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
Israelites are the land of the Lord and the captiuity here mentioned is bondage vnder sinne so Paul Rom. 7.23 I see another law in my members rebelling against the law of my minde and leading me captiue vnto the law of sinne which is in my members O wretched man that I am who shall deliuer me from the body of this death In this captiuity Satan is the Iaylor the flesh is our prison vngodly lusts are the manicles a bad conscience the tormentor all of them against vs onely Christ is Emmanuel God with vs he turneth away the captiuity of Iacob in forgiuing all his offences and in couering all his sinnes For the blessed order of our redemption is x Bellarmin briefly this God out of his meere loue to the world quia bene voluit terrae gaue his sonne the sonne by his death appeased the wrath of his Father and abundantly satisfied the diuine iustice for the sinnes of the whole world God pleased in his sonne Iesu forgiueth all our offences and couereth all our sinnes and remission of sinne releaseth our captiuity Whosoeuer then is a true beleeuer in Christ is the Lords y 1. Cor. 7.22 free-man z See Aquin. lect 4. in Rom. 7. in this life so set at liberty that sinne shall not raigne in his mortall members Rom. 6.12 but in the world to come fully free from all corruption and concupiscence when as his vile body shall bee made like to Christs glorious body Philip. 3.21 the which is called by Paul the glorious liberty of the sonnes of God Rom. 8.21 Turne vs then O God our Sauiour Heere begins the a Bucer Bellarmin petition or b Genebrardus application of the former prophecy wherein the Church heartily desires the father of mercies that he would execute his holy promise concerning our deliuerance by sending his onely Sonne and our only Sauiour Christ Iesus into the world Where as it is said in the prophecie Thou hast turned away the captiuitie of Iacob it is said in the Prayer Turne vs then O God our Sauiour In the prophecie Thou hast taken away all thy displeasure and turned thy selfe from thy wrathfull indignation in the Prayer Let thine anger cease from vs wilt thou be displeased at vs for euer and wilt thou stretch out thy wrath from one generation to another In the prophecie Thou hast been fauourable to thy land thou hast for giuen the offences of thy people and couered all their sinnes in the Prayer Quicken vs O Lord that thy people may reioyce in thee shew vs thy mercie and grant vs thy saluation c Euthym. that is thy Sonne Iesus d Acts 4.12 by whom onely thou sauest The whole Prayer hath as e D. Incognitus one notes two parts 1. The Churches request vnto God that the Messias of the world may come and that for foure causes especially 1. For our reconciliation vnto God vers 4.5 2. For our iustification vers 6.7 3. For our illumination vers 8. 4. For our glorification vers 9. 2. Gods grant to the request of his Church in the fulnes of time Mercie and truth are met together c. I will hearken what the Lord will say The word of God is a lanterne vnto our feete and a light vnto our paths a trustie f Psal 119.24 counseller in all our affaires in our afflictions especially The Lord speakes peace vnto his people both in the bookes of his holy Scriptures and by the mouthes of his godly g Tileman in loc Preachers And therefore such as h 1. Thess 5.20 despise prophecying for some by-respects of tithes and other worldly toyes hate their learned and vigilant Pastors i Luke 19.42 vnderstand not these things which belong vnto their peace It was euer held commendable policie both among Christians and Heathens that a good thing for the Common-weale should be broached by the gratious lip of some man highly honoured in his countrie because his precept is vsually dis-respected whose person is despised And this among other is one cause why some men in Gods house during the time of praying and preaching prattle so much vnto their mates or if their pew-fellow be more deuout prate by nods and fleares and other secret signes vnto their lewd companions further off It is hard for any said Plutarch to change himselfe so much but that a man at one time or other may catch his heart at the tip of his tongue and so surely no hypocrite can so deeply dissemble but a man euer and anon may see his heart at his fingers end his wandring lookes and other irreuerent behauiour in the Temple bewray that his soule doth not magnifie the Lord nor his spirit reioyce in God his Sauiour When thou commest into the Sanctuary thou must either in thy deuotions speake vnto God or else heare what God by his ministrie speaketh vnto thee It is the fashion of worldlings to sue their neighbors for euery trifling trespasse but a true Christian is resolued here with our Prophet I will heare what the Lord God will say concerning me Now hee saith k 1. Cor. 6.5 Is it so that there is not a wise man among you no not one that can iudge betweene his brethren but a brother goeth to law with a brother and that vnder such aduocates and Iudges l Saluianus lib. 5 de gubernat dei qui hac lege defendunt miseros vt miseriores faciant defendendo like the thornie bush fleecing the poore sheepe which in a storme commeth vnto it for shelter It is the fashion of worldlings if they lose goods out of their closet or cattell out of their Close presently to rake hell for help consulting with abominable witches and other wicked agents of the diuell but a good Christian on the contrary saith I will heare what the Lord will say He saith in his law m Exod. 22.18 Thou shalt not suffer a witch to liue Shall I then forsake God who n Deut. 33.26 rideth vpon the heauens for my helpe and the Magistrate Gods deputie to o Rom. 13.4 take vengeance on him that doth euil and seeke comfort at the hands of a Coniurer by blacke Arts and workes of darknesse No Satan if thou wouldest in consideration of my little losse giue me my house full of siluer and gold or couldest as once thou diddest impudently boast vnto my blessed Sauiour bestow on me p Matth. 4.9 all the kingdomes of the world q Numb 22.18 I cannot goe beyond the word of the Lord my God to doe lesse or more It is the fashion of worldlings when their consciences afflict them at any time for sinne to see merry plaies or reade merry bookes or heare merry tales or take merrie cups and so they make the remedie worse commonly then the disease But a good man and a true Christian heares what the Lord saith vnto him in his word and ministrie r Psal 50.15 Call vpon
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
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
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
parmensis Genebrardus in loc that is they make men declare the glory of God by their admirable structure motions and influence Now the preaching of the heauens is wonderfull in n Bellar. in loc three respects 1. As preaching all the night and all the day without intermission vers 2. One day telleth another and one night certifieth another 2. As preaching in euery kinde of language vers 3. There is neither speech nor language but their voyces are heard among them 3. As preaching in euery part of the world and in euery parish of euery part and in euery place of euery parish vers 4. Their sound is gone into all lands and their words into the ends of the world They bee diligent Pastors as preaching at all times and learned Pastors as preaching in all tongues and Catholike Pastors as preaching in all townes Let vs not then in this Vniuersitie where the voyces of so many great Doctors are heard bee like to trewants in other schooles who gaze so much vpon the babies and guilded couer and painted margent of their book that they neglect the text and lesson it selfe This booke is Gods Primer as it were for al sorts of people but he hath another booke proper only for his domesticall auditorie the Church o Psal 147.19 Hee sheweth his word vnto Iacob his statutes and ordinances vnto Israel hee hath not dealt so with any nation neither haue the heathen knowledge of his lawes Heathen men read in his Primer but Christian men are well acquainted with his Bible The Primer is a good booke but it is imperfect for after a man hath learned it hee must learne more but the law of the Lord p Bucer Tileman Caluin in loc that is the body of the holy Scriptures is a most absolute Canon of all doctrines appertaining either to faith or good manners it is a perfit law conuerting the soule giuing wisedome to the simple sure pure righteous and reioycing the heart c. But before wee treate of that part let vs examine the mysticall exposition of this part of the Psalme being guided hereunto by the spirit of God Rom. 10.18 and by the direction of our Church accommodating this text to this time Allegorically then is meant by heauens generally the q August exposit 2. in loc Bellarm. de Sacramentis in genere lib. 1. cap. 25. Saints especially the blessed r August exposit 1. in loc Euangelists and ſ Hierome Melanct. Strigelius Apostles A good man and a true Christian is not only Gods house Heb. 3.16 but also Gods heauen as S. Augustine expounds the words of Christ Our Father which art in heauen that is dwelling not in the materiall heauen only but in the mysticall heauen also to wit in holy men of heauenly conuersation hauing their affections set on things which are aboue Coloss 3.2 These kind of heauens declare the glorie of God in their workes as much and more then in their words euer t Philip. 2.15 shining as lights in the world u Oecumen apud Bellar. vbi sup their whole life being nothing else but a perpetuall sermon as it were to their neighbours and so they declare Gods glorie for that other seeing their good deedes are thereby moued to glorifie our Father which is in heauen More particularly the blessed Euangelists and Apostles annunciat Gods glory the Gospell is Gods throne x Caluin epist dedit Harmon wherein his Maiestie rideth as in a chariot and the foure wheeles of this chariot are the foure Euangelists and therefore this firmament sheweth Christs handy-worke because the written Gospell is a tract of all that Iesus did and taught Acts 1.1 and the blessed Apostles in preaching the Gospell haue likewise declared Gods glorie for in teaching that men are y Rom. 3.24 freely iustified by grace what doe they but annunciat the z Ephes 3.16 riches of his glorie The Gospell is the power of God vnto saluation and if thou beest hereby saued it is not thine but Gods glorie Wherefore sing with heauens hoste on this day a Luke 2.14 Glorie be to God on high and with holy b Psal 115.1 Dauid Not vnto vs O Lord not vnto vs but vnto thy name giue the glorie for thy mercies and truths sake c Turrecremat Or the Apostles declare Christs glorie in preaching that he was and is equall with God as being the character of his person and brightnesse of his glorie Heb. 1.3 and they shew Christs handy worke in relating all hee said and did and suffered for vs men and our saluation from his Cradle to his Crosse and afterward from his Crosse to his Crowne These were the Trumpetors of his Gospel and as it were the d August ep 89. bel-weathers of his flocke whose sound is gone out into all lands and their words into the ends of the world as S. Paul interprets our text Rom. 10.18 There is neither speech nor language but their voyces are heard among thē e Euseb hist lib. 3. cap. 1. Andrew preached in Scythia Thomas in Parthia Iohn in Asia f 1. Pet. 1.1 Peter to the dispersed Iewes throughout Pontus Galatia Cappadocia Asia Bithynia g Socrates hist lib. 1. cap. 15. Bartholmew in India Matthew in Aethiopia for as h Catalog gloriae mundi part 3. considerat 29. Cassanaeus reports Aethiopiam nigram doctrina fidei fecit candidam In England as by tradition wee haue receiued i Niceph. lib. 2. cap. 40. Simon Zelotes first preached the Gospell and k Capgraue in Catalog sanct Angl. Magdeburg epist praefix Gent. 4. Ioseph of Arimathea built a religious house for Professors in Glascenbury Saint Paul howsoeuer he was not one of the twelue yet hee laboured more abundantly then they all 1. Cor. 15.10 he declared the glorie of God in l Galat. 1. Arabia Syria Cilicia m Acts 13. Antiochia Seleucia Cyprus n Acts 14. Lycaonia Lystra o Acts 17. Athens p Acts 20. Corinth Troas In a word he made the Gospell of Christ abound in euery place from Hierusalem vnto Illyricum as himselfe witnesseth of himselfe Rom. 15.19 hee was a chosen vessell of the Lord to beare his name before the Gentiles and Kings and the Children of Israel Acts 9.15 Thus all the Saints in generall the foure Euangelists and twelue Apostles and euery sound Preacher of the Gospell in particular annunciat the glorie of God But what is the meaning of the next words one day telleth another and one night certifieth another Literally dies diem dicit is nothing else but dies diem docet One day telleth another is one day teacheth another q Vatablus in loc The day past is instructed by the day present euery new day doth affoord new doctrine The r Placidus Parmen in loc day is a most apt time to learne by reading and conference the night a most apt time for inuention and meditation now that which
b 1. Tim. 1.7 vnderstanding neither what they speake neither whereof they affirme For the most part all Papists in their preaching are aliud agentes either beyond the text or behind the text or beside the text The too little learning of their Friars and too much of their Iesuites haue so wrested and wreathed the Scripture to serue their owne turne that as c De inuent rerum lib. 4. cap. 9. Polydore Virgil said of Lawyers they haue stretched Gods booke as shoomakers extend a boot See Gospell 1. Sund. in Aduent To leaue them and to come nearer our selues seeing the booke of Scriptures is the word and will of God and that a perfect law so perfect that nothing may bee taken therefrom or put thereto not onely perfect in it selfe but also making others perfect conuerting the soule and giuing wisdome to the simple let it as the blessed d Colos 3.16 Apostle doth exhort dwell in you plenteously with all wisedome It is Gods best friend and the Kings best friend and the Courts best friend and the Cities best friend and the Countries best friend and all our best friend and therfore let vs not entertain it as a stranger but as a familiar a domestick let it dwell in vs. And for as much as it brings with it exceeding profit and pleasure profit more to be desired then gold yea then much fine gold pleasure reioycing the heart sweeter also then honey and the honey combe let it dwell in vs plenteously Yet in all wisdome let vs heare it in all wisdome reade it in all wisdome meditate on it in all wisedome speake of it in all wisedome preach it in all wisedome not onely in some but in all wisdome that the words of our mouthes and the meditations of our hearts may bee most acceptable in thy fight O Lord our strength and our Redeemer Amen Psalme 45. is expounded on Whitsunday The next allotted for this our present festiuall is PSALM 85. Lord thou art become gracious vnto thy land c. This Psa may be diuided into two parts a Prayer whereof there be e Tremellius two grounds 1. The Churches experience of Gods former mercies vers 1.2.3 2. The due consideration of Gods nature slow to conceiue wrath ready to forgiue vers 4.5.6.7 The summarie pith is briefly this Lord thou hast bin heretofore fauourable to thy land and therfore wee hope thou wilt bee so now that thy people may reioyce in thee Precept consisting of two branches 1. Aduising vs in all our afflictions and misery to haue recourse vnto the comfortable promises of God I will heare what the Lord will say 2. That wee should leade a godly life lest our follie stop the free passage of these promises as well touching things spirituall vers 9.10.11 as temporall vers 12. Mystically the whole Psalme in the iudgement of Hierome Augustine Basil and other ancient Fathers is nothing else but a prophesie concerning the redemption of mankind from the tyrannie of Satan and sinne by the comming of Christ into the world prefigured by the deliuerances of Gods people from their bondage both in Egypt and Babylon Now the Prophet treating of Christs Aduent Speakes D. Incognitus in loc 1. In the preterperfect tence Lord thou hast been gracious thou hast turned away thou hast forgiuen c. Shewing three notable fruits of his comming 1. Benediction in taking away the curse from his land and captiuity from his people vers 1. 2. Iustification in forgiuing their offences and couering all their sinnes vers 2. 3. Reconciliation turning away Gods wrathfull indignation and displeasure v. 3. 2. In the future tence praying that hee may come turne vs then O God our Sauiour c. g Bacer Bellarmin Or it may be parted into a Predictiō of our deliuerance from the hands of all our spirituall enemies vers 1.2.3 for the Psalmist as prophecying by the spirit of the Lord speaks in the time past of that which as yet was to come Petition for execution of the prediction in the rest an hearty prayer that the fact might answere the figure Lord thou art become gracious The translators of the vulgar Latine reade 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 benedixisti but Athanasius and other Greek Interpretors 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Tremellius beneuolus fueras Munster benignus factus es Castalio fanisti Vatablus propitius And our English Bibles accordingly thou hast been gracious fauourable mercifull vnto thy land Here then obserue that the good will and fauour of God is the fountaine of all goodnes and blessing to his people h Ioh. 3.16 God so loued the world that he gaue his onely begotten sonne c. It was his owne loue which induced him to send his sonne and Ephes 1.3 Blessed be God euen the Father of our Lord Iesus Christ which hath blessed vs with all spirituall blessing in heauenly things in Christ as he hath chosen vs in him before the foundation of the world that we should be holy and without blame before him in loue who hath predestinated vs to be adopted through Iesus Christ vnto himselfe according to the good pleasure of his will c. Vnto thy land God cursed the land for the first Adams disobedience saying i Gen. 3.17 Cursed is the earth for thy sake in sorrow shalt thou eate of it all the daies of thy life k Hierom. Euthym. Turrecremat But he blessed the land for the second Adams obedience l Gen. 22.16.18 swearing by himselfe that in him all the nations of the earth shall be blessed The Land O Lord is thy land though of it selfe it can bring forth nothing but thistles and thornes it is thy creature wherefore m Wisd 11.21 thou which hatest nothing that thou didst make hast out of the riches of thy mercy become gracious vnto it As the n Psalm 95.5 sea is his for that he made it euen so the o Psal 24.1 earth is the Lords and all that therein is the compasse of the world and they that dwell therein for hee hath founded it c. p T. Wilcox exposition in loc Other thinke that the land of Canaan is called heere thy land because God had chosen it and hedged it in as it were from the Commons of the whole world for his peculiar people the Iewes according to that of the q Esay 5.7 Prophet Surely the vineyard of the Lord of hosts is the house of Israel and the men of Iudah are his pleasant plant enclosed vnto r Deut. 7.6 Exod. 19.5 himselfe aboue all places vpon earth Thou hast turned away the captiuity of Iacob ſ Hierom. Euthym. All true beleeuers are the sonnes of Iacob and seed of Abraham t Augustin as well the beleeuing Gentiles which are the sonnes of Iacob according to the spirit as the beleeuing Iewes the sonnes of Iacob according to the flesh and the u Bucer Church of these true Iacobins and
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
true heaven and earth shall perish and wax old as doth a garment and as a vesture thou shalt fold them vp and they shall be changed but thou art the same and thy yeeres shall not faile Psal 102.27 Heb. 1.12 Thou sweet Iesus art a Priest for euer and a Prince for euer And surely God would haue Dauids earthly kingdom to determine in Iehoiachim and Zedechia that his people might g Hoc admonet vox intellectus in titulo posita Bellar. argum huius Psalmi vnderstand the holy couenant made with Dauid of Christ and that they might pray Lord where are thy old louing kindnesses which thou swarest vnto Dauid in thy truth See S. August de ciuit dei lib. 17. cap. 9.10.11.12.13 Now the Prophet in processe of his hymne describes the natures and vertues of Christ as well inherent in his owne person as infused into his people His Humane nature because the seed of Dauid a perfect man in soule and body against h Bellarmin de Christo lib. 2. cap. 2. Eutycheans i Epiphan haeres 77. Apollinarists k August haeres 11. Valentinians l Alphons de haeres lib. 4. fol. 70. Nestorians m Idem ibid. fol. 73. Monothelites c. His Diuine nature First for that the Church inuocates him as God vers 5. O Lord the very heauens shall praise thy wondrous works and thy truth in the congregation of the Saints By heauen is meant the n Euthym. Tileman Church and the o Augustin Hierom. Preachers of Christ in the Church Secondly Ethan proues Christ to be God by comparison in the 6.7.8.9 verses Who is he among the cloudes that shall bee compared vnto the Lord or what is hee among the gods that shall be like vnto him as if he should say there is neither Monarch on earth nor Angel in heauen his peere Thirdly from the preseruation of all things v. 10.11 Thou rulest the raging of the sea thou rulest the waues thereof when they arise c. Fourthly for that he created the world ver 12.13.14 The heauens are thine the earth also is thine thou hast laid the foundation of the round world c. Hauing thus expressed his natures and shewed him to be p Alphons de haeresibus lib. 1. fol. 25. verus homo verusque Deus tamen vnus vterque He begins in the 15. verse to sing of his vertues as well in his owne person as people For himselfe righteousnes and equity is the habitation of thy seat mercy and truth shall goe before thy face For his people blessed are they that can reioyce in thee they shall walke in the light of thy countenance their delight shall be daily in thy name c. These things affoord manifold instructions according to the prefixed title a Psalme for instruction of Ethan the Ezrarite But the point aimed at most is vndoubtedly q Vatablus Caluin that in all our tentations and tempests of conscience we should flie to the sure mercies and holy promises of God in Christ If once we stay our soules on this anchor hold wee shall escape shipw-rack of faith Ethan who was either penner or singer of this hymne is by r Augustin interpretation robustus one which is strong now no man is strong in this world but hee who relieth vpon the sure promises of God The consideration of our owne merits is able to make vs faint and feeble but our trust in the Lords euerlasting mercies maketh vs like mount Sion which cannot bee remoued but abideth fast firme for euer Psal 125.1 And therefore ſ Galat. de arcan lib. 6. cap. 12. some Diuines haue construed this Scripture by that Ierem. 9.23 Thus saith the Lord let not the wise man glory in his wisdome nor the strong man glory in his strength neither the rich man glory in his riches but let him that glorieth glory in this that he vnderstands and knowes me to bee the Lord which shew mercy iudgement and righteousnesse And as the Fathers vnder and before the law comforted themselues in all afflictions and misery with the consideration of Christs first comming so let vs in the middest of our tentations and troubles bee stedfast and immoueable because we look for his second comming He deferred his first comming a great while yet in the t Galat. 4.4 fulnes of time he dealt with his seruants u Luke 2.29 according to his word So the Saints expecting his second comming crie with a loud voyce x Apocal. 6.10 How long Lord holy and true doest not thou iudge and auenge our bloud on them that dwell on earth And mockers in the last daies also say y 2. Pet. 3.4 Where is the promise of his comming for since the fathers died all things continue as they were from the beginning of the Creation And yet the Lord saith Saint Peter is not slack concerning his promise as some men count slacknes but is patient toward vs and would haue all men come to repentance z Heb. 10.37 Yet a very little while and he that shall come will come and will not tarrie Behold saith he who neuer vttered vntruth a Apoc. 22.12 I come shortly and my reward is with me to giue euery man according as his workes are The life present is so full of diseases and disasters that our happinesse is b Coloss 3.4 hid with Christ in God but whē he which is our life shall appeare then we shall also appeare with him in glorie for hee shall c Philip. 3.21 change our vile body that it may be like his glorious body d Martialis ad Burdegal epist. 8 Non euacuabitur veritas corporis sed non erit pondus fragilitas corruptionis Wherefore let vs alway be rich in the work of the Lord for as much as wee know that our labour is not in vaine in the Lord 1. Cor. 15.58 Hitherto concerning the dittie of the song I come now to the dutie of the singer I will alway sing thy mercies with my mouth I will euer be shewing thy truth from one generation to another I know e Bellarmine some ioyne in aeternum to the nowne misericordias and not to the verbe cantabo making the sense to bee this I will alway sing thy mercies which endure for euer But alwaies is referred as well if not better vnto the verbe I will sing as who would say Lord thy mercies are so manifest and so manifold so great in their number and so good in their nature that I will alway so f Psal 146.1 long as I haue any being sing praises vnto thee Happily some will obiect All flesh is grasse and the grace thereof as the flower of the field the grasse withereth and the flower fadeth away Dauid being persecuted by Saul said g 1. Sam. 20.3 there is but a step between death and me Nay Dauid thy life is shorter then a stride but a spanne long as thy selfe
Lord O my soule and forget not all his benefits who forgiueth all thy sinnes and healeth all thine infirmities who saueth thy life from destruction crowneth thee with louing kindnesse Psal 103. A good Christian is a tymbrel of the holy Ghost his whole life being nothing else but a well-tuned song of Sion alway magnifying the mercies of God in his owne person and inuiting other to doe the same But the m Psal 14.6 mouth of the wicked is full of cursing and bitternes their throate is an open sepulchre destruction and vnhappinesse is in their waies A man of a foule mouth is a beast in the forme of a man his tongue is the tongue of a n Psal 140.3 Serpent Adders poyson is vnder his lips nay worse then a Serpent for it hurts not a man except it be present to see him or to bite him or to strike him with his taile but he which hath a blasphemous and a bitter tongue hurteth all as well absent as present neither sea nor land neither scepter nor sepulchre neither heauen nor hell hindreth him hee blasphemes God he wrongs his neighbour hee raileth on the dead and rageth against the liuing his tongue is the tongue of a Fiend of a Fury For as the holy Prophets of God when they preached had their tongues as it were touched with a o Esay 6.6 coale from the altar of God and as godly men haue their tongues inflamed with the p Mat. 3.11 Acts 2.3 fire of Gods spirit when as they speake graciously so contrariwise when a man speaketh euill his tongue saith S. q Chap. 3.2 Iames is kindled by the fire of hell and Satan comes from thence with a coale to touch his lips and to set them on fire to all manner of mischiefe When as good men speak good things their tongue is r Chrysost hom 99. in Mat. Christs tongue but all manner of cursed and vngodly speaking is no better then the Diuels language Thinke on this all yee that forget God whose mouthes are so farre from singing his mercies alway that yee can hardly come in your communication vnto any full period without interlacing an oath or two It is no wonder that in Italy which is a parcell of Antichrists kingdome blasphemies should be darted out against God and his Christ ordinarily openly being made ſ Relation of Religion sect 53. phrases of gallantrie to the brauer and very interiections of speech vnto the vulgar But in England where the scepter of Christs kingdome hath a long time florished it cannot but wound the hearts of such as mourne for the sins of the land to consider how commonly not onely the ruffin at the tauerne and the rascall on the stage but also the labourer at his worke and the gentleman at his recreation and the very boyes yea babes in the street curse their Maker and reuile their Redeemer Other sinnes are clothed in some sort with excuse before men in respect either of profit or pleasure content or credit but in swearing there is neither good nor gaine nor glorie I beseech you therefore my deare bowels in the Lord instruct your children and seruants how to serue God in a liuely faith and a reuerend feare let your whole life be to them a walking Catechisme that they may sing alway the mercies of the Lord and shew foorth his truth from generation to generation PSALME 110. The Lord said vnto my Lord sit thou on my right hand vntill I make thine enemies thy footstoole THis Psalme saith t In loc Breuis numero verborum sed magnus pondere sententiarum Augustine is in the number of words short but in the weight of matter ample containing so many deepe mysteries and opposing so many dangerous heresies that as u In loc Chrysostome notes we neede many eyes for the right reading and exact vnderstanding of it If we literally referre this vnto Dauid he bringeth in a subiect or a fauourite speaking thus of himselfe The Lord said vnto my Lord the King Dauid as a King is a Lord because the Lieutenant and as it were Vice-gerent of the Lord. In this sense Paul telleth vs that there bee many Gods and many Lords 1. Cor. 8.5 many Gods in title and type but in deed and truth one God only Princes are Gods in name for saith the Lord x Psal 82.6 I haue said ye are Gods but not in nature for yee shall dye like men All higher powers hold their Scepters from the y Prou. 8.15 highest power z Psal 75.8 he putteth downe one and setteth vp another according to the stile Iames by the grace of God c. a Caluin in loc More principally Dauid who was called to his kingdome by Gods especiall grace and vsed his kingdome to Gods especiall glorie For hee was a man according to Gods b Acts 13.22 own heart turning from nothing the Lord commanded him al the daies of his life saue only in the matter of Vriah the Hittite 1. King 15.5 And surely beloued if we will in sensu similitudinario consider earnestly the wonderful vnion of these two kingdomes England and Scotland and the florishing estate of the Gospel vnder the gouernment of our dread Soueraigne wee shall haue good cause to take vp this song The Lord said vnto King Iames our Lord sit in thy throne for I haue both appointed and anoynted thee King ouer great Britannie c Dr. Incognit in loc Or happily Dauid might speake this of himselfe The Lord said vnto me concerning my Lord Saul persecuting me sit thou downe by the power of my right hand and be well assured of my protection vntill I haue made all thine enemies thy footstoole that is all such as hindred thee from thy kingdome obedient subiects vnto thee saying d 2. Sam. 5.1 Behold wee are thy bones and thy flesh So the Lord spake by the Prophet Nathā 2. Sam. 12.7 I annointed thee King ouer Israel and deliuered thee out of the hand of Saul and gaue thee thy Lords house and thy Lords wiues into thy bosome and gaue thee the house of Israel and Iudah and would moreouer if that had bin too little haue giuen thee such and such things c. But because S. Peter Acts 2.34 and S. Paul Heb. 1.13 expound this text of Christ and Christ himselfe applieth it vnto himselfe Matth. 22.44 Mark 12.36 Luk. 20.42 I forbeare to treat any longer of shadowes and come to the substance taking this Psalme for a prophecie concerning Christ in fact and Dauid onely but in figure Christ then is described here 1. e Genebrard As a King vers 1.2.3 2. As a Priest vers 4.5 3. As a Iudge vers 6.7 His kingdome is great in respect of Countenance The Lord said vnto my Lord sit thou on my right hād Continuance Vntill I make thine enemies thy footstoole c. Or f Tremellius three points are remarkable concerning his kingdome 1. His calling to this
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
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
Lord and against his annointed Wickednesse furiously raging standing vp and taking counsell together Weakenesse Implied in the word why Expressed in the clause Imagine a vaine thing 2. Sets downe Gods Might for their destruction if they will not amend their manners and asswage their malice vers 4.5.6.7.8.9 Mercy for their instruction if they will once be so wise as to learne his law and to loue his sonne vers 10.11.12 Why doe the Heathen By Heathen are meant the Gentiles by people the Iewes by Kings the chiefe Monarches vpon earth and by Rulers their z Bucer Ro. Stephanus Wilcox priuie Counsellors of Estate The Gentiles as not hauing Gods law furiously rage together like a Cassiodorus Placidus Tileman bruit beasts without vnderstanding The Greeke word vsed by Saint Luke Act. 4.25 doth import fiercenesse and pride as of horses that neigh and rush into the battell The Iewes albeit they had Gods holy word imagined a vaine thing b Euthym. because they were cunning rather in the sound then in the sense thereof The Kings as men of might stand vp and the rulers as men of wit and policy take counsell together And so men of all countries as well the Iewes as the Gentiles and of all conditions as wel Princes as people bandy thēselues against the Lord against his anointed Now this may be construed c D. Jncognit Caluin Tremel either of Dauid or of the Messias Of the Lords Christ or of the Lord Christ Dauid is the Lords Christ as his annointed King ouer Israel annointed thrice First in the middest of his brethren 1. Sam. 1.16 afterward in Hebron 2. Sam. 2. lastly before all the tribes of Israel 2. Sam. 5. and he may be called the sonne of God As a Man for all of vs are the d Act. 17.28 generation of God it is be who made vs and not our selues Psal 100.2 Great man or King for Princes are stiled the e Psal 82.6 children of the most high Good man or regenerate for euery one that is new borne is f 1. Ioh. 3.9 borne of God and adopted his sonne and made his heire Rom. 8.15.17 How the Heathen that is the Philistims and other strange nations furiously raged together against him how the people that is the Iewes of Sauls house imagined vainely to dethrone him how the Captains stood vp and states-men tooke counsell together that they might breake his bonds asunder and cast away his cords from them how the Lord that dwelleth in heauen laughed all his enemies to scorne saying yet haue I set my King vpon my holy hill of Sion you may reade in the second booke of Samuel from the 2. to the 10. chapter But the blessed Apostles haue construed this of Christ Act. 4.24 O Lord thou art the God which hast made the heauen and the earth and the sea and all things that are in them Which by the mouth of thy seruant Dauid hast said why did the Gentiles rage and the people imagine vaine things The Kings of the earth assembled and the rulers came together against the Lord and against his Christ. For doubtlesse against thine holy Sonne Iesus whom thou hast annointed both Herod and Pontius Pilate with the Gentiles and people of Israel gathered themselues together to doe whatsoeuer thy hand and thy counsell had determined before to be done g Bellar. in loc First the Princes did plot and afterward the people did act this insurrection Herod the King sought to destroy Christ in his swadling cloutes he was troubled at the birth of Iesus and all Hierusalem with him Matth. 2.3 And the Rulers opposed Christ in the whole course of his life so the text plainly h Ioh. 7 48. Doth any of the Rulers or of the Pharisies beleeue in him At his death all the Rulers Ecclesiasticall and Ciuill accorded in one The Gentiles i Euthym. that is the Romane souldiers by Pilats instigation furiously raged together and the people that is the Iewes by the counsell of the chiefe Priests Elders imagined a vaine thing Yea but how can it be said plurally that Kings assembled against Christ Answere is made by k Placidus Incognitus Agellius some that the plurall is vsed here for the singular Or by Kings is meant Herod and Pilate for Herod is stiled l Matth. 2.1 King and Pontius Pilate was a m Matth. 27.2 Gouernour vnder the Romane Emperour and these Viceroyes had many petite n Ioh. 4.46 Matth. 9.18 Rulers also subiect to their command Or by Kings is meant Herod senior who stood vp against Christ at his birth Matth. 2. and Herod Iunior who despised and mocked Christ at his death Luk. 23.11 Or as o Jn loc Idem Euthym. Chrysostome with Herod were ioyned the Diuell and Death and Sinne. All which are Kings of the earth The Diuell is a King p Ephes 2.2 ruling in the ayre the q Ioh. 12.31 Prince of this world Luk. 11.18 If Satan be diuided against himselfe how shall his kingdome stand And Death is a King Rom. 5.14 Death raigned from Adam to Moses c. And Sinne is a King too Rom. 6.12 Let not sinne raigne in your mortall bodies lest yee should obey the lust of it All these Kings assembled and tooke counsell together against the Lord and against his Christ For as Christ consisted of humane flesh and a reasonable soule so likewise hee had two sorts of enemies one visible which assaulted his bodie another inuisible which assaulted his soule spirituall wickednesses Ephes 6.12 Here wee may behold and bewaile the blindnesse of the Iewes in our time who notwithstanding their most ancient r See Galatin de Arcanis lib. 3. cap. 7. Bellar. in loc Rabbins applie this our text to the true Messias expect him as yet to come Lastly for as much as Christ suffers in his ſ Acts 9.4 members and t 2. Tim. 3.12 al that will liue godly that they may be made u Rom. 8.29 like to his image must of necessitie suffer persecution it may be construed of x Placidus Bucer Strigellius Christians as well as of Christ against whom al the wicked angels y Apoc. 7.1 standing on the foure corners of the earth are combined in a bloody league The Gentiles at this day furiously rage together and the Iewes at this day still imagine vaine things at this day the Kings of the earth stand vp as the Turke the Pope the Spanyard and all their cruell agents In a word all Atheists all Anti-christs all Hypocrites all Worldlings hurtle together against the Lord his annoynted people The true Church is a z Cant. 2.2 lilie among thornes a few harmelesse a Luk. 10.3 lambes in the middest of many rauenous wolues on euery side compassed about with such as say Let vs break their bonds asunder and cast away their cords from vs. 1. We may learne from hence b Wilcox not
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
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
m Agellius Idem Caluin Genebrard praecipuum not only primum but also primarium not only the first in time but also the first in honour and dignitie For as Dauid here calleth it the beginning of wisedome so Salomon Ecclesiastes 12.13 the end of all The feare of the Lord is indeede the first alphabet of wisedome the beginning as it were the n begetting or as o Ecclesiasticus 1 24. Iesus the sonne of Syrach termeth it the roote of wisedome p Melancthon Caluine Bellarmine But that is not all it is not onely an introduction to wisedome but wisdome it selfe Iob. 28.28 The feare of the Lord is wisedome and to depart from euill is vnderstanding It is deepe wisedome saith our English paraphrast in meter yea the perfection and fulnes of wisedome Ecclesiasticus 1.20 q Genebrard As then in the vulgar Latine Ecclesiasticus 11.3 hony which is the chiefe of sweete things is called initium dulcoris the beginning of sweetnes euen so Gods feare which vpon the point is summa summarum as it were the summe totall of all holie knowledge is termed initium sapientiae the beginning of wisedome This assertion in worldly mens vnderstanding is a grand paradox for they repute the preaching of Christianitie r 1. Cor. 1.18 foolishnes and the professors of the same fooles 1. Cor. 4.10 We are fooles for Christs sake Loe say the wicked of the godly Wisedome 5.5 We thought their life madnes accounting them rather mad men then sad men But the spirit of truth here proclaimeth on the contrarie that all worldlings are blindlings and that none wicked are wise To such as haue not the feare of God before their eyes it is expressely said by ſ Prou. 1.22 Wisedome it selfe O ye foolish how long will ye loue foolishnes and hate knowledge It is obiected out of S. Luke chap. 16. vers 8. that the children of this world are wiser then the children of light Answere is made by the t Origine Iansenius Maldonat Doctors vpon the place that Christ accounts them not wiser absolutely but only secundum quid they be wiser in their generation u Theophylact. Marlorat that is in things appertaining to this life present but not in the businesse of regeneration in things belonging to that other life which is to come For as x Hall in his Chron. Idem Fox Martyr fol. 976. one said of Sir Thomas More that he was either a foolish wise man or a wise foolish man euen so the children of this world are wise men in foolish things and foolish men in wise things They be not in genere wise but in genere suo wise to doe euill as the y Jerem. 4.2 Prophet speakes but to doe well they haue no knowledge Atheists acknowledging no God are very fooles Psal 14. The foole said in his heart there is no God If this Ignoramus had so much braine as brow the z Vide Bellarm. de ascensione mentis in deum per scalas creat grad 1. 2. 8. bookes of the Creatures and Conscience would informe his vnderstanding that the great world without him and the little world within him are nothing else as it were but God expressed The Gentiles adoring many gods are very fooles before Christ the Sunne of righteousnes calles them out of a 1. Pet. 2.9 darknesse into marueilous light a blind and a foolish nation Deut. 32.21 Euen the seuen wise men of Greece saith b De vera sapientia cap. 1. Lactantius had no good vnderstanding because none but fooles accounted them wise Nay S. c Rom. 1.21 Paul giues this iudgement of all Heathen Philosophers that they were vaine in their imaginations and that while they professed thēselues to be wise they became fooles In this respect d Epist ad Octauium Cicero had iust cause to complaine O me nunquam sapientem The superstitious Idolaters and mingle manglers in religion who worship the true God falsely not according to his word but according to their owne will are very fooles So Paul called his Galathians who ioyned the Ceremonies of Moses vnto the Gospell of Christ as necessarie to saluation O e Galat. 3.1.3 foolish Galathians who hath bewitched you that ye should not obey the truth are ye so foolish that after ye haue begun in the spirit you will end in the flesh Carnall Gospellers and hypocrites who professe they know God in their words and yet deny him in their f Tit. 1.16 workes are very fooles Their prayers are sacrifices of fooles Ecclesiastes 4.17 Their disputations about religion are foolish questions Tit. 3.9 all their generation are fooles and blinde Matth. 23.17 As for example the slow-backe neglecting the workes of his vocation and liuing in idlenesse though he heares neuer so many sermons vpon the working daies in the iudgement of the wisest is a very foole Ecclesiastes 4.5 The foole foldeth his hands and eateth vp his owne flesh So whosoeuer is vngratefull vnto the Lord which is the Father of mercies and God of all grace for his manifold blessings is a very foole g Deut. 32.6 Doe ye so reward the Lord O yee foolish and vnwise people the oxe knoweth his owner and the asse his masters cribbe but Israel hath not knowne my people hath not vnderstood Esay 1.3 So the couetous wretch who though he boast of his faith and hope h Habacuc 1.16 sacrificeth vnto his net and saith in his heart to the wedge of gold i Iob. 31.24 thou art my confidence is a very foole k 1. Sam. 25.25 Nabal is his name and follie is with him a blinde foole like l Iudges 16.21 Samson in the mill hee grindes for other but eates not of the fruites of his labour himselfe the which is termed by Salomon an euill sicknesse and a vanitie Ecclesiastes 6.2 So the proud man as well in his ambition as in his honour is a very foole m Psal 32.10 Like horse and mule without vnderstanding like the famous foole n Mensa philosophica fab de fatuo Lobelinus who being in a new coate knew not himselfe o Sir R. Barckley felicitie lib. 5. For if in fauour he knowes no man if out of fauour none know him So the Drunkard is a very sot p Seneca epist 65 mancipium corporis a slaue to his own seruant a foole with a witnesse his fault is written in his forehead and in his face hee reeles in open streete and hath in his drunken fit a little lesse wit then a beast and but a little more sense then a blocke So the wanton is destitute of vnderstanding Prou. 6.32 led by the foolish woman as a foole to the stockes Prou. 7.22 For though he may peraduenture blinde the Bishop and q Vision of Pierce Plowman pass 3. cope the Commissarie yet Gods r Qui minimè fallitur quia minimè clauditur Bernard lib. 5. de Considerat all-seeing eye when
malo omni exitio peior z Brunuica faem Britanica apud Zephilin in vita Neronis A woman of a manly spirit said as much Honestius est mortem occumbere quà m capita tributaria circumferre The younger a Reusnerus in Symbol Iustine vsed this apophthegme for his Motto Libertas res inaestimabilis and b Epist 76. Seneca to the same purpose for a man to be his owne man is an inualuable treasure The resolution of our countrey-men to VVilliam the Conquerour is renowned in English historie Kentish men must haue libertie Kentish men will haue libertie c Lambert perambulation of Kent pag. 14. There was neuer any bondmen or villaines in Kent The d Apud Holinshed hist of Scotland pag. 204. prouerbialest vttered reason as well as rime Dico tibi verum libertas optima rerum Nunquam seruili sub nexu viuito fili But bondage is more grieuous and insupportable when it is in a sorreine land as this of Iacobs house was in Egypt The stranger is sad in heart though at libertie wherefore God inioyned his owne people not to e Exod. 22.21 Leuit. 19.33 grieue the stranger considering they themselues were sometime strangers in the land of Egypt The condition of the stranger is to bee pitied as that of the fatherlesse and widow Ierem. 7.6 Oppresse not the stranger the fatherlesse and the widow Zach. 7.10 Oppresse not the widow nor the fatherles nor the stranger nor the poore And when vncharitable men vnconscionably vex thē almightie God takes their cause into his owne hands Psal 146.9 The Lord careth for the strangers hee defendeth the fatherlesse and widow he will maintaine their cause and spoyle the soule of those that spoyle them Prou. 22.23 A man at home being in durance hath among his owne some mediatours or meanes for his deliuerance but an aliant in thraldome for the most part is helplesse if not hopelesse f Psal 137. By the waters of Babylon say Gods people we sat downe and wept when we remembred Sion as for our merrie harpes wee hanged them vp vpon the trees for how should wee sing the Lords song in a strange land We must ascend yet one step higher Israel was oppressed not by strangers only but also by such strangers as were g Placidus Genebrard Beza Paraphras cruell as h Chaldea Septuagint Hierome Munster Castalio Geneua other translations a barbarous people barbarous both in their vsage and language Concerning their tyrannous behauiour towards Gods Israel it is reported by Moses Exod. 1.14 that they made them wearie of their liues by sore labour in morter and bricke and in all worke in the field with all manner of bondage which they laid vpon them most cruelly Moreouer the King of Egypt commanded the Midwiues of the Hebrew women to kill euery man-child in the very birth And because the Midwiues fearing the Lord which is the Father of mercie would not execute that bloodie designe Pharao charged his owne people saying euery male-childe that is borne cast into the riuer Yea but how was Egypt a barbarous nation in language being highly renowned in historie for knowledge and S. Stephen Acts 7.22 recordeth it as a remarkable commendation in Moses that hee was learned in all the wisedome of the Egyptians Answere is made by i Agellius Bellarmine Genebrard some that they were called barbarous as speaking k Aquila apud Agellium another tongue or a strange language which Israel vnderstood not according to that of Paul 1. Cor. 14.11 Except I know the meaning of the voyce I shall be to him that speaketh a barbarian and he likewise that speaketh a barbarian vnto me But l Tileman other in my iudgement better affirme that they were barbarous as being a most idolatrous people notwithstanding all their humane learning ignorant in the knowledge concerning the worship of the true God adoring the creatures in stead of the Creator Barbarous as not speaking the m Esay 19.18 language of Canaan as not vnderstanding the n 1. Tim. 3.16 mysteries of godlinesse So profound Plato learned Aristotle wittie Plutarch eloquent Demosthenes were barbarians vnto the house of Iacob as being vnacquainted with Gods feare which is the beginning of wisedome This of the perill out of which Israel was deliuered it followeth in the next place that I shew the manner of their deliuerance brought to passe by Gods o Deut. 5.15 mightie hand and outstretched arme working a world of wonders in Egypt and in the wildernesse for their safe conduct into the land of promise All which are registred at large by Moses in the second booke of his historie called in p Dio. Carthus Vatablus Sa. this respect by the Grecians Exodus as principally treating of Israels wonderfull egresse from out of Egypt and progresse in the wildernesse Two sorts of miracles are remembred in this Hymne the first vpon the waters The sea saw that and fled c. The second vpon the land The mountaines skipped like rammes c. The sea saw that and fled q Exod. 14.21 That is the red sea seeing Gods people comming toward it and desirous to passe thorough it at the presence of the Lord runned backe all the night and was diuided so that the children of Israel went thorow the middest of the sea vpon the drie land r Wisd 19.7 the great deepe became a greene field and the waters were a wall vnto them on their right hand and on their left hand Some scoffing Atheists haue giuen out that the sea fled not by miracle but by a course meere naturall affirming that Gods people watched their opportunitie when the sea was at an ebbe and so passed thorow the middest of it on drie foote This impudent assertion is notably confuted by iudicious ſ Exercitat 52. Scaliger prouing it an egregious paradox contradicting not only the principles of Diuinitie but also the rules of reason and grounds of Philosophie The text saith expressely that the sea was diuided but t Haeres 64. Epiphanius and the u Apud Genebrard Iacob de Valent. in loc Idem Dr. Incognit in Psal 105. Rabbins auow further that it was parted into twelue paths according to the number of the twelue tribes of Israel euery troope hauing a seuerall as it were to march in But when their enemies followed them into the middest of the sea the waters returned and couered the chariots and horsemen euen all the hoste of Pharao that entred after them into the sea there remained not one of them and so the Lord saued Israel out of the hand of the Egyptians and Israel saw the Egyptians dead vpon the sea banke Exod. 14.28.30 When Israel vpon the sight of Pharaohs innumerable hoste were sore afraid and cried vnto the Lord and said vnto Moses Hast thou brought vs to dye in the wildernes because there was no graues in Egypt Moses answered the people Feare ye not stand still and
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
praise The person exhorting is Dauid the King Princes actions are the peoples instructions a Courtier is a strange creature who loseth himselfe in following other hee liueth a great deale by the bread of other a good deale by the breath of other oftentimes his clothes are not his owne his haire not his owne his complexion and very skinne not his owne nay that which is worst of all his soule which as Plato said is most himselfe is not his owne while he liueth at the deuotion of other l Martial Epigram lib. 9. ep 81 Nemo suos hac est aulae natura potentis Sed domini mores Caesarianus habet Courtiers as m Gueuara lib. de vita priuata one said rise late come late to the temple dine late sup late goe to bed late and repent last of all if at all and the reason hereof is plaine because they want such examples and patternes as Dauid to goe before them in giuing thankes vnto the Lord. The peoples welfare doth especially consist in the Princes safety Dauid therefore being deliuered from his enemies who compassed him about and kept him in on euery side swarming in multitude like Bees is not content to giue thankes vnto God priuately himselfe by himselfe but openly proclaimeth his thankefulnesse exhorting all his people to doe the same saying O giue thankes vnto the Lord let Israel and the house of Aaron and all that feare the Lord confesse that his mercies endure for euer the which is answerable to that which he hath n Psalm 34.3 else where O praise the Lord with me and let vs magnifie his name together The very name of peace is sweete but the very sound of warre terrible for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in greeke signifies much blood and the latine bellum is so called o Seruius quasi minimè bellum or as p Festus idem Godescallus praefat in Veget. de re militari other à bellüis in respect of their beastly rage shewed in warres As when Tamberlane had conquered Princes he did vse them as coach horses to draw him vp and downe in triumph and q Iudges 1.7 Adonibezeke made seuenty Kings gather crummes of bread vnder his table When the r Lanquet Chron. pag. 261. Switzers in the yere 1443. vanquished the Thuricenses in battaile they made great bankets in the place where they wonne the victorie vsing the dead corps of their aduersaries in steede of stooles and tables and moreouer opening their bodies dranke their blood and tare their hearts The Å¿ Gueuara epist Numantines assaulted by the Romanes made solemne vowes among themselues no day to breake their fast but with the flesh of a Romane not to drinke before they had tasted the blood of an enemie And when t Plutarch Scipio tooke their towne they killed all their olde men women and children and heaped vp all their riches in the market place giuing fire to euery part of the Citie leauing the conqueror neither goods to spoyle nor persons ouer whom hee might insolently triumphe What neede I seeke so farre the cruell outrages betweene the Spaniard and the Hollander haue been such as all eyes of pittie and pietie had iust cause to lament them These are the fortunes of forraine warres now concerning ciuill or rather vnciuill dissentions among our selues It is a conclusion agreed vpon at weeping crosse that nothing in the world ruinateth a common-weale more then it example hereof Hierusalem example Rome both which by priuate factions made themselues a prey to the common enemie Example hereof infortunate France in whose late ciuill warres as u Brutum sulmen pag. 144. some account there were slaine twelue hundred thousand French borne beside other of their allies Example hereof England in olde time before the houses of Yorke and Lancaster were vnited in which vnhappie quarell as x Hist lib. 1. cap. 7. Cominaeus reports besides an infinite number of the Commonaltie there were cruelly butchered fourescore Princes of the blood royall In bellis ciuilibus omnia sunt misera quoth y Epist lib. 4. epist 51. Tullie sed nihil est miserius quà m ipsa victoria The z Walsingham in Ed. 2. pag. 95. Chronicle saith of Edward the second ouercomming and killing his owne Barons Tunc verè victus quando tot vicit prudentes milites In home-bred and intestine garboyles if the worst obtaine victorie then instantlie the State becommeth a verie shambles or a sinke of sin If the good men conquer albeit they be by their disposition and ingenuous education harmelesse and humane yet necessitie will often make them exceeding furious and bloody so that as the Poet said Vna salus victis nullam sperare salutem In this extremitie wee must either fight and so looke for sudden death or else flie and so leade a tedious life hauing a continuall sound of feare in our eares either the piteous outcries of fatherlesse children of comfortlesse widowes of hopelesse and haplesse kinsemen or else terrible roaring of Canons and dreadfull alarums of mercilesse enemies a Owin Epigr. Omega nostrorum Mâ—rs est mars alpha malorum On the contrarie peace procureth all good and ioyfull things vnto the common-wealth In peace the Merchant tradeth abroad and bringeth home b Psalm 104.15 wine to glad the heart of man and oyle to make his countenance cheerefull in peace the Church and Vniuersitie flourish and the messengers of peace preach vnto you the sweete tidings of the Gospell In peace the Plough-man sowes in hope and reapes with ioy In peace widowes are comforted and maidens are giuen to mariage no leading into captiuitie no complaining in our streetes In peace we reioyce with the c Prou. 5.18 wife of our youth and she is like the d Psal 128.3 fruitfull vine and our children as oliue branches round about the table Our sonnes grow vp as the yong plants and our daughters as the polished corners of the Temple In peace our valleys stand so thick with corne that they e Psal 65.14 laugh and sing our garners are full and plenteous with all manner of store our oxen are strong to labour and our sheepe bring foorth thousands and ten thousands in our streets In one word all honest occupations and honourable professions thriue while brethren dwell together in vnitie Wherefore Dauid expending on the one side the rents of the kingdome vnder Saul and pondering on the other side the manifold blessings of a florishing peace being ouercharged as it were with ioy breakes foorth into these words f Psal 133. Ecce quà m bonum O behold how good and ioyfull a thing it is for brethren g Caluin Mollerus that is subiects of the same kingdome to dwell together in vnitie h Placidus Bellarmine Agellius Many things are good which are not ioyfull Againe many things are ioyfull which are not good but amitie betweene brethren is both a good and a ioyfull thing If it
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
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
of wants or wrongs is either a foole or vngratefull to God or both that doth not acknowledge how meane soeuer his estate be that the same is yet farre greater then that which God oweth him or doth not acknowledge how sharpe soeuer his afflictions be that the same are yet farre lesse then those which are due vnto him howsoeuer it be with him it is the Lords doing he giueth and taketh away blessed bee his name for euermore f Chrysostom Arnobius Iacob de valent Bellarmin This also may be so well applied vnto Christ as the rest of the Psalme for in taking our vile nature vpon him he raised the poore out of the dust and the begger out of the dunghill He said to Adam g Gen. 3.19 Dust thou art and to dust thou shalt returne but Christ in his resurrection and ascension hath h Ephes 2.6 raised vs vp together and made vs sit together in the heauenly places euen with the Princes of his people that is Angels and Apostles and other his holy Saints raigning in his kingdome of glorie He lifteth our soules out of the dust durt in this life when our i Coloss 3.2 affectiōs are by his grace set on things aboue and not on things which are on earth Our flesh is an house of k Iob. 4.19 clay but our l Luk. 1.47 spirit reioyceth in God and hath her conuersation in m Philip. 3.20 heauen A man is where his mind is if then wee minde heauenly things our soules are raised out of the mire n Dr. Jucognit so Christ in calling Matthew from the receite of custome to make him an Apostle lifted him out of the dunghill and o Iacobus de Valent. in calling the rest of his Apostles from their durtie courses in the world to the preaching of his word hee raised them out of the dust and made them as it is in the 45. Psalme verse 17. Princes in all lands and in raising Mary Magdalene from her olde vomit and filthinesse of sinne what did he but lift her out of the dunghill To be briefe p See Gospell Dom. 13. after Triuit man is like the trauellour who went from Hierusalem to Iericho Luke 10. hee falleth among theeues into manifolde tentations and noysome lusts and they rob him of his rayment of his righteousnesse and holinesse wherewith Almightie God adorned him in his Creation and they wounded him and departed for sinne wounding the conscience leaueth a man in a desperate case But Christ is the true Samaritane who takes compassion on man Hee bindeth vp his wounds and powreth in oyle and wine hee puts him on his owne beast and makes prouision for him at an Inne thus he taketh vp the distressed out of the dust and the beggar out of the dung At our death hee lifteth our soules out of the mire when his glorious q Luk. 16.22 Angels attend to conuey them out of this earthly tabernacle to his heauenly kingdome which is immortall and cannot be shaken At the last day hee will also lift our bodies out of the durt and mire Man that is borne of a woman is full of troubles and of short continuance such a sacke of dung that the r Ierem. 22.29 Prophet calleth him thrice earth at one breath O earth earth earth heare the word of the Lord c. After man hath in this world ſ Wisdome 5.7 wearied himself he goeth to bedde and sleepeth in the dust of the graue neither shall he be raised or awake from his sleepe till heauen be no more saith t Job 14.12 Iob. But in the ende when as the u 2. Pet. 3.10 heauens shall passe away with a noyse and the elements shall melt with heate and the earth with the workes that are therein shall be burnt then our blessed Sauiour shall rouse vs out of the dust and raise vs out of the mire x Philip. 3.21 changing this our vile body that it may be like his glorious bodie then this corruptible shall put on incorruption and this mortall immortalitie then both our soules and bodies shall haue their perfit consummation in his kingdome of glorie He maketh the barren woman to keepe house y Tileman As basenesse in men so barrennesse in women is accounted a great vnhappinesse But as God lifteth vp the begger out of the mire to sethim with Princes euen so doth he make the barren woman a ioyfull mother of children Hee gouernes all things in the priuate familie so well as in publike weale Children and the fruite of the wombe are a gift and heritage that commeth of the Lord Psalme 127.4 and therefore the y Tileman Papists in praying to S. Anne for children and the Gentiles in calling vpon Diana Iuno Latona are both in error It is God onely who makes the barren woman a mother and that a ioyfull mother Euery mother is ioyfull at the first according to that of z Iohn 16.21 Christ A woman when she trauaileth hath sorrow because her houre is come but as soone as she is deliuered of the childe she remembreth no more the anguish for ioy that a man is borne into the world But when babes are growne vp and come to their proofe a Prouerb 10.1 Salomon saith A foolish sonne is an heauinesse to his mother And our Salomon in his kingly gift I protest before that great God I had rather be no Father and Childlesse then a Father of wicked Children Now God makes the barren wife not onely fruitfull but also ioyfull b Beza Paraphras Et nuper steriles repentè matres longa beat propagine Hee made barren olde c Gen. 17. Sara fruitfull in bearing a sonne and ioyfull in that her sonne was Isaac in whose seede all the nations of the world are blessed He made d Judges 13. Manoahs wife both a mother and a ioyfull mother in that shee bare Samson the strong who saued Israell out of the hands of the Philistines Hee made e 1. Sam. 1. Hannah both a mother and a ioyfull mother in that shee bare faithfull Samuel the Lords Prophet hee made Anne both a mother and a ioyfull mother in bearing blessed Marie the f Luke 1.43 mother of our Lord he made Elizabeth a mother and a ioyfull mother in bearing Iohn the Baptist a Prophet yea more then a Prophet for among them which are borne of women arose there not a greater then Iohn Baptist Matth. 11.11 g Chrysost Hierom. Arnobius Diuines apply this also mystically to Christ affirming that hee made the Church of the Gentiles heretofore barren a ioyfull mother of many children according to that of the h Esay 54.1 Prophet Reioyce O barren that diddest not beare breake forth into ioy and reioyce thou that diddest not trauell with childe for the desolate hath more children then the married wife saith the Lord. See Epistle 4. Sund. in Lent Or it may be construed of
true Christians all of vs are by nature barren of goodnesse conceiued and borne in sinne not able to thinke a good thought 2. Cor. 3.5 but the father of lights and mercies maketh vs fruitfull and abundant alwaies in the worke of the Lord 1. Cor. 15.58 he giueth vs grace to be fathers and mothers of many good deedes i Ambros de interpell libr. 2. cap. 4. Idem Dr. Incognitus in loc in Psalm 102.17 which are our children and best heires eternizing our name for euer PSALME 114. When Israel came out of Aegypt and the house of Iacob from among the strange people c. THere bee two chiefe parts of this Psalme the 1. A description of Israels admirable deliuerance out of Aegypt in the foure former verses 2. A dialogue betweene the Prophet and the Creatures about the same deliuerance in the foure latter verses In the deliueraÌ„ce note 1. The parties deliuered Israel and the house of Iacob being Gods Sanctuarie Seigniorie 2. The perill out of which they were deliuered and k Chrysost Mollerus that was 1. Bondage 2. Bondage among strangers in Aegypt 3. Bondage among such strangers as were cruell a barbarous people 3. The manner how they were deliuered not by meanes ordinarie but miracles extraordinarie wrought on the Water vers 3. The Sea saw that and fled Iordaine was driuen backe Land verse 4. The Mountaines skipped like Rammes c. In the dialogue two poynts are to be considered 1. A question What ayleth thee O thou Sea c. Verse 5.6 2. An l Vatablus Tremellius Bellarmine answere Tremble thou earth c. Or as m Vulgar latine English-Geneua other translations The earth trembled at the presence of the Lord c. When Israel The n Bellarmine latter clause doth expounde the former Israel that is the house of Iacob for this holy Patriarke had two names first Iacob that signifieth a supplantor Gen. 25.26 and then Israel that is one which hath power with God Gen. 32.28 teaching vs hereby saith o In loc Hierome as we haue receiued grace to supplant vice that wee may preuaile with God and see him according to that of p Matth. 5.8 Christ Blessed are the pure in heart for they shall see God As q Gen. 25.22 Iacob and Esau stroue together in their mother Rebeccaes wombe so the r Galat. 5.17 flesh in man lusteth against the spirit and the spirit against the flesh If wee play Iacobs part in supplanting sinne which is a red and a rough Esau we shall assuredly gaine the blessing of our heauenly Father By Iacobs house then is meant his Å¿ Euthym. Genebrard posteritie the children of Israel of whom it is reported by Moses Deut. 10.22 Thy fathers went downe into Aegypt with seuentie persons and now the Lord thy God hath made thee as the starres of the heauen in multitude These people were Gods sanctification and dominion t Geneua gloss that is witnesses of his holy Maiestie in adopting them and of his mightie power in deliuering them u Melancth in loc or his sanctification as hauing his holy Priests to gouerne them in the poynts of pietie and dominion as hauing godly Magistrates ordained from aboue to rule them in matters of policie or his sanctuarie x both actiuely because sanctifying him y Genebrardus Iacobus de Valentia and passiuely because sanctified of him It is true that God as being euer the most holy so well as the most high cannot bee magnified and hallowed in respect of himselfe but in respect of y Caluin in loc other onely For God is sanctified of his seruants as wisdome is said to bee iustified of her children Luke 7.35 that is acknowledged and declared to be iust according to that of the Lord by the mouth of his holy z Ezech. 38.23 Prophet Thus will I bee magnified and sanctified and knowne in the eies of many Nations and they shall know that I am the Lord. Wherefore let your light so shine before men that they may see your good workes and glorifie your Father which is in heauen Againe Iuda was his Sanctuary a Bucer Agellius Râ—b Stephanus because sanctified of him adopted his holy heritage chosen a peculiar and a precious people to himselfe b Deut. 7.6 aboue all Nations in the world I haue carried you said the c Exod. 19.4 Lord vpon Eagles wings and haue brought you vnto me that ye might be my chiefe treasure aboue all people though all the earth bee mine consecrated and hallowed to my worship as holy Temples and Sanctuaries in whome I may rule for so the latter clause may well d Bellarmine explaine the former Iuda was his Sanctuarie because his Dominion in whom he e Chrysost Euthym. Bucer reigned as a king by his lawes and spirit And therefore when Israel asked a king of the Lord to iudge them he said to f 1. Sam. 8.7 Samuel they haue not reiected thee but they haue reiected me that I should not reign ouer them According to this exposition Israel is termed Ex. 19.6 a kingdome of Priests or as S. g 1. Pet. 2.9 Peter hath it a royal Priesthood royall as being his Seigniory Priesthood as being his Sanctuary For the beter vnderstanding of this phrase remeÌ„ber I pra'y that there be two kinds of kingdomes in holy Scripture the kingdome of darknes h Coloss 1.13 which is the kingdome of the deuill and the kingdome of heauen which is the kingdome of God When all had sinned in Adam it pleased the Lord out of his vnsearchable Iustice to lay this heauy punishment on all his posteritie that seeing they could not be content to be subiect to their creator they should become vassals vnder Satans tyraÌ„ny so that all men are now by nature the Children of i Ephes 2.3 wrath and k Ephes 6.12 the Prince of darkenesse ruleth in their hearts vntill Christ the l Luke 11.22 strong man commeth and bindeth him and m Iohn 12.31 casteth him out and so bringeth all his elect out of darkenesse into maruailous light 1. Pet. 2.9 Blind ignorant people cannot abide this doctrine they spit at the very naming of the deuill and say that they defie him and all his euen with all their heart and soule and minde Yet whereas they liue still in ignorance and impiety which are the two maine pillers of Satans kingdome they make plaine proofe that they be Children of the n Luke 16.9 world Children of o Coloss 3.6 disobedience Children of p Hosea 10.9 iniquitie Children of q 1. Sam. 26.16 death Children of the r Iohn 8.44 deuill Children of Å¿ Iohn 17.2 perdition Children of t Mat. 23.15 hell Israel is Gods dominion and Iuda Gods sanctuary but Aegipt and Babylon and other parts and persons of the world liuing in sinne without repentance what are they but the suburbes of hell and as it were the