Ministers and then all degrees of the Laitie superiours as the Counsell Nobilitie Magistrates and inferiours all the people Satan is called by b Iohn 8.44 Christ a lyar and a murtherer from the beginning euer busily labouring to destroy both our soule with vntruths and our bodies with murthers c Luther in loc Against these two policies and kingdomes of the Diuell almightie God hath erected other two kingdomes the politike state to fight against murthers and the Priesthood to fight against false doctrine and heresies So that Dauid and all other Kings in gouerning the Common-wealth ought to performe their best endeuours that their subiects may leade a d 2. Tim. 2.2 quiet and a godly life Quiet as being free from mutinies and murthers godly as being free from heresies and lyes And these two kingdomes although they be farre vnlike are so ioyned together that the one cannot stand without the other For where politike peace is wanting there pietie cannot bee maintained without great danger and where the word of God is wanting there can bee no sound and secure peace Policie serueth the Church and the Church preserueth policie The Priests and Preachers are said in the 17. verse of this Psalme to be deckt with saluation that is the ministration of the word whereby they e 1. Tim. 4.16 saue themselues and those that heare them And in this respect called f Caluin Ribera Vatablus in Obad. sauiours Obadiah 21. as being helpers and labourers together with God who saueth 1. Cor. 3.9 But that part of this Hymne concerning the promise concerneth our present feast especially The Lord hath made a faithfull oath vnto Dauid c. The Papists in the first verse Lord remember Dauid with all his afflictions and in the tenth verse for thy seruant Dauids sake turne not away the presence of thine annoynted dreame that Salomon and the people did pray to God that he would heare them at Dauids intercession and for his merits and thereupon establish inuocation of Saints and praying to the dead But our g Luther Mollerus Caluin Tileman Strigellius Diuines answere that Dauid is not here to bee taken absolutely for his person onely but as hauing the couenant and clothed as it were with the promises of God For Dauid neuer entreated God to be heard for his owne merits but on the contrary crieth h Psal 143.2 Enter not into iudgement with thy seruant for in thy sight shall no man liuing be iustified Neither did the Church here desire to be heard for Dauids sake but for the promise made to Dauid And their meaning is briefly this O Lord God we pray vnto thee for the kingdome not counting our selues in any sort worthie that we should be heard but as i Dan. 9.18 Daniel speakes we present our supplications before thee trusting in thy great and tender mercies and in that thou hast promised to Dauid to wit that our kingdome shall endure for euer So Moses prayed k Bxod. 32.13 Deut. 9.27 Remember Abraham Isaac and Israel thy seruants to whom thou swarest by thine owne selfe He doth not inuocate Abraham Isaac and Iacob as the Papists imagine fondly but hee doth alleage Gods holy couenant made to them as touching their seed and posteritie For how could God be put in minde of these promises better then by reciting those persons to whom God hath made thē Here then is a notable president for vs that when we pray we should appeare before the seate of God as wretched and miserable sinners not trusting vpon our owne merit but clothed as you would say with his mercie not as he who bragged l Luke 18.12 I fast twice in the weeke I giue tithe of all that euer I possesse but as he who said Lord remember thy promises for the promises of God are nothing else but mercies and compassions offered freely vnto vs in Christ Faith is necessarily required in prayer for m Rom. 10.14 how shall any call on him in whō they haue not beleeued and faith is grounded euer vpon the sure promises of God who saith n Exod. 20.5 I am the Lord thy God and so loued the world that he gaue his o Iohn 3.16 only begotten sonne in p Matth. 3.17 whom he is well pleased If then hee giueth himselfe to be our owne and his sonne to be our owne how shall hee not with himselfe and his sonne q Rom. 8.32 giue vs all things also Verily verily saith our blessed Sauiour that euer spake veritie whatsoeuer ye shall aske the Father in my name he will giue it you Ioh. 16.23 These things ought to be taught diligently because Gods holie promises are the r Luther in loc chiefe part of the Scripture the true bosome and wombe wherein the Church is carried and all her children the faithfull Now the promise mentioned here touching the seed of Dauid is categoricall and absolute so farre forth as it concernes Christ of the fruit of thy body will I set vpon thy seat for euermore But as it concernes other of Dauids house ſ Placidus Luther Mollerus Genebrard hypothetical and conditional if thy children will keepe my couenant c. In that which is promised and prophecied touching Christ obserue The Manner of the promise the Lord hath made a faithfull oath vnto Dauid and he shall not shrinke from it vers 11. The matter of the promise 1. That the Messias is to bee borne of Dauids seed of the fruit of thy body 2. That the Messias
is to sit on Dauids seate shall I set vpon thy seate The Lord hath made a faithfull oath Men vse to sweare by him that is greater then themselues Hebr. 6.16 that is by God and that for t Caluin Maâ—lorat in Heb. 6.16 three causes especially 1. Because God is greater then themselues in credit 2. Greater then themselues in knowledge 3. Greater then themselues in power Men by sinne haue lost their credit and therefore doe they pawne the credit of God which is truth it selfe and in cases of necessity for want of other sufficient proofe God is content to pledge his truth for honest men who meane well All men are by nature u Psal 116.10 Psalm 62.9 lyars and x Mark 10.18 onely God is good and true wherefore men vse to sweare by him as being greater in y Primasius Lombard in Heb. 6. credit 2. An oath is for the manifestation of a secret truth or intention of the heart for to sweare in things apparant is to take the name of God in vaine But God alone is the searcher of the z 2. Chron. 6.30 heart and a Psalm 7.10 reines and therefore men vse to sweare by him as greater in b See Thomas 22 a. quaest 89. art 1. knowledge 3. If a man violate his oath and forsweare himselfe the wrong is done directly vnto God his truth is falsified his witnesse abused his name blasphemed and therfore men sweare by him as being greater in power c 2. King 2.23 that he may take vengeance on such wretches as dare wrong his sacred Maiesty But God as hauing none greater to sweare by sware by himselfe to father d Gen. 22.16.18 Abraham in thy seed all the nations of the earth shall be blessed This oath is renued againe to Isaac Gen. 26.3 and repeated often vnto Dauid 2. Sam. 7.12.13 and 1. Chron. 17.12 and 2. Chron. 6.16 and remembred also by the Prophets Esay 55.3 Psalm 89.34 It was in him exceeding rich mercy to giue his bare word that he would in the fulnesse of time giue his only begotten Sonne for the redemption of the world saying the seed of the woman shall breake the serpents head but it was vndoubtedly greater mercy for his seruants better assurance to bind his promise with a faithfull oath swearing by his holinesse that hee will not shrinke from it See my notes vpon Psalme 110. vers 4. Of thy fruit of thy body Saint Peter expounds this of Christ Act. 2.30 for according to the flesh hee was the seed and sonne of Dauid e Lib. 3. cap. 27. Irenaeus and f In loc Augustine and g Hugo in loc other Doctours note that it is according to the Hebrew de fructu ventris of the fruit of thy belly not de fructu femoris aut renum Because thy promised seed is the seed of the woman Genes 3.15 made of a woman Gal. 4.4 hauing the materials of his body from his mother Mary but his formale principium from God the holy Ghost agent in his admirable conception And yet for as much as Mary was of Dauids house it may bee said that her sonne was the fruit of Dauids body For proofe whereof it is said that h Gen. 47.29 Ioseph put his hand vnder Iacobs thigh and the seruant of i Gen. 24.2 Abraham vnder the thigh of his master because saith k De Abra. Patriar lib. 1. cap. 9. Ambrose Christ our blessed Sauiour was to proceed out of the loynes of Abraham Isaac and Iacob For as Christians taking an oath in our time lay their hands vpon some part of that sacred book wherein Christ is reuealed so the Fathers in old time put their hands vnder the thighes of those Patriarches of whom Christ was then to come Moreouer Sonnes are called the fruit of the fathers venter as well as of the mothers according to that of Dauid 2. Sam. 16.11 Behold my sonne which came out of mine owne bowels seeketh my life Shall I set vpon thy seate You haue heard how Christ is the seed of Dauid now let vs examine how he sits on the seate of Dauid Wee reade in the Gospels history that hee l Ioh. 6.15 hid himselfe in a mountaine when as the people would haue made him a King and that hee professed openly before Pilate m Ioh. 18.36 my kingdome is not of this world n D. Incognitus Answere is made that by Dauids seate is meant Hierusalem o Galath 4.26 aboue not Hierusalem here below mysticall Hierusalem and p Apoc. 21.2 heauenly not materiall and earthly So the Lord Psalm 2.6 I haue set my King vpon mine holy hill of Sion that is I haue made my begotten sonne ruler and head ouer the whole Church of which Hierusalem is a figure Sion and the seate of Dauid are to bee construed here typically not topically For Christs high and holy kingdome is internall and spirituall not exaernall and temporall q Augustin Theophylact. in Ioan. 18. See Recognit Bellarmin à pag. 26. ad pag. 46. It is hîc not hinc in the world but not of the world By the preaching of his word which is the scepter of his kingdome hee rules in the r Psal 110.1.2 middest of his enemies and makes them all his foot-stoole conuerting such enemies as appertaine to Gods election and confounding such enemies as are the sons of perdition his Gospell is vnto the one the Å¿ 2. Cor. 2.16 sauour of life vnto life and to the other the sauour of death vnto death See my notes vpon the 110. Psalme 2. and third vers t See August in tract 115. in Joan. As his kingdome is not of the world so the faithfull his voluntarie subiects are not of the world Ioh. 17.16 you were of the world saith our Sauiour to his followers but I haue chosen you out of the world Ioh. 15.19 As his kingdome is spirituall euen so they bee u Rom. 8.14 led by the spirit in x Ioh. 2.27 all things And therefore when you come into Gods house to be made partakers of his holy word and Sacraments open the doores of your eares and gates of your hearts that the y Psal 24.7 King of glory may come in and so dwell in you and raigne in you for euermore Behold hee standeth at the doore and knocketh Apoc. 3.20 Open and obey that hee may set vp his kingdome in the parlour of thine heart It is our daily prayer thy kingdome come the meaning whereof is briefly this O heauenly father let not Satan and sinne raigne in our soules but rule thou by thy word and spirit and so build in vs the kingdome of grace and hasten the kingdome of glory The difference betweene our heauenly King and earthly Princes is great 1. Their dominions are limited and the borders of their kingdomes bounded their people numbred the time of their raigne prescribed But Christ hath
the world that he gaue his only begotten sonne that whosoeuer beleeueth in him should not perish but haue euerlasting life is another sweete kisse of his mouth It is q Strigellius in loc verè suauiolum as being sweeter then hony Psal 19.10 better then wine Cant. 1.1 As r Concordia duorum cordium osculum duorum corporum coniunctio Io. a Iesu-Maria in Cant. 1. concord is the coniunction of two soules euen so kissing which is a token of concord is the coniunction of two bodies Our blessed Sauiour daily proffers and offers to kisse vs if we then vnmannerly despise the ſ Rom. 2.4 riches of his goodnesse and obstinately perish from the right way he shall one day speake to vs in his wrath and if his wrath be kindled yea but a little what a t Heb. 10.31 fearefull thing will it be to fall into the hands of the liuing God which is a consuming fire If any shall aske how shall I which am a poore pilgrime on earth ascend and kisse my Sauiour who dwelleth in heauen Answere is made by Dauid in the very next clause Blessed are all they that put their trust in him as if hee should haue said To u Strigellius Tileman beleeue in him and to put our whole trust in him is to kisse him In this proposition as in all other three points are to be considered especially the Subiect all that trust in him Praedicate blessed Copula are x Hierome Not they who trust in themselues and their owne merits or in Princes and their meanes or in Saints and their mediations or in Angels or in any thing else beside y Acts. 4.12 Christ only such are free from the tyrannous oppression of Satan and sin who put their trust in him He saith not al they that beleeue him assent barely to his promise z See Placidus Melancthon Bucer in loc but omnes qui confidunt all they who confidently place their affiance in his mercies and beleeue in him according to that of S. a Ioh. 3.18 Iohn the Baptist He that beleeueth in him shall not be condemned but he that beleeueth not is condemned alreadie because hee beleeueth not in the name of the only begotten sonne of God I finde that some Doctors among the b D. Kimchi apud Bucerum in loc Iewes by him vnderstand God the Father but c Placidus Caluin Genebrard Io. Ganeius in loc Idem Bellarm de verbo dei lib. 2. cap. 11 Christian interpretors vsually referre this vnto God the Sonne making the coherence thus O kisse the Sonne for blessed are all they that put their trust in him Heere then is a pregnant place to proue that iustification is by faith in Christ See Melancthon Bucer Tileman in loc There be three kinds of blessing Externall as the gifts of the world Internall as the gifts of grace Eternall as the gifts of glorie Now bonorum omnium cumulus summa saith d In loc Augustine belongeth vnto such as put their trust in the Lord. They haue the promises of the life present and of that which is to come 1. Tim. 4.8 Mercie doth embrace them on euery side Psal 32.11 Blessed in euery kinde of blessing as reuerend Beza paraphrastically omnibus ô modis beatos illos qui domino deoque fidunt 1. They be blessed in things of this world blessed in e Deut. 28.3 their field blessed in their fold blessed in the fruit of their cattell and encrease of corne blessed in their wiues and blessed in their children blessed in their going out and blessed in their comming home loe thus shall they be blessed who feare the Lord Psal 128.5 Or if God denie these blessings vnto them it is for their f Rom. 8.28 good and so they be blessed in their crosse hauing as Paul said nothing and yet possessing all things 2. Cor. 6.10 2. Blessed in the gifts of grace both illuminating and sauing blessed with g Ephes 1.3 all spirituall blessing in heauenlie things in Christ blessed in respect of Their Vocation h Matth. 13.16 Luke 10.23 Blessed are the eyes which see the things that you see and the eares which heare the things that you heare Blessed are they which are called to the Lambes Supper Apocal 19.9 Iustification Blessed are they i Psal 32.1 Rom. 4.7 whose wickednes is forgiuen and whose sinnes are couered Sanctification k Psal 1.1 Blessed is the man that hath not walked in the counsell of the vngodly c. Blessed is the seruant l Matth. 24.46 whom his master when he commeth shall finde doing his dutie Blessed are the poore in spirit blessed are the meeke blessed are the mercifull Matth. 5. 3. Blessed in the gifts of glorie m Matth. 25.34 Come ye blessed inherit ye the kingdome c. n Matth. 5.3 theirs is the kingdome of heauen It is now theirs in hope hereafter it shall be theirs in hold See notes vpon the Gospell on all Saints day PSALME 57. Be mercifull vnto me O God be mercifull vnto me c. DAuid in this hymne o Melanct. Caluine Tileman prayeth and praiseth the Lord. First he prayeth vnto God from the 1. verse to the 8 for deliuerāce from his enemies tyrannie Then as conceiuing vndoubted hope thereof he prepares himselfe to praise God in the rest O God my heart is fixed my heart is fixed I will sing and giue praise In his praier 2. poynts are remarkable to wit a Petition Be mercifull c. enforced by his Duty for my soule trusteth in thee c. Danger as being persecuted By Cruel enemics my soule is among Lyons vers 4.5 Cunning enemies they haue laid a net for my feete v. 7. Repetition in the 6. and 12. verses as the p Tremellius burthen of the song Set vp thy selfe O God aboue the heauens and thy glorie aboue all the earth Be mercifull vnto me O God The title sheweth vs that Dauid made this Psalme when he fled from Saul into the Caue The storie whereof is reported at large 1. Sam. 24. and it is in briefe this Saul persecuting Dauid sought him in the wildernes of Engedi vpon the rocks among the wilde goates and being there in a Caue to couer his feete Dauid hauing him at his mercie would not kil the Lords annointed but only cut off the lap of his coate to shew that he could haue touched his skinne so well as his skirt and that he could haue made him as it is in the prouerbe shorter by the head so well as curtall his robe Which when Saul after perceiued his heart relented for Dauids great kindnes and he wept acknowledging his fault and taking an oath of Dauid that hee should not destroy his seede he ceased his persecuting for a time Dauid in this distresse composed his hymne the which is grounded vpon his faith and his faith is grounded vpon Gods mercie and might Gods mercie Be mercifull
gloss Wilcox storme that cōmeth goeth as it is not alway b Caluin faire weather with vs in this life so not alway foule c Psal 30.5 Heauinesse may cōtinue for a night but ioy commeth in the morning d 1. Cor. 10.13 God is faithful who will not suffer his children to be tempted aboue their ability but will euen giue the issue with the tentation e Apud Tileman in loc Athanasius said of Iulian furiously raging against the Lords annointed nubecula est cito transibit Man is borne to f Job 5.7 labour and g Iob. 14.1 dolour to trauaile and trouble To labour in his h Bernard actions to dolour in his passions And so i Psal 34.18 great are the troubles of the righteous but the Lord deliuereth him out of all If wee put our trust in him and cast all our care vpon him hee will in his good time bring it to passe that all our afflictions shall ouer passe hee will either take them from vs or vs from them and then wee shall assuredly know that the troubles of this life present are not k Rom. 8.18 worthie of the glorie which in the life to come shall bee shewed vnto vs. For as the globe of the earth which improperly for his shew of bignesse we terme the world and is after the Mathematicians account many thousand miles in compasse yet being compared vnto the greatnes of the starrie skies circumference is but a center or little pricke so the trauaile and affliction in this life temporall in respect of the ioyes eternall in the world to come beare not any proportion but are to bee reputed in comparison a very nothing as a darke cloud that commeth and goeth in a moment This as l Idem Strigellius in loc Melancthon here notably requires rather an application then an explication or large Commentarie Blessed is that man who can in al his affliction and trouble say with our Prophet O God be mercifull vnto me for my soule trusteth in thee vnder the shadow of thy wings shall be my refuge till this tyrannie be ouer past Happie man is he who can in the middest of his crosses and losses affirme truly with holy m Iob. 1.21 Iob The Lord giueth and the Lord taketh away blessed bee the name of the Lord n Iob. 13.15 though he slay me yet will I trust in him o Iob. 5.18 as hee maketh the wound so will he binde it vp he smiteth and his hands make whole Happie man is he who can in the houre of tentation hide himselfe with the Church in the p Cant. 2.14 holes of the rocke that is in the wounds of Christ our rocke and refuge in the time of trouble Yea but where dwelleth our blessed Sauiour how shall I finde him Vnto this question himselfe answered Ioh. 1.39 Come and see The Church is his q Heb. 3.6 See Cyril Maldonat in Ioan. 1.39 house there he r Psal 135.21 dwelleth and there you may finde him alwaies at home not in his mothers armes or on a woodden Crucifix but in his holy word and Sacraments Natus est Christus de virgine num quid semper nascitur saith Augustine Hee was once borne of the Virgine shall hee be borne still of her Hee did once sucke her breasts is hee still an infant and a sucking babe Once he did hang on the Crosse doth he still hang on it haec transierunt these things are past and gone But seeke him in his word for that witnesseth of him and in his Sacraments for they represent liuely both his blood and bodie His word is an audible Sacrament and his Sacraments are visible words So long as the Church had golden Teachers she needed no woodden Images but when once golden Priests degenerated into woodden then both woodden and golden Images crept in If the Queene of ſ Matth. 12.42 Sheba condemned the men of Christs age much more the men of our time liuing in the Church of England She was a Queene we subiects she left her kingdome and countrey wee God be praised sit vnder our owne vines in our owne soyle she came from the furthest part of the world wee haue Christ among vs she was moued only with his t 1. Kings 10.1 fame we both heare Christ in his word and see him in his Sacraments she cōming to Salomon brought presents wee comming to Christ may receiue rewards she came to behold Salomon a meere man wee may behold Christ God and man a greater then Salomon greater in wisedom for u John 7.46 neuer any man spake as he did greater in might and mercie for neuer any man did as he did hee did all things x Mark 7.37 well y Matth. 11.5 hee made the deafe to heare the dumbe to speake the blinde to see the lame to goe he cured the sicke and raised the dead and that is more then euer King Salomon did Greater in maiestie for Salomon in all his royaltie was nothing else but a type of this our King of glorie So that if we doe not come to him in our tentations and troubles inuiting vs freely fully Come all yee that labour and are laden and I will ease you the Queene of the South assuredly shall arise in iudgement against vs and by her example condemne vs. When z Lucianus in Scytha Toxaris saw his countriman Anacharsis in Athens he said vnto him I will at once shew thee all the wonders of Greece Viso Solone vidisti omnia in seeing Solon thou seest all euen Athens it selfe and the whole glorie of the Greekes In like manner I may tell a Christian Hast thou faith and assured trust in the Lord then thou hast more then the wonders of Greece vpon the poynt all the wonderfull gifts of grace for faith is a mother vertue from which all other spring and without which our best actions are no better then sinne Rom. 14.23 Wherefore let vs alway labour for faith as for life because a Habacuc 2.4 the iust man liueth by his faith his soule trusteth in the Lord and vnder the shadow of his wings shall be his refuge till all the tyrannie both of Satan and sinne death and hell is ouer past My soule That is my life body person as the word soule is oft vsed elsewhere namely Genes 14.21 Numb 31.40 Ioh. 10.32 1. Sam. 22.22 Among lyons An vnregenerate man hauing Gods image defaced in him is but a little better then a very vermine b Boethius de consolat Philosophiae lib. 4. prosa 3. Auaritia feruit alienarum opum violentus ereptor similem lupo dixeris ferox atque inquietus linguam litigijs exercet Cani comparabilis Insidiator occultus surripuisse fraudibus gaudet vulpeculis exaequetur Irae intemperans fremit leonis animum gestare credatur Pauidus ac fugax non metuenda formidat ceruis similis habeatur Segnis ac stupidus torpet
Matth. 23.14 Pharisies among the Iewes in old time but also whole villages and townes as k Fox Martyr fol. 859. see the persecutions of Angronge apud eundem fol. 871. Merindoll and Cabriers in the Countie of Prouince yea whole shires and countries in Netherland yea their intent was anno 1588. to deuoure this whole kingdome of England with an inuincible fondly so called Armado The foes of Dauid had teeth as speares and tongues as swords and are not the tongues of Papists answerable who terme the sincere profession of the Gospell Heresie Turcisme Paganisme Diabolisme l Sir Tho. Moore preface to his confutation of Tyndals answer amōg the works of More fol. 340 farre exceeding the setting vp of Beel Baal Belzebub and all the Diuels in hell m D. Carier let to the King pag. 47. affirming in their letters and libels that our Church hath no faith but fancie no hope but presumption no charitie but lust no God but an Idoll The foes of Dauid were set on fire and who greater incendiaries then the Papists Their chiefe Logicke in their conference was a fagot for the heretike delighting so much in fire worke that they burned Gods people by the dozen as at o Fox Mart. fol. 1738. Stratford the Bow neere London and bound them in chaines by the score as at p Jdem ibid. fol. 1389. Colchester in the bloodie daies of Queene Mary Nay their intent was on the fifth of Nouember in the yeere 1605. to burne and that at one fire by the hundreds and those not the meanest of the people but the very principals of our Church Common-wealth euen the most meeke King himselfe together with his noble consort and all their royall issue This Powder-plot was so transcendent in villanie that I may well vse the words of q Deut. 4.32 Moses Aske of the daies of old that haue been before you since the day that God created man on earth and enquire from the one end of heauen to the other if there came to passe such a thing as this or whether any such like thing hath been heard And answere may be giuen out of the 19. chapter of Iudges at the 30. verse There was no such thing done or seene since the time that the childrē of Israel came vp from the land of Egypt vnto this day The like was neuer done nor heard of in Israel nor thoroughout the world since the beginning To speake with r Habacuc 1.5 Habacuc Behold a worke wrought in your daies you will not beleeue it when it shall be told you Shall I call it a worke done no beloued as a reuerend father of our Church it was the worke of the Lord that it was not done The snare was broken and wee deliuered and they fell into the pit who digged it for vs. A worke of so great might and mercie that it ought to be had in a perpetuall remembrance ſ Exech 24.2 Sonne of man write thee the name of the day euen of the same day for the King of Babel set himselfe against Hierusalem this same day The fifth of Nouember is the day wherein we were deliuered from the Babylonish and Romish tyrannie let vs be glad and reioyce therein and sing as Dauid in the second part of this Hymne O God my heart is fixed my heart is fixed I will sing and giue praise c. PSALME 111. I will giue thankes vnto the Lord with my whole heart secretly among the faithfull and in the congregation THis Hymne may be parted into three portions 1. A protestation of King Dauid in the first verse that hee will in his owne person hereby giuing all his subiects a good t Mollerus example praise the Lord I will giue thankes and that not u Tileman Caluine Agellius hypocritically with his mouth and lips only but with my heart and that not with a x Hosea 10.2 diuided heart or a peece but with my whole heart and that both in the secret assemblies of the faithfull and in the publique congregation y Bellarmine Or I will giue thankes secretlie for the satisfaction of mine owne conscience and in the congregation openly for the further edification of my brethren 2. An enumeration of Gods admirable blessings conferred vpon the whole world in general Vpon his Church in more particular as the z Caluine ground and matter of his praise from the second verse to the tenth The workes of the Lord are great his workes of creation and workes of redemption are worthie to be praised and had in honour His workes of creation a Strigellius Turrecremat as the making of all things of nothing and the preseruing of the same frō the beginning in a most excellent beautie His workes of redemption as Christs incarnation passion resurrection ascension all which our mercifull and gracious Lord hath so done that they ought to be had in remembrance Here then obserue the reason why the Church allotted this Hymne to be read on Easter day the redemption of Israel out of Egypt is a plaine b Bucer figure of our deliuerance by Christ out of the hands of all our spirituall enemies and their c 1. Cor. 5.7 Passe-ouer and d 1. Cor. 10.3 Manna which is implied heere vers 5 is a type of our spirituall eating and drinking at the Lords table which is enioyned vs at Easter aboue al other times in the yeere 3. A conclusion at the 10. verse containing a Rule Propoūded The feare of the Lord is the beginning of wisedome e Agellius Bellarmine Expounded A good vnderstanding haue all they that doe thereafter f Wilcox Reason The praise of it endureth for euer Concerning the two former parts I haue written g See notes on 89. Psalme sermon on Gunpowder treason day heretofore much and I shall haue iust occasion h In Psal 113 118 145 hereafter also to say more My purpose for the present is to begin at the Psalmes end The feare of the Lord is the beginning of wisedome c. The which Epiphonema concludes the Prophets whole discourse touching the praise of God as if he should haue said seeing the works of the Lord are so great so worthie to be praised and had in honour so marueilous and memorable that they deserue the seeking out i Arnobius Mollerus seeing his name is so reuerend and holy doubtlesse the feare of the Lord is the beginning of wisedome and the praise of it endureth for euer k Melancthon To feare God is to beleeue in him to loue him to put our trust in him to giue him thankes and in all our actions and passions to bee ruled according to his holie lawes In a word to feare God as the l Ecclesiastes 12.13 wise man teacheth is our whole dutie concerning offices of pietie toward God pitie toward our neighbors For the word beginning signifieth here not onely principium but also
due to Christ eadem reuerentia imagini Christi exhibenda ipsi Christo In respect of these barbarismes and many moe the blessed Martyr h Fox Martyr fol. 821. Aymondus being condemned by the Papists of Bourdeaux Angeow to dye sung this hymne as hee went to the stake When Israel went out of Egypt c. insinuating that the kingdome of Poperie was like Egypt an house of bondage where the man of sinne domineering in the conscience doth impose grieuous burthens vpon Gods Iuda worse then any sore labour in morter and bricke If Adam in his innocencie did not exactly keepe one precept of God how shall Adams posteritie compassed about with infirmitie doe workes of supererogation obseruing not onely the Commandements of God but also the Councels of the Church and ordinances of men almost infinite for their number altogether insupportable for their nature Almightie God hath out of the riches of his glorie deliuered vs alone from these barbarians and that wee now continue yet free from them is not our owne warines or worthinesse but his worke only i Psal 136.4 that doth all wonders The planting of the Gospell among vs in the daies of King Henry the 8. was a great wonder the watering of it in the daies of King Edward the 6 another great wonder the florishing of it in the daies of our renowned Queene Elizabeth and our gracious Soueraigne King Iames another great wonder Our deliuerance from the Northern Conspiracie from the Spanish Armado from the Gunpowder-plot are great arguments of Gods might and mercie manifested to his English Israel In regard of all which and many moe fresh in our memorie we may well as k Septuagint Vulgar Latin Augustine Hierome other translations haue done before vs adioyne the next hymne to this and say Not vnto vs O Lord not vnto vs but vnto thy name giue the praise for thy louing mercie and for thy truths sake The dialogue betweene the Prophet and the creatures instructeth vs how wee should stand in awe of God seeing the very dumbe creatures and insensible feare before him Doth an l Esay 1.3 oxe know his owner and an asse his masters cribbe and shall not Israel vnderstand Shall vnreasonable beasts of the field and feathered fowles in the ayre praise the Lord in their kinde and shall not man sanctius his animal mentisque capacius altae m Psal 89.1 sing alwaies the louing kindnes of God and with his mouth euer shew foorth his mercie from generation to generation Shall n Psal 148.8 haile snow winde water and weather fulfill his word Shall the sea flee the earth tremble the mountaines and hils skip at the presence of the God of Iacob and shall nor Iacob himselfe o Psal 2.11 serue the Lord in feare and reioyce vnto him in trembling Shall the hard rocke be turned into a standing water and the flint-stone into a springing well and shall not our hard and flintie hearts in consideration of our owne miseries and Gods vnspeakable mercies in deliuering vs from euill if not gush foorth into p Ierem. 9.1 fountaines of teares expresse so much as a little standing water in our eyes It is an hard heart indeed q Bernard lib. 1. de considerat quod nec compunctione scinditur nec pietate mollitur nec mouetur precibus minis non cedit flagellis duratur c. O Lord touch thou the r Psal 144.5 mountaines and they shal smoake touch our lips with a ſ Esay 6.6 coale frō thine altar our t Psal 51.15 mouth shal shew forth thy praise Smite Lord our flintie hearts as hard as the u Iob. 41.15 nether milstone with the hammer of thy word and mollifie them also with the drops of thy mercies and dew of thy spirit make them x Matth. 11.29 humble y Ezech. 11.19 fleshie z Iosua 24.23 flexible a Deut. 30.6 circumcised b Iob. 23.16 soft c Pro. 23.12.26 obedient d Ezech. 36.26 new e Matth. 5.8 cleane broken and then a brokē and contrite heart O God shalt thou not despise Psal 51.17 f August medit cap. 1. Domine Deus meus da cordi meo te desiderare desiderando quaerere quaerendo inuenire inueniendo amare amando mala mea non iterare O Lord my God giue me grace from the very bottome of mine heart to desire thee in desiring to seeke thee in seeking to finde thee in finding to loue thee in louing vtterly to loathe my former wickednesse that liuing in thy feare and dying in thy fauour when I haue passed thorough this Egypt and wildernesse of this world I may possesse that heauenly Canaan and happie land of promise prepared for all such as loue thy comming euen for euery Christian one which is thy dominion and sanctuary PSALME 118. O giue thankes vnto the Lord for he is gracious and his mercie endureth for euer THis Hymne seemes to bee made by Dauid after some great troubles in the daies of Saul g Wilcox before he was King or h Mollerus Caluine Tremel else for some notable victorie gained against his enemies after hee was established in his Throne to wit after hee had ouercome the Philistims 2. Sam. 6. or happily when he triumphed ouer the children of Ammon 2. Sam. 12. It consists of 3. parts especially 1. An exhortation to praise God in the foure first verses 2. A reason of this exhortation from the 5. to 21. 3. A conclusion or application of both from the 21. to the Psalmes end In the former obserue the Time when now Parties who Exhorting Dauid the King Exhorted Generally al people vers 1. Specially Gods Israel aboue other people vers 2. Singularly the house of Aaron aboue the rest of Israel vers 3. Concerning the time now that is instantly without any delay as God helpeth vs in time so wee must also praise him in season Or now that is vpon this occasion indeed we must praise God euer because his mercie doth endure for euer yet for especiall mercies wee must inuent especiall songs and yeelde new thankes for new things and therefore Dauid here being wonderfully deliuered from a great many troubles hauing now taken his enemies l 2. Sam. 12.30 crowne from his head which weighed a talent of gold with precious stones and set it vpon his own calleth vpon his Priests and people to confesse now that the Lord is gracious All other men ought at all other times to performe this dutie but his subiects at this time principally let Israel now let the house of Aaron now Or now that is at this solemne k Bucer Mollerus Genebrard feast appoynted for the same purpose for albeit we must alway laude the Lord Yet ought we most chiefely so to doe when we meete and assemble together to render thankes for the great benefits that we haue receiued at his hands and to set forth his most worthie
were good and not ioyfull it would be tedious if ioyful and not good it might be vicious but good ioyfull together is excellent good omne tulit punctum it is a double sweete when as profit and pleasure meet it is good there is the profit it is ioyfull there is the pleasure It is like the precious oyntment of Aaron there is the sweet of pleasure it is like the dew of Hermon there is the sweete of profit As sweet perfumes are pleasant not only to such as vse thē but also to the whole cōpany so concord is not only profitable to good men which are the peace-makers but euen vnto all other in the same Common-wealth of whatsoeuer function or faction And therefore Dauid being now quietly seated in his kingdome free from warres abroad and iarres at home calleth vpon all his people to confesse that the Lord is gracious and that his mercie endureth for euer But in more particular hee calleth vpon the house of Aaron i Numb 18. that is the Priests and Leuites and that for two reasons especially First because such as trouble Israel hate most of all the Priests and Preachers of the word Secondly k Dr. Jncognit Mollerus because the Priests are the Prouosts of the people Heb. 13.7 the salt of the earth to season other Matth. 5.13 and therefore seeing they be Precentors in Gods quire it is their office to sing first that other may sing after In respect of danger and dutie the house of Aaron haue good cause to praise God more then other and to confesse that his mercies endure for euer Now for as much as m Rom. 2.28 all are not Iewes which are Iewes outward and all are not n Rom. 9.6 Israel which are of Israel I say for as much as there be many o Mollerus Caluin hypocrites as well among Priests and people therfore Dauid in the fourth verse chiefly calleth vpon such as truly feare the Lord Yea let them now that feare the Lord confesse that his mercie endureth for euer For hereby such enioy not only a ciuill and outward peace which is common to the whole State but further a religious and inward peace of conscience which is proper to themselues For when there is p Psal 122. peace within the walles of Hierusalem and plenteousnes within her palaces euery one may goe into the house of the Lord and stand in the gates of the beautifull Temple Then all the Tribes ascend to giue thankes vnto the name of the Lord to q Psal 95.6 worship and fall downe and kneele before the Lord our maker entring into his r Psal 100.3 courts with praise Then as it is in this Psalme they binde the sacrifice with cords euen vnto the hornes of the altar exercising all acts of religion and powring out their whole soule before the God of heauen On the contrarie in time of warre the Gentiles and other who know not God enter into the inheritance of God and defile his holy Temple they doe not only crie Downe with it downe with it vnto the ground as it is in the 137. Psalme but as wee finde in the 79. Psalme they pull it downe in deede and make Hierusalem an heape of stones giuing the bodies of Gods deare seruants to be meate vnto the fowles of the aire and the flesh of his Saints vnto the beasts of the field Ye therefore that doe truly professe haue greatest occasion duly to confesse Gods exceeding mercie for enioying the sweet benefit of peace For if once ye should a little while want the comfort ye reape by publike prayers and preaching in Gods house ye would complaine grieuously ſ Psal 84. Lord how amiable are thy dwellings my soule hath a longing desire to enter into thy courts How blessed are the t Who make their nests in houses and trees neere thy Tabernacle Hen. Mollerus in loc Or mystically whether I lead an actiue life like the Sparrow or a cōtemplatiue like the Turtle thy altars are the best nests to rest in Bellarmine sparow and swallow who may come to thy altars and set vpon thy Temple For one day in thy courts is better then a thousand I had rather be a doore-keeper in the house of my God then to commaund in the tents of vngodlines The reasons of this exhortation are manifold expressed by Dauid here particularly from the 5. verse to 21. but they be generally these Two Gods mercies toward his childrē In generall He is gracious and his mercie endureth for euer In particular to Dauid I called vpon the Lord in trouble and hee heard mee at large c. Gods iudgements vpon his enemies in whose name alone they be destroyed and become extinct as fire among the thornes c. The mercies of the Lord are so rich and abundant that our Prophet u Psal 145.9 else where saith his mercie is ouer all his workes And it is seene in two things chiefly 1. In giuing euery thing which is good 2. In taking away whatsoeuer is euill Now we may the better vnderstand the greatnes of his goodnes in both if wee will examine the breadth and length and depth and height thereof as S. Paul intimates Ephes 3.18 First for the breadth of his mercie whatsoeuer is good is originally from God x Iames 1.17 euery good and perfit gift is from aboue descending from the Father of lights euen the very minnoms and minutes are mercies holden as it were by Franck-almoigne And as hee bestoweth on his euery thing which is good so likewise he takes from them euery kinde of euill Bread taketh away hunger and drinke taketh away thirst and apparell taketh away nakednesse and fire taketh away coldnesse and other things deliuer vs from other miseries in this world But all these creatures are the Lords and they cannot helpe vs except hee blesse them Againe there bee many miseries vnknowne vnto the creatures as the subtile tentations of the diuell and the manifolde blindnesse of our vnderstanding and erroneous conscience from which onely God is able to deliuer vs as being the Phisitian of our soule so well as the protector of our body Moreouer as the creatures take not away all miseries but a few so they take them away not from all but from a few God alone is able to deliuer all men from all miseries and though hee doe not this vnto all yet there bee none but haue tasted of some yea of many of his mercies which occasioned our Prophet to say y Psalm 33.5 the earth is full of the goodnesse of the Lord and our Church to pray O God whose nature and propertie is euer to haue mercy and to forgiue But ye will obiect if the Lord can deliuer from all euill why doth hee not as being the z 2. Cor. 1.3 Father of mercies Answere is made that God our Father in Heauen knowes what is best for vs his children on earth hee therefore doth afflict vs