lyon thy wrath and the curse of the lawe nowe father I doe not desire that I may not incounter with them but that I may not be ouercome by them saue me from the dominion of death thy wrath from the power of the dogge frō the lyons mouth from the hornes of the vnicornes lette the Iewes the dogges crucifie and kill mee let the Deuill and his angels the lyō the vnicornes tempt and terrifie me let thy wrath and the curse of the lawe the sword seeing it must needes torture me but yet father saue me by me thy whole Church from perishing vnder thy wrath Yea father if I nowe haue sustained thy wrath long enough and often enough as that is hidden from me as is the day of iudgement release me from it but if it must needes still rest vpon me I am content to beare it still patiently and that for the full and perfect redemption of thy Church From these wordes paraphrastically thus expounded may arise a doubt V. 20. Deliuer my soule from the sword why Gods wrath is called a sword or howe that exposition is iustifiable for satisfying wherof we must cōsider the place Zachar. 3.7 Arise o sword and smite the sheapheard which place is applyed by the Euangelist Math. 26.31 to the death of Christ also consider the phrase the prophet prayeth that his soule may be deliuered from the sword his soule doth not signifie his life but his very soule indeede the fountaine of life for Christ did not pray against death that he might not tast it but that his soule might not be swallowed vp of death therefore this must needes be the meaning of the place let not thy wrath ouerwhelme my soule for we cannot say properly let not death ouerwhelme my soule but let not death ouerwhelme my bodie The soule dieth not but the bodie onely Summarily then to end this is not the meaning of the wordes deliuer my life from death Supra probutum Nor this deliuer my soule from death for the soule cannot die it is immortall Nor this deliuer my bodie frō the graue for it is absurd and impertinent to this place Therefore this is the meaning deliuer my soule from thy wrath my soule from the sword but the sword did smit the shepheard ergo Gods wrath did torture his soule Desolate soule The meaning of this Epithet desolate is exprest v. 1. for Christs soule was desolate because God had nowe forsaken him and neither himselfe man or angell or any creature did comfort him but all had forsaken him .. v. 11. My strength Although Christ was desolate of all comfort yet he had strength and grace sufficient to beare whatsoeuer was inflicted vpon him by God as our suretie And therefore neuerthelesse he intitleth god his strength though he complaineth that God had forsaken him and did not heare when he roared vers 1. The promise of Thankefulnesse and first of Christs Prophecie Ver. 22 23 24 25. 22 I will declare thy name vnto my brethren in the midst of the congregation will I praise thee saying 23 Praise the Lord ye that feare him magnifie ye him all the seed of Iacob and feare yee him all the seed of Israel 24 For he hath not despised nor abhorred the affliction of the poore nether hath he hid his face from him but when he called vnto him he heard 25 My praise shall be of thee in the great congregatione my vowes will I performe before them that feare him The Prophet hauing before set down the sacrifice and intercession of Christ both in the torments which he sustained partly in his soule directly and properly from the deuill and from God himselfe partly in his body frō the Iews that murthered him as also in the vehement praier which he made partly for himselfe and partly for vs seeing the fruite thereof wholly redoundeth vnto vs now he proceedeth to the prophecy kingdome of Christ and first the prophetical office of Christ is exprest in these foure verses Vers 22. I wil declare thy name vnto my brethren The principall worke of Christs prophecy is to declare Gods name that is his excellent attributes and his whole wil vnto his brethrē the Iews and so to the whole Church for so this place is brought Heb. 2.12 to prooue the humanitie of Christ whence we consider that Christ is designed by God the father for the onely Prophet Doctour and teacher of the Church he is the great Bishop of our soules God hath commanded vs to heare him and he is the onely law-giuer that is able to saue and destroy which is thus to be vnderstood that he alone hath reuealed his fathers will to the Church by the ministerie of the prophets in the old Testament by his own the Apostles ministerie in the new testament who spake as the H. ghost directed thē for Christ Iesus hath in his brest hid all the treasures of wisdome and knowledge who is therefore called the wisdome of God and therefore we are not to adde to or detract any thing from the writtē word of god or to alter any whitte thereof which whosoeuer presumeth to doe derogateth from the propheticall office of Christ the scriptures indeede may be expounded but they must not be altered augmented or diminished Hence also followeth it by due proportion that the ministers and Pastors of the Church who stand vp in Christs stead he being ascended vp on high and hauing giuen gifts vnto men are to open and publish Gods will sufficiētly reuealed by Christ in the Prophets and Apostles writings to the people of God for their conuersion saluation Finally also by like analogie Christians must without feare or shame confesse and professe the truth of Gods word not onely before the friends of the Church those specially ouer whome they haue charge but also before the enemies of the Church being called and vrged thereunto This is the principal work of Christs prophecie to teach the Church nowe the effects thereof follow which are the praise of God the conuersion of mens soules which are subordinate each to other for by the conuersion of mens soules God is glorified The first effect of Christs propheticall office V. 25. Let the seed of Iacob Israel feare praise and magnifie god and so of the ministery of the prophets Apostles and Pastors of the church is the conuersion of mens soules otherwise called the gathering togither of the Saints the edification of the bodie of Christ The second effect of the Prophecie of Christ V. 22. In the middes of the congregation I will praise thee so of the ministerie is the praise of God for therefore must ministers preach teach that God may be glorified in the conuersiō of mēs soules thus Christ saith I honour my father and again I haue glorified thee on the earth Where the ministers Pastors and teachers of the Church are to learne in their functions to ayme at these endes
perswasion is fidei 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which hath no doubting which no man living hath or can haue till loue be perfected when also faith shall be cast out yet we are to striue against doubting and still to pray Lord encrease our faith That which some might comment vpon the expostulation of Christ Why forsakest c. whereas he asketh a reason why God forsoke him also the two adiunctes of his prayer that he prayed with roaring and crying and day and night and had no ease I omit as ordinarie matters only thus much Christ expostulateth and debateth the matter of his desertion with God not for that he knewe not wherefore he was forsakē but complaining most pittiously of his extream miserie neither is here any suspition of impatiencie at all no God forbid Againe Christs roaring crying that is his feruent praier also his continuance in praier day and night are for our example in the like cases that in our extremities we neuer cease crying till God giue ease The groundes of the Prophets faith V. 3. Thou art holy doest inhabite the praises of Israel God is holy Effectiuè and subiectiuè for he is both the worker of holinesse and the fountaine of holinesse nowe both these are here signified by the Prophet namely that God is the author and worker of holinesse in the Church And the Emphasis of the speech is to be obserued in the pronoune attah thou which is exclusiue as if the Prophet had said thou onely which is the golden sentence written in the high Priests Miter Exod. 28.20 Holinesse to the Lord. The sanctification of the Church is the worke of God only Doctrine which doctrine for that it is a very materiall point is first to be expounded and then confirmed It may be expounded or amplified by the particular causes of sanctification wherein the Lord hath the maine stroke or els the worke succeedeth not as by induction appeareth thus 1 God is the originall and fundamentall cause of the redemption purgation and sanctification of the Church who of his owne loue and compassion to mans misery prouided redemption for vs there being nothing out of himselfe to mooue him therevnto 2 Christs sacrifice is the meritorious and purchasing cause for he paid the price of redemption for vs. 3 Christs kingdome that is his resurrection ascension session at the right hand of his father is the effectuall operatiue and working cause 4 The word in the ministerie of teaching praying celebrating the sacramentes and discipline ecclesiastical is the instrumentall cause where if any man thinke that the meanes are any thing without God giue the increase he forgetteth the Apostles speech 1. Cor. 3.7 for the word which is the power of God to saluation is not the bare sound or letter but it is the inward spirit of powar and grace annexed thereto which is Christs Scepter So that seeing the loue of God the sacrifice kingdome and scripture of Christ are the only causes of our anctification it is plaine that the redemptiō sanctification and clensing of the church is gods worke only The doctrine thus cleared may also be prooued and cōfirmed by induction of those things which are in or with sinne the which none but God can take away and they are these foure 1 Transgression which respecteth Gods lawe iustice which in sinne is violated for sinne is the transgression of the lawe c. 1. Ioh. 3.4 2 Corruption respecting the sinner which followeth the transgression as the necessary effect thereof as in Adam 3 Guilt whereby the person transgressing and corrupted is culpable of iudgement 4 Punishment the iust wages and desert of sinne which is Gods wrath and the curse of the law Gal. 3.10 Now no creature can take away any of these it is the worke of god alone therefore was it that our redeemer was God Remission of sinne which is the taking away of the guilt and punishment of sinne is that worke of God onely Micah 7.18 Exod 34.7 Mar. 2.7 Esay 43.25.1 Ioh. 3.8 Againe sanctificatiō which is the purgation and staine of sinne which is imprinted in our soules whether it be a qualitie positiue or priuatiue is the only worke of god Iob. 13.4.1 Thes 5.23 Seeing then the corruption guilt and punishment of sinne which are three principall matters appertaining to sinne are only taken away by god because they conteyning the violation of an infinite iustice are after a sort infinite and so cannot be taken away but by some person infinite Gods infinite iustice beeing able to ouerwhelme a meere creature euery way finit it followeth therefore by ineuitable consequence that sin also is taken away by God only for the corruption guilt and punishment of sinne being abolished the auomie or transgresion is remoued and reckoned as not done which is also a fruit of remission of sinne and of this the Lord saith that he wil cast it into the bottome of the sea he will forget and remember it no more Micah 7.19 Ierem 31.33 Ezech. 18.22 The doctrine thereof is thus confirmed and cleered and it hath an excellent vse to vs not onely for coniectatiō of the papists which auouch temporall punishment sustained by the creature to be sufficient satisfaction for some sinnes and that good workes shall deserue grace and that the priest can iudicially pardon sinne all which are so many blasphemies against the mercy of God the sacrifice kingdome and scepter of Christ but especially it serueth for our instruction to teach vs to quake and tremble at the fearefull condition of sinne which can no other way be abolished but by the omnipotent power of God encountring as it were the infinite wrath of God and vanquishing it to teach vs to take heed of committing the least sinne which none but God can abolish which also called the Lord Iesus Christ from heauen for this caus◠appeared the sonne of God that he might dissolue the workes of the deuill for the papists deeme too lightlie of sinne that thinke some sinnes veniall in their own nature the profane multitude offer violence to Gods iustice in threatning kindnesse vpon his mercy saying of small offences as Lott said of Zoar oh it is but a little one and God is mercifull is it suppose we a small sinne that for redeeming whereof God must needs become man and die God is the owner and possessor of his Church and so consequently of the praise worshippe which is in the church offred him continually for God decreeing from all eternitie the glorie of his mercy and iustice and the rest of his most excellent attributes which are commonly called his Name in the scripture decreed also to haue a Church and a sauiour for his Church without whome neither could he haue a church nor be glorified out of himselfe if hee wanted a Church Wherefore Christ praieth thus if thou wilt be glorified and praised out of thy selfe thou must haue a Church if thou wilt haue a Church thou
therefore we may assure our selues of helpe from god in time of neede beeing Gods seruants as well as our forefathers remembring alwaies the Apostles rule Rom. 15.4 that we may haue hope But that we may obtaine hope we must haue the consolation of the examples of Gods goodnesse reuealed in the scriptures to his children and especially to Christ the head of the church as that place importeth and further also we must haue patience that whē we haue done the will of God we may obtaine the promise Heb. 10.36 v. 6.7.8 But I am a woman and not a man a shame of men and the contempt of the people All that see me haue me in derision they make a mowe and nod the head saying Hee trusted in the Lord let him deliuer him let him saue him seeing he loueth him The prophet Dauid was either annointed or crowned king without question when this psalme was penned and yet we se he was thus shamfully abused by wicked men Christ himselfe the most holy and righteous man and the most excellent and worthie persō that euer the earth caried yet we se is exposed to the contumelious mocks of wretched mē For this is the portiō of Gods children as it was one part of Christs sufferings to be dishonoured contemned and derided the historie of the Gospell is plentifull in this point they dishonor him in charging him with blasphemie with breach of the Sabbath with surfetting and drunkennesse with Samaritanisme which is to cast out deuils by the deuill c. when he was condemned to die they mocke him attiring him despitefully as a king with a crowne of thornes with a garment of purple with a scepter of a reede as if he had beene a king amongest fooles boyes or Pigmies they buffet him they spit vpō him they smite him whip him and in summe they mocke at his kingdome and propheticall office this befell Christ the head of the church the master of the house and shall his mēbers or hou-shold seruants thinke to escape it is enough for the seruant to be as his master is and the foote must not thinke to escape the piercing with nailes when the head was crowned and wounded with thornes Now the reason why Christ was thus content to be abased was that he might deliuer vs from eternall shame and confusion which is the due desert of sinne and to sanctifie the euill name and slaunder which we sustaine now for his sake and for our owne good that though an euill name be euill and a curse yet the Lord hath by his reproach taken away the malignitie of reproch and slaunder from vs yet he hath left shame for vs still to sustaine that we might fulfill the remnant of the afflictions he hath drunke the full cup and we must pledge him in the bottome of the cuppe we must therefore learne to deny our selues and namely as this argument implieth our good name and fame not that a mā may not by al good meanes preserue his good name but that a man be not too popular without measure and by vnlawfull meanes to seeke a good name many mē beeing too greedie as Aesops dogge catch at the shadowe and loose the substance while they seeke fame and report they leese a good name for he that immoderately and vnlawefully seeketh to get and keepe his credit with all sorts of persons shall get a fame from the wicked which is but the shaddowe and leese a good name from the godly which is the substance A good name is the reward of humilitie and the feare of God Prou. 22.4 and God will honour them that honour him 1. Sam. 2.3 And by faith we shall obtaine a good report as the Elders did Hebr. 11.2 By such meanes we may seeke to get a good name which will be a good ointment to the children of god refreshing them with comfort of a godly life Eccles 7.1 But if any of Gods children are too curious of their credit and too much addicted to be popular the Lord will really teach the to denie themselues in this point and by causing wicked men to slaunder them will teach them by a reall sermon that which by the word and instruction they cannot learn which is to forsake their credit for Christs sake as Christ did forsake his owne excellencie and deiected himselfe to the greatest indignities that a man could suffer for our sakes in so much as the scripture saith he did annihilate himselfe that is he was content to be in no account that we might be pretiously esteemed 〈…〉 and nod the head The wrying of the mouth and nodding the head are vnciuill foolish and despitefull gestates such as ciuil discreet and moderate men would haue beene ashamed to vse but if malice haue got the bridle in the necke howe will not wicked men transgresse the lawe of ciuill and courteous behauiour yea the fence of nature and humanitie they will trample flat to the groūd as if they lost both ciuilitie and manhood which point may further appeare in the mocking speeches which they vtter against Christ now hanging vpon the crosse Let him deliuer him c. which mocking gestures and speeches shewe more then barbarous despight and brulish malice for a person that is condemned to die yea nowe in execution is pittied and praied for by all the beholdders yea euen the hearts of Adamant then will soften to here a man in extremitie of paine readie to die yet then these monsters of men and nature are neuer a whit asswaged towards him but reioyce then at his woe and scoffe at his fall saying God hath forsaken him he loueth him not he neuer did trust in god as he pretended for then surely God would not suffer him to perish but would deliuer him or if he himselfe were a sauiour he would saue himselfe and others and come downe from the crosse that we might know him to be the sauiour and beleeue in him but we are to know these things are otherwise for God may loue a man and a man may trust in God and yet still continue in affliction so we se the martyrs die for Christ and periss h in regard of the outward man that the loue God and God loueth thē stil and so was it with Christ a which may serue to mussel the mouths of the wicked worldlings that presently think gods children forsaken of god and that they are naughty persons because they sustain the crosse sometime fall vnder it nay cōtrariwise they should thinke it a signe of Gods hatred not to be vnder the crosse as it fareth with many wicked men that thus the Lord fatteth thē for the day of slaughter Vers 9 10 But thou didst draw me out of the womb thou gauest me hope as my mothers breast I was cast vpon thee euē from the womb thou art my god from my mothers belly Howsoeuer these murderers 〈…〉 of Chirst 〈◊〉 with him that he assureth himselfe of Gods fauour and mercifull