fourth part repeateth more at large the declaration of the first and the second part THE fiue and sixe verses be worde for worde as the first the second were Onely there is left out in these two verses this word greatly for before he saide He should not greatly fall The which worde may be taken two wayes very comfortable of the reader and hearer if it be well marked and beléeued The first way is that the Prophet meaneth not that the people of God shal not fal for that is against the Scripture for The iust man falleth seuen times in the day Againe If we say we haue no sinne in vs we deceiue our selues and the trueth is not in vs. Nowe whereas sinne inseparably dwelleth as it doeth in all men whilest they liue vppon the earth there be faultes and falles before God of the mans part in whome this sinne dwelleth yet God of his mercy for the bloud and death of Christe doeth not account these inseparable sinnes to be falles but loueth the person preserueth him and will not impute nor lay any of those falles or faults vnto his charge but in Christe estéeme him iustified and cleane as though he were of him selfe so in déede And thus the Prophete saith that of Gods part and by our acceptation into his fauour through Christ the faithfull falleth not That is to say his sinne is not accounted damnable nor laide to his charge for Christes sake As Saint Paule writeth to the Romanes An other way it may be taken That a Christian hath testimonie in his spirit by the spirit of God that he is so elected chosen and ordeined of God to eternall saluation that what so euer the world the flesh the diuell or sinne shall doe yet standeth he assured of Gods election grace strength and fidelitie that he shall neuer fall to damnation but arise againe and be called from his falls what so euer they be And yet this most sure comfortable knowledge will not giue him licence nor libertie to sinne but rather kéep him in a feare and loue of the strong and mightie God in whose handes he is and kept from the great fall of eternall damnation from the which he was deliuered from the beginning with God So that ye may learne of this place what perseuerance is in the meditation contemplation of Gods most holy word and promises At the first they séeme vnto the fleshe things impossible as we may sée by Nichodemus who was as ignoraunt as could be at the beginning when he came first to schoole to Christ. But when a man hath bene exercised a while in it he féeleth more swéetnesse in the promises of God as we sée by this Prophete For after he had borne the crosse of affliction a little while and learned the nature of God howe mercifull he is to sinners he saide Although I fall yet it shall not be greatly But when he had tarried in the schoole of Christe and learned in déede what he was and howe that he was able to perfourme his mercy he saide plainly Whatsoeuer sinne the diuell the world the fleshe hell heauen or the earth would say against him he should not fall These two interpretations are to be noted For which so euer we vse we may finde comfort and vnspeakable consolation Now when he hath declared that he shal not fall into Gods eternal ire displeasure he sheweth how this certeintie of eternall saluation came vnto him and why God so mercifully and strongly hath warded and fenced him against all temptations and perilles of damnation It is saith he bicause God is his health That is to say One that hath not onely taken him from the sicknesse and daunger of sinne the tyrannie of the diuell and damnation of the lawe but also preserueth him in the same state that he fall not againe into the sicknesse and perill that he was deliuered from Whereof we learne that it is not mans labours nor mans workes that helpeth a sinner and saueth a damnable soule but it is the frée worke and vndeserued mercy of almightie God Wherfore we be taught that There is no health but in God alone Then saith the Prophete also that in God is his glorie Of the which worde he noteth two thinges The one touching God alone and the other touching God and him selfe The glorie that toucheth God alone is that this troubled Prophete pondered in the heauinesse and anguishe of his minde the number and strength of his enimies the diuel the flesh sinne the world and the bitter accusation of Gods lawes that truely accused and painfully grieued his conscience for sinne Of the other side in faith he considered howe the scripture declared that God was merciful euen vnto the greatest sinners of the worlde And he learned also by the word of God that GOD had made promise vnto sinners to be mercifull He considered further that god had many times vsed and practised his mercy towardes sinners And he founde likewise by the scripture that God to perfourme his mercy would not spare his owne dearely beloued sonne to redéeme man from his sinne with his own precious bloud and painfull death Thus weighing the strength of the diuell and sinne in the one part to damne and the strength of Gods mercy in Christe Iesus on the other part to saue and perceiuing the riches aboundance and strength of Gods mercy to be more auaylable to saue then all the power and strength of the diuell and sinne to damne for the great victory that God taketh ouer such strong enimies the Prophete triumpheth in the glorie of God ioyfully and thankefully extolling him for his mercy and power that hath broken the serpentes head and spoyled him of his prisoners So we vse to doe when any man by valiauntnesse defendeth vs from our enimies we extoll and magnifie him for his victorie and conquest This glorie gaue the Prophete Asaphe in this Psalme of God when by faith he sawe God conquering of hell sinne the diuell the accusation of the lawe desperation the fleshe and the world And the same glory giueth euery faithful creature vnto God at the end of the Lordes prayer when he saith For thine is the kingdome the power and the glorie By the which wordes we knowe that howe so euer the diuell and wicked people take vppon them to vsurpe by violence warre and tyrannie and liue neuer so princely in pompe and pride they be but vsurpers if they come to it wrongfully for the kingdome apperteineth vnto GOD. And howe so euer they extend their power in Gods sight they be no stronger then a brused réede or broken staffe for the power is Gods And what glorie so euer they seigne and flatter them selues to haue it is but withered haye and vile dust in the sight of God But nowe the Prophete by the eye of faith séeing this glorious triumphe strength and power
in God saith that In this glorious almightie and triumphant God is his glory and desireth to haue part of that victorie and of that meruellous maiestie And as the Psalme saith He calleth and nameth the God of glorie his glorie Oh meruellous and vnspeakable boldnesse and constancie of faith A man nothing but sinne by nature in the sight of God nothing but earth and ashes replenished with all miserie and wretchednesse by nature corrupt the very enimie of GOD a vessell prepared vnto all dishonour ignominie shame and perdition contemned through sinne and shamed before all creatures and yet nowe with all these dishonours by faith saith The king of glorie is his glorie and the conquerour of all dishonour is his shield and buckler Of the other part who can thinke or speake any thing thankfull to suche a king of glory and most mightie conquerour that abhorreth not of mercy to be the honour and glory of so vile sinfull and wretched a thing as man is Whose eyes abhorre no filthe of sinne in penitent sinners whose presence refuseth not the companie of the sicke and miserable whose strength comforteth the weake whose mercy reioyceth the comfortles whose life expelleth death whose health banisheth sicknesse whose loue vanquisheth hatred whose immortalitie giueth euerlasting life and who crowneth vs with endlesse pitie and compassion in ioyes perpetuall Thus the Prophete after he had espied the almightie God in him selfe gloriously to be voyd of all troubles dolours and other aduersities and that he had also conquered gloriously the capteines of al aduersities hell death satan and sinne he challenged by faith and craued by Gods promise to be partaker of Gods glory in this point And doubtlesse he that can féele in his heart that GOD is his glory he shall take no dishonour nor shame by all the workes of the diuell sinner or the worlde Therefore many times in reading or thinking of the Psalmes or other parte of the holy scripture it is expedient to meditate and pray that the word we speake or pray may be vnto vs as much saluation comfort and glory as we perceiue GOD hath appointed in it for vs. And when we say with our mouth to God Thou art my saluation my glorie my rocke and my trust Let vs cry Lorde increase our faith helpe vs for thy name sake constantly to beleeue thee to be vnto vs in deed in spirit as we speake of thee outwardly with our mouth For in case the heart vnderstande not nor beléeue the wordes we speake with our mouthe we honour God in vaine as the scripture saith Let vs therefore praye as Saint Paule teacheth vs saying I will pray with the spirite and I will pray with the minde also When the Prophete hath by faith assured him selfe of Gods fauour he exhorteth all the Christian congregation to doe the same saying O put your trust in him alwayes ye people c. Here the Prophete teacheth what the Minister of the Church Bishop and others should doe when they vnderstand the scripture and learne by it feare and faith loue and hope in GOD they be bound to teache the congregation the same Scriptures for her saluation Whereby is condemned the vse of the Scripture in an vnknowne toung which is directly against Gods worde And here be Kings and Rulers also taught to sée their subiectes tenaunts and seruaunts to vnderstand the worde of God likewise the Father and the Mother the Maister and the Maistresse who be bound to knowe for their saluation the worde of GOD and to teache it vnto others vnder their gouernaunce Therefore in the end of the verse is put Selah As though he had saide Happie be those that put their trust in the Lorde and teach other to doe the same And curssed be those that trust not in the Lord and teach others to do the like THE FIFT PART 9 As for the children of men they are but vaine the children of men are deceitfull vpon the weights They are altogether lighter then vanitie it selfe 10 O trust not in wrong and robberie giue not your selues to vanitie if riches increase set not your heart vpon them The fift part sheweth howe mans power is not to be trusted vnto THE Prophete by no meanes would haue men to put their trust in fleshe and bloud in case they doe they must néedes perishe For when miserable man shall trust in vaine vanitie whiche is man he can be no lesse then vanitie it selfe in whome he hath trusted And this is one miserie and wretchednesse a man to be deceiued of helpe and succour whereas he most trusted to haue bene holpen and succoured Thus must it néedes happen to them that trust in men For men of most excellencie and greatest authoritie riches and power in the world be but vanitie as the Prophete saith Nowe as they be so is their helpe And as their helpe is so is the comfort and consolation of such as seeke help at their handes Those that be trusted vnto be but flesh and bloud the best of flesh and bloud is but vanitie the consolation and helpe of vanitie is miserie and wretchednesse wherefore the Prophete exhorteth all men to beware they séeke not ayde and comfort of man for he is but vaine The Israelites vsed for their helpe against their enimies the Egyptians but the more flesh conspired together the worsse successe had all the battels they fought Nowe as we sée men that haue their trust in men suffer muche trouble and miserie in the world bicause their helpe they trust in is of inferiour strength and power to the troubles and aduersities that they be combred withall So doeth the word of God declare that such men as trust in vanitie haue not onely worldly aduersities against them but also for their so doing trusting in fleshe they be accurssed of God as the scriptures say Curssed be he that trusteth in man So that we sée meruelous and vnspeakable harmes come of the trust in man First miseries of y e world and next the enimitie and cursse of God For he that putteth his trust in man with the same one fact and doing doeth two horrible euils The one he deceiueth him selfe for the vanitie that he trusteth in can not saue him And the other he dishonoureth God that onely can saue in putting his trust in mortall man that can not saue and so maketh of man God to Gods high displeasure and dishonour Euery Christian man therefore should forsake fleshe and bloud and trust in the Lorde Almightie maker of heauen and earth as the Prophet Asaphe did a little before when he saide In God was his glory who could defend him from all hurts present past and to come what so euer they were The like may we sée in Saint Paule that saide God forbid that I should glory in any thing sauing in the crosse of our Lord Iesus Christ by whome the world
in time at the beginning of troubles and temptations to remember the Lord and to cal vnto him for mercie For the more temptations doe growe without present assistance of Gods grace the greater is the damnation and the more is the daunger thereof as we may sée in the examples of the scripture Adam fell into anxietie and discomfort of spirite and God immediately tolde him of his fault and by Gods grace his discomforted spirite was quieted in the promises of God Caine by the murther of his brother Abel felt the discomfort of the spirit and by neglecting of Gods calling dyed in the same Dauid being admonished by Gods grace found rest for his vnquieted spirite Saule in deferring the remedie of Gods grace died comfortlesse Peter at the beginning through Gods grace with one looke of Christe put away discomfort Iudas with contemning Christes admonitions dyed in horrible despaire Whereof we learne to beware as much as may be that temptations growe not so farre that Gods admonition or the remembraunce of Gods name be forgotten but that we doe in the middest of discomforts as Asaph the Prophet did remember and cal vpon the Lord for help There is also by this remēbraunce of God in the discomfort of the spirite to be noted what a vanitie all the world and worldly things be for man in time of trouble when God shal shew and reueale vnto man his sinnes This Asaph as we reade in the scripture was a man whom for his vertues and good qualities king Dauid appointed to be a Musician for the comfort of many vntill the building of the temple of Hierusalem Yet nowe as we sée he is not able to solace him selfe with his Musicke nor yet with any worldly thing but this onely comfort is in the Lord. And here the Prophete declareth the truth of Christes sentence written in S. Luke What doth it profite a man to winne all the worlde and to loose his owne soule What externall riches can comfort the inward spirite troubled with sinne and transgression of Gods lawe None at all doubtlesse as the scripture sheweth examples euery where Al king Dauids kingdome was not able to appease his troubled and discomforted spirite when he said to his troubled soule Why art thou so heauie and sad my soule and why doest thou trouble me Nowe this one thing more I will marke in this verse and no more bycause it is more fully vsed by the Prophete for the comfort of discomforted spirits in the verses that followe I sayde there was two kindes of consolations in the word of God The one outward in the face and lesson of the letter and the other inward in the vnderstanding and féeling of the spirite And of this diuision must great héede be taken For it is not euery man that readeth and heareth that Christe dyed for the remission of sinne that shall haue the consolation of the redemption promised in Christes bloud For we sée and reade God giue vs grace to learne it that Adam caused his sonnes to heare of his owne fall in Paradise and the redemption of his fal in the bloud of Christe to come as Abel his yonger sonne right wel perceiued yet did Caine hearing the same consolation perish in his sinne There was consolation and rest promised vnto all them that came out of Egypt but none tooke the benefite thereof but Iosua and Caleb There was in the outward letter promised consolation vnto all Abrahams children but none receiued the commoditie thereof but suche as in spirite followed the fayth of Abraham The scripture saith in the letter that GOD would all men to be saued yet we sée such as followe not the spirite offered be damned God by his worde in the time of holy and blessed King Edward the sixt offered consolation vnto all this realme yet none shall inioy it but suche as in their spirites haue learned kept and do followe the word of consolation So our Sauiour Christ in S. Matthew doth say Not euery man that calleth me Lord Lorde shall enter into the kingdome of God but he that followeth in Christ Gods commaundements There be a great many at this day as there were before our time that knowe and speake of such consolation as is conteined in the letter vtter barke of Gods worde but in their consciences they féele not in déede the consolation thereof As Iudas preached abroad with the rest of his companions consolation to the lost shéepe of the house of Israel but he shewed vnto others that he felt not him selfe So did the Phariseis when the scripture was read euery Saturday in their Synagogues shew that Messiah should come to redéeme the worlde yet they them selues for the most part felt not the consolation in déede that the scripture did testifie of Christ. Euen so at this present many reade this Psalme and daily almost in the letter whereof if it be in Englishe he that vnderstandeth not but the English toung séeth great consolation in the letter and also in the Prophete Asaph that vsed the Psalme yet when néede should be the inward consolation of the Psalme of many is nothing felt The cause is that either they vnderstand it not or else marke it not eyther they thinke as the Papistes doe teach that to say or sing the Psalme without vnderstanding and féeling of it in the spirite is sufficient for the worke it selfe and that it pleseth God Ex opere operato as they terme it It is too euident and also too horrible if it pleased God that men be contented only with the externall consolation conteined in the word of God For if they heare that Gods commaundements be true and full of consolation they be contented to heare of them in the letter or by speach and neuer learne thē or féele them by heart The like is in the Articles of our Christian religion They be thought to be true and godly and yet the most part that so iudge neyther learne them nor féele them in their conscience Wherefore they doe outwardly and inwardly as much idolatrie contrarie to their Créed by the commaundement of men as can be deuised for their consolation of faith is no more but such an outward knowledge as the most men hold withall without any proper iudgement or singular féeling of their owne spirites The same is likewise in prayer For in the externall letter there is so much consolation as may be but in the heart of him that prayeth is there no vnderstanding nor féeling of the consolatiō that outwardly is spoken and talked of Therefore marke this order of the Prophete Asaph He sayde that His spirite could take no consolation in all the night time whilest he helde vp his handes And as there is not only discomfort and vnquietnes spoken of but also felt not onely noted and written in the letter of y ◠Psalme but also throughly felt inwardly in the
more comfort then the first part hath discomfort And it is a plaine doctrine that although y e sinnes of man be many horrible yet be they fewer and lesse in estimation many thousande foldes then Gods mercies Death is declared in the first part of the verse in this that mans infirmitie is not onely sinful in body soule but also doutful of Gods mercy holy promises Yet in the second part by grace is set foorth life and cleane deliuerance from the tyrannie of the diuel the seruitude of sinne the accusation of the lawe and the infirmitie of nature by the strong and mightie power of God whose mercy in Christ is alwayes ready to helpe poore afflicted and troubled sinners After this confession of sinne and the great confidence that the prophet had in God for his mightie power and mercies sake that was both able by power and redy with will to help and remedie this troubled spirite and great aduersities of the Prophet he goeth foorth in the consolation taketh yet more and more of Gods benefites vsed in times towardes such as were afflicted after this sort 11 I will remember the workes of the Lord and call to my minde thy wonders of olde time 12 I will thinke also of thy workes and my talking shall be of thy doings 13 Thy way ô God is holy who is so great a God as our God 14 Thou art the God that doth wonders and hast declared thy power amongest people 15 Thou hast mightily deliuered thy people euen the sonnes of Iacob and Ioseph Sela. 16 The waters saw thee ô God the waters saw thee and were afraid the deapthes also were troubled 17 The cloudes powred out water the ayre thundered and thine arrowes went abroad 18 The voyce of thy thunder was heard round about the lightenings shone vpon the gound the earth was moued and shooke withall 19 Thy way is in the sea and thy pathes in the great waters and thy footsteps are not knowne 20 Thou leadest thy people like shepe by the hand of Moses and Aaron Of these meanes howe men take consolation in aduersitie that the Prophet nowe maketh mention of first we learne what difference is betwéene the consideration of Gods works aduisedly by faith the consideration of Gods workes rashly without faith The which diuersitie is to be séen in this Prophet For the one part as touching the remembring of Gods workes out of faith and in faith he spake before in the second verse and in the fourth verse how that he considered the workes and old doings of the Lord when he was troubled But as ye haue heard because his spirite was in a doubtfulnesse and mamering vppon the certeintie of Gods doinges he felt no consolation thereof but much heauinesse and anguish of minde For those demaundes Will God absent himselfe for euer Will he be no more mercifull and such like heauie and doubtfull complaintes could neuer procéed but from a sorrowful and much troubled conscience But now after that Gods spirit hath wrought in his spirit this assurance and iudgment that God can in him chaunge the conditions of his miseries as ye may sée he maketh no more complaint of doubtfulnesse neither remembreth any more the fearefulnesse of his conscience but goeth foorth with repetition and rehearsall of all thinges comfortably how that God in time past holpe troubled spirites and afflicted personages that put their trust in him So that of this we learne that whosoeuer hath a sure faith in God taketh consolation of Gods word and workes And such as haue not first true faith in God cannot in the spirite receiue comfort of Gods word or workes Outwardly men may meruel at God and his worker but inwardly it easeth not the heauinesse nor yet quieteth the grudge of conscience Wherefore it behoueth vs all that we pray earnestly vnto GOD to giue vs faith to beléeue his word and workes when we heare read or sée them For the word and workes of God do nothing comfort the vnfaithfull as we may sée by the Scripture where God saith He stretched foorth his hand al day long to a people that beléeued not for such as haue eares heare not eyes sée not be rather the worse for Gods word workes then the better Ye shal sée where the spirite of Dauid was replenished with faith he was in assured and ascerteined of Gods present helpe that he said he would not feare although a thousand men inuironed and compassed him round about No he would not feare thoughe he should walk in the shadow of death At another time when faith quailed and waxed faint he was trembling in his spirite and fearefull in his bodie as we may sée when he felt his spirite waxe faint he said My soule is troubled very sore and my bones be weakened And in other of his Psalmes he sheweth that his soule was very heauie and comfortlesse and could take no consolation Also when the spirite is assured of Gods grace then the eyes cannot looke vppon any worke of God but the mind taketh by the contemplation and sight thereof vnspeakeable consolation As Dauid declareth in his Psalmes and saith He would sée the heauens the workes of Gods fingers and would marke how one day was an induction to an other and how the heauens praised the Lord. At an other time when the consolation and life of the spirit was ouer whelmed with troubles he could not sée at all with his eyes but cryed and complained that he was starke blinde And also in that meruellous Psalme in number 88. whereas prayer is made to be deliuered from the horrour and féeling of sinne the Prophet saith that his eyes waxed dimme and blinde The same is to be séene likewise in the crosses and afflictions that God sendeth As long as true faith and confidence remaineth in the heart all troubles be wellcome and thankfully taken as we read When Iob had newes that his goods and chidren were taken from him in manner soudeinly he most patiently said God gaue them and God hath taken them away as God would so it is done But when faith quailed and the spirite was troubled then followed these impatient wordes I would my sinne were layed in one balance and my paine in an other As though God had layed more vppon him then he had deserued When the spirit was quieted for all his pouertie and nakednesse he reioyced and was contented with his birth and comming into the world and also with the state in the world appointed vnto him by God saying Naked I came out of my mothers bellie and naked I shall depart hence againe But when faith fainted then came out these woordes The day the night and the time be cursed wherein I was borne With many more horrible wordes as the text declareth So that we sée whereas Gods spirite wanteth there is no learning nor consolation to be
many times the word of God in a Psalme worthie much reading and more marking of the thinges conteyned therein For he intreateth all the Psalme thorough that a godly life doeth consist in the obseruation of Gods lawes and therefore doth he so many times in the Psalme pray God to illuminate and indue his spirite and hearte with these two vertues Knowledge and Loue of his word wherewith he may both knowe howe to serue God and at all times to be acceptable vnto him And our sauiour Christ himselfe in Saint Luke saith vnto a woman Blessed be they that heare the word of God and kepe it And in S. Iohn Christ exhorteth all men to the reading and exercising of the Scripture For the ignorance of Gods word bringeth with it a murren and rott of the soule yet for the sinnes of the people God said He would sende a hunger and famine amongst men not a hunger of bread nor water but of hearing Gods word King Dauid therefore as one assured both of the Authour of life also of the foode wherewith the life is mainteyned stayeth himselfe with Gods benediction and fauour that he is assured God féedeth him with his word And he sheweth also that none is the authour of this word neither can any giue it but God alone For when the first fall of Adam and Eue by eating forbidden meates had poysoned infected both body and soule with sinne and Gods displeasure so that he was destitute both of Gods fauour wisedome none but God could tell him where remedie and help lay nor yet could any deliuer him the help but God For till God made promise that the séed of a woman should make whole and saue that which the diuel and man had made sicke and lost by reason of sinne and also made open the remedie vnto Adam and inclined his heart to beléeue the remedie Adam was dead in sinne and vtterly cast away Then the pittie of the heauenly shéepheard said He should notwithstanding in time be brought into the same pasture againe and none should deceiue him nor bring him any more out of the pastures of life But onely God gaue this meate which was his holy word and promise and also the mouth of fayth to eate these promises of Gods onely gift And the same appeareth throughout the whole Bible that onely God by sending of his worde and preachers brought knowledge of euerlasting life to the people that were in ignoraunce As Saint Paule sayth God before time spake vnto our fathers by the Prophets and in these latter dayes vnto vs by his sonne and after the ascension of his sonne by his Apostles and Euangelistes in so much that none of the Prophetes-euer spake of Gods worde that mainteined the life of the soule otherwise then they receiued it of the high shepheard almightie God as Saint Peter saith Prophesie came not by the wil of man but the holy men of God spake as they were taught by the holy Ghost So that God is the onely authour and founteine of his true word the foode of all mens soules In like manner he is the onely giuer of the same as he is the giuer of it and none but him selfe so none can eate it but such as haue the same deliuered vnto them by the holy Ghost So our Sauiour Christ likewise in the Gospell of Saint Iohn telleth Nichodemus that it was not possible to vnderstand and to knowe the grace of redemption except he were borne from aboue And when Saint Paule preached the worde of God at Philippos amongest the women by the water side the Lorde opened the heart of Lidia to vnderstande the things spoken of by Paule And when Christe preached among the Iewes and wrought wonderfull miracles yet they vnderstoode nothing neither were they anything the better And Christe sheweth the cause Proptereà vos non auditis quia ex Deo non estis that is to say Therefore ye heare not bicause ye be not of GOD. But the fault was not in God but in the obstinacie and frowardnesse of their owne heartes as ye may sée in Saint Matthewe Christ offered him selfe but yet the malice of man rebelled at all times Sainte Paule to the Corinthians wonderfully setteth foorth mans vnablenesse and saith The naturall man is not able to comprehend the thinges that be of God And in Saint Iohn Christ saith No man can come vnto him except the heauenly father drawe him for they must be all taught of God Nowe as the Prophete sawe these things for him selfe and his saluation in Gods worde euen so must euery Christian man take héede that he learne the same doctrine or else it were no commoditie to haue the scripture of God deliuered and taught vnto vs. And euery reader and hearer must learn of this Psalme that there is none other foode nor meate for the soule but Gods word And who so euer doe refuse it when it is offered or preached or when they knowe the truth therof doe yet of malice feare lucre and gaine of the world or any other way repugne it they be vnworthy of al mercy and forgiuenesse Let euery man and woman therefore examine their owne conscience without flattering of them selues and they shal find that the most part of this realme of England in the time of our holy and blessed king Edward the sixt were fed with this holy foode of Gods worde or else might haue bene fed with it For it was offered and sent vnto them as well by most godly statutes and lawes of Parleament as by many Noble men and vertuous learned Preachers If they fed not vpon it accordingly or now their téeth stand on edge and their stomachs be cloyed with it to their perill be it Thus Christ saith They haue nothing wherby iustly to excuse them selues of their sin And likewise he faith that Whosoeuer hateth him hateth also his father By which words it appeareth manifestly that no man can hate Christes doctrine but he must hate Christe him selfe and no man can hate Christe but he must also hate the father of heauen Wherefore it is expedient for euery man to marke such places For it was not Christes name nor Christes person that the Iewes hated so mortally Christe for but they hated him to death for his doctrine sake and it was Christes doctrine that condemned the world and shewed the life and learning of the worlde to be euill and could not abide the light of Gods worde and therefore in no case they could abide to heare of it as ye sée the like in his poore Preachers For his wordes sake they be lesse passed of then dogges or brute beastes for they be hated to death and more fauour doeth Barrabas the murtherer finde then Peter the preacher of Christe that would leade the flocke redéemed with Christes pretious bloud into the pastures of Gods word with the Prophete Dauid and yet in
wherewithall God preserueth his shéepe from straying Nowe in the scripture somtimes the rod is taken not for a correction that amendeth a man but for the punishment and vtter destruction of man as Dauid saith of Christ Thou shalt breake them with an yron rod and in the Apocalypse ye may sée the same But I will speake of the Metaphors and Translations none otherwise then Dauid doeth vse them in this place for his purpose The staffe which he speaketh of in the scripture is taken for strength power and dominion which staffe is spoken of as ye may sée in the bookes of the Kinges howe the Embassadours and men of warre sent from the king of the Assyrians to Ezechias at Hierusalem called the strength power of the Aegyptians and also of the almightie God a staffe of réede and a broken weapon not able to withstande the king of the Assyrians and of suche manner of speach ye may reade many times in the Prophetes But in this place Dauid confesseth that the staffe of the Lorde that is to say Gods power is so strong that nothing is able to ouercome it his wisdome is such that no man can make it foolishnesse his trueth is so true that no man can make it false his promise is so certeine and sure that no man can cause him to breake or alter it his loue is so constant that no man can withdraw it his prouidence is so wise that no man can beguile him his care is so great for his flocke that they can want nothing his folde is so strong that no beast can breake it he letteth his shéepe so in and out that no man can deceiue him he hath suche a care of all as he neglecteth not one he so loueth the one that he hateth not the other he so teacheth all as none is left ignoraunt he so calleth one as all should be aduertised he so chasteneth one as all should beware he so receiueth one as all should take hope and consolation he so preserueth one as all the rest may be assured that he vseth his staffe and force to comfort one king Dauid as he saith Thy rod and thy staffe they comfort me as all other should assure them selues to be safe vnder his protection In this Metaphore and Translation vnder the name of a staffe king Dauid hath declared the power of God to be such that in case he should passe by and through thousandes of perilles he would not care for GOD is with him with his rodde and staffe Then he setteth foorth the thirde Allegorie and expresseth an other meanes which God vseth for the defence and consolation of his poore shéepe and saith that GOD hath prepared a table in his sight against all those that trouble him By the name of a table he setteth foorth the familiar and in manner fellowlike loue that the God omnipotent hath towardes his shéepe with whome he vseth not only friendship but also familiaritie and disdaineth not being the King of Kings to admit and receiue vnto his table vile and beggarly sinners scabbed rotten shéepe That friendship and familiaritie is meruellously set foorth in this that he made a table for Dauid as though Dauid had saide Who is he that can hurt me when the Lorde of Lordes doeth not onely loue me but admitteth me to be alwayes familiarly in his companie The same manner of speache is vsed of king Dauid towardes Miphiboseth Ionathas sonne when he saide he shoulde not only haue the fieldes againe of Saule his grandfather but also be enterteined at his owne table that is to say vsed friendly honourably and familiarly This worde Table is diuersly otherwayes taken many times in the Scripture but in this place it is néerest to the mind of king Dauid to take it in this signification that I haue noted And our Sauiour Christe taketh it in the same signification in Saint Lukes Gospell where he saith his disciples shall eate with him at his table in the kingdome of God The fourth meanes that the heauenly shepheard vseth in kéeping of his shéepe the Prophete setteth foorth vnder the name of oyle and a full cuppe In the worde of God these wordes haue also comfortable significations and meanings extending to Dauids purpose Isaac when he had giuen the blessing from Esau to Iacob sayde to Iacob God shall giue thee of the deaw frō heauen and from the fruitfull ground thou shalt haue aboundance of corne of wine and oyle c. By the which blessing he meaneth that Iacob should lacke nothing to serue his néedes and to make him merrie And if we take Dauid that he meaneth by Oyle as Isaac did that at the Lordes table was all plentie myrth and solace we take him not amisse for so many times oyle is taken for consolation and ioy in the Scriptures When Christe had purged the hurt mans woundes first with smarting wine he afterwardes put into them swéete oyle to ease the smarte and sharpnesse of the wine And so likewise saith our sauiour Christ to Simon the Pharisée that gaue him meat enough to his dinner but gaue him no myrth Since I came into thy house thou gauest me no water for my feete nor oyle for my heade this poore woman neuer ceassed to wash my feete with the tears of her eyes and to annoynt them with oyle But in many Psalmes king Dauid vseth this word Oyle to signifie the holy Ghoste as when he speaketh of our Sauiour Christe Thou hast loued iustice and hated iniquitie therefore hath God annoynted thee with the oyle of ioye aboue thy fellowes And this oyle is not the materiall oyle that kings and priests were annoynted withall in the old time of the lawe of whose confection we reade in the booke of the Leuites but this is the oyle by whose efficacie strength and power all things were made that is to say the holy Ghost And in his 89. Psalme he speaketh of the oyle in the same signification Therefore I take king Dauid here when he saith God hath annoynted his head with oyle that God hath illuminated his spirite with the holy Ghost And so is this place taken of godly men his head taken for his minde and oyle for the holy Ghost And as oyle nourisheth light mitigateth labours and paines and exhilerateth the countenaunce so doth the holy Ghost nourish the light and knowledge of the minde replenisheth it with Gods giftes and reioyceth the heart therefore the holy Ghoste is called the oyle of mirth and consolation And this consolation commeth vnto king Dauid and to all Gods liuely members by the meanes of Christ as Saint Peter saith We be people chosen and a princely priesthoode c. By the word Cup in this verse he meaneth that he is fully instructed in all godly knowledge to liue vertuously and godly for the time of this mortall life and so is the cup in the scripture taken for any thing that can
and benigne father who was not onely liberall and frée to his children but also to his hirelings that lacked nothing This consideration of his offence towards his father made him a great deale more sorrie then al the paines he otherwise susteined And thus must euerie Christian waite vpon the Lord and then doubtlesse consolation shall followe as it appeareth by the same prodigal sonne and by this Psalme of the Prophet Moreouer if we marke with what dangers and troubles the soule séeketh her Lorde and spouse Iesus Christ in the mysticall booke of Solomons Ballads we shall sée with what attendaunce diligence and patience the soule waiteth vpon Christ. I sought him saith the soule but I found him not I called him and he woulde not aunswere me The watchmen of the citie found me and beatte mee and wounded me They tooke my robe from me that kepte the walles I require you ye daughters of Hierusalem if ye find my spouse tell him that I am sicke with loue Note these wordes I sought him saith the soule found him not I called him and he answered not Was not this ynough to haue cleane discomforted the heauie sicke and troubled soule that ranne and cryed to her loue and husband Iesus Christe and yet for the time neuer the neare Further in running and calling for him the soule fell into the handes of her enimies that robbed her of her mantell And yet notwithstanding these daungers she cryed out vnto all that she mette that incase they founde her spouse they woulde tell him that she was sicke with his loue Ponder these thinges altogether first to trauell and crye and not to profit Next in trauelling and crying to lose all her goodes yea the mantell that she went in Thirdly to putte her life in daunger with confessing Christe to be her spouse before such as hated him mortally And yet howe did this Christian creature Doubtlesse wayted vpon the Lorde without murmur or grudge And in all these troubles note there is no complaint nor quarell made of her prayers that were not heard of the paines that for the time profited not of y e losse of her goodes and apparell nor yet of the daunger that she was in of her and Christe her spouses enimies But here was the wéeping lamentation and sorrowe that Christ her spouse could not be found In whose loue she burned so ardently that all aduersities gréeued her not neither did shée any thing at all estéeme them but onely the want of Christe was her gréefe and sorowe Yet was she patient and trusted still in the Lorde The like may ye sée by the woman of Canaan howe she called vpon the Lord for her daughter vnto whome Christe made no worde of answere Further his disciples wer troubled and wearied by her importunate suite Also Christe called her in maner no better then a dogge yet was there neither the bitternesse of his wordes nor the inhumanitie of his Apostles that she passed for but she wayted still vppon the Lorde and was nothing sorrowfull for all the sharpe words she suffered but onely because the helpe of the Lord was not extended and bestowed vppon her daughter as she desired But what insueth of suche a patient expectation and sorrowfulnesse of Gods absence Marke what the Prophete sayeth The seconde part of the Psalme 1 For of him commeth my saluation 2 He verily is my strength and my saluation hee is my defence so shall I not greatly fall The seconde parte declareth why the troubled person seeketh health of God HEere firste be thrée doctrines to be noted Firste to knowe by Gods worde that God can helpe The second that God will helpe And the thirde that the afflicted is bounde boldely to require helpe of God Whereof the troubled person muste be assured by the scripture or else he shall neuer finde consolation Now to the firste parte that God can helpe this scripture is to be marked that saith God is omnipotent that is to witt able to do all thinges So said he to Abraham when he eftsoones promised him the land of Canaan I am the God omnipotent walk before me and be perfect The same saide Iacob when Beniamin his young sonne was so instantly desired by his brethren to go into Egypt when they lacked corne My God omnipotent saide Iacob can make the prince of Aegypt fauourable vnto you So did God tell Moses that he was the Lorde that appeared vnto Abraham Isahac and Iacob euen the almightie God The like is in the same booke when God had drowned Pharao and his hoaff Moses gaue thankes and sayde His name was almightie Thus in the word of God we may learne euery where as well by his name as by his most meruellous works that he is omnipotent and there is nothing impossible vnto him Euen so doth the word of God declare that as he is omnipotent and can saue in like manner is he willing and will saue King Dauid saith that He saueth both man and beast In another Psalme he saith God saked him from all aduersities And againe he saith He wil saue all that trust in him And not onely saue but also saue for nothing So God saith by the prophet Esaie I will saue thy children And in the same booke it is declared that Gods hand is not weakened but that he can saue and wil saue This willing nature of God to saue is manifestly opened vnto vs in al the Prophets And in Saint Matthewe Christe saith Hee came to saue such as were lost The same is to be séene in S. Luke howe that The sonne of man came not to damne but to saue S. Iohn the Euangelist saith His comming was to saue the world And S. Paul saith He would all men to be saued Now as the word of God and the examples conteined in the same declare that God can will helpe in the time of trouble and aduersitie so doeth it declare that men be bound to call and séeke for helpe in the time of aduersitie As we read in Esaie the Prophet where God cryeth out in this sort Ye that be a thirst come to the waters c. In S. Matthewe Christ commaundeth all men that be troubled to come vnto him Also in the Psalmes He biddeth all men call vpon him in the dayes of their heauinesse and he will heare them and deliuer them Againe He willeth vs to aske and it shalbe giuen vnto vs. Nowe as these thrée doctrines are to be marked in the almightie God so must they be grounded in the heart of the troubled person And first he must giue this honour vnto God that he alone is able to saue and none but he as the Prophet Esay sayth of him Then being thus persuaded the afflicted person will not séeke helpe at dead Saintes nor at any other creatures hande but at Gods onely And as none
of the sect of the Peripatets did hold that a blessed and fortunate life did consist in honestie and said that The same might be accomplished with the voluptuous pleasures of the body and with externall riches honour and felicitie But both these opinions and all the rest are confuted by our sauiour Christ and his holy word He saith This is life euerlasting that men knowe thee O father the only and true God and whome thou hast sent Iesus Christ. And in an other place he saith Euery one that forsaketh house brothers sisters father mother wife children or possessions for my name shall receiue an hundred folde and possesse life euerlasting By these places we knowe that beatitude felicitie consisteth in knowlege working of Gods will which be the causes of quietnesse of conscience and innocencie of life wherein felicitie doth consist as I saide before The right knowledge of GOD bringeth faith in Christe Faith in Christe bringeth tranquillitie of conscience Tranquillitie of conscience by faith worketh charitie and loue to do and worke the will of our heauenly father This may ye sée also in the booke of the Psalmes that felicitie blisse resteth not in these trifling things that glitter to the eye wherewith the Prophete was so sore offended but in knowledge and working of Gods will Blessed is the man whom thou teachest Lord and whom thou instructest in thy lawe And in an other Psalme he saith Blessed is the man that feareth the Lord and desireth to worke his will In these Psalmes if ye reade them with iudgement and prayer to God ye shall finde both knowledge and consolation farre aboue the common sorte of such as reade and vse them in the Churches nowe to the dishonour of GOD and to the destruction of their owne soules And in this matter of felicitie and beatitude of man and woman in this life I would haue you iudge by the scripture of God or else ye shall be deceiued what it is wherein it consisteth and what it worketh for onely the worde of God teacheth and sheweth it and nothing but it The scripture of GOD plainely declareth that nothing can be profitable whiche is not honest and vertuous And vertue is blessed and very felicitie in what condition or state so euer it be neyther can it be increased with any externall or bodily goods or honour neyther yet can it be diminished with any aduersities or troubles And nothing can be blessed but that which is voyde from iniquitie full of honestie and the grace of God As ye may sée in the booke of the Psalmes whereas this matter is plainely set foorth Blessed is the man that hath not walked in the counsell of the wicked nor stoode in the way of sinners nor sate in the chaire of scorners But his delight was in the lawe of God c. And in an other Psalme he saith Blessed are they that be cleane of life and walke in the lawe of God Out of these places we learne that knowledge and innocencie of life worketh felicitie and beatitude We must therefore beware that we iudge not felicitie to be in these inconstant and vncerteine riches of the world but we must contemne them and also beware we feare not the trouble that may happen for such vertues wherein felicitie doth stand And we must vnderstande also that although these vertues wherein felicitie consisteth and suche as be friendes of God dwelleth be afflicted and troubled that neyther the felicitie nor the person in whome it dwelleth is any thing the worse for troubles and aduersities before God but rather the better As ye may sée by the worde of God that saith Blessed be ye when men speak euill of you and persequute you and speake al euill against you lying for iustice sake Be glad and reioyce for your rewarde is great in heauen So did they persequute the Prophetes before you And in an other place it is saide Hee that will come after me let him denie him selfe and take his crosse and followe me The Psalme therfore in this part amendeth the iudgement of weake and wauering Christian men that be offended with the prosperitie of the wicked bicause they do not know nor marke by Gods word wherein felicitie doth consist and that it remaineth in suche vertues as be not diminished nor drowned in the aduersities of this world what so euer daungers happen When was Moses stronger then when he saw of the one side the mounteines of Egypt and of the other side Pharao and his armie and before him the red sea and in the middest of these enimies he and his people standing like shéepe ready for the woolues to be slaine He was neuer more strong nor in this life more blessed then at that time Daniel was neuer better then amongest the Lions We must therefore know the vertues wherein felicitie doth consist to be nothing diminished by sorrowe and trouble nor any thing increased by voluptuous pleasures and brittle honours of this world As S. Paul most godly setteth foorth in his Epistle to the Philippians The things saith he that I thought profite and gaines for Christes sake I esteeme as hurt and damage for whose loue I esteeme all thinges as nothing so that I may winne Christ. And Moses estéemed the treasures of Egypt hurtfull and preferred them not before the reproches and rebukes of the Lord neyther thought he him self rich nor blessed with the riches of Egypt ne cursed when he was in néede and lacked them Elias the Prophet if he had considered his néed and daunger he might haue accounted him selfe very miserable and vnhappie but bycause he knewe it was appointed him of GOD he complained not of Gods doings for he was as well contented to haue bread from God by the Rauen in the morning and water at night from the founteine as though he had had all the world And he was nothing the lesse blessed although he was poore but rather more blessed bycause he was riche to God ward Reade the Gospell of S. Matthewe and sée the practise of this felicitie Moses that was so destritute of all worldly helpe and Helias voyde of all worldly consolation do talke with Christ in the mount of Thabor where as Peter would haue tarried with all his heart although he knewe both Christ and those that he talked with in the estimation of this world were accounted most vnhappie and miserable of all men yet he sawe that transitorie honours riches and felicitie holp nothing to the life euerlasting As Christ plainly teacheth in S. Luke Blessed are the poore for theirs is the kingdome of God Blessed be they that hunger and thirst for iustice for they shall be satisfied Blessed be ye that nowe weepe for ye shall laugh Therefore the pouertie miserie and affliction that the Prophete was in when he spake this Psalme and most godly Hymne hindered nothing at all his felicitie and blessing of God
holy name and be thankful For There is nothing more vnnaturall in man then forgetfulnesse of Gods great and innumerable giftes towards vs. To whom be all honour and praise world without end Amen ¶ AN EXPOSITION vppon the 77. Psalme made by the constant Martyr of Christe Maister IOHN HOOPER Bishop of Glocester and Worcester THE ARGVMENT WHen this Prophet Asaph being a man appointed to the seruice and teaching of Gods word vnto the people perceiued that such as were vnder his cure charge were many times troubled and brought into great heauinesse for the feare and dread they had conceiued of Gods most iust ire and straite punishment for sinne transgression of his holy lawes and in himselfe felte especially the burden of Gods displeasure against sinne intollerable hee receiued from the holy ghost the spirit of consolation what was the best remedie and helpe for euery troubled conscience to appease and quiet the poore spirite of man that knoweth and feeleth not onely that God is iustly angrie for sinne but also will straitly punish the iniquitie and abhomination of the same And when hee had learned himselfe by God how a troubled and desperate conscience might be quieted hee spake it to such as were aliue and with him and wrote it to all such as should come after him vntil the worldes end that troubled sinners might see their sinnes for giuen in the mercie of God and they themselues accepted as Gods most deare children into eternall friendship and endlesse ioyes of saluation ¶ The partes of the Psalme 1 In whome a man should put his trust and to whome he should resort in the dayes of sicknesse troubles and aduersitie 2 How a man should vse himselfe towards him in whom he putteth his trust in the time of trouble 3 What great and perillous dangers the man that is troubled shall suffer for the time of his trouble 4 Howe a man taketh consolation in the time of his trouble ¶ The two first verses of the Psalme conteyning the two first partes 1 I will crie vnto God with my voice euen vnto God will I crie with my voyce and he shall hearken vnto mee 2 In the time of my trouble I sought the Lord my hand I held vp all night and it was not wearie my soule refused comfort ¶ The first part ¶ In whom a man should put his trust and to whom he should resort in the dayes of sicknesse troubles and aduersitie 1 I will crie vnto God with my voice euen vnto God will I crie with my voice and hee shall hearken vnto mee FIrst out of this text it is to be noted that God onely is to be trusted vnto in the dayes of trouble as our Sauiour Christ exhorted in heauines and anguish of body and soule all people to resort vnto him saying Come vnto mee all ye that be laden and burthened and I will refreshe you And the same is spoken of God by Esaie the Prophet Ye that be a thirst come vnto the waters and ye that haue no monie come take it freely S. Iohn likewise in the midst among troubled and afflicted persons reciteth the words of Christ saying If any be drie let him come to me and drinke Hee that beleeueth on mee as the Scripture saith flouds of water of life shall flowe out of his bellie Of this knowledge and suretie in the soule of man that God is can and wil be an ease and remedie for the troubled conscience cōmeth iustice peace and ioy of the conscience Not that any man shalbe by and by without all feare trembling and dread of his sinnes of Gods iust iudgement against sinne but that this feare and trembling shal not come to desperation neither shall he be more afraide of his sinnes then comforted by Gods mercie and grace in Christ. Therefore saith our sauiour Christ Blessed be they that weepe for they shalbe comforted Blessed be they that hunger and thirst for iustice for they shalbe replenished In this that he saith Blessed be they that weepe He noteth such as do knowe and féele with sorrowe and heauines of conscience that they be sinners and the filthines of their sinnes maketh them sorrowful and heauie hearted yet shall they in Christ be comforted Againe the poore sensible féeling and troubled sinner doth wishe his sinnes away and would gladly haue vertue and iustice to rule and do altogether in him Gods holy will and pleasure This hunger and thirst saith Christ shalbe quenched for the merits of his owne death and passion as it shal not misse if men in their thirst hunger persequution and trouble doe knowe and vse onely God for their helpe and consolation as this Prophet did and teacheth vs to doe the same in this Psalme In this first part be two sorts of people condemned The one is such as plainely despaire and in their troubles neither looke for consolation nor yet beléeue that there is any consolation to be hoped for in Christ. The other is such as séeke consolation but not onely at Gods hand power but at the Saincts departed at witches coniurers hypocrites and the workes deuised and done by man The first sort be left comfortlesse because they séeke no consolation and the second sort find no comfort because they séeke it where it is not contrarie vnto God and his holie word Happie therefore is the troubled that séeketh consolation at Gods handes and no where els For he is as it is written by the Prophet Esaie the God alone that doth saue and none but hee But there be two manner of impedimentes that kéepe the Almightie God from the helping and comforting of people that be in trouble The one is ignorance of Gods nature and propertie towards the afflicted and the other is feare and dread whereas God is most iustly angrie for sinne lest that in his anger and iust punishment he will not be mercifull Of the first impediment whiche is ignorance is sprong into the world horrible blasphemie that neither séeketh helpe at Gods hand nor yet is thankful vnto God for any thing that God giueth but rendereth all things to such Gods and Saincts as he hath deuised out of his owne imagination or els learned as S. Peter saith out of the traditions of his Elders So that ignorance taketh away the honour of God also the saluation of them that be ignorant The remedie against this great impediment is onely the reading meditating hearing and learning of Gods holy word whiche is as a candle light in a darke place to kéepe and preserue a man from danger and peril And so saith king Dauid that It is a candle vnto his feete and a light vnto his stepps And in an other place of his Psalmes he saith The lawe of God is so perfect that it turneth soules vnto the Lord. Wherefore saith he it is the part of euery man that wil be vertuous and godly to
Also Lord if thou wilt thou canst deliuer me As the Prophete vseth here in this Psalme He called and cryed vpon the Lord all the night and attended patiently when God would helpe leaning altogether to his blessed will and pleasure to doe or not to doe as him best pleased ¶ The third part What great and perillous daungers the man that is troubled shall suffer for the time of his trouble 2 My soule refused comfort 3 When I am in heauinesse I will thinke vpon God when my heart is vexed I will complaine Sela. 4 Thou holdest mine eyes waking I am so feeble I can not speake 5 I haue considered the dayes of olde and the yeres that be past 6 In the night I called to remembraunce my song and communed with mine owne heart and my spirite searched diligently 7 Will the Lord absent him selfe for euer and will he be no more intreated 8 Is his mercy cleane gone for euer And is his promise come vtterly to an end for euermore 9 Hath God forgotten to be gratious and will he shut vp his louing kindnesse in displeasure HEre in these verses it appareth what terrible and fearefull thinges a man that is in trouble shall suffer and be vexed withall And the first that the Prophete mentioneth is in the end of the second verse and it is this My soule refuseth comfort Of this aduersitie and anguishe of the soule we may learne many thinges First that as long as sinne appeareth not nor is felt the minde of man is quiet iocund and pleasant and the mirth and pleasure of the minde reioyceth the body and maketh it lustie and pleasant not féeling at all the breache of Gods commanundements neither passing any thing at all of sinne nor euill conuersation but rather delighting in things that displease God then in any vertue or honestie But when trouble sicknesse or death commeth then most commonly though men sée not the horrour of their sinnes to repent yet féele they the horrour thereof to desperation and that once felt in the soule all the ioyes of the worlde can not comfort the troubled person As Adam with all the solace of Paradise could not reioyce when his soule felt the abhomination of his offence towardes God Caine could neuer plucke vp merrie countenaunce for the cruell killing of his brother Abel Peter coulde not stint wéeping for his denyall of Christ vntill Christ looked vpon him Marie Magdalene could not put vp her head from vnder the table for shame of her sinne vntill Christe had forgiuen her nor the poore woman that was taken in adulterie vntil her offences were pardoned Neither yet could this Prophetes spirite take any consolation as long as his sinnes were felt and not pardoned Whereof followeth this saying A small trouble of conscience putteth away all ioy and mirthe of the world Wherefore it is wisedome and also the duetie of all Christian people to auoyde sinne and the enimitie of God which onely troubleth the conscience and to put the body to all paines possible yea and to death it selfe rather then to put the soule in daunger towardes God as Saint Paule writeth to Timothie his disciple and not without cause For as the spirite that contemneth God and féeleth for his contempt Gods displeasure can not take comfort but is full of anguish heauinesse inward and in the outward man full of paine and sorrowe so likewise shal the soule in the life to come inwardly féele vnspeakable grudgings and sorrowes and outwardly the vnquenchable and euerlasting fire of hell And here is to be noted that the very elect and dearest friendes of Christe be not frée from trouble and anguish of minde for their sinnes perpetrated committed against God But this is a consolation that the elect as they finde anxietie and anguish of minde for sinne in this life so in this life is the consciēce that is troubled by grace quieted that it may after this life finde eternall rest And it is a common order and ordinarie way whereby GOD vseth to bring the sinner to acknowledge and repent his sin and so from knowledge and repentaunce to the forgiuenesse of his sinne to shewe and set before the conscience of the sinner his sinne as the example of king Dauid and others do declare My sinne saith Dauid is alwayes before me As though he had said In case I coulde hide mine iniquitie from all the world yet can I not excuse it before God nor hide it from mine owne conscience And euery mans sinnes thus open before God and knowne and felt in his own conscience bringeth the soule into this discomfort and heauinesse that it refuseth all consolation and comfort as this Prophet Asaph sayth meruellously in this second verse of his Psalme There is to be noted out of this comfortlesse spirite of the Prophete Asaph an other most necessarie doctrine for euery Christian creture which is this that there is two manner of discomfortes or two sortes of heauinesse in the word of God that is appointed to leade vs in the time of this wretched life as there is in it also two manner of consolations There is two manner of brightnesse and clearnesse and two manner of darknesse and obscurenesse in it as it shall appeare in the treatise of this Psalme hereafter And bycause the diuersitie is not marked the worde of God doeth many times and in many places and persons no good at all There is a discomfort inwardly and a discomfort outwardly in the scripture The discomfort inwardly is when the sinneful man or woman séeketh and suffereth the same discomfort in his soule that the lawe of GOD doth open and proclame against him for his sinnes committed against God and his lawe so that as the lawe commaundeth after this sort Agite poenitentiam Repent ye so the man that is commaunded by the lawe to be sorie and heauie for his sinnes is sorrie and heauie in déede by the working of Gods spirite as we may sée in Adam what inward feare and discomfort he had when he heard the voyce of God after the doing of his sinne Caine the like Dauid the same with Peter Paule and others in the word of God This discomfort inwardly is felt of al Gods elect that be able to learne and knowe the nature of Gods lawe and the damnation and curse of God vpon sinne For this is a generall commaundement to all fleshe borne and conceiued in sinne Agite poenitentiam Repent ye It is also many times felt of suche as dye and liued wickedly As Saule and Iudas whose spirites in their discomforts refused al consolation and so dyed without comfort in great anguishe and perturbation of minde But that is not generall in all wicked and damned persons for many times they féele no discomfort nor heauinesse of spirite inwardly in this world but God of his
same members to rise againe at the generall resurrection and they shall suffer with the wicked spirite eternall paines Let this doctrine therefore teach all men to knowe and féele the crueltie of sinne that so painefully vnquieteth doth body and soule and think that if these grudgings discomforts terrours and feares be so great that death it selfe is more tollerable and easie to beare howe much more intollerable and vnspeakeable be the paines of hell which God hath ordeined for all impenitent sinners After this verse of trouble and anguish whereas we sée sléepe taken from the eyes and speach from the tongue followeth next how these great sorrowes were mollified and somewhat diminished 5 I haue considered the dayes of old and the yeres that be past 6 In the night I called to remembrance my song and communed with mine owne heart and my spirite searched diligently I did sayth the Prophet in this great discomfort and heauinesse consider with my selfe the times and worlds of old wherein the Lord had holpen and deliuered my fathers before my time from such troubles as I am in and also from greater And in the night while I was sléeplesse I remembred that many times I lauded and exalted the goodnes of God in my Psalms and Hymns giuing him thanks for his great mercie and goodnes vsed towards his Church at all times and in remembring Gods accustomed clemencie and pitie my spirite was much giuen to debate thinges Out of these two verses we may note diuers doctrines for our consolation in the dayes of our trouble And the first after my minde shalbe concerning the two brightnesse and the two darkenesse in the word of God The one brightnesse is in the letter outwardly and the other brightnesse is in the spirite and heart of the reader of the Scripture This brightnesse or claritie of the letter is this when by reading hearing or thinking of Gods word men learne and knowe that God made all thinges and that he preserueth all thinges and that Iesus Christ his onely sonne is the mediatour betwéene God and man and that he pacified Gods iust ire against man by his bitter death and passion Also he knoweth by the externall histories of the Scripture that GOD hath deliuered many times his people from dangers and perils in maner impossible to be holpen This claritie and brightnesse of the Scripture although it be necessarie yet it is not sufficient for if standeth alone in bare and naked knowledge whiche before God saueth no neither illuminateth the man that hath the knowledge in a sufficient claritie and brightnesse of faith and of Gods promises due in Christ vnto faith As we may sée how the children of Israel had the external claritie and brightnesse of Gods promises vnto Abraham Isahac and Iacob that they and their posteritie should inherite y e lande of Canaan that flowed with all plentie and aboundance yet notwithstanding such as came out of Egypt for the most part perished in the desart wildernesse The Phariseis and learned men amongest the Iewes had the clearenesse and brightnesse of Christes comming of the place he should be borne in and told in that part the trueth vnto Herod yet did they for all this knowledge and claritie abhorre Christ when he came and put him to death most wrongfully The people in like sort saw an external brightnesse in Christ that by his miracles and wonders they thought him worthie to be made a king and yet for all this they cryed out against him Crucifige eum crucifige eum Crucifie him crucifie him The diuel himselfe said he knewe who Christ was the sonne of the most highest and yet for all this knowledge and clearenesse shall he neuer be saued And Christ himselfe also perceiued that this external brightnesse was amongest a great many that called him Lord Lord Yet notwithstanding he said they should not enter into the ioyes of heauen So likewise be there very many at this present time that sée the claritie and brightnesse of Christ outwardly in the letter and yet follow it not here in liuing neither shall they haue the effect of their knowledge in the life to come for their clearenesse is onely knowledge without féeling or practise of the brightnes inwardly which deserueth more stripes then obscuritie or darkenesse doth There is another claritie or brightnes which is an inward vnderstanding and spirituall knowledge and sight of Gods trueth which no man hath but he that is possessed with the spirite of God that whatsoeuer he readeth in Gods word himselfe or heareth preached of other men he vnderstandeth it and consenteth vnto it gladly and willingly As for example God spake vnto Adam and his wordes made him afeard so that he trembled for feare Christ spake vnto Paule and he fell downe flatt and could not abide the peril of Christes voyce So that as the lawe rebuked sinne in the voice and letter it wrought also rebuke and discomfort in the hearts of Adam and Paul and made them afraid inwardly as the voice and letter was terrible outwardly Wherefore they had not onely an externall clearenesse of Gods hatred against sinne but also an internall sight and féeling of the same as the Scripture doth record The like is also in the promises of God when they be preached or read that promise remission of sinne The inward claritie and brightnesse of the same is to féele priuately euery man and woman in his owne conscience through faith in Christ that the same promises doe apperteine and belong vnto himselfe As the Prophet Abacuc saith The iust man liueth by his owne faith Also Christ said vnto the woman of Canaan that it was not good to cast the bread that apperteined to the children vnto dogges she said Yes Lord for the dogges do eate of the crumbes that fall from their maisters table And so doth Christ himselfe vse the brightnesse of his promises to Marie Magdalene Thy sinnes be forgiuen thee Applying the clearenesse of the letter vnto the inward comfort of her soule The same is likewise meruellously expressed in the common créede whereas euery man saith Hée beléeueth in God the father God the sonne and God the holy Ghost and that he beléeueth the remission of sinnes meaning that whosoeuer saith his créed should sée feele in his soule the claritie and brightnesse of his saluation that is conteined in the letter and wordes of the créede But this clearenesse is not séene of all men nor yet of the most part of men As Christ declareth Many be called and fewe chosen Many say Lord Lord and fewe doe the Lords will Therefore Christ saith meruellously concerning the claritie and brightnesse of Gods word inwardly in S. Luke Blessed be they that heare the word of God and keepe it By the which words he declareth that many heare and sée the outward light and trueth of Gods word but very fewe there
be that sée the inward light and profite thereof Of this is learned what the cause is that Christians beare the name of Christ and yet be not Christes in déede for because a great many be contented with the name and few do vnderstand what the name truly and verily conteineth in it And as there is in the Scripture this double brightnesse whereof the one lyeth in the letter and many sée what it meaneth by the externall word and the other lieth in the meaning of the letter and is perceiued onely by such as haue the spirit of God so is there two kindes and sortes of darkenesse and obscuritie in the Scripture the one in the letter and the other in the sense and taking of the letter The outward obscuritie is to be séen in such as contemne the word of God and wil not read it nor heare it As the Turkes and heathen and also the common sort that beare the name of Christe be christened in Christes name and outwardly be taken to be very Christians in déede and yet they know not so much as the letter of Christs lawes that prescribeth them what they should doe and what they should not doe And this obscuritie is a brutish beastly and externall darkenesse The other is obscuritie or darkenesse inwardly in the text For although the letter be well knowne and the sound thereof séemeth to be plaine yet the sense is not so common nor so manifest as the letter soundeth Wherevppon S. Paule bindeth all men in the vnderstanding of the letter vnto the Analogie and proportion of faith that no one place be taken contrarie to many places Whereof was gathered the abridgement of our common Créede accepted at all times and of all Christian men for an infallible trueth so that whosoeuer beléeued it was accompted a good Christian man And of this obscuritie of the Scripture in the sense and spirite is risen this troublesome contention about transubstantiation of bread and wine in the sacrament of Christes bodie and bloud For the vngodly sort would haue no substance of bread and wine to remaine in the Sacrament and yet a corporall presence of bodie and bloud contrarie not onely to the articles of our faith that telleth vs he is in heauen and shall abide there vntil he come to iudge the quick and the dead but also contrarie to many other places of the scripture And this is no new thing to haue and record the text and letter of the Scripture and yet lack the effect and the very consolation of the Scripture in déede For here in these two verses the Prophet Asaph doth record and remember Gods doings mercifully in time past and yet taketh no more consolation thereof then he findeth in the barke of the letter or in the rehearsall of the histories And the same he doth of his owne Psalmes and Hymnes wherof he maketh mention and yet by the same meane his spirite is brought into no further considerations of Gods trueth then it was before with much heauinesse and sorrow as the verses following do declare So that in the affliction of the spirit he could repeate and cal to his remembrance the truth how God had delt mercifully with his forefathers but felt not at that present the like mercie of God towardes himselfe neither could he sée nor féele for his consolation the ease and succour of Gods promises which he saw in others as all the electes of God at lengthe shall doubtlesse féele As it is said by the Prophet Sicut audiuimus sic vidimus As we haue heard so haue wee seene and at length as the Psalme saith he felt him selfe Whether he wrote the Psalme of his own sorrowes and troubles or of the sorrows and troubles of the Israelits it maketh no matter let euery man in that case vse his owne iudgment so that he mark the doctrine of the Psalme There is to be noted of these verses also this doctrine that what soeuer trouble y e spirit was brought vnto whatsoeuer watch had taken his eyes what soeuer vehemencie of disease had taken his speach from him yet vnder all these crosses he cursed not God nor grudged against his plagues but as a man contented gaue himselfe to record and to call to memorie how God was wont to be vnto men afflicted and tooke accompt how in times past he had spent his yeares and found that he had made certeine Psalmes or Hymnes to the glorie of God and to the praise of his holy name Of the which we learne not onely patience in the time of trouble and persequution but also how to spend our youth and transitorie life in doing or making some thinges that may be recordes and remembrances when we be gonne that we liued here to serue God and not to serue our selues And it is a great helpe and no small consolation for a man that is in trouble heauines to thinke that he in his life before sought the glorie of God that testimonie of conscience is more worth in the time of trouble then all other mens déedes for him Not in that his séeking Gods glorie setting foorth of the same can be his gage and raunsome before God but because it is a very testimonie that God once loued him and gaue him of his blessed spirite to indite something to Gods praise and honour And as godly Psalmes and vertuous Hymnes be testimonies of a vertuous spirite so be wanton and adulterous ballads records of a vicious and sinnefull spirite And as the remembrance of good vertuous workes in the time of sicknes and trouble be ioyful and comfortable so is the remembrance of wicked doinges sorrowful and painefull We be therefore taught by this Prophete to be circumspect and warie how we accumulate heape vppon our soules infidelitie and the wicked workes thereof for as they be the only cause of trouble so do they not onely worke trouble but also increase trou and augment the heauinesse of the spirit and paines of the body as is declared meruellously by the graue and profound sentences following Wherein he declareth what it was that his spirite searched so diligently for It was this 7 Will the Lord absent himselfe for euer and wil he be no more intreated 8 Is his mercie cleane gone for euer And is his promise come vtterly to an end for euermore 9 Hath God forgotten to be gratious And will he shutt vp his louing kindnesse in displeasure 10 And I said It is mine owne weakenes but the right hand of God can chaunge these thinges These verses declare what mindes and cogitations do happen to men that be in sicknes or trouble and how gréeuous they be vnto the patient Out of these verses first we sée a common rehearsall of the great terrour and feare of the féeling of Gods displeasure and anger towards the wofull spirite for sinne The first meditation of the sinnefull spirite was this Will the Lord absent
no more mercifull to helpe him out of trouble that specially and particularly suffereth the trouble And this question so asked is very common and familiar to the Christians and putteth them to great trouble and heauinesse As we may sée that this Prophet Asaphe considered the yeares before him and what God did to his elders and found that they receiued remission of their sinnes and great benefites in this world at Gods hand So do a great number of men in hearing and reading the Scripture of God sée and perceiue the remission of many mens sinns and how mercifully God delt with them yet when they féele their owne sinne and suffer their owne crosse and trouble they haue much a doe and with great difficultie doe they beléeue that God will be as good vnto them being priuate sinners and priuately afflicted as he was vnto the great number of those of whom they read in the Scripture that God forgaue them their sinnes and preserued them in most horrible and daungerous troubles Therefore this is a common wisedome and daily experimented sentence Omnes cùm valemus bonum consilium aegrotis damus When other men be sicke we can giue good counsell patiently to beare it When other men be afflicted and troubled we can speake of many meanes to quiet them When they be in any mistrust of Gods promises we can comfort them with many arguments of faith but most commonly if we be sicke our selues troubled or in mistrust of Gods promises we can ease or comfort our selues very little And good cause why for God that giueth of his owne gist and only frée liberalitie wisedome knowledge learning and consolation giueth also the grace that the saide vertues may worke their operation and expell the infirmities and diseases wherefore these wisedomes and vertues were ordeined As it is meruellously noted of Saint Paule I haue planted Apollo hath watered but God gaue the increase The word of God is a meanes to teach truth and to condemne falshood to place vertue and to remoue vice to giue consolation and to banishe and put away diffidence and mistrust but God giueth and worketh the effect thereof Meate is made to preserue the body but if God giueth not strength it misseth the purpose The horse and man be means to ouercome but in battell God giueth the victory The preacher preacheth Gods word but God openeth and teacheth the mysterie therof Man heareth but God giueth the vnderstanding Asaph remembred Gods workes and had in minde his own godly Psalmes but God must giue the consolatiō He sawe the trueth and knewe that God was faithful but the ioy and profite thereof lay in the distribution and gift of God as we may wel perceiue by this sorrowfull interrogatorie Will he be intreated no more Of this part we learne howe we ought when we reade or heare Gods promises for our saluation to pray and howe necessarie a thing this prayer is that godly men made in the scripture Lord help my incredulitie Lord increase our faith The poore man that heard and sawe Christes mercy and liberalitie in healing of others desired also helth for his owne childe Christe saide if he beléeued all things were possible the poore man sayd I beleeue Lorde helpe mine vnbeleefe The Apostles when they heard Christe speake of forgiuenesse of one to the other they sayde Increase our faith good Lord. As though they had sayd Except thou giue vs strength to beléeue and credite thy godly lessons we shal take no commoditie nor profite by them Therefore let the preacher of God the reader of Gods worde the hearer of Gods worde the thinker vpon the same many times before also whilest they be speaking thinking reading or hearing of Gods word pray in their spirits that y e word of God may work in them the thing wherfore the word was instituted and appointed of God or else we shall be as Saint Paule saith alwayes learners and yet neuer come to the knowledge of the truth And I do verily thinke and am truly persuaded that for lacke of earnest and continuall prayer with lifting vp of my heart vnto God whilest I preached his most holy word vnto the people God iudgeth me not worthy to sée such fruites of my labours as I hoped for And for this that the people did not heartily pray to vnderstand Gods pleasure by his word preached they be accounted vnworthy of such saluation as GOD did offer them by his worde and the true preaching of his mysteries Let all men therefore pray to God in Christ that they may be the better for the hearing recording remembring or reading of Gods word For notwithstanding they haue amongest them the booke of God yet shall they be troubled without Gods singular grace with one of these two euils either to mocke and scorne at the scripture caring not whether they learne it or no or else when they haue learned it to dout whether it be true or no. And then followeth these questions Will God absent him selfe for euer And Will God be no more intreated with such other doubtes as do followe in this Psalme with much heauinesse vnto the spirite where such demaundes rest haue place Then followeth the third demaunde by this troubled Prophete Is his mercy cleane gone for euer Here in this demaund first be two things to be noted The one declaring a fault in the Prophetes faith and the other expressing a veritie in the Prophetes knowledge The fault in his faith was to doubt or to stande in a mamering of Gods mercy which is most sure and endureth for euer and euer and to aske this question Whether his mercy were cleane gone for euer The veritie of his knowledge was to iudge and say that It was his mercy that forgaue sinnes and not his or any other mens merites that could deserue the pardoning of sinne As ye may sée how sinneful Saule for his sinne thought to haue appeased God with sacrifice and the proude Pharisée with his pretenced good workes But here in this knowledge that the Prophet complained of the departure of Gods mercy is set foorth that only mercy appeaseth Gods ire in Christ for the sinne of man And what works so euer be done except Gods mercy pardon the sinne they all can neyther please God nor quiet the conscience and troubled spirite of him that doth the workes As it may be séene in the example of Sainte Peter and the rest of the Apostles When that Saint Peter walked vpon the sea comming towardes Christ and felt the wind strong and tempestuous he beganne to feare and when he beganne to sincke he cryed Lord saue me And the Lord put foorth his hande and tooke him sayd vnto him Thou of little faith why doubtest thou Here we sée if GOD did helpe vs no more of his mercy then our owne merites deserued or else no more then the gifts of God
faith hope and charitie as they be qualities in vs we should surely perish Therefor this place of the Prophete Asaph where he demaundeth this question Whether Gods mercy be gone for euer doth teach vs that of all thinges we should be most assured of this that onely mercy is the help of mans troubles and damnation But as I saide before there were two maner of clarities and brightnesse in the word of God so nowe I say there is two manner of mercies of God mentioned in the scripture The outwarde mercy is in the letter which men reade and sing euery day and speake and talke of but the other is inward When that men can not féele Gods mercy in their conscience as they heare it spoken of and as they reade it in the booke they be troubled and full of anguish and paine and as long as they be in this case without Gods mercy they can do nothing that pleseth GOD or content them selues But as soone as the spirite is assured and féeleth that GOD for his mercy doth forgiue and forget the iniquitie that the spirite and body haue committed and done against God it reioyceth and is so glad that it will doe nothing but that which pleseth and is acceptable vnto God and in Christ shall content and quiet his owne conscience As for example Adam before he inwardly felt the mercy of God promised in Christe to forgiue and remit his sinne and offence in what heauinesse was the poore man He hid him selfe and could not abide the voyce of the liuing God for he felt that his doings pleased neyther GOD nor him selfe But when grace had assured him of Gods mercy he fell in the spirit to quietnesse For where the spirite of God testifieth and beareth record with the spirite of man that he is the childe of God there is ioy and consolation with this ioyfull song and melodie Abba pater Father father So that where so euer this song is felt in the spirite there are suche ioyes as no toung can expresse as all the booke of Solomons ballads meruellously doe declare And wheras the mercy of God is not there is eyther abhomination of sinne and continuance therein without any feare or grudge of conscience at all or else such heauinesse of spirite that desperation vtterly quaileth and oppresseth the spirite for euer Yet shal the spirite soule of man féele this for a time while God hideth his mercifull face Is his mercy cleane gone for euer Which cogitations of the minde be full bitter and sorrowfull as all men of GOD doe knowe that haue felt them and as the Prophete declareth in the processe of his Psalme in this sorte And is his promise come vtterly to an end for euermore Hath God forgotten to be gratious And wil he shut vp his louing kindnes in displeasure These demaundes and questions of his owne minde and spirite that was troubled be no more in effect then troubles that he named before But in this that he calleth the trouble by so many names it declareth that his spirite was for the time so disquieted that the paines in maner could not well be named and expressed As it is to be séene always when the minde of man is brought into an excellencie and profoundnesse of mirth or sorrowe then it is so rauished with the vehemencie of them both that the toung is not able to expresse the inward ioy nor the inwarde sorrowe as it is to be séene as well in prophane writers as in the holy word of God Reade ye the 18. Psalme of king Dauid which he soung to the Lorde when he was quit and deliuered from all his enimies ye shall sée what shift and copie of wordes he vsed to name God to expresse what he thought of God in his heart and with what Metaphors he expresseth the strength of God that ouercame al his enimies the Psalme is to be read and marked Againe reade ye these Psalmes 42. 43. where ye shall perceiue the prayer of Dauid wherein is described a vehement agonie and most bitter battel betwéene faith and desperation and there mark what words he hath found out to expresse the sorrowes of his heart that was so sore put in doubt by desperation and weaknesse of faith The Harte saith he being wounded was neuer more desirous to come to the water then my soul desireth to come to thee ô God And at length when he can finde no more wordes to vtter the pensiuenesse of his heart he turneth his wordes inward to his owne soule and asketh why she is so heauie and sad Ye may sée also the very same ioyfull and sorrowfull spirites in the ballads of Solomon and in the lamentations of Ieremie the Prophete In the one it séemeth that the soule annexed vnto Christ is in such ioy as the tong can not expresse it and in the other for sinne the soule is afflicted in such sort that it can not tell how to expresse the heauinesse thereof There is to be considered also in these demaunds of the Prophete that he made to him selfe in his spirite as the text saith he reuolued the matter with his owne spirite this doctrine howe easie a thing it is to teach and comfort other men and howe hard a thing it is for a man to teach and comfort him selfe in the promises of God S. Paule found fault therewithall and saide to the Iewe Thou teachest an other man teachest not thy selfe And Iudas went foorth with the eleuen other of his fellowes to teach Gods mercy in Christ vnto the lost shéep of the house of Israel but he neither followed his own doctrine nor yet tooke any comfort of remission of sinnes in the promises of God but hanged himselfe desperately Wherefore it is very expedient for eueryman and woman that hath learned and doth knowe the truth of God to pray that they them selues may folowe the truth and for such as knowe and teach others the consolations of the scriptures of God that they may with knowledge of them féele them in déede and with speaking of them to others for their learning they may speake them to them selues for their owne edifying But doubtlesse it is an easie matter for a man to speake of comfort and consolation to others but a hard thing to féele it him selfe Vertue is soone spoken of to other mens instructions but the putting thereof in practise and vre is very hard yea not only in the scholer that is taught but also in the maister that instructeth Beware of despaire can euery man say but to eschue despaire in great conflictes of the minde is an harde matter Reade the booke of the Psalmes well and ye shall sée the experience thereof to be most certeine and true In the 62. Psalme ye shall haue this commaundement to all men Trust ye alwayes in him ye people yet when it came to the triall in him selfe ye may sée with what heauines and great trouble of
the prophet remember the works of the Lord and that of olde time or from the beginning The second I wil think also of al the works of the Lord c. In this that the Prophet sayeth He will remember the workes of the Lorde of olde time or from the beginning we learne that it is expedient to know or at the least way not to be ignorant of any booke in the scripture For where as we finde not consolation in the one we may finde it in the other And where he sayth He wil remember all y e works of the Lord meaning as many as the scripture maketh mention of we be instructed that we cannot sée these works for our erudition neither yet giue y e almightie God thanks except we learne them from one of his bookes to the other And here is to be noted that séeing we be bounde to knowe and to be thankefull for all the workes of God conteined in the scripture we be muche in daunger as well for ignorance as vnthankefulnesse that we knowe not the principall workes of our owne creation or redemption We be therefore admonished to haue bookes to read the works of God and to be diligent to ask better learned then we be what Gods works doe meane As the children by Gods law vs bound to aske the parents the parents bound by the same to teach them then shall both fathers and children finde comfort and consolation against all temptations in the time of trouble and heauinesse As we sée this mans remedie by y e spirite of God riseth from recording meditating and speaking of Gods word and workes Here hath this Prophete meruellously opened howe a man in trouble commeth to consolation and comfort First that the spirite and heart of man must haue such strong fayth as may credite Gods power and also his good will and beléeue that God both can and will for his truethes sake helpe the troubled conscience Therefore Solomon giueth a godlie and necessarie commaundement Keepe thy heart with all circumspection for of it proceedeth life So did Dauid when the Prophet Nathan had made him afraide for the murder of Vrias and the adulterie with Bersaba his cōscience was in great anguishe and feare and among other thinges that he prayed for to God he desired that God would create and make him a newe heart that is to witte to giue him such a stedfast and burning fayth that in Christe his sinnefull heart might be purged And secondarily he prayeth to haue so right and sure a spirite that shoulde not doubt of Gods sauour towardes him Thirdly that God woulde alwayes preserue his holy spirite with the heart regenerated that from time to time the heart might be ruled in obedience towardes God Fourthly he prayeth to be lead with a willing spirite that quietly and patiently he may obey God in aduersities without impatience or grudge against God And where as this knowledge and féeling of the favour of God is in the spirite there followeth recording and remembrance of Gods works meditating and thinking vpon heauenly thinges and the tongue readie also to speake foorth the glory of God to Gods honour and praise and to the edifying of Gods people and congregation after this sorte 13 Thy way oh God is in holinesse who is so great a God as God euen our God Here is a consolation much worthie to be learned and receiued of all troubled men and it is this To vnderstande and perceiue that all the doinges and factes of Almightie God be righteous although many times the fleshe iudgeth and the tongue speaketh the contrarie that God should be too seuere and punishe too extremely As though he did it rather of a desire to punishe then to correct or amend the person punished As we sée by Iobs words that wished his sinnes layed in one balance and his punishment in another balance as though God punished more extreamely then iustly The same it séemeth king Dauid also felte when he sayde Howe long Lorde wilt thou forget me for euer With like bitter speaches in the scripture complayning of Gods iustice iudgement and seueritie The same we reade of Ieremie the Prophete He spake Gods word truely and yet there happened vnto him wonderfull great aduersities the terrour whereof made him curse the day that he was borne in And doubtlesse when he sayde Why haste thou deceiued mee Lorde he thought God was rather too extreame then iust in his punishment to afflicte him in aduersitie and to suffer Passur the high Priest and his enimie to be in quiet and tranquillitie This prophet Asaph was before in great trouble as ye heard and especially of the minde that self not a sure trust and confidence in Gods mercie and thought of al extremities that to be as it is in déed the greatest a minde desperate and doubtfull of Gods mercie yet nowe he saith God is holie in his way and all that he doeth is right and iust We learne hereby that the potte can not say to the Potter Why hast thou made me after this sorte Neither may the mortall man in whom is nothing but sinne quarel with the Lord and say What layest thou vpon me But thinke that although he had made vs both blinde lame and as deformed as monsters yet had he made vs better then euer we deserued And in case he layd all the troubles of the world vppon one man yet are they lesse then one sinne of man doeth deserue Thus hath the Prophet learned nowe and felt and sayth The doinges of God be holie and right and there is none to be compared vnto him and sheweth the cause why none is to be compared vnto God In the declaration whereof he continueth seuen verses and so maketh an ende of the Psalme The first cause why he sayeth none is to be compared vnto God is this 14 Thou art the Lord that doth wonders and hast declared thy power amongest people Firste he noteth generally that God is the doer of wonders and miracles and afterwardes he sheweth wherein God hath wrought these miracles Of this we learne thrée doctrines The one that some men knowe generally that God worketh all thinges meruellously The second that other some knowe that God worketh in some men meruellously The third that other also knowe that God worketh in themselues meruellously Of the first sort be such as know by Gods works generally that God hath and doth dispose all things vpon the earth and nothing hath his beginning nor being but of God of whome Saint Paule speaketh to the Romanes that by Gods workes they knewe God and yet glorified him not Of the seconde sorte be suche as more particularly knowe and speake of Gods miracles as suche be that reade how God of his singular fauour preserued Noah his familie and drowned all the world besides how he brought the children of Israel out of Egypt and deliuered the people from
calleth after the phrase of the scripture arrowes and dartes These remembraunces may be comfortes to the hearers and to the readers two manner of wayes First in this that God when he punisheth punisheth iustly as he did the whole world for sinne Whereof the Prophete gathereth If sinne iustly merited doe trouble all the generation of man it is no great meruell though sinne trouble me that am but one man and a vile sinner If sinne brought all flesh vnto death sauing those that were in the ship is it any meruell though sinne make me to tremble quake Againe If God when he gaue the lawe of Moses and to the people spake out of thunder declaring what a thing it was to transgresse that lawe in so much that al y e people were afraid to heare the Lord speake and desired that Moses might supplie his roome what meruell is it that my conscience trembleth féeling that my soule hath offended the lawes of God And if Pharao and his realme were sore afraid of Gods outward plagues what cause haue I to feare the inwarde dread and sorrowfull sight of sinne shewed vnto me by Gods lawe So that we may take this cōsolation out of this place that God is a iust Iudge to punish sinne and not a Tyrant that punisheth of affection or wilfull desire And so saide Dauid When so euer or howe so euer thou punish let men say and iudge as they list thou art iust and righteous be all thy doings The other consolation is that in the middest of all aduersities God preserued penitent and faithfull sinners As in the time of the vniuersall floud the water hurted not Noah nor suche as were in the ship In the time of Pharaos plagues the Israelites tooke no harme At the giuing of the lawe the Israelites perished not with lightening and thunder Euen so sorrowes and anguish diffidence and weaknesse of faith they are plagues and punishments for all men by reason of sinne yet penitent sinners by reason of faith in Christ take no hurt nor damnation by them As it appeareth by this Prophete that was troubled in the spirite and in the body as meruellously as could be but yet in Christ escaped the daunger as all men shal do that repent and beléeue Whereof we learne that as the rayne falleth generally and yet bettereth no earth to bring foorth her fruite but such as is apt to receiue the rayne stonie rocks and barren ground being nothing the better euen so doth the plagues and rayne of Gods displeasure plague all mankinde but none be the better therefore but such as repent and bewayle their sinnes that gaue GOD iust occasion thus to punishe them The same is to be considered also of the verse that followeth which is this 18 The lightening shone vpon the ground the earth was moued and shooke therewithall By these manner of speaches The lightening shone and the earth quaked the Prophete setteth foorth the strength and might of Gods power and willeth men to loue him and to feare him For he is able to defend and preserue his faythfull and to punish and plague the wicked And the like he sayth in the verse following 19 Thy way is in the sea and thy pathes in the deep waters and thy footsteps are not knowne He taketh comfort of this miracle that GOD brought the Israelites through the red sea in this that the waters knewe the Israelites gaue place vnto them that they might drye footed goe through them But when king Pharao and his people would haue followed in the same path persequuting Gods people the sea would make no way for him nor yet shew the steppes where the Israelites troade but ouerwhelmed them in most desperate deaths So in the seas of temptations suche as put their trust in the Lorde passe and neuer perish by them whereas such as put not their trust in the Lorde perish in temptations as Pharao and his armie did by water And the next verse that concludeth the Psalme sheweth by what meanes the Israelites were vnder God saued in the red sea by the handes of Moses and Aaron as it appeareth 20 Thou leadest thy people like sheepe by the hand of Moses and Aaron Of this verse the afflicted may learne many consolations First that the best people that be are no better able to resist temptations then the simple shéepe is able to withstande the brier that catcheth him The next that man is of no more abilitie to beware of temptations then the poore shéepe is to aboyd the brier being preserued only by the diligence of the shéepheard The thirde that as the shéepheard is carefull of his intangled and briered shéepe so is GOD of his afflicted faithfull And the fourth is that the people of Israel could take no harme of the water bycause they entered the sea at Gods commaundement Whereof we learne that no daunger can hurt when God doth commaund vs to enter into it and all daungers ouercome vs if we choose them our selues besides Gods commaundement As Peter when he went at Gods commandement vppon the water tooke no hurt but when he entered into the Bishops house vppon his owne presumption was ouercome and denied Christ. The Israelities when they fought at Gods commaundement the perill was nothing but when they would doe it of their owne heades they perished So that we are bound to attend vppon Gods commaundement and then no daunger shall destroy vs though it paine vs. The other doctrine is in this that God vsed the ministerie of Moses and Aaron in the deliuerance of his people who did commanded them to do nothing but that the Lord did first bid Whereof we learne that such as be ministers appointed of God and doe nothing but as God commaundeth are to be followed As S. Paule saith Followe mee as I followe Christ. And these men can by the word of God giue good counsell and great consolation both for bodie and soule as we perceiue this Prophet in marking Gods doinges vnto the Israelites applied by grace the same wisedome and helping mercie vnto himselfe to his eternall rest through Iesus Christ in the world to come To whome with the father and the holy Ghost be all laude and praise world without end Let all Christians say Amen FINIS ⧠A table declaring as well the generall as the speciall contentes of this whole Booke ¶ The figures note the number of the leafe A. the first side B. the second ⧠The argument of the 23. Psalme fol. 9. A. ¶ Of this Psalme there are seuen partes ibid. B. 1 Who it is that hath the cure and charge of mans life and saluation 10. A. 2 Wherein the life and saluation of man consisteth 14. B. 3 How a man is brought to the knowledge of life and saluation which part sheweth what man is of himselfe and how he is brought into his life and to feede in the pleasaunt
had of any thing as it is opened in this Psalme in that at the first time the Prophet recorded Gods workes and was so troubled in his minde that he occupied his cogitations this way Will God be no more mercifull Hath God shut vp his mercie in his ire But now in the second record of Gods workes he beginneth his entrance cleane contrarie and saith Gods right hand can chaunge his sorrow and turne his heauines into mirth And vppon this ground and sure hope of Gods promises he procéedeth foorth to a consideration and déepe record of Gods factes in this sort I will remember the workes of the Lord c. In this verse and in the next folowing it be conteyned thrée kinde of words remembrance meditation and speach By the first we learne that it profiteth nothing to read or heare Gods word except we remember it beare it away with vs. By the next we learne that it auaileth vs not to learne and beare the word of God in remembrance except by meditation and thinking vppon it we vnderstand what it meaneth And by the third we learne that neither the remembrance it nor the vnderstanding thereof profiteth except we teache and instruct other in the same of whom we haue charge if we may Now to consider further we sée how the Prophet beginneth with this word Remembrance whereof it appeareth that he had learned before out of Gods word Gods nature towardes penitent sinners to forgiue them and towards wilfull obstinate and impenitent sinners to be a iust iudge to punish them Here is the ignorance of all people condemned that neuer learne to know Gods word in sicknes nor in health but when they be troubled or sicke they send for such as they thinke and fansie haue learned and doe remember how Gods word doth comfort in aduersitie And then if he that is sent for be not learned in Gods word he cannot remember how God is wont to comfort the troubled or sicke then all that euer the sicke man heareth of an ignorant comforter or counseller is as clene voyd of consolation or counsell as though he had neuer sent for a counseller or comforter For no man can haue more of another then the other hath himselfe which is neither knowledge counsell nor consolation out of Gods word Therefore he is not able to giue knowledge consolation nor comfort to another If the Prophet Asaph had béene as the most part of people now a dayes be that fall sick and into many kinds of trouble had sent for an ignorant foole which commonly is called a ghostly father he had béene in as good taking as these wretched soules be that béeing comfortlesse séeke comfort where none is to be had séeke knowledge where none is séeke counsell where ignorance aboundeth Let all men therefore remember this verse that when the Prophet was in trouble he remembred the wisedome and meruellous workes of God for he knew them before so let all men and women learne before they come into trouble a true knowledge of God that in the time of trouble they may remember it to their consolation But now to the second word where he saith He will meditate in all the workes of God Here is another notable doctrine that neither the learning of Gods word nor the remembrance therof profiteth any thing except it be vnderstanded and applied to the vse that God hath appointed it for And here be two sortes of people wonderfully condemned The one sort be those that for custome or bondage to their profession doe learne without the booke a great part of the Scripture or els by daily vse in singing or saying their seruice as it is called they learne to sing and say a great part of the Bible But this auaileth nothing nor they vnderstand it not in the sense and meaning that the holy ghost appointed it for nor perchaunce the Grammaticall construction therof And these remembrances of Gods word be nothing but lippe labour and honouring of God with the mouth but the hart is farre away which before God is in vaine and of no estimation The other sort of people be such as professe the Gospell that haue learned much and can remember much but follow very little so that they be nothing the better for it The third word is that the Prophet saith He wil speake of God and his works as outwardly and inwardly he remembreth them and with his spirite doth meditate them as it is likewise the part and duetie of all Christian men so to doe For as they beléeue in the heart to iustice so wil they confesse it to saluation as S. Paule saith to the Romanes Here in this word be thrée sortes of people condemned The one that wil not confesse and teach the trueth for feare of loosing their aduauntage The other will not confesse and teach the trueth for sluggishnesse and slouth And the third will not confesse and teach the trueth for timiditie and feare In the first sort be such as know doctrines for the soule or medicines for the body and yet because they gett gaine thereby they would not haue too many know thereof lest their owne gaines should be the lesse As we fée such a one as knoweth a good methode and order to teach would be lothe it should be common because his estimation and gaine as he thinketh should diminish decrease The excellent Physician would not haue his cunning common least many men as cunning as he should part his gaines amongest them The second sort of men be those that come to great liuings by their learning and when they haue the reward of learning they teach no more as bishops and ministers of the Church whome the Prophet calleth dumbe dogges that cannot barke their mouthes be so choked with the bones of bishoppricks and benefices I speake of such as knowe the trueth and loue it and not of such as neither know it nor loue it For although those men speake but seldome yet it is too much for better it were neuer to speake then to speake falsely The thirde sorte be our Nichodemes that can speake of Christ in the night or to their friends but openly they will confesse nothing with the mouth nor doe any thing outwardely for feare of the world that should sounde to Gods glorie And these men be assured they shall haue their rewarde that Christe will denie them before his father which is in heauen Of this we learne wherein our profession consisteth First to learne Gods worde Secondarily to beare it in our hearte and remembraunce Thirdly to vnderstande it And fourthly to speake of it to the glorie of God and the edifying of our neighbours And Gods word this wayes vsed shall kéepe vs humble and lowely in prosperitie and patient and strong in aduersitie But in these two verses be more wordes necessarie to be considered if we will take consolation in aduersitie The first I will sayth