mind he came to y e trust in the Lord. Ye may learne by these Psalmes indited by king Dauid that easily he taught Gods religion and how men should put their trust in the Lord and yet how hard it was to do and practise the thing himselfe that he taught vnto others Asaph also declareth the same For in the 73. Psalme he teacheth what men should thinke and iudge in aduersitie that God would be good vnto Israel But in this Psalme he himselfe being vnder the rod and persequution of God is come to questioning and demaunding Will God absent him selfe for euer Will he be no more intreated Is his mercy cleane gone for euer with many other demaundes declaring vnspeakable troubles and difficulties of the minde before it be brought to a perfect consent and full agréement vnto the promises of God So that we sée the excellent Prophetes and most vertuous organes and instruments amongest sinfull men knewe it was an easie matter to speake of faith vertue and yet a very hard thing to practise true faith and to exercise vertuous liuing Saint Paule sheweth the same to the Romanes to be in him selfe For he had more adoe in Christ to get the victorie of sinne in him selfe then to speake of the victorie vnto others by mouth and more adoe to mortifie and kill the fleshe and to bring it in subiection to the spirite then to practise the death of the flesh in him selfe and to followe the spirit He spake and vttered with his mouth most godly doctrine to the destruction of sinne but with what prayers teares and clamours to God he did the same in him selfe read 2. Corinth 12. The olde saying is Knowledge is no burthen and in déede it is a thing easie to be borne but to put knowledge in experience the body and the soule shal finde paine and trouble And yet Christes wordes where he saith My yoke is light my burden easie be most true to such as haue wrestled with sinn and in Christ got the vpper hand To them I say the precepts of vertuous liuing be easie and swéete as long as the spirite of God beareth the ouer hande in them But when faith waxeth faint and the flesh strong then can not the spirit of God command nor desire any thing but both body and soule be muche offended with the hearing therof and more gréeued with the doing of it S. Peter likewise maketh mention of the same For when Christ bade him followe him meaning that he should dy also for the testimonie of his word he liked not that but asked Christe what Iohn should do being doutlesse in great perplexitie when Christ tolde him that he should suffer the paines of death But here are to be noted two things The one that as long as affliction is talked of generally other mens paines spoken of so long can euery man and woman heare of affliction yea and commend the persons that suffered affliction as we sée at this day All men be contented to heare of y e death of Christ of y e martyrdome of his Saints and of the affliction and imprisonment of his godly members but when the same or like should be experimented and practised by our selues we wil none of it we refuse it and we abhorre it yea so much that where Christ and those Saints whose names be most common and vsual in our mouths suffered the vilest death that could be deuised we will not suffer as much as the losse of a frend or the deceiueable goods of this vnstable and transitorie world so that in the generalitie we be very godly and can cōmend al godly martyrs and sufferers for Gods sake but alas in the particularitie we be very vngodly and will followe no martyr nor suffer at al. Also as long as we be without danger for Christes sake we can speake of great daungers and say that we will suffer all extremitie and crueltie but when it commeth to passe that an enimie to God and his worde shall say in déede Forsake thy religion or else thou shalt dy as Christ said vnto Peter When thou art old an other shall girde thée and leade thée whether thou wouldest not then a litle threatening of an other man stark quayleth this man that said he wold suffer al troubles as Peter said If he shuld loose his life he would not refuse his maister but when an other yea a poore maide but asked him Whether he were one of Christes seruants and made no mentiō at al of losse of life or goods he would not hazard him selfe to beare so much as the name of Christes disciple Thus we sée the vilenesse frailtie of our owne nature how weake we be to suffer in déede when of necessitie we must beare the crosse and can by no means auoyd it How troublesome also it is both to body and soule this Psalme place of the scripture declareth and therfore in the end of these temptations is put Sela. A worde that maketh as it were an outcry against the corrupt nature of man for sin As S. Paule said I know that there dwelleth in my flesh no good thing To admonishe therefore man thereof in déede and to shewe him his owne damnation the word is put there to cause the reader or hearer of the place to marke and bewaile the wretchednesse thereof As the Prophete him selfe doth in the next verse ¶ The fourth part Howe a man taketh consolation in the time of his trouble 10 And I said This is my infirmitie but these things the right hand of God can chaunge HEre is life and death and the occasions of both meruellously set foorth He said that it was his infirmitie that caused him to question doubt of Gods mercy Wherein he hath disburdened God and charged him selfe with sinne and doubtfulnesse And so much al men sée and find in them selues that damnation is of our selues and saluation onely of God There is also to be noted in thi◠infirmitie y t it occupieth not only the body but also the soul. For he saith These cogitations and questions as touching the doubtfulnesse of Gods mercy were the deuises and actes of his mind so that both his body and soule were comfortlesse And good cause why for in both of them were sinne and abhomination against God And of these two partes of man the body the spirit came these dubitations of God and of his promises The which fruites of corruption ingender except sinne be forgiuen eternall death And here is the wisedome of the fleshe séene to be very enimitie vnto God working continually the breach of Gods commaundements and the destruction of mans saluation as much as lyeth in it But in the second part of the verse is life the occasion thereof which is a sure trust that God can remoue despaire put in place therof faith hope sure confidence And the
belonging to this life yet is it not to be compared to the other as Dauid wonderfully declareth in the 25. Psal. When he hath numbred a great many of Gods benefites which he doth bestow vpon his poore seruants in this life he in y e end maketh mention of one specially that passeth them all in these woordes Arcanum Domini timentibus illum testamentum suum manifestabit illis That is to say The Lord openeth to suche as feare him his secretes and his testament The Lorde openeth to his faithfull seruaunt the mysteries and secretes of his pleasure and the knowledge of his lawes And these treasures the knowledge and right vnderstanding of Gods moste holie woorde he sayth was more swéete vnto him then honie or the honie combe and more he esstéemed the vertue of it then he did precious stones Of all giftes this was the principall that God gaue vnto him a right and true knowledge of him selfe Wherefore it shall be moste expedient and necessarie for euerie Christian man to labour studie and pray that he may earnestly and with a faithfull heart knowe him selfe to be no better then a séelie poore shéepe that hath nothing of him selfe nor of any other to saue his bodie and soule but onely the mercie of his shéepehearde the heauenly father and to be assured also that his only mercie and goodnesse alone in Christ and none other besides him is able to féede him so that he shall lacke nothing necessarie in this life nor in the life to come ¶ The second part of the Psalme Wherein the life and saluation of man consisteth THE SECOND VERSE He shall feede me in pleasant pastures and he shall leade me by the riuers side HE shal set me in the pastures most pleasant and rich of his doctrine and in the contemplation of heauenly thinges wherewithall the minds of godly men are nourished and fed with vnspeakeble ioy néere vnto the plentious flouds of the holy Ghost and the swéete waters of the holy Scriptures he will féede me in the which places the shéepe of the Lord are nourished to eternall life abounding with milke and bringing foorth most blessed fruite The Scripture of God vseth this word feede in many significations Sometime to teach and instruct some time to rule and gouerne as magistrates rule their people as wel by lawe as by strength Sometime to punish and correct c. But in this place the Prophet vseth feeding as wel for instruction by Gods word as also for defence and safegard of Gods people by Gods most mightie power He vseth this word pasture for the word of God it selfe as a thing which is the onely foode of a mans soule to liue vppon as the meate and drinke is for the body He vseth this word leade for conducting that the man which is ledd at no time goe out of the way but alwayes may know where he is and whither he is going as in many other of his Psalmes he vseth the same manner of speaking The riuers of refection he vseth for the plentifull giftes of the holy Ghost wherewithall the faithfull man is replenished His saying therefore is as much as if he had spoken without Allegorie or Translation thus He instructeth me with his word and conducteth me with his holy spirite that I cannot erre nor perish In this part of the Psalme be many things worthie to be noted First it is declared that the life of man consisteth in the foode of Gods word then that there is none that giueth the same to be eaten but God our heauenly shepheard the next that none can eate of this meate of Gods word but such as the holy Ghost féedeth with the word Our sauiour Christ declareth that Man liueth not by bread alone but of euery woord that proceedeth out of the mouthe of God Whereby he teacheth vs that as the body liueth by externall meates so doeth the soule by the word of God And no more possible is it for a man to liue in God without the word of God then in the world without the meate of the world And S. Peter confesseth the same For when the Capernaites and many of Christes owne disciples had satisfied their bodies with externall meates they cared not for their souls neither could they abide to be fed nor to heare the meate of the soule spoken of althoughe Christ did dresse it most holsomely with many godly and swéet words they would not tarrie vntil Christ had made that meate readie for them they could be contented to féede their bellies with his meates but their soules they would not commit to his diet but departed as hungrie as they came thorough their owne follie Christ was leading them from the fiue barlie loaues and two fishes wherwith they had filled their bellies vnto the pleasaunt pastures of the heauenly word that shewed neither barlie loaues nor fishe but his owne pretious bloud and painefull passion to be the meate of their soules how be it they could not come in to this pasture nor tast in any case of the swéet herbes and nourishment of their soules When Christ perceiued they would not be ledd into this pleasaunt pasture he let them goe whither they would and to féede vppon what pasture they would And then he asked of his twelue that tarried saying Will ye depart also Peter as one that had fedd both body and soule as his fellowes had perceiued that the body was but halfe the man and that béeing fed there was but halfe a man fedd and also that such meates as went into the mouth satisfied no more then the body that the mouth was made for he felt moreouer that his soule was fedd by Christes doctrine that the hunger of sinn the ire of God the accusation of the lawe and the demaund and claime of the diuel were quenched and taken away he perceiued likewise that the meat which brought this nourishment was the heauenly doctrine that Christe spake of touching his death and passion and he vnderstoode also that this meate passed not into the body by the mouth but into the soule by faith and by the presence of Gods spirite with his spirite that the body also should be partaker as wel of the grace that was in it as of the life So that he felt himselfe not onely to haue a body and a soule aliue but also that they were gratiously replenished with the pastures food of Gods fauour Wherefore he said vnto Christ To whom shal we go thou hast the words of euerlasting life Which wordes in effecte sound no other thing then this Psalme doeth where Dauid saith The Lord feedeth me and I shal want nothing for he leadeth mee into his pleasant pastures and pastureth mee by the riuers side Wherein it appeareth manifestly that the word of God is the life of the soule The Prophete Dauid doeth meruellously open this thing in the repeating so
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
happen vnto vs whether it be aduersitie or prosperitie for they be called cuppes as Christ said of his death Father if it be possible take this cuppe from me And Dauid in the 16. Psalme vseth it for mans prosperitie in God The Lord saith he is the portion of mine inheritaunce and of my cuppe And therein he speaketh in the name of Christ whose inheritaunce is the whole number of the faithfull and saith that His inheritance which is the Church by Gods appointment is blessed and happie for no aduersitie can destroy it This is meant by Dauids words The rod the staffe the table the oyle and the cup and he vseth all these wordes to declare the carefulnesse loue and defence of God towardes miserable man And he could the better speake thereof vnto others bicause he had so many times felt and had experience that God was both strong and faithfull towards him in al time of daunger aduersitie And here is to be noted that the daungers that man is subiect vnto in this life be not alone such as heretofore king Dauid hath made mention of as sicknesse treason sedition warre pouertie banishment and the death of the body but he felt also as euery man of God shall féele and perceiue that there be greater perills and daungers that man standeth in ieopardie of then these be by occasion of sinne the mother of all mans aduersitie Sinne bringeth a man into the displeasure and indignation of God the indignation of God bringeth a man into the hatred of God the hatred of God bringeth a man into despaire and doutfulnesse of Gods forgiuenesse despaire bringeth a man into euerlasting paine and euerlasting paine continueth and punisheth the damned creature with fire neuer to be quenched with Gods anger displeasure which can not be reconciled nor pacified These be the troubles of al troubles sorrowes of al sorrowes as our sauiour Christ declareth in his most heauenly prayer in S. Iohn Non rogo vt tollas eos è mundo sed vt serues eos à malo That is to say I do not saith Christ to his heauenly father pray that thou shouldest take those that I pray for out of the worlde but that thou preserue them from euil And in this prayer he hath wonderfully taught vs that a Christian man is subiect to two troubles one of the body and an other of the soule one of the worlde and another of the diuell As for the troubles of the world he saith It is not so expedient that Christian men be deliuered from them least in idlenesse we should séeke our selues and not God as y e children of Israel did but this he knewe was most necessaâ—â—e that the father should preserue vs in the midst of these troubles with his help from al sinne transgression of his holy lawes this he assured his disciples of al other that put their trust in him not that they should in this life be preserued kept from troubles and aduersities but that the heauenly father should alwayes giue vnto his suche strength and vertue against all the enimies of GOD and mans saluation that they should not be ouer come with troubles that put their trust in him For God suffereth and appointeth his to fight and make warre with sinne and with all troubles and sorrowes that sinne bringeth with it but God will neuer permit his to be deadly and mortally wounded It is therefore expedient that man knowe who he his greatest foes do worke him most daunger There be diuers Psalmes wherein he setteth foorth the perill that he was in as well in his body as in his soule as when he complaineth of his banishment amongst not onely cruell people but also vngodly that sought to take both his mortall life from him and also his religion and trust that he had in Gods worde Wherefore he compareth them to the Tartarians and Arabians men without pitie or religion And the like doth he afterwards in another Psalme where as giuing thankes for his deliuerie he saith that sinners froad vpon his backe and many times warred against him and he should haue bene ouerthrowne if GOD had not holpen him Where in he speaketh not onely of battell with the sworde against the body but also of heresie and false doctrine against the soule As ye may sée howe Senacherib and Iulius the Apostata two Emperours fought against the people of God not onely to take from them their liues but also their religion and true honouring of GOD. And of all battells that is the cruellest and of all enimies the principall that would take the soule of man from Gods word bring it to the word of man And that persecution trouble openly against Gods word coÌ„tinued many yeres vntill Christ was preached abroad princes made Christians Then thought the diuell his kingdome to haue bene ouerthrowne and Christian men might liue in Christes religioÌ„ without any trouble or warre for religion howbeit at length for sinne the diuel entered by subtile meanes not onely to corrupt true religion but also persecuted the true professours thereof vnder the name of true religion and therein vsed a meruellous policie and craft by men that walked inordinately amongest the Christians themselues From whose companies sectes and conuersation S. Paule willed vs to refraine by these wordes Wee commaund you brethren in the name of our Lord Iesus Christ that ye refraine from euery one that is accompted a brother that vseth himselfe inordinately and not according to the institution he receiued of vs. And because ye haue not taken héede of his holy commaundement and kept your selues from danger and peril of heresie sinne idolatrie and superstition by the rod and staffe of God nor haue not eaten your meate of religion at Gods table nor your mindes haue béene annoynted with the holy Ghost as Dauid in this Psalme saith that he was against all troubles by these meanes defended and mainteyned that no perill of the bodie by the sword nor perill of y e soule by false doctrine could hurt him therefore marke a little and see the daungers that haue hurted both you and your conscience also not like to be healed as farre as I can sée but more hurt hereafter For the way to heale a man is to expell and put away sicknesse and not to increase and continue the sickenesse From whome thinke ye that S. Paule commaunded you to restraine in the name of our Lord Iesus Christ He saith From him that behaueth himselfe inordinately Who is that think ye S. Paule saith He that ruleth not himselfe after the rule and institution that he himselfe had taught the Thessalonians So y e we must refraine then from all such as conforme not them selues to y e institution of S. Paule yea although he be an angel from heauen This departure from such as haue ruled and put foorth errours and lies is not newe but hath béene vsed in England
with anguish or heauinesse for sinne immediately the tongue saith He was borne vnder an euill Planet or in an euill houre and so findeth fault with the worke of God which God made excellent good Thus may ye sée where as the soule of man wayteth not vppon God the impatient man accuseth God and all his workes both in heauen and in earth But the godly féeling the rodde of God for sinne and iniquitie as GOD neuer punisheth withoute iuste cause he firste accuseth him selfe and acknowledgeth his owne offences and then sayeth with the Prophete Micheas I will suffer the indignation of God for I haue deserued it To this wayting vpon the Lorde without quarelling and desperate lamenting exhorted Ieremie the prophete the children of Israel for the time of their being in seruitude and captiuitie of Babylon bidding them to plante and grafte trées and so to prouide for themselues vntil the time were expired of their affliction and captiuitie Men may mourne and lament their sinnes and troubles that they suffer for sinne as we may sée howe the Psalme of the Prophet conteineth the bewailing and wéeping of the people that sate heauily and lamentably by the riuer side in Babylon And the like may ye reade in the Lamentations of Ieremie But this mourning was without desperation and quarelling as the letters and bookes do recorde Besides these thinges the cause of their bewailing and lamenting whiles their soules waited vpon the Lorde differeth from the moste forte of mourners and bewaylers nowe a dayes For we may sée nowe a dayes if the wife bewaile the death of her husbande it is moste commonly because she hath taken from her a louing head and gouernour If the husbande lament the departure of his wife it is because he is bereaued of a faithfull healper If the sonne mourne for the death of his father it is because there is taken from him not onely his father but also his patrone and defender If the parentes be sorrie for the taking away of their children it is because they want their daliaunce sport and pastime with them or such other worldly affections If the prince take gréeuously the calling away of his subiecte from this worlde it is because he lacketh a trustie souldier a faithful capteine a wise counseller or profitable officer If the subiect lamente the death of his prince it is because he hath lost his aduauntage authoritie or estimation If the seruaunt wéepe for his maister it is because with his maister is departed his commoditie and trust of wordly riches and friendship If the maister mourne for his seruaunt it is because there is taken from him a skilfull a diligente or a faithfull doer of his businesse And such like causes as men gréeuously of euerie sort féele and lament If the Parson lament his parishioner it is most commonly because he séeth the breach of an honest housholde decayeth his tenthes and profite And if the parishioner mourne for his pastour most commonly it is because he loss a good companiō or profitable friend If the Bishoppe bewaile the death of suche as dy in his diocesse it is most commonly because he is destitute of suche a one as fauoured much affection to set fourth and doe suche thinges as he worldly desired shoulde goe forewardes or else perchaunce such manner of one as coulde excuse him what negligence or faulte so euer he shoulde perpetrate or committe for the time he were in office If the diocesse be sorrie for the death of the Bishoppe it is because the one parte which is the Clergie doth feare leaste there shall come another that wilbe more diligent and quicke in doing his office and sée that they shall do the same The other partie called the Temporaltie lamente because they haue loste such a one as peraduenture fedd well their belies with bread and béefe or else was so remisse that he woulde suffer all sinne vnpunished and rather be a bearer of the euill then a mainteiner of the good Nowe this is suche béewayling and mourning as Ethnickes Publicanes and Infidels may haue But wherefore the Christian soule that wayteth vppon the Lord without quarell or desperation doth wéep lament reade you the Psalme before named and the lamentations of Ieremie and there shall you finde in the Psalme these words We sate by the riuers of Babylon and wepte when wee remembred thee ô Sion The chiefest cause of their wéeping was because the worde of God was not preached the sacraments ministred nor the Almightie God lauded and praised in the temple of Hierusalem as God had commaunded by his worde This is a moste iust also a moste worthie cause to wéepe for whiles God punisheth vs that for our sinnes not onely our quietnesse wealth but also the worde of God whiche is greater is taken away and his due honour giuen vnto idols For the children of Israel perceiuing that Gods honor was defaced for their sinns they wepte as often as they remembred it as God giue vs grace to doe the same The like did Saint Peter He lamented not because he leafte all his goods for Christes sake but wept that by his deniall of Christe he felte him selfe not constant in the faith and loue of his Maister So did Marie Magdalene bewayle that she hadde offended Christ and not because the world knewe her to be a sinner Saint Iohn Chrysostome hath a notable saying He that feareth more hell then Christ is worthie of hell And that ment the prophet when he cryed out What is there in heauen or in earth that I preferre before thee O Lord. As though he had saide There is nothing can make me as gladde as thy loue towardes me nor any thing so sorrie as thy displeasure good Lorde Thus doth the soule of the verie Christian waite vpon the Lord in all troubles and aduersities and patiently doth beare the punishmentes of sinne and not only beare patiently the paine but also considereth what is the greatest losse that may happen vnto him by reason of troubles Not the losse of worldly richesse landes and promotions nor the losse of health of bodie by sicknesse neither the lesse of the bodie it selfe by death ne yet the losse of the soule into eternall paines But the greatest losse that he weigheth is the losse of the good will of him that made him and of greate mercie redéemed him and with much kindenesse alwayes nourished him That is to be séene in the prodigall sonne whiche when he had spent all his goodes lecherously and brought him selfe to moste miserable pouertie to such extreame famine that he would haue bene glad to haue eaten the meate prepared for the pigs besides the great heauines of hart that weighed the time of prosperitie and conferred it with his estate of so extreame miserie yet nothing made him so sorie and pensiue as the calling to his remembrance howe vnreuerently he had vsed his moste gentle louing
of God were no more nor yet so much as dogs in the respect of man And when she perceiued that man could be contented to spare his crumbes to the dogges she knewe right well that man was not so mercifull and liberall vnto dogges as God vnto sinners Wherefore she stoode stil with Christ constantly and least not calling vntill Christe gaue her to witte that she was in déede a verie well persuaded woman both of his power able to helpe and of his good will readie to helpe For in déede although she was a Cananite she knewe that if a man shut not out dogges from his table Christe woulde not shut from his mercie a sinnefull Cananite The same persuasion made Marie Magdalene créepe vnder the boorde to his féete with teares there to receiue and eate of his mercie to quenche the hunger and smarte of her sinnes These examples do declare why the troubled may put their trust in God Because he is omnipotent and can doe all thinges and he is mercifull and will help all penitent and faithfull sinners And so sayd this Prophete Asaph Of him commeth my saluatiō And he sheweth the cause why For he is my rocke my saluation and my defence These thrée woordes declare meruellousty the nature of God that alone helpeth and also the faith of him that calleth for helpe As for God whome the Prophet calleth first his Rocke by this worde he openeth meruellously how strong firme and sure and howe inuincible he is against all troubles aduersities and tempestes as well of the bodie as of the soule In Saint Matthewe the man that buildeth his house vppon the rocke or stone is called wise and the cause is that what windes soeuer blowe and what tempestes so euer arise they cannot cast downe the house nor ouerthrow the building for it is grounded vpon the stone The stone is God and his worde the builder is the Christian man and the building is the religion that he hath learned of God by his worde And although we sée God our rocke and sure stone is not assaulted with stormie and tempestuous shoures rayne yet the builder and the building that is to say the Christian man and his religion be blowen at and suche shoures of trouble fall vpon them that were not the rocke firme and sure all the building and the builder also for mans parte would surely fall and come to vtter ruine The experience of the same windes and floudes we may sée in the Actes of the Apostles For when Peter the rest builded the house of God that is to say taught men their saluation by the merites and passion of Christ there arose such winds and flouds that the builders were put into prison and the building in great danger When S. Stéeuen builded the congregation with Gods word in Christ whiles he was building such windes and floudes of malice assaulted him y t his braines were knocked out Whē Ananias and the rest planted builded the house of God y t is to say conuerted the infidels vnto the faith of Christ at Damascus there arose such windes and tempests at Hierusalem that Saul came frō thence towards Damascus with commission from the high priestes to kill the builders to ouerthrow all they had builded Let vs leaue off the examples of holie men sée what hapned to the head chiefe capteine al Saints good builders our sauiour Iesus Christ. When he called the worlde from ignorance to knowledge from death to life and from damnation to saluation there arose such winds and storms that had he not béene the rocke it selfe of strength and inuincible power he had béene ouerthrowen cleane and his buildings turned vpside downe For before he was of age to be borne in his mothers bellie y e diuel went about to slaunder him as a bastard and woulde haue persuaded the same to the godlie man Ioseph spoused in marriage to the blessed virgin Marie He had no sooner put his head out of his mothers bellie but streight way Herodes sworde was whette and bent to kill him Within a little while after the diuell stirred vp his owne kinse-folke countriemen to cast him downe from a hill toppe and to breake his necke and at length killed him indéede But what was the outgoing of this builder Forsoothe Father into thy handes I commend my spirite And what was the assuraunce of his building that is to say in what suretie stoode his disciples and folowers in the middest of these winds great stormes Doubtles Christ commended them to the custodie and protection of his heauenly father the rocke sure stone of all saluation from whome windes floudes temptations persequution death sinne nor the diuell himselfe with all his companie of wicked spirites be able to remoue the simplest of all Christes flocke In the Reuelations of Saint Iohn there is a meruellous doctrine what windes and floudes shall blowe and ouerflowe this rocke in the bulding and builders for the time of this life There is a woman that had broughte foorth a man childe and by and by there was a foule greate red dragon with seuen heads and seuen hornes that would haue deuoured this childe before he had come to his inheritaunce and kingdome appointed vnto him And when he saw he could not preuaile against the childe he caste out of his mouth water as it had bene a greate streame after the Mother but there was giuen her winges to escape For the rocke that she was builded vppon was sure that what soeuer windes or waters that is to say what troubles soeuer should happen nothing could ouerthrowe her And so sayeth Asaph here God being my rocke and sure fortresse my soule nor my bodie shal neuer be confounded As he declareth more openly by the two words that followe He is my strength and my saluation also sayth the Prophet As though he had sayd I do not onely knowe God to be sure strong inuincible but also I know this his might strength and surenesse is my wealth and my saluation For many men knowe that GOD is the rocke and strength of all powers but none doeth knowe that this power and strength is saluation for him selfe but such as be Gods in déede Therefore séeing this faith that beléeueth God particularly to saue a priuate person is onely Gods gifte and commeth not of man let vs pray that when we sée howe God hath bene the rocke of saluation to others that he will be so vnto vs likewise For it is a singular gifte of God to say boldely stedfastly and merrily from the bottome of the heart vnto him Thou Lorde art my rocke my saluation and my comfort And he that féeleth in him selfe for him selfe GOD to be his saluation hath suche a treasure that all treasures besides it are nothing to be estéemed and he will not passe of goodes landes nor life
his helpe any longer they would yealde them selues into the handes of their enimies but God stayed their fall and that by the handes of a woman And if there had not bene more mercy in GOD then faith in them their féete had not onely slipt but also all the whole lande countrie and citie The like ye may sée also in the notable historie of Hester whereas the very rocke and chiefe stay of the Iewes health Mardocheus made suite to the Quéene for Asuerus pardon for the life of the Iewes when sentence and iudgement was past against them of death So that if faith in the promises of God had not stayed him he had slipt and falne downe to sée al things against him and his countrimen But before men vtterly fall the Lorde is with them and preserueth them with his mercy as Dauid saide When my feete were moued thy mercy oh Lord stayed me The thirde thing to be noted of these wordes is the manner of the Prophetes speaking which must be marked and vnderstoode or else the reader or hearer of the Psalmes shall take no profite My feete were almost gone and my treadings had well nigh slipt By the féete he vnderstandeth the minde and by the treadings well nigh slipt he vnderstandeth the iudgement and wisedome of the minde As foule and slipperie wayes be daungerous for the féete so be the workes of God to the minde that is not illuminated with the light of Gods word And as the slipping and running away of the feete causeth all the body to fall euen so the ignorance of the mind causeth both body and soule to fall and gréeuously to misseiudge the workes of God And as the fal of the body sowceth and defileth it self with mire and dirt euen so doth the fall of the minde defile both body and soule with impatience and enuious indignation at Gods workes So that the Prophete saith by these wordes My feete were almost gone and my treadings had well nigh slipt My minde was so troubled to sée God suffer the euill in such prosperitie and the good in suche aduersitie that my iudgement almost slipt from the right sentence of thée O Lorde and very scarsly I auoyded most haynons sinne towardes thée in controlling of thy most wise and iust doings If we marked the pithe and wisedome of the scripture we should sée many thinges more in our selues then we doe doubtlesse growe to an excellencie in wisedome and finde out what euils we be most inclined vnto Amongst all other hatred and indignation of other mens prosperitie is not the least nor the most seldomest And in déed the father of sinne the diuell hath that in him First he disdained God and his felicitie but he wan nothing thereby but euerlasting paines Then he enuyed man his felicitie yet the wicked spirit gayned nothing to him self but double damnation and losse of vs all And this séede of the diuell descended into our nature as we may sée and made Caine to kill Abel his brother made Ismael to persequute Isaac Esau Iacob Dathan and Abiron Moses and Aaron Aaron and Marie his sister Moses Iacobs children Ioseph Saule Dauid Herode and the Phariseis Christe and Iohn the Baptist the tenne Apostles Iohn and Iames Peter Saint Iohn the Euangelist and the members of the diuell and Antichriste in this our time the members of Christe So that they be not onely almost falne but also the Lorde help them and vs all altogether sliden to enuie and indignation and likewise to violent oppression of Gods holy word But let vs not slip ne fall into indignation that they prosper and we are afflicted but say in the middest of these oppressions of the good and prosperitie of the euill Truely God is louing vnto Israel and let vs praye also for their amendment ¶ The third part 3 And why I was grieued at the wicked c. HErein is conteined what the felicitie of the wicked is and wherein it consisteth that the godly be offended with all when they flourishe and be in honour and the poore members of Christe persequuted and without all honour and be rather worms then men yea the dogs and brute beastes of the enimies be in more estimation then the poore beléeuers in Christe Out of this part is to be noted First a great fault and ouersight in the people of God for lacke of iudgment and true knowledge wherein trueth and verie felicitie in déede consisteth the lacke of the which knowledge maketh men both impatient and lewde iudges of Gods holy workes The Prophete therefore herein amendeth his owne and our ignorance and willeth vs to knowe perfectly wherein felicitie and happinesse doth rest The Christian must vnderstand and assure him selfe that the felicitie and euerlasting beatitude of man is wrought by quietnesse of conscience and innocencie of life of which two partes and vertues in this tract I will speake more hereafter as well what they be what be the causes of them as what is the effect of them I wil assure you if we knowe not these thinges well our religion will be but a while permanent and true vnto God To enter therefore into the knowledge of the matter wherein the beatitude felicitie of man consisteth it is requisite to cast some cloudes and darknesse vpon these worldly things that wicked men possesse and godly men thinke them thereby to be happie Looke as the Sunne at the rising and passing ouer the earth doth hide and couer the globe sphere of the Moone and darkneth also the light and clearenesse of the starres euen so doth the tranquillitie of conscience and the brightnesse of faith and charitie that dwelleth in the heart of the faithfull darken and hide all things that séeme beautifull and voluptuous to the world and carnall lustes of man And he that hath a testimonie at home in his owne conscience that he is in the fauour of God will not greatly passe of other mens iudgements whether they saue or damne laud or disprayse nor yet greatly passe although he lacke such notes of riches and glory as worldly men iudge and knowe felicitie by For he that knoweth surely wherein felicitie doth consist will not take the worldly opinion of men for his recorde nor for his rewarde neither will he greatly feare for any damnation or punishment that the world can annexe and ioyne vnto his life for this mortall time It is therefore Christianitie to knowe that felicitie and beatitude resteth in the riches of the mind by Gods grace wrought by the holy Ghost for the merites of Christ. There was amongst the Philosophers great diuersitie of opinions in this matter wherin felicitie beatitude shoulde consist Some saide it rested in this a man still and continually to be voyde from anguishe and sorrowe Other saide it consisted in the knowledge of thinges Some saide in pleasure and voluptuousnesse Aristotle and Theophrastus and such other as were
spirite with heauinesse and anguish without comforte and consolation so in this verse is there consolation in the letter in the voice in the mouth mentioned of inwardly the same consolation felt in the spirite And as outwardly Gods displeasure troubled him so inwardly Gods holy name promises comforted him And this is to be noted least we should heare of consolation outwardly or reade it in the booke of the holy Bible and yet inwardly neyther féele nor knowe any consolation at all In the end of this verse is put this worde Sela. And it doth note vnto the Reader or Hearer what a miserable and comfortlesse thing man is in trouble if God be not present with him to help him It is also put as a spurre pricke for euery Christian man and woman to remember and call vpon God in the days of their troubles For as the Iewes say where so euer this word Sela is if doth admonish and stirr vp the Reader or Hearer to marke what was saide before it for it is a worde alwayes put after very notable sentences Then followeth the rest of suche paines troubles as this Prophet suffered whilest the Lord laide his crosse vpon him after this sort 4 Thou holdest mine eyes waking I am so feeble I can not speake Before he saide his spirit could take no consolation which was a gréefe vnspeakable For no thought is able to comprehend the anguish of the mind much lesse is the toung able to expresse it But now he sheweth a further increase of discomfort and saith that The terrour of his mind was such that he was not only comfortlesse but the Lord also to the increase of sorrowe kept sléepe from him And as the greatnesse of Gods punishment suffered him not to sléepe so would it not permit him to speake but made him speachlesse such was the great punishment of God towardes him Here is the tyrannie and violence of sinne to be perceiued and séene which is first in this verse to be noted It taketh all mirthe from the spirite and bringeth in heauinesse and discomfort It taketh away sléep and placeth for it tediousnesse and sorowfull watch It taketh away also the speache of the tong and leaueth the man mute and speachlesse If sinne can do so painful things in the body and soule whilest they be yet conioyned together and there is hope of remission what can it doe when the one is in the earth and the other in hell separated or else both of them conioyned againe in the resurrection of the wicked where there is no hope of redemptiō but assuraunce of euerlasting paine Besides this it is to be noted in this verse conteyning the increase of the Prophetes heauinesse what a precious iewel man or woman hath that hath a quiet heart and peaceable conscience For where so euer they be there be all the members of man woman wholy bent vnto the seruice and honouring of God The eyes shall neuer be turned from their seruice neyther shall the toung ceasse if it be able to speake to sound foorth alwayes the glory of God As Dauid saith Mine eyes be alwayes towardes the Lord. Againe I lifted vp mine eyes vnto the Lord. As the eye of the handmaide attendeth vpon her Maistres so our eyes attend vpon the Lord. Againe Mine eyes Lord be not proud And in another Psalme he saith There should come neither sléepe ne slumber in his eyes vntil he had prouided a place for y e arke of God to rest in In case the spirite be troubled or in a contempt of Gods lawes not liking his holy deuises the eyes be eyther troubled with ouermuch watch as in this Psalme we sée or else bent to sée vanitie the lustes and concupiscence of the flesh and the world Wherefore Dauid prayed the Lord to turne his eyes that they looked not vpon vanitie For the eye of him that hath not a right spirit is insatiable And many times the eye wheras the spirit is without the fauour of God abhorreth Gods owne good giftes As the eyes of the Israelites lothed Manna in the desert saying Our eyes see nothing but Manna euen so the toung also of the godly spirited man will sound the glory of God as king Dauid vsed his toung and will not hinder it by naughtie speach If the spirite be voyde of Gods feare then doth it speake of malice falsly to slander the good as king Dauid doth declare or else for trēbling or quaking it can speake nothing at all as ye may perceiue by y e Prophet Asaph in this place He that will therfore consider accordingly the greatnesse of this feare in the spirite and howe it taketh away the office of euery member externall doubtlesse must labour to haue the spirite that Dauid prayeth in this sorte Cor mundum crea in me deus spiritum rectum innoua in visceribus meis Create in me a cleane hart O Lord and renue in me a right spirite In the which verse the Prophete prayeth first to haue such an heart as by faith in Christe may be cleane and purged from sinne and next to haue a certeine and sure spirite that doubteth nothing of Gods promises towardes him For such a spirite within the body of man or woman maketh the heart so ioyfull that no sorrow can molest it and it strengtheneth so euery member that they will be giuen to nothing so much as to the seruice of God But if the spirit be wicked doutlesse the outwarde members will serue nothing but iniquitie if it be troubled the outwarde members can not be quiet For as the soule giueth life to the body so doth the vertue of God in the soule drawe the outward partes of the body vnto the obedience of vertue And contrariwise the vice of the soule draweth the members of the body vnto the seruice of sinne and iniquitie And as the eares and eyes of man were made by God to be instruments to heare and sée Gods will and pleasure by them sith man fell in Paradise knowledge might come into the soule and spirit of man by hearing Gods word preached séeing his sacraments ministred so by them abused in hearing and seeing of sinne and abhomination there entreth into the soule much vile filthinesse and transgression The Prophete Asaph therefore doth admonish vs to beware that we bring not our spirites into discomfort by sinne and transgression of Gods lawes for if we do whether y e offence be done in the spirite by the euill that naturally is in it by originall sinne by the temptation of the diuell or by the meanes of any member of the body doubtlesse the trouble of the spirit shal not only take away the office of the members as ye sée in this place the speache of the toung and the closing of the eyes be taken away but at the length also God shall make the same body and the
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
himselfe for euer This may be vnderstood two maner of wayes For this English word euer hath two meanings in the Hebrue tonge Sometime it is taken for continuance and time euerlasting sometime for certeine yeres and the life of men If it be taken in this place for time euerlasting the sorrowes of the Prophete were the greater when he reuelued with his spirite that God iustly for sinne might cast him into euerlasting paines the remembraunce whereof is greater paine then the mortall death of the bodie If this word euer be taken for a certeine time and the life of man then meaneth the Prophet thus Will God as long as I liue absent himselfe And thus continue me in heauines of spirite and sorrowes as long as I liue Which sense soeuer be taken there be profitable thinges to be learned of it But I suppose the latter sense to be the better for diuers causes First in this that the Psalme conteineth the complaint and prayer of the Prophet a man of God that cannot be brought to this desperation that he should be cast away for euer from the fauour of God vnto eternall paines And the text that saith It is mine owne infirmitie and the right hand of the Lord can chaunge this doth beare with this latter sense and explanation For the words be of great weight and of meruellous wisedome and consolation and do declare that although the Prophete felt the iudgement of God against sinne and was in a meruellous terror feare with the horror and sight of his sinns yet the spirite of God did testifie with his spirit that he was the child of God and that it was a paine and punishment of the soule and body and not a desperation and thorough casting away and absenting of Gods mercie For the very electes of God be chosen so ordeined so preserued and kept that nothing is able to take them out of Gods hand For the godly men in the Scripture did reioyce with the assurance of Gods certein promise and did not presume to do euill as S. Paule in sundrie places doth giue testimonie Once to the Romanes where as he felt and perceiued the filthines of sinne the iust iudgement of God against the same as it appeareth by his wofull crie and complaint Oh wretched man that I am who shall deliuer mee from this body subiect vnto death He felt as we may perceiue the heauie burden and weight of Gods displeasure and yet in the midst of terror and feare he stayed assuredly in the mercie of God through Christ. And the same he writeth also to the Corinthians to his disciple Timothie that his death was at hand that he knew although his quarell were neuer so good that he of himselfe was a sinner and by sinne worthie reiection casting away from God yet he said that Christ had in kéeping for him a crowne of iustice whiche he should assuredly receiue at the day of his death God is contented that his chosen people shall suffer and beare the burden and heauinesse of temptation and feare of euerlasting paine as Adam did first in Paradise Dauid many times Iob and others yea Christ himselfe that said his soule was heauie euen vnto death which made him sweat both water and bloud But these temptations and terrors shall neuer ouercome and cast away the person that hath his faith in Christ for none is able to take his shéepe out of his hand Yet God withdraweth his hand many times and suffereth his to be tempted and to be comfortlesse and as it were cleane ouerthrowen not that in déede their election can be altered or they themselues left comfortlesse vntill the end of their liues but for a time as ye may sée by Iob who spake as horrible words and as desperatly as might be Yet sée in the end of his booke and marke what a ioyfull outgoing his gréeuous temptations had What pitifull cryes were these of Christ our Sauiour vppon the crosse My God my God why hast thou forsaken me Yet the end was Father into thy handes I commend my spirite It is written that we must enter into heauen by many troubles Now of all troubles the trouble of the minde and of the spirite is the greatest Who then can enter into heauen without such troubles Doubtlesse no man For the iudgement of God must begin at his house as Saint Pater saith That is to say None shall in this life more féele Gods displeasure for sinne in the spirite nor suffer more aduersitie in the bodie then such as be of Gods owne houshold and very electes Wherefore we be admonished in the troubles and sorrowes that this Prophete Asaph susteined in his soule that could not rest and in his bodie that could not sléepe nor speake that good men be not frée from aduersitie and that aduersities be they neuer so great shall not separate men from God for euer but for a time he punisheth sinne and hideth the consolation of God from vs As the scripture saith For a time a little while I haue forsaken thee but I will gather thee together in wonderfull mercies In a short time of my wrath I hidd my face a while from thee but I will haue mercie vppon thee for euer saith the Lord thy redeemer All men that shall profitably knowe and féele the certeintie of Gods promises in this life and enioy them in the life to come shall be troubled with some paine of doubtfulnes of them before he come to perfection For as by sinne death entered into the flesh and also the flesh is subiect vnto sicknesse and aduersitie so is there entered into the soule and powers thereof by reason of sinne great imperfection As the minde of all men is burdened with ignorance the heart with contumacie and the will with frowardnesse so that as they be before regeneration and knowledge of God in all godly matters starke blind very obstinate and naturally altogether froward euen so after regeneration and the knowledge of God they continually resist and fight against the spirite not onely of man in whome these powers dwell but also against the spirite of God that teacheth and leadeth the spirite of man to eternall saluation So that it is not man that is able to ouercome the wickednesse of his owne soule And therefore séeing life through grace dwelt in a bodie naturally full of sinne Saint Paule said I doe liue yet not I but Christ liueth in mee So this Prophete Asaphe séemeth in wordes to be starke dead from grace but it was not for euer for he felt the spirite of God that told him that such heauie and vngodly thoughtes of his spirit came of his owne infirmitie and that Gods right hand could alter and chaunge them And this is the difference betwéene the affliction of the godly and vngodly as it is
wonderfully sett foorth in the Psalme next before this sauing one where it is said There is a cuppe in the Lordes hand full of redd wine and hee powreth out of it but the wicked shall drinke the dregges thereof and the vngodly of the earth shall receiue the bottom of it The cuppe in the Scripture is taken many times for aduersitie whereof God filleth a quantitie and a certeine measure vnto all his electe and chosen seruauntes but the wicked shall drinke the bottome and all and neuer come to rest nor ease Out of this temptation we may learne how foolish and how impatient we be When God sendeth troubles we thinke such to be best at ease that want them whereas the Lords booke declareth that it is necessarie and also very expedient that we should haue them Againe there is to be noted how that the Prophet in the cogitations of his minde maketh no mention of the griefe of the bodie whereof he spake before at the beginning of his troubles For in the second and fourth verse he declareth how he held vp his handes all night cryed with his voyce vntill he was speachlesse and lay waking could not sléepe Of the which sorrowes now he maketh no rehearsall but saith his spirite was searching and inquisitiue Whether God would absent himselfe for euer with diuers like interrogatories of Gods nature as followe in the Psalme Whereof we learne the vilenesse of our owne nature and also the treason and subtiltie of the diuel For as long as we sinne we haue such delight and pleasure therin as though it were but a play to transgresse and breake Gods holy commaundementes But when sickenesse and trouble haue layed the wicked the bodie abedd and made it weake and féeble our conscience is waked by the Lawe of GOD and we put in such terrour and feare that nothing can quiet vs. Also as long as we doe sinne the diuel beareth vs in hande that God is so mercifull doe what we will that hée will not be angrie but when sicknesse or death inuadeth then turneth the diuel his tale and persuadeth with vs that GOD is onely extreme iust and nothing at all mercifull And this griefe of the minde is so sore and vehement that all the paines of the bodie séeme nothing in comparison thereof as we sée in this place by the holy Prophete Asaph that was very sore vnquieted in his bodie yet did his spirite make no accompt of it but still hée stayed and staggered trembling and quaking at the heauinesse and sorrowe of the spirite that could not féele for the time of his trouble any certeintie or cōsolation in the promises of God Of this we be admonished that whatsoeuer we haue if Gods fauour lacke we haue nothing able to reioyce vs. And of the other side if we lacke all thinges and haue assuredly Gods fauour there is nothing able to make vs heauie and sorowfull As we see king Saule hauing a noble kingdome and lacking the fauour of God was alwayes vnquieted Poore Dauid hauing the grace and fauour of God was quiet and contented with all thinges saying If God will he may restore mee if he will not his will be done The assurance of Gods promises made Paule glad to die and the mistrust desperation of Gods promises made Iudas wearie to liue The certeintie of Gods trueth made Saint Stéeuen quietly to die in the assurance of eternall life the vncerteintie and doubtfulnesse of Gods mercie caused Saule to die in the feare of eternall death Riches of this world be treasures muche estéemed and made of friendes and louers much sought for and warily kept and health of bodie highly regarded and preserued with much care yet if the soule be destitute of the assurance of Gods grace the rest séeme to be of no valure at all As we sée Saule in his kingdome with riches strength and friendship yet his minde vexed still an euill spirite and Gods spirite departed his sorrowes were incomparable So that we learne that not onely the goodes apperteyning to the body be nothing worthe whereas the spirite wanteth the grace of God but also whereas the spirite is troubled the goodes of the bodie be little felt and nothing passed of as we sée by this Prophet in this Psalme The other part of his cogitations in the time of his sicknesse was this Will hee be no more intreated This gréeuous temptation whether GOD would be intreated to forgiue sinne any more may haue two vnderstandings The one generally and the other particularly Generally in this sort whether God once offended will be mercifull and forgiue or not Particularly whether God whose nature is mercifull will forgiue the priuate man that séeketh by saith mercie as he hath in time past forgiuen al men that asked it with repentance in faith The first sense and taking of the text generally is meruellous wicked and blasphemous to thinke that God once offended with any man will neuer for giue againe Of this opinion was Caine when he said his sinnes were greater then they might be forgiuen and he thought God would be no more intreated because he iudged his fault greater then the mercie of God that forgiueth faultes And wheresoeuer this iudgement of the spirite is this sentence is verified God will be intreated no more And as euery man that is priuatly thus minded that his owne sinnes be greater then can be forgiuen euen so hath he the like minde and iudgement also of all other mens sinnes that be like vnto his thinking them to be greater then they may be forgiuen For he that despaireth of his owne faultes cannot thinke well that other mens faults as great as his owne be remissible As Iudas that hanged himselfe for betraying of Christe could not thinke well of Peter that denied Christ but rather iudged of Peter as he did of him selfe saying God will be intreated no more Of this wicked iudgment of Gods mercie Whether he will be intreated any more of a sinner after that he hath sinned I wil speake no more But they that lust to read how horrible a thing it is may haue many Psalmes that do declare it namely Psalme 10. and 73. In the one of them it is said by the wicked that God hath forgotten the earth and careth neither for the godly life of the godly and vertuous nor the vngodly life of the vngodly and wicked And in the other Psalme they make a doubt Whether there be any knowledge in God of man and of his life or not But these sortes of people be too horrible and blasphemous and not to be rehearsed or muche spoken of The other sense of this place that is more particular is the better sense for the argument and meaning of the Psalme that is to aske whether God will be intreated no more as touching the remission of his owne sinne or els whether God will be
CERTEINE comfortable Expositions of the constant Martyr of Christ M. Iohn Hooper Bishop of Glocester and Worcester written in the time of his tribulation and imprisonment vpon the XXIII LXII LXXIII and LXXVII Psalmes of the Prophet Dauid Newly recognised and neuer before published MATTH 24. 13. ¶ Who so continueth to the end shall be saued AT LONDON Printed by Henrie Middleton ANNO 1580. TO ALL THE FAITHfull flocke of Christ grace and peace from God the Creatour Christ the Redeemer and the holy Ghost the comforter MAnie are the monuments beloued in the bowels of Christ Iesus and volumes of the faithfull left as legacies to the Church of Christ which as they are y e true riches for they are spirituall so ought they to be reuerenced not onely with outward seruice of body but also with inward submission of soule Among which monumentes being the treasure of the Church and such iewels in deede as the price of them is inualuable this excellent worke though wanting bignesse yet ful of brightnesse of that most learned godlie faithfull zelous constant and in all points praise worthie Protestant Maister Iohn Hooper Bishop of Glocester and worcester challengeth no small title of dignitie For if the wordes of our Sauiour be true which to improue what incestuous mouth without horrible blasphemie a trespasse vnpardonable dare presume seeing he is the verie substance of truth it selfe that he is a true disciple of Christ which continueth to the end then is it the dutie of vs all except we hide our profession vnder the hiue of hypocrisie not onely by looking at the life of such a loadesman to reforme our deformities but also by tracing ouer and through the testimonies of the trueth such godlie bookes I meane as are left in writing to the worlde as vndoubted assurances of an vnspotted conscience to thanke God for so singular an instrument of his Gospell to beseech him to worke in vs the like loue his law that we may be partakers of such glorie as no doubt this notable Martyr of God doth immortally enioy Of whom breefly to insert and say somewhat because the brightnesse of such a glittering starre cannot bee ouercast with the cloudes of obscuritie and darkenesse shall be a meanes to make the worke more commendable although in very deed precious things haue their proper price and therefore consequently wil haue their deserued praise And first to touch his blessed beginning blessed I say euen frō aboue with the dewe of Gods grace his education in Oxford his prosperous proceeding in the knowledge of Diuinitie his forsaking not onely of the Vniuersitie but also his common Countrie his flight into Germanie his returne into Englande his painefulnesse in preaching his fame and credit among the people his obteined fauour with the Kings maiestie his aduauncemēt to more thā a Bishoplike dignitie his dispensatiō for his ceremonious consecration his secret enimies the supporters of papistrie his supplantation by their priuie cōspiraces his faithfull continuance notwithstanding in sowing sincere doctrine his painfulnesse in hearing publike controuersies his visiting of scholes and founteines of learning his maintaining of godlie discipline his want of parcialitie in iudgement betwixt person and person his Bishoplike behauiour abrode in his Dioces his fatherly affection at home towardes his house and familie c. do warrant him the name of a Saint vpō earth surely God hath registred him in the Kalendar of his chosen seruāts in heauen Againe the falling away of his fauourers when religion languished the malicious practises of his aduersaries threatening his destructiō the bloudthirstie broching of his persecution his appearing before the Queene and her Councell the tyrannicall cōtumelies of his Archenimie his spitefull accusation his milde purgation his vndeserued depriuation his cruell imprisonment his harde intertainment his lamentable lodging his succourles sicknesse his pitifull complaintes his restlesse tribulations his streight examinations his apologeticall aduouchments the cōmitting of him to the Fleete the tossing of him from the Fleete to the Counter in Southwarke from the Counter in Southwarke to the Clinke from the Clinke to Newgate his vniust degradation his cruell condemnation and his lamentable execution c. all these pageantes considered as they were done woulde make a flintie heart to mealt and stonie eyes to sweate not onely water but also bloude and to be short the whole bodie though all the lims thereof were as strong as steele euen for pities sake to tremble This comming within the compasse of my poore consideration I remembred that Christ Iesus the onely begotten sonne of the almightie eternal God had passed the like yea and worse perilles as by the historie of his death and passion may appeare that the Protomartyr S. Steeuen had his tormenters S. Paule the Apostle his persecuters and other of Christes disciples their afflicters then thought I that these sanctified vessels made their vocation honourable euen by their deathes which were opprobrious and therefore howe can it bee but that this our Martyr worthie Bishop Hooper offering vp his body a burnt sacrifice liuely reasonable acceptable vnto God shoulde giue good credit to his doctrine assure his profession affirme his vocation liue in euerlasting memorie by the dispersion of his bookes though his fauour be forgotten and his body consumed Of such a souldier so valiantly fighting vnder the ensigne of his Capteine I cannot say sufficient Of this I am resolued that although his earthly tabernacle bee destroyed yet hath hee a building giuen him of God euen an house not made with handes but eternall in the heauens where God graunt vs all to reigne as ioynt heires with Christ his annointed To proceede and approch neerer to our purpose for the premisses are effectuall enough to breed beleefe and to kindle reuerence in the heart of any true Christian towardes this our excellent Martyr replenished with the abundance of Gods holy spirit I commende vnto thy minde good reader a good work of this so good a mā namely Certaine expositions vpon the 23. 62. 72. and 77. Psalmes of the Prophet Dauid of the which the three last being gathered together by a godly professor of the trueth M. Henrie Bull were neuer before printed Their beginnings are vsually read in this maner 23. The Lord feedeth me I shal lack nothing 62. My soule truly waiteth vpon God 72. Truly God is louing vnto Israel euen vnto such as are of a cleane hart 77. I wil crie vnto God with my voice euē to God will I crie with my voice he shall hearken vnto me The expositions of which psalmes to be pithie profitable this may be a substantial proofe because they were written in the time of his trouble whē no doubt he was talking in spirit with God being so occupied his exercises could not but be heuenly therfore effectuall fruitfull and comfortable Come therefore y u sorrowing soule which gronest for reliefe to
this hatred of Gods worde the foode of Gods shéepe they would be séene and none but they to loue and honour God but it is not so in their heartes for they haue a contempt of God as their fruites well declare And Christe saith They hate both him and his father yea and that without cause But thou Christian reader sée thou féede thy soule with no other meate then with the holesome pastures of Gods word what so euer the world shal say or doe Looke vppon this text of Saint Iohn When the comforter shall come whome I shall send from my father euen the spirit of trueth which doth proceede from the father he shall testifie and beare recorde of me Weigh that place and thinke wherefore the sonne of man referred him selfe to the witnesse of the holy Ghoste and ye shall knowe that it was for no vntruth that was in the authour being Christe or in the doctrine that he preached but only to make the disciples to be of good comfort and that they should not estéeme the Gospel he preached vnto them any thing the lesse although it had many aduersaries and enimies and was spoken against in maner euery where for against the furie and false iudgement of the world that cōtemned the Gospell they should haue the testimonie of the holy Ghoste to allowe and warrant the Gospell Let vs therfore pray to the heauenly shepheard that he will giue vs his holy spirit to testifie for the word of God the only foode of our soules that it is true that God saith and onely good that he appointeth to féede vs. And this we may be assured of that in this heauie and sorrowfull time there is nothing can testifie for the truth of Gods word and kéepe vs in the pleasant pasture thereof but the very spirite of God whiche we must set against all the tumults and daungers of the world For if we make this veritie of GOD subiect to the iudgement of the world our faith shall quaile and faint euery houre as mens iudgements varie Wherefore let vs pray to haue alwayes in vs the spirite of adoption whereby when our faith shall be assaulted we may cry Father father and the same helpe for the maintenaunce of trueth God promised by his holy Prophete Esaie saying This is my couenant with them saith the Lord my spirit which is in thee and my wordes which I haue put in thy mouth shall not depart from thy mouthe nor from the mouth of thy seede nor from the mouth of the seede of thy seede from hencefoorth vntill the world end Here doth the almightie God set foorth what a treasure and singular gift his worde is and that it shall not depart from his people vntill the worldes end And in these wordes is this parte of Dauids Psalme meruellously opened and set foorth It is the Lorde alone that feedeth and instructeth saith Esaie the Prophet It was not mans owne imagination and intention nor the wisedome and religion of his fathers what so euer they were but it was the Lord that spake and made the couenant with man and put his spirite in man to vnderstande the couenaunt and by his worde and none other worde he instructed man and saide that by this meanes all men should till the worldes ende féede and eate of Gods blessed promises For in his word he hath expressed and opened to euery man what he shal haue euen the remission of sinne the acceptation into his fatherly fauour grace to liue well in this life and at the end to be receiued into the euerlasting life Of these things the reader may knowe what mainteineth life euen the word of God as Christe saith If ye abide in me and my words abide in you aske what ye will and ye shall haue it He shall learne also that it is not Generall counsell Prouinciall counsell the determination and agréement of men that can be the authour of this foode but only God And as God is the only authour of this foode euen so is his holy spirite he that féedeth the poore simple soule of the Christian man with his blessed pasture and not the wisedome of man mens sacrifices or mens doings But as touching the foode of mans soule to be the only word of God I will if it be Gods blessed pleasure to whom in the bitter and painefull passion of Christe I commit my will with my life and death open vnto the shéepe and lambes of God at large in an other booke ¶ The third part of the Psalme Howe man is brought to the knowledge of life and saluation which part sheweth what man is of him selfe and howe he is brought into this life and to feede in the pleasant pastures of Gods worde THE THIRD VERSE He shall conuert my soule and bring me into the pathes of righteousnesse for his names sake MY soule erred and went astray from the right way of godly liuing but the Lord conuerted me from mine errors faultes of liuing and brought me to the obseruation of his holy lawes wherein is conteined all iustice trueth and godlinesse Here is to be noted what degrées and orders the Lord and heauenly shepheard doth vse in bringing his shéepe vnto the pasture of life First he conuerteth the man that is gone astray by his wicked wayes and sinnefull maner of liuing If he were an Infidel he bringeth him first to knowe féele and hate his infidelitie and afterwardes to a true faith If he be a persecuter he sheweth him first his tyrannie and afterward how to vse him selfe méekely If he be a sinful man that liueth cōtrarie to his knowledge profession he bringeth him first to the knowledge and hatred of his sinne and afterwards to the forgiuenes of the same As Christ our sauiour wonderfully teacheth in Saint Iohn where he saith The holy Ghost when he commeth shall rebuke the world of sinne iustice and iudgement By the which wordes he declareth that the faithfull of God can not profite in the Gospell of Christ neither loue nor exercise iustice and vertue except they be taught and made to féele the burthen and daunger of sinne and be brought to humble them selues as men that be of them selues nothing but sinne And therefore the lawe and threatenings of God be verie wholesome whose nature and propertie is to cite and call mens conscience vnto the iudgment of God and to wound the spirite of man with terrour and feare Wherefore Christe vseth a wonderfull way and teacheth the same vnto his Apostles that neither him selfe for that present time nor they in time to come could preach profitably the Gospell wherewith men are led into the swéete and pleasant fieldes of Gods promises by his word except they vse this order to leade them from sinne to iustice and from death to life And as iustice and life commeth by Christe shewed vnto vs in his bitter passion death and glorious resurrection
so doeth sinne and death both appeare and be felt by the spirite of God shewed vnto vs in the lawe This order also fawe the holy Prophet when he saide The Lorde conuerteth my soule and leadeth me into the pathes of righteousnes This is a wonderfull sentence and much and déepely to be considered and weighed of the Christian man The Lorde conuerteth my foule saith Dauid He féeleth in him selfe that as long as the diuell and sinne haue the rule and kingdome in man the soule of man being Gods creature is deformed foule horrible and so troubled that it is like vnto all things more then vnto God and vertue whervnto it was created but when the wicked diuel deformed sinne be by the victorie of Christ ouercome expelled the soule waxeth faire amiable swéete louing pleasant like vnto God againe and cōmeth into order obeisance vnto his creatour so brought into y e pathes of righteousnes féedeth with the rest of Gods well ordered flocke vppon she pastures and foode of his holy worde to doe his blessed will Oh that we would in the glasse of Gods worde looke vpon our owne soules when they be in the tyrannie of the diuell vnder the kingdome of sinne as this king did we should more loathe and detest our owne soule and the companie that our soule is accompanied withall then if we should for all our life time be put into sties with hogges and alwayes be bound during our life to liue with them féede as they féede sléepe and wake as they do and be as they be in all things Looke in the Gospel of Saint Luke and there shall ye sée a man by sinne so foule so disordered so accompanied with swine so hungerbaned so rent and torne so beggerly so wretched so vile so loathsome and so stinking that the very swine were better for their condition then he was But sée howe the heauenly shepheard behelde from his heauenly throne the place of the euerlasting ioyes this poore strayed shéepe féeding not amongst shéepe but amongest swine and yet could not be satisfied therewith And no meruell for swine féede not vpon the meate of shéepe nor yet doe shéepe fill them selues with hogges draffe and swillinges but this shephearde vsed his olde wonted clemencie and strake the heart of his shéepe making him to wéepe and bewayle his condition a man to come to suche dishonour to be coupled and matched with swine to féede like swine eate like swine such meate as swine eate remembring that the worst in his fathers house was a Prince and noble King in comparison respect of him then also being persuaded of his fathers mercy he returned his father brought him into his pleasant swéete pastures gaue him his old fauor accustomed apparel againe as a man to kéepe companie with men no more with adulterous men and vncleane swine howbeit he came not to his old honour againe till the Lord had practised in him that he practised in this Prophete king Dauid Ammam meam conuertit He conuerted and turned my soule It is but a follie for a man to flatter himselfe as though he were a Christian man when his hart and soule is not turned vnto the Lord. He shal neuer féed in the pastures of life but be an hypocrite all the days of his life as the most part of the world be that professe Christes name at this present day They say they be conuerted from the world to God when there is nothing within the pastures of Gods word but that they wil contemne rather then to haue as much as an euil looke of the world for it They say they be conuerted to God when they be contented with the world to honour that for God that is but bread and wine in the matter and substance as the scripture of God and the holy Church of Christ haue taught and beléeued these thousand and fiue hundreth yeares and more Oh Lord be these men turned to thée Be these the men that shall dwell with thée in thy holy mount of Sion and stand in thy holy place Nay doubtlesse for they be not turned to thée but from thée be not with thée but against thée They speak with thée and yet their déedes dishonour thée they talke of trueth and practise lies What good Lord shall thy simple poore vnlearned shéepe do Where shall they séeke thy trueth For the shéepeheards say and sing this Psalme euery wéeke and at euery dirige for the dead and yet they be not conuerted in their spirits to thée that thou mightest lead them into the pathes of righteousnes But Lord there is no man nowe in manner that dare accuse them they destroy themselues and thy shéepe and no man can be suffered with Gods word to remedie it Notwithstanding good Lord although in this world none may accuse them yet they in the world to come shal haue king Dauid whose Psalmes they daily reade and in whom they most glorie to accuse them both of heresie and blasphemie as Moses shall accuse the wicked Iewes whome they most glorie of For as the Iewes read the scripture of Moses and yet were neuer the better so these priests of Antichrist reade the holy scripture yet neither the people nor they themselues are any thing the better And in this they passe y e abhomination of the Iewes Turkes for they were and yet be content that their bookes of religion shal be vsed in their churches in the vulgar and common tongue but these enimies of God and man would not haue the word that God hath appointed for all mens saluation to be vsed in any tongue but in the Latine The God therefore of peace that brought againe from death to life the great shéepheard of the shéepe by the bloud of the euerlasting testament our Lord Iesus Christ conuert the soules and heartes of all those that cause the shéepe of God thus to eate and féed vppon the carrine and infected pastures of mens traditions Amen Nowe as king Dauid in this text hath wonderfully set foorth y e miserable nature of al Gods shéepe and put himself for an example that the nature and condition of all men is corrupt wicked and damnable so that it cannot be partaker of Gods benediction and euerlasting grace except it be borne a newe amended restored and instructed so likewise he sheweth that none conuerteth the soule of man but the heauenly father the great shéepeheard that both séeth the loste state of his shéepe and willeth of his mercie the saluation and calling of the shéepe home againe and then he procéedeth further and sheweth what the heauenly shéepeheard will doe with his shéepe He saith Hee will lead them into the pathes of iustice Wherein the Prophete declareth that it is not onely God that conuerteth the man from euill but also he alone that kéepeth him in goodnes and vertue And therein is shewed a wonderfull miserie and wretchednesse in the soule and
the Gentiles Yet saith he The foolishnesse of God is wiser then men and the weakenesse of God is stronger then men And that had king Dauid good experience of when he said The Lord ruleth me and I lacke nothing hee putteth mee in a sweete pasture and leadeth mee by the riuers side hee turneth my soule and conducteth mee into the way and pathe of iustice for his names sake and for his mercies sake He sawe the diuel the world his flesh and sinne all conquered by the power of God and for his names sake brought both to liue also vertuously to liue to his honour that gaue the life and to his owne saluation that receiued the life All our teaching a great many of yeares and also your whole labours haue béene chiefly to knowe the miserie of man and the mercie of Almightie God Wherefore it shal not néed long to tarrie in opening of this place of the Psalme for ye be riche in God in these 2. points God giue you grace wel to vse them Yet in any case we must remember that our soules be turned from sinne we accepted as the people of euerlasting life only for Gods mercies sake So doth king Dauid wonderfully open vnto vs in the 32. Psalme where he saith Blessed be they whose sinnes are forgiuen and whose transgressions be couered blessed is the man to whome the Lord imputeth not his sinne Of the which wordes we learne that the godly king called those happie and blessed not that be cleane and pure without sinne for there is no such man in this life but those be blessed whose sinnes the mercie of God forgiueth and they be onely such as vnfeignedly acknowledge their sinne and stedfastly from their heartes beleeue that the death and passion of Iesus Christ is the onely expiation and purging thereof as S. Paule wonderfully expoundeth Dauids woordes in his Epistle to the Romanes As the Prophete by these wordes For his names sake declareth that there is nothing in him nor in any other man wherefore God should turne the soule of man from death to life from errour to trueth from the hatred of God to Gods loue from wandring a stray to a stablished continuance in the veritie of Gods word but only Gods mercie so doth he in other of his Psalmes always when he intreateth of Gods mercie of mans sinne set foorth man so naked and vile as a thing most destitute of all health and saluation and sheweth that none of these giftes remission of sinne acceptation into Gods loue and fauour pasturing of them with his most blessed word can happen vnto any other sauing vnto such as do knowe and earnestly confesse that they be sinners and infected with many contagious daungerous infirmities And therfore he sayth in the 2. verse of y e psalme aboue mentioned Blessed is he to whom the Lord imputeth no sinne in whose spirite there is no guile For there is no greater guile nor more danger in man then to think himself to be somwhat when he is nothing in déede or else to thinke him selfe to be of such puritie of minde as though he néeded not this frée remission and fauour of God And as there is nothing more proude and arrogant then such a minde so there is nothing in man more detestable and miserable Of the contrarie part they be blessed that hunger and thirst for iustice for God filleth the hungrie with good thinges but the proud he sendeth away emptie And that knewe this holie Prophete right well that it was humilitie and the casting downe of him selfe that was most acceptable vnto God and the séeking of health and saluation onely for his names sake that is to say for his mercie promised in the death and passion of his onely sonne our Sauiour Christe In the end of the .xxxij. psalme king Dauid that had thus humbled himselfe bringeth in God that speaketh vnto him whiles he is thus making his complaint of his corrupt nature and sinneful life saying in this manner Intellectum tibi dabo c. that is to say I will giue thee vnderstanding instruct thee in the way thou shalt goe and will haue mine eyes euer vppon thee Wherein he declareth that suche humbled men and lowly persons as knowe their iniquitie shall haue vnderstanding of God and shall not swarue from the right wayes not for their déedes and their deseruinges but for his mercie that vouchsafeth to instruct teach them And so likewise doeth this godlie king shew in this Psalme The Lorde ruleth me and I lacke nothing he feedeth me in sweet pastures and leadeth me by the riuers side he turneth my soule and bringeth me into the pathes of righteousnesse and all for his names sake When he hath opened the saluation of man and also the cause thereof and wherein it consisteth he procéedeth to the fifte parte of his oration and holie Hymne ¶ The fifte parte of the Psalme What trouble may happen to such as God giueth life and saluation vnto THE FOVRTH VERSE Although I walke thorough the vallie and shadowe of death I will feare no euill for thou art with me thy rodde and thy staffe comfort me SEing I haue suche a guide and defender there is no difficultie of perill nor feare of death that I will passe of For what harme can death do to him that hath God the authour of all life with him Or what can the tyrannie of man do where as God is the defender In this fifte part King Dauid sheweth howe the Lord God doeth exercise his shéepe whom he féedeth with his blessed worde in daungers and troubles also how he will defende them in the middest of their troubles what so euer they be In the first wordes of the fift part of this sacred and holy Hymne the prophet declareth that the life of Gods shéepe and people in this worlde can not be without daungers and troubles Therefore Christ sayeth that He came to put fire in the worlde and that the same fire should burne meaning that he came to preache suche a doctrine as shoulde moue dissention and discorde betwéene friend and friend the father and the sonne and sette them at debate Not that his worde is a learning or doctrine of dissention and discorde of it selfe but that by the malice of men that can not abide to be rebuked by the worde of God they will be alwayes at discorde and variaunce with the worde of God and with any friende or foe that teacheth it And the same doeth Christ our heauenly shéepeheard shewe vs both in his doctrine and in his life who was hated and troubled more then any man before or sithens his time and assureth all his to haue troubles in this world yea and death also But it forceth not for he sayth I haue ouercome the worlde And whatsoeuer the dangers bée and howe horrible soeuer they séeme Christe being with vs we néede not to
but the conscience is pricked and oppressed so muche with feare doubtfulnesse of Gods ire for sinne that he thinketh God can be mercifull vnto other but not vnto him And thus doth his knowlege for the time of temptation rather trouble him then ease him bicause his heart doth not or rather can not consent vnto the knowledge yet would he rather then his life he could consent vnto God loue God hate sinne be Gods altogether although he suffered for it al y e paines of the worlde I haue knowne in many good men and many good women this trouble and heauinesse of the spirit for the time as though God had cleane hid him self from the afflicted person and had cleane forsaken him yet at length the day of light from aboue and the comfort of the holy spirite hath appeared that lay couered vnder the veile and couert of bitter cogitations of Gods iust iudgements against sinne Therefore séeing that faith at al times hath not like strength in man I doe not speake to discomfort such as at all times finde not their faith as strong as Dauid did in this Psalme for I know in the holy Saints them selues it was not alwayes like but euen in them as in others And although we can not compare with them in all things in the perfection of their faith yet may they compare them selues with vs in the weakenesse of our faith as ye may sée by the scriptures In this Psalme and in many other ye shall perceiue that Dauid by the constancie and suretie he felt in the promises of God was so strong so ioyfull and comfortable in the middest of all daungers and troubles of death that he did not only contemne troubles and death but also desired death and to be dissolued out of this world as Saint Paule and others did At an other time ye shall perceiue him to be strong in faith but not so ioyful nor yet the troubles so easie vnto him but that he suffered great battell and conflict with his troubles and of the cause of all troubles sinne and transgression of Gods lawes as ye may sée in the sixt Psalme whereas he cryed out and saide Lord chasten me not in thy furie nor punishe me in thy wrath my soule is sore troubled but how long Lord wilt thou deferre help And of such troubled consciences with conflictes ye shall finde oftentimes in the booke of Psalmes and in the rest of Gods scriptures yet shall ye finde the end of the temptation to be ioyfull and comfortable to the weake man that was so sore troubled For although God suffer a long fight betwéene his poore souldier and the diuell yet he giueth the victorie to his seruant as ye may sée in king Dauid When he cryed out that both his body and soule was wearied with the crosse of Gods punishment yet he saide at the last Discedite à me operarij iniquitatis quoniam exaudiuit Dominus vocem fletus mei Depart from me ye workers of iniquitie for the Lorde hath heard the voyce of my weeping And in other of his Psalmes ye shall perceiue his faith more weake and his soule troubled with such anguish and sorrowe that it shal séeme there is no consolation in his soule nor any shewe of Gods carefulnesse towardes him In this state ye may sée him in the 13. Psalme where as a man in manner destitute of all consolation he maketh his complaint saying How long wilt thou forget me The same may ye read also in the 43. Psal. where he sheweth that he his most iust cause and the doctrine that he professed was like altogether to haue bene ouercome so that his spirite was in manner all comfortlesse Then he said to his owne soule Quare tristis es anima mea quare conturbas me Why art thou so heauie my soule why doest thou trouble mee Trust in the Lord c. And in the 42. Psalm he setteth foorth wonderfully the bitter fight and sorrowfull conflicte betwéene hope and desperation Wherin he complayneth also of his own soule that was so much discomforted and biddeth it trust in the lord Of the which two places ye may learne that no man had euer faith at all times like but sometimes more strong sometimes more weake as it pleased God to giue it Let no man therefore despaire although he finde weaknesse of faith for it shall make him to humble him selfe the more and to be the more diligent to pray to haue helpe when he perceiueth his owne weakenesse and doubtlesse at length the weake man by the strong GOD shal be brought to this point that he shal in al troubles aduersities say with the Prophet If I should goe through the shadowe and daungers of death I would not feare what troubles soeuer happen And he sheweth his good assurance in the text that followeth which is the sixt part of this holy and blessed Hymne ¶ The sixt part of the Psalme Whereby the troubles of Gods elect be-ouercome The fourth verse continued and the fift verse expounded For thou art with me thy rod and thy staffe comfort me Thou shalt prepare a table before me against thē that trouble me thou hast annoynted my head with oyle and my cup shall be full SEeing thou art with me at whose power and will all troubles goe and come I doubt not but to haue the victorie and ouerhand of them howe many and daungerous so euer they be for thy rod chasteneth me when I goe astray and thy staffe stayeth me when I should fall Two things most necessarie for me good Lord the one to call me from my fault and errour and the other to kéepe me in thy trueth and veritie What can be more blessed then to be susteined and kept from falling by the staffe and strength of the most highest And what can be more profitable then to be beaten with his merciful rod when we goe astray For He chasteneth as many as he loueth and beateth as many as he receiueth into his holy profession Notwithstanding whilest we be here in this life he féedeth vs with the swéete pastures of holsome herbes of his holy word vntill we come to eternall life and when we put off these bodies and come into heuen and knowe the blessed fruition and riches of his kingdome then shall we not only be his shéepe but also the guestes of his euerlasting banquet The which Lorde thou settest before all them that loue thée in this worlde and doest so annoynt and make glad our mindes with thine holy spirite that no aduersities nor troubles can make vs sorrie In this sixt part the prophet declareth the old saying amongest wise men Non minor est virtus quà m quaerere parta tueri that is to say It is no lesse maistrie to keepe the thing that is wonne then it was to winne it King Dauid perceiueth right well the same and therefore as before in the Psalme he said The Lorde turned his soule
of English men more then twentie yeares since we departed from the sea of Rome for the ambition of the Romish bishops that transgressed both this ordinance of S. Paul and also of Christ. Of the which deadly and pestilent ambition the prophet Ezechiel prophesied and so did also S. Paule if prophesies by God and commaundements by his holy Apostles had any thing preuailed in our dull and naughtie heartes Read the places sée your selues what is spoken of such a wicked shéepeheard I doe put you in minde of this wicked sea because I do sée that contrarie to the word of God contrarie to the lawes of the realme most godly against the Popes supremacie against all our othes that be Englishmen and against all the old godly writers this Antichrist member of the diuel is not vnlike to haue the regiment of your soules againe which God forbid I doe exhort all men therefore to beware of him as of one that came naughtily to such vsurped authoritie and whose authoritie is not onely the trouble of all Christian realmes and princes but also of all Christian soules And as he hath béene alwayes a trouble vnto the one so hath he béene a destruction to the other as I will a little declare vnto you that ye may know him the better and so by the rodde and staffe of Gods word defende your selues from him The Gréeke Church for this ambition of the Romishe bishop separated her selfe from the Church of Rome and would not haue to do with her For after that the Gréekes knewe that the bishops of Rome ment to take from them their liberties they would not indure it yet did the Romish bishops alwayes to come to the supremacie picke quarels and maters to fall out vpon first with the Clergie and then with the Laitie Platina writeth howe Pius bishop of Rome béeing deceiued by one Hermes a very euill man began a new order about the kéeping of Easter day and altered the time that the Apostles and their disciples vsed vntill Pius dayes which was to celebrate and kepe the day of the resurrection of our Sauiour Christ the fourtéenth moone of y e first moneth which is with the Iewes our March And although it be wel done to kéepe it vpon the Sunday yet was this an horrible presumption vpon so light a cause to excommunicate the Gréeke Church and to make diuision where before was vnion It came to passe in Victors time the first which was about the yeare of our Lord two hundred and in the time of Iraeneus the bishop of Lugdune the disciple of Iohn the Euangelist this Victor would haue cōdemned the Gréeke Church procéeded with excommunication against it had not Iraeneus letted it yet was it the elder Church and had continued in the doctrine of the Apostles from Christes time and had Iohn the Euangelist amongest them for the space of thréescore and eight yeares after Christes ascension And notwithstanding the Gréeke Church was the elder Church yet the Romane Church to be equall with them according to the doctrine of Christ and his Apostles also according to the decrée that was made in the generall Counsell at Nice And the Gréeke Church neuer contented with the Romish Church for the Supremacie vntill a proud and arrogant Moncke that feigned humilitie was preferred to be bishop of Cōstantinople which came to such arrogancie of spirit that he would haue béene taken for the vniuersall head of y e Church which was a very marke to know that he was of Antichrist and not of Christ as Gregorie the great writeth to Constantia the Empresse and at length this proud Monke at a Synod kept at Constantinople created himselfe the vniuersall head of the Church Although before his time one Menna and other archbishops of Constantinople for the dignitie of the imperial state being there were called vniuersal Patriarches yet that was by name alone and without execution of authoritie in any foreigne bishopricke or Church But such was the ambition of these bishops that walked as S. Paule saith inordinately that they would haue the head and principalitie of religion and of the Church at Constantinople because there was the head and principalitie of the worldly kingdome and so they began betime to confound the ciuil policie with the policie of the Churche vntill they brought themselues not onely to be heads of the Church but also Lords of all Emperours and kings and at the last of God and Gods word as ruthfully it appeareth in mens conscience at this present day Which abhomination and pride Pelagius the second bishop of Rome both spake and wrote against and would that he nor any man els should haue the name of a generall bishop And S. Gregorie doeth confirme the same godly sentence of his predecessour Pelagius and would not when he was commaunded by the Emperour whome Iohn the bishop had abused take the Archbishop of Constantinople for the vniuersall head nor condescend vnto the Emperours commaundement and wrote to the Empresse that it was contrarie to the ordinance of Christ and his Apostles and contrarie to the Counsell of Nice He said also that such new arrogancie was a very token that the time of Antichrist drew nigh And Gregorie did not onely write and speake against this arrogancie and pride but suffered also great danger as Platina writeth and so did al Rome by the Lombards that Mauricius the Emperour made to besiege Rome because Gregorie refused to obey the Archbishop of Constantinople as the head of the Church But although Pelagius Gregorie and other godly men detested and abhorred this wicked arrogancie to be the vniuersall head of the Churche yet the bishop of Rauenna began amongst the Latines to prepare the way to Antichrist as Paulus Diaconus saith and separated himselfe from the societie of other Churches to the intent he might come to bee a head himselfe But what at length came of it Platina writeth And within a short time after Boniface the third being the bishop of Rome about the yeare of our Lord sixe hundred and seuen Phocas the Emperour iudged him to be head of the Church against both the bishop of Constantinople also of Rauenna and such a sentence was méet for such an arbitrour Phocas was a wicked man a couetous man an adulterer and a traiterous murtherer of his Lord maister Mauricius and this man to make God and the Romans amends gaue sentence that the bishop of Rome should be the vniuersal head of the Church But here was contemned the sentence and doctrine of Christ and his Apostles and also the decrées of the holy Counsell of Nice And no meruell for they condemned both partes of arrogancie and vsurpation and not only these Counsels but all other for many yeares which decréed that although one seate was named before the other yet the bishop of the principall seate should not be the chiefest priest or head of the rest but onely
execrable thinges of Gregorie the seuenth Yet was Englande free from this beaste of Rome then in respecte of that it was before the idol was expelled in king Henrie the 8. time But Alexander the third neuer rested to moue men to sedition vntil such time as king Henrie the seuenth was content to be vnder him as other were And all this suffered England for Thomas Becket the Popes Martyr When they were crept vp into this high authoritie all their owne creatures bishops of their secte Cardinals priestes monkes and friers could neuer be contented to be vnder the obedience of the princes and to say the trueth princes durst not in maner require it for they were in danger of goods and life And y e Emperour Henrie the seuenth was poysoned by a monke that poysoned the idol of the Masse both a god and minister méete to poyson men and both of the Popes making And what conscience did they make of this thinke ye Doubtlesse none at all for the Pope saith and so do al his children that he can dispense and absolue themselues and al men from what othes soeuer they haue made to God or man This enimie with his false doctrine is to be resisted and ouercome by the word of God or els he wil destroy both bodie and soule Therefore against all his craftes and abhominations we must haue the Rodd the Staffe the Table the Oyle the Cup that Dauid speaketh of in a readinesse to defend our selues with all Now followeth the last part of this holy Hymne ¶ The seuenth part of the Psalme What the ende of Gods troubled people shalbe THE SIXT VERSE The louing kindnesse shal followe me all the dayes of my life and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for euer I Will in the middest of all troubles be strong and of good chéere for I am assured that thy mercie and goodnesse will neuer forsake me but will continually preserue me in all dangers of this life and when I shall depart from this bodily life thy mercie wil bring me into that house of thine eternal ioyes whereas I shall liue with thée in euerlasting felicitie Of this part we learne that the dangers of this life be no more then God can and will put from vs or preserue vs in them when they come vnto vs without danger also that the troubles of this world be not perpetuall nor damnable for euer but that they be for a time onely sent from God to exercise and proue our faith and patience At the last we learne that the troubles being ended we begin and shall continue for euer in endlesse pleasure and consolation as Dauid sheweth at the end of his Psalm So doeth Christe make an ende with his disciples when he hath committed them for the time of this life to the tuition of the heauenly father whiles he is bodily absent he saith at length they shalbe where he is himselfe in heauen for euer For in this life all be it the faithfull of God haue consolation in Gods promises yet is their ioy very darke and obscure by reason of troubles both without and within outwardly by persequution inwardly by temptation Therefore Christ desireth his father to lead and conduct his Church in trueth and veritie whiles it is here in fight persequution with the diuel vntill it come to a perfect and absolute consolation where as no trouble may molest it For then and not before to what perfection soeuer we come shall wee be satisfied as Dauid saith The plentifulnesse of pleasure and ioy is in the sight and contemplation of thee ô Lord. For Then shal the minde of man fully be satisfied when he being present may presently beholde the glorious maiestie of God for God hath then al ioyes present to him that is present with him then man knoweth God as he is knowen of God These ioyes in the end of troubles should giue the troubled man the more courage to beare troubles patiently and be persuaded as S. Paule teacheth that The troubles of this present life be not worthie of the ioyes to come whiche shall be reuealed to vs when Christ commeth to iudge the quick and the dead To whome with the father and the holy Ghost be all honour and praise world without end Amen ¶ AN EXPOSITION vppon the 62. Psalme made by the constant Martyr of Christe Maister IOHN HOOPER Bishop of Glocester and Worcester THE ARGVMENT THe Prophete in this Psalme doeth declare by his owne experience how the trueth of Gods worde and such as fauour and followe the same be esteemed and vsed in the worlde of worldly men the trueth it selfe reiected and the louers thereof slaundered and persequuted And seeing trueth and true men before the Prophetes time in his time and after his time were thus miserably afflicted in this psalme he writeth his own condition and miseries with certeine and most comfortable remedies whiche wayes the afflicted person may best comforte him selfe and passe ouer the bitternesse and daungers of his troubles and suffer them as long as God layeth them vppon him patiently So that whosoeuer from the feeling of his heart can say this Psalme and vse the remedies prescribed therein by the spirite of God doubtlesse he shall be able to beare the troubles bothe of the diuell and man patiently and contemne them strongly ¶ The partes of the Psalme be in number generally two 1 In the first is conteyned how that the fauour of God and his helpe is able to remedie all aduersities 2 In the second is conteyned how that the fauour of man and his helpe is able to redresse no aduersities The first part comprehendeth eight verses of the Psalme The second part conteyneth the other foure verses that next followe to the end of the Psalme ¶ These two generall partes doe conteine more particular partes in them in number sixe 1 First what is to be done by the Christian man that is afflicted 2 The seconde parte sheweth why the troubled man in trouble looketh for helpe of God 3 The third parte declareth how soudenly God can destroy the persquuters of the trueth 4 The fourth part conteyneth the repetition of the first and the second part with more causes shewed why patiently trouble is to be borne and faithfully to be beleeued that God can and will remedie it 5 The fifte part declareth that mans power is not to be feared nor his friendshippe to be trusted vnto for no man is able to damne or saue 6 The sixte parte setteth foorth how that God hath promised to helpe the afflicted and will assuredly perfourme it ¶ The Psalme with the partes before named where they beginne and where they ende 1 My soule truely wayteth still vpon God The first parte teacheth a man to flie vnto God in the time of oppression and trouble 2 For of him commeth my saluation He verily is my strength and my saluation hee is my defence so shall I not greatly fall The second
the first parte is to marke and sée that in the verie electes of God and most excellent personages amongest holie men there is sometime quiet patient and thankfull sufferance of aduersitie strongly that it séemeth in the soule of him that is troubled there is so constant and strong faith that it maketh all sorrowes and troubles rather pleasaunt and swéete then heauie burdenous or painefull At another time troubles séeme vnto them so heynous and grieuous that the burden of them is as great a paine as death not onely vnquieting the bodie but also verie sore vexing of the spirite with these and like cogitations God hath cast me out of his sight God will haue mercie vppon me no more My soule is heauie and troubled And this diuersitie of increase and decrease of faith and hope of holie men and women before our time teacheth vs great wisedome and consolation wisdome in that we sée faith and hope be not naturall qualities in man although he be neuer so vertuous or neuer so gratiously elected by God to eternal saluation but they be the mercifull giftes of God giuen vnto man for Christes sake and wrought by the holie Ghost aboue mans deseruings We learne also that the giftes of God faith hope and charitie patience and sufferance with such like vertues be not at all times of like condition and strength in man but at sometime so strong that nothing can feare vs and at another time so weake that all thinges do make vs dismayed and fearefull Now and then it is so doubtfull that we cannot tell whether it were best to suffer for the trueth or else to be released consenting vnto falshoode Thus God vseth his giftes in vs not alwayes after one sorte partely for our sinnes and partely to proue vs and to bring vs to a certeine knowledge of our infirmitie and weakenesse From Saule Iudas and Caine he tooke his spirite cleane to punishe their iniquitie and wickednesse And from Iob to attempte his patience and to make his féele that of him selfe he coulde beare nothing We learne consolation out of this texte in this that in our troubles the Lord forsaketh vs not but comforteth vs. And the more our troubles and aduersities be the more is his grace and fauour towardes vs. As the Prophet sayth in another of his Psalmes As aduersities oppressed my heart so thy consolations Lorde reioyced me In the whiche Psalme ye may sée what consolation the afflicted conscience taketh in aduersities The Psalme is made against the wicked oppressoures and persequutors of the poore Wherein they say As the tyrannie of the wicked troubleth vs so thy consolations good Lorde do reioyce and comfort vs. and the same sayth Saint Paule to the Corinthians As the afflictions of Christe doe abounde in vs euen so by Christe aboundeth our consolation There is also to be noted in that the prophete sayeth His soule wayteth vpon the Lorde Many men can dissemble iniuries wrongs and oppressions outwardely Some times when they be not able to reuenge and some tunes when they dare not reuenge for lacke of opportunitie and occasion lest more harme mighte insue of that their enterprise As the Iewes durst not kill Christ a great while for feare of the people yet were they murderers in their hearts before God the fact outwardly not then being don Some againe reuenge not bicause they thinke dissembled patience will gaine worldly commodites riches Howbeit this quietnesse refraining from reuenging is nothing worth before God But when the hart soul waiteth vpon God is contented to be as God maketh it y t wayting seruice of the soul the Lord delighteth in and is pleased withall This is a godlie doctrine much to be desired to haue the minde contented with such things as be troublesome and painefull to the bodie outwardly And where the minde wayteth not patiently vpon the Lorde in trouble it will appeare diuers wayes Sometime many yeres after the displeasure is done the man that suffered the displeasure reuengeth it wrongfully and cruelly as the Phariseis and the highe priestes deferred the bloudie fact in the killing of Christ vntil they had gotten time and opportunitie for their purpose Sometime the impatience and vnquietnesse of the minde appeareth with checkes and taunting aunsweres vnto God as when God asked Caine Where his brother Abel was he asked God againe Whether he were his brothers kéeper or no The same wayes appeared Pharaoes vnquietnesse When God would haue had him to dismisse his people he asked What God he was vnto whome he should doe such homage and seruice Somtime it appeareth by desperate weighing the greatenesse of trouble not considering the mercie of God that is greater then sinne As Caines vnquieted soule for the killing of Abel brought his tongue to blaspheme the mercie of God saying that His iniquitie was greater then the mercie of God could forgiue So did the wicked soule of Iudas that betrayed Christ make his tongue confesse before the Pharisées his treason and wickednesse and neuer to call vpon Christe for remission thereof Sometime the impatience of the mind is knowen outwardly by finding fault with Gods workes As when Adams minde was vnquieted for the eating of the apple he said vnto God that his wife the woman that he gaue vnto him deceiued him Achab the wicked king being impatient with the scourges that God sent vpon his Realme for his owne sinnes and the peoples picked a quarell with the good prophete Elias saide that he troubled all his Realme So saide the Iewes against Paule This is he that troubleth all the worlde This is daily séene when so euer the minde and the soule is vnquieted the fault is laide vpon Gods worke As if the higher powers hang a true man and saue a théefe deliuer Barabbas hang Christ streight way the tongue walketh that He is set in authoritie by God In déede so he is but yet to punishe the euill and to mainteine the good and not to molest the good and mainteine the euill as commonly now a dayes is séene Simon Magus shalbe at libertie and Simon Peter in chaines Annas and Caiphas shall rule like Lordes Christe and Saint Paule shalbe ruled and suffer death althoughe not personally in their owne bodies yet in their members and disciples Let the minde of the théefe be touched for thefte streightway pouertie the worke of GOD beareth the blame Let whoredome vexe the whoremongers minde immediately the tongue complayneth vpon Gods worke youth strength and such other Let the minde be troubled with couetousnesse by and by Gods worke wife children be alledged for excuse For they must be prouided for saith the couetous man when he hath enoughe for himselfe and tenne times as many moe children as God hath sent him if it were thankfully vsed towardes God and liberally towardes the worlde So that if any man be touched
giueth God the strength able to helpe but is of it selfe in God and with God so is there none that can giue God a wil to helpe but he of himselfe is inclined to haue mercie vppon the afflicted and his mercie is most prone and readie to helpe the poore and miserable Hereof learneth the afflicted Christian that none inclineth God to be mercifull but his owne gentle and pitifull nature So that the sinners may boldely in Christ resort vnto him firste because he is mercie it selfe and not to goe astray to séeke firste mercie at dead Saintes handes and by their meanes at laste finde God mercifull and readie to helpe him And when the afflicted perceiueth by the word of God that he commandeth him to call vpon him and vppon none other he may take a courage and audacitie to be bolde to come vnto him be his sinnes neuer so many horrible or filthie yea if in number they excéeded the grauell of the sea yet be they fewer alwayes then his mercie If they be as redde as scarlet yet shall they be made as white as snowe The booke of wisedome sayth euen so Although we haue sinned Lord we be thine knowing thy greatnesse And whereas these doctrines be grounded sée what followeth In all the depth of anguishe and sorrowe this followeth as this Psalme sayth Of him commeth my saluation He is my strength my saluation and my defence c. The same may we sée also in the Dialogue betwéen the Christian soule or Christes Churche and Christe in the booke of Solomons Ballads were she neuer so blacke and burned with the sunne were she neuer so troubled with the vanities of the worlde she cried out and saide boldely vnto Christe Drawe me we will runne after thee And although the poore wretched soule be enuironed and compassed about with sinne troubles and aduersities as the faire Lillie is hedged about with thornes yet she trusteth in her husband that he will helpe her And in déede most comfortably her spouse Christ comforteth her with these maruelous words Arise haste thee my spouse my faire one and come Nowe Winter is past the rayne is gone and ceassed That Booke of Solomon is to be read to sée how mercifully God comforteth a troubled and deformed soule by sinne and yet God layeth it not to the soules charge that hath Christe to her husband Also there is to be séene that the soule is bolde to séeke and call for help of God her husband and goeth to no strange God for ayde or succour althoughe she be burned with the sunne and a miserable sinner The like is to be séene in the Prodigall sonne Although he was neuer so beggerly miserable sinful wretched and vnkinde to his father yet he said Euen as I am with my miseries I will go to my father and tel him that I haue offended against him and against Heauen The father when he sawe him spatte not at him reuiled him not asked no accomptes of the goods he had viciously spent laide not to his charge his filthie conuersation with whores and harlots neither did he cast into his téethe howe he had dishonoured him and his familie but when he sawe him a farre off hee was moued with compassion towardes him ranne to méete him tooke him about the necke and kissed him The sonne confessed his fault and the father minding more the comforte of his lowsie and beggerly sonne then the repetition of his transgressions commaunded his seruantes spéedily to fetche him robes and to clothe him gaue him a ring vpon his finger and shooes to his féete killed his fat calfe and made merrie and reioyced with his loste sonne that he was found againe Here is the state and condition of a soule that wayteth as Asaph saith for a time vpon the Lorde in trouble and heauinesse meruellously sett foorth Sée this wretched man spoyled of al his goods destitute of all friendes shutte out of all honest cōmpanie of a Gentleman become a swineheard of one that had once men to waite vppon him become now a waiter vpon pigges once he gaue others meate and nowe all men refuse to féede him erst a man that scarse delicate dishes coulde contente his appetite nowe his stomache yrketh till it be filled with swines foode yet more ouer then that he sawe nothing behinde him nor before him but miserie and wretchednesse Behind him he left al his goods spent riottously his estimation parentage such frends as he had when mony was plentie lost also as farre as reason could sée his fathers vtter displeasure and the reproch ignominie of his alliaunce and kinsefolke purchased for euer Before him he saw hunger and scarsitie a sorte of filthie swine and the best meate draffe chaffe for the sustenance and maintenaunce of his piggishe life in case he might haue béene so mainteyned yet in the middest of these sorrowes attending in his spirite vpon the mercie of his father meruelously in the filthe of a pigges slie and in the paines and anguishe of miserie hearke what a wonderfull doctrine he bloweth out Oh what abundance of bred is there in my fathers house and I starue here for hunger I will arise and gette me to him and confesse my fault c. He saieth not Oh what abundaunce of bread hath my brother and my kinsefolke but What abundance of bread is there in my fathers house He said not I will make my complaint to my brother but said To my father Whereof is learned that all penitent Christian sinners doe know that the heauenlie father hath the bread of mercie to satisfie their hungrie desire and that he is to be resorted vnto in such sinnefull and troublesome state and not any other in heauen but he alone through Iesus Christe who was killed to redéeme and saue the penitent faithfull sinners of the worlde Sée now how this Prodigall outragious sonne knew why he should séeke helpe of his father in the time of his vile miserie and wretchednesse First he knewe his fathers power and therefore saide Oh how great plentie of bread is there in my fathers house beléeuing that his father was able to giue him meate sufficient Next he was assured that his father was mercifull and would giue him suche thinges as he lacked being thus persuaded boldly he returned vnto his father and to him he vttered al his griefe who was a great deale more prest readie to helpe then his sonne was readie to aske helpe Of the same minde was the woman of Canaan For although she founde little comfort at the firste yet she argued so from the nature of man to the nature of Christ that Christe cried out vpon her and sayde Oh woman greate is thy faith be it vnto thee as thou desirest For when she saide the dogges did eate of the crumbes that fell from their maisters table she knewe that she her selfe and all men in respect
for this faithes sake But faith as long as it cōmeth no nearer the hart then the eare the lippes the téeth or the tongue it is but an easie mater to beléeue As we sée these rumblers vp of the Psalmes the rest of Gods word at this time in the church where they that say them nor they y t heare them vnderstand any thing at all or be any deale y ◠more edified for that which is done or said in the church And I am assured if the priests felt in their heartes the vengeance of God to come for this abusing the word of God the people knew what an incomparable treasure they haue lost by y e taking away of y e word of God in the vulgar tonge the priest would wéepe water of his eyes as often as he said his seruice the people wold sigh ful heauily as oft as they hard it vnderstood not what it ment Wherefore let euery man pray to God that he may know him as the Prophet Asaph doth that he is the rock saluation to him that so calleth vppon him The thirde word is Defence By the which the Prophet noteth two meruellous doctrines The one touching God and the other touching man The thing touching God is this Looke as in himself God is omnipotent so is he of power both in body soule to do all things for his creatures in general And as generally he can doe all things for his creatures so particularly he is saluation to all that by faith beléeue in him And as he is also saluation particularly to such as beléeue in him euen so particularly is he a defence buckler protection of such as shall be saued that neither sinne the diuel or any troubles of the body nor troubles doubtfulnesse anguish perplexitie or heauinesse of minde shal hurt or danme him The doctrine touching man by this word Defence is this Looke as the faithfull man hath in him selfe this generall knowledge with all men that God is Almightie to doe all thinges as he lust with his creatures generally so particularly he beléeueth that he is able and will saue such as particularly beléeue their saluation in him And as the faithfull particularly beléeueth his saluation to be onely in God so doeth he also beléeue and challenge particularly with the rest of his brethren in Christe maintenaunce perfection and defence from all misseaduentures ieopardies and dangers that may happen in this life before he come to euerlasting ioyes God therefore giue vs grace with the Prophete Asaph to say faithfully vnto him Thou art my strength my saluation and my defence then doubtlesse we shall be assured of that which followeth So shall I not greatly fall Of these wordes So shall I not greatly fall we be also taught and instructed verie necessarie lessons and doctrines Firste what difference there is betwéene the defence of God towardes his people in this life and in the life to come As touching the defence of God towards his people in this life it is meruellously set foorth by Christ in his prayer a little before his death where he prayed vnto his father not to take his Apostles out of this worlde but to preserue them in this worlde from sinne So that he woulde his friendes with Gods defence shoulde abide for a time in the world And what they shuld haue in the world for all Gods defence Christe tolde them In the worlde sayeth he ye shall suffer affliction and ye shall weepe and the world shal laugh Againe he said vnto them that He sent them foorth as shéepe amongest woolues Whereby we may sée that Gods fauour and Gods defence saueth not his verie elects in this life from troubles and afflictions For Saint Paule saith As many as will liue godly shall suffer persequution Therefore the holy Ghost placeth the faithfull congregation the spouse of Christ whome God loueth and defendeth amongst thornes and brambles and sometime likeneth the faithfull congregation vnto a ship tossed vpon the sea with daunger of drowning sometime vnto a house wherevppon bloweth all windes and weather and sometime to a woman trauelling with child before whom standeth a foule dragon readie to deuour both childe and mother So that by this prophet Asaphes wordes that saith He shal not greatly fall and by these other places we learne that in this life such as God loueth defendeth from the eternall fire of hell he notwithstanding for this life vnder great crosses and wonderfull troubles yet Christ willeth vs to be of good comfort for He hath ouercome the world And y e prophet saith God is my rocke and my saluation I shall not greatly fall And to consider the trueth such as God most strongly defendeth and best loueth in this world suffer many times greatest troubles Yea and God beginneth with his friends somtimes first and most sharply as S. Peter saith And S. Paule saith We be praedestinate to be made like vnto Christ in troubles whiles we be in this troublesome world But the defence of God and his loue in the world to come is voyd from al bitternes and paine and from all troubles and aduersities As it is most comfortably and ioyfully written in the Balads of Solomon where for a time the Lord defended his spouse that stood in the middest of sharpe and pricking briers and thornes at length he calleth her to perpetuall rest consolation assuring her that the winter is gone and y e tempestuous shoures past The swéet floures do appeare and the pleasant voyce of the Turtle is heard Meaning that such as be loued and kept by God in the world of blisse to come be sequestred and departed from all troubles and aduersities The like may you sée in the Reuelations of S. Iohn wherein he mystically to set foorth the pleasantnes and vnspeakeable ioyes of heauen saith It is paued with pretious stones and the gates thereof be also of pearles And moreouer There is a light more lighter then the Sunne or Moone for the claritie of God lighteneth it and the brightnes is the lambe of God There shall the electes dwell for euer and the gates shall neuer be shutt neither shall there be any night there to trouble it The same is to be séene also in Esaie the prophet how in that life Gods defence is in such as be saued without all kindes of troubles and aduersities Nowe here is to be noted that as Gods fauour and defence in y e world to come in such as be saued is voyd of all troubles aduersities euen so Gods fauour and his defence in this world in such as shalbe saued is ioyned and annexed with troubles and aduersities Let vs therefore be content with trouble persequution in his fauour here in this life or els doubtlesse we shall neuer haue his fauour and defence in the life to come in ioye and euerlasting
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
to vertuous and godly life séeing I was vexed and turmoyled with continuall miseries séeing that there was neuer a day that did not bring her crosse and trouble to the seruaunts of God and vertuous people These thinges saith the prophet fondly and foolishly I spake to my selfe many times but when I weighed the thing with more iudgement and considered the matter more déepely with my selfe I thought If I thus iudge and speake of God doe I not improue reprehende and condemne the life conuersation and labours of all godly men The which will not be drawen nor inticed from godly life and the loue of vertue by no misaduentures nor afflictions in this world neither doe they iudge that they haue studied and followed godlinesse in vaine whatsoeuer trouble hath happened to them in this world And therfore when I assayed to compasse the cause and veritie of these thinges the greatnesse thereof brought me into much feare and carefulnesse And further I perceiued that I could not come to the knowledge of these thinges except the Almightie God would reueale and open vnto me the mysteries and secretes of his prouidence and wisedome that I might sée and vnderstand what ende and outgoing these wicked men should haue that with most abhomination and blasphemie in this life had most felicitie and pleasure And by tarrying in the thoughtes and cogitations of this case and matter at last I found that these wicked men and women whose felicitie and prosperous estate tormented me their end was most miserable full of wretchednesse and paine THE 18. and 19. Verse 18 Namely thou settest them in slipperie places and castest them downe and destroyest them 19 Oh howe soudeinly do they consume perish and come to a fearefull ende ¶ The plaine explanation Doubtlesse the felicities and pleasures Lord that thou gauest to these wicked doers are slipperie and brittle for so may I well call them because such as enioy them for the most part so abuse them in this life that they loose the life euerlasting THE 20. Verse 20 Yea euen as a dreame when one awaketh so shalt thou make their image to vanish out of the citie ¶ The plaine explanation These wicked mens felicitie vanished as the dreame of him that is awaked For as y e dreame for a time séemeth to be true as long as he sléepeth he supposeth it to be as he dreameth but as the dreame passeth the sléepe being broken so doth these wicked mens felicitie when they depart out of this life THE 21. 22. 23. and 24. Verse 21 Thus my heart was greeued and it went thoroughe my raines 22 So foolish was I and ignorant euen as it were a beast before thee 23 Neuerthelesse I am alwayes by thee for thou hast holden me by the right hand 24 Thou shalt guide mee with thy counsell and after that receiue me with glorie ¶ The plaine explanation Before saith Asaph that I sawe such wicked men as flourished in all felicitie and pleasure caste downe headlong from their places I was wonderfully troubled And no meruell for I was but a foole and an idiote that perceiued not the iudgement of the Lord but as a beast before thée in that respecte Oh Lord yet diddest thou conduct me such a foole as I am to the vnderstanding of thy pleasure in such difficil and hard causes And in their pleasures thou shewedst me their losse and damnation and in mine owne aduersitie and trouble shewedst me my saluation and perpetuall health THE 25. and 26. Verse 25 Whom haue I in heauen but thee And there is none vppon the earth that I desire in comparison of thee 26 My flesh and my heart faileth but God is the strength of my heart and my portion for euer ¶ The plaine explanation When the Prophete hath weighed Gods iudgement towardes such as with iniquitie liued in all pleasure and perceiued that their paines were for euer and their ioyes but for a time he is nowe inflamed with the loue of God and breaketh foorth into these godly words and sentences Who can delight me in heauen but thou O Lord. Whom shal I loue vppon the earth Whom shall I reuerence and honour but thée Doubtlesse of all thinges except thée I passe nothing of nor set stoore by Thée onely I embrace thée onely I desire and thée onely I couet and wishe for for onely thou art to be beloued to be honoured and to be wished for So that both my soule and my body be rauished with the loue of thée for thou art the strength and foundation of my soule and body Thou art my riches my treasure and my euerlasting inheritance THE 27. and 28. Verse 27 For loe they that forsake thee shal perish thou hast destroyed all them that commit fornication against thee 28 But it is good for me to hold me fast by God to put my trust in the Lord God ¶ The plaine explanation And good cause haue I Oh Lord to loue thée for they shall perish and be destroyed as many as loue any thing besides thée and forsake thée Therefore as I knowe it profitable onely to preferre thée O Lord in all loue and fauour so is it méete that I béeing thus saued by the mercie and receiuing so many benefites at thy hand should continually with laude and praise celebrate and magnifie the meruellous works of thy goodnesse and prouidence The end of the Paraphrase or plaine explanation ¶ The principal partes of the Psalme 73. Verse 1. Truely God is louing to Israel c. The first part is conteyned in the first verse and it declareth that God loueth the good although he punisheth them Verse 2. My feete were almost gone c. The second part is conteined in the second verse and it declareth how weake fraile a thing the nature of man is and vppon howe small an occasion it is in danger to fall from God Verse 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. I was greeued at the wicked c. The third part is conteined in sixe verses that follow wherin the felicitie of wicked men consisteth that good men bee so sore greeued Verse 9. 10. 11. Therefore fall the people vnto them c. The fourth part is conteined in other three verses next ensuing And it declareth howe fraile brittle and weake a thing man is that for euery trifle turneth and withdraweth himselfe from God Verse 12. 13. Then haue I clensed my heart in vaine c. The fift parte is conteined in two other verses next following And it declareth howe soone men repent their well doinges Verse 14. Yea and I had almost said euen as they c. The sixt part is conteined in one verse next following And it declareth how great a daunger it is temerously to iudge of God or of Gods people without the word of God Verse 15. 16. 17. 18. 19. 20. 21. Then thoughte I to vnderstand this but it was too hard for me c. The seuenth part is conteined in seuen verses next following And it
men wonder at and vnder all these plagues tempestes and soule weather the young springing corne the swéete roote of hearbes the little withered grasse lye buried and couered vnder weather and stormes frost and snowe whilest GOD suffereth winter and maketh colde to continue Were it not now witchcraft and very abhomination to say and diuine of these stormie and winterly tempestes that sommer should not be gréene parched blades of graine should not come againe in the haruest to corne bitten and buried rootes should not at the spring bring foorth swéete and pleasant floures that shaken and wind torne trées by tempestes should not in the calme comming of the sommer bud foorth their leaues What witche and cursed man would thus iudge of earthly things that haue their times of vading and loosing of all beautie for the sinne of man If this be abhomination for the bitternesse and stormes of winter to condemne and curse the sommer to come bycause sommers fruites and the springes beautie be stayned and all defiled with winters barrennesse and dimme cloudes what is this but tenne times more abhomination for the bitternesse and stormes of persequution to condemne and curse the life to come of Gods people bicause truthes fruites and the resurrections glory be stained and all dishonoured with worldly scarsitie and dimme persequution But as Asaph the Prophete saith Al eyes see not these thinges but such as be of a cleane heart All men haue eyes for the most part and all men haue hearts but they be such as the wormes of the earth and birdes of the ayre can eate and deuour but he that will liue in GOD and sée these things must haue immortall eyes and an incorruptible heart which commeth by grace in Gods spirit to sée by faith and honour with reuerence Gods doings as well in the winter and colde stormes of persequution as in the summer of felicitie and pleasure and to remember that all men and women haue this life and this worlde appointed vnto them for their winter and season of stormes The summer draweth neare and then shall we be fresh orient swéete amiable pleasant acceptable immortall and blessed for euer and euer and no man shall take vs from it We must therefore in the meane time learne out of this verse to say vnto God whether it be winter or summer pleasure or paine libertie or imprisonment life or death Truely God is louing vnto Israel euen vnto such as be of a cleane heart ¶ Out of the second part are diuers things also to be noted 2 My feete were almost gone c. FIrst the Prophet noteth how wretched and miserable man is and how soone inclined to doe euill He saith that He was ready and prest to haue slipt from God euen with the beholding of Gods owne works when he sawe God giue vnto the wicked felicitie and prosperitie which things be onely Gods riches to giue to whome he will Although he bestowed none of his vpon the wicked yet was he offended that he should bestowe his owne where he lusted The same occasion tooke the workmen in the vineyard to murmur against God as it is in the Gospell of Saint Matthewe So that we be naturally giuen to this that God giueth alwayes too muche vnto other and too little vnto vs yea although he would giue vs all the world and yet kéepe any one thing for himselfe euen his very Godhed in case he wil not giue also that vnto vs we be ready to bid him farewell And in case he will not also giue vs as muche as is in him such is our nature that we will by some meanes or other séeke to haue it As we may sée when he had made Adam and giuen him both knowledge and power aboue all other creatures made for his vse bycause he was not made God altogether he fell most haynously from God and slipt not only in his féete but also in soule and body to his vtter ruine and destruction and of vs all that come of him For this is our condition Let God giue vs neuer so much we thinke it too litle except we haue a singular grace to consider it And let vs surrender vnto God neuer so little homage or seruice we thinke it all too much Such is our cursed nature and first birth to be ready to slip from God vpon the lighiest occasion of the world yea when GOD doth other men good and vs no harme But this nature we haue of the diuel our forefather to disdeine and maligne at other mens profite preferment as he did For when God made Adam and put him in Paradise the diuell neuer rested enuying Adams prosperitie vntil he had brought him to the lesse of altogether and to slip cleane from the Lorde This doctrine therefore touching the brittlenesse and frailenesse of mans nature is to be marked least that whereas the Prophete saide My feete were almost gone we slide and fall altogether from God There is also to be noted that the Prophet said He was almost gone and not altogether Here is the presence prouidence strength safegarde and kéeping of man by almightie God meruellously set foorth that although we be tempted and brought euen to the very point to perpetrate and doe all mischiefe yet he stayeth vs and kéepeth vs that the temptation shall not cleane ouercome vs. And so Saint Paule saith of Gods prouidence and present helpe that He will not suffer vs to be tempted further then we shall be able to beare And many times when we be brought into the greatest daunger and perill both of body and soule before we fall and be ouercome the Lorde preserueth vs and preuenteth the euill As when Abraham went into Egypt and perceiued that the Egyptians would put him in daunger for his wife Sara for she was a faire woman he desired her to say She was his sister and by that meanes thought to saue him selfe from danger and to winne fauour at the Egyptians handes The chastitie of this godly matrone Sara and wife of Abraham came into such extreme peril that neither Abraham nor she knewe how to stande fast in the state and chaste condition of matrimonie for she was coupled to the king as his wife But least the woman should haue falne and her féete slipt the Lorde rebuked the king and tolde him that Sara was an other mans wife and vnlawfull for him and so by his merciful defence and goodnesse kept al partes from falling in that respect The like may ye sée also in Iudith the godly woman that without a singular grace of God had falne with Dlofernes and abused womanhoode and widowhoode had not the Lord stayed in time the fall was imminent and in manner at hande And ye may reade the same likewise of the people that were within the citie of Bethulia at the same time howe neare they were falne when they appointed God a time to help them the space of fiue dayes in case he deferred
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
but rather furthered it if he had wist wherein truely and verily felicitie had consisted as ye may sée hereafter how he came to the knowledge of it An other thing is to be noted out of these sixe verses conteyning the third part of the Psalme That such treasures riches and honours as men set most by in this world be rather vnto men that haue not grace lets and impediments to euerlasting felicitie and to the atteinment of vertue in this life then furtherers As the scripture saith Woe be vnto you rich men which haue your consolation Woe be vnto you that are nowefull for ye shall hunger And such as laugh shal weepe Achab the wicked king not contented with his kingdome would take Naboths vineyard from him but it had bene better for him that he had bene a swincheard for his lands and riches abused made him to kill an innocent man and his true subiect Plentifulnesse of Gods giftes abused bringeth contempt of God and man as ye may sée how Nabuchodonozer in wealth and riches enuied the liuing God and came into beastialitie The children of Israel when they had filled them selues with giftes were not thankfull but vnthankfull and fell from vnthankfulnesse to idolatrie and all abhomination And as men contemne God in prosperitie so do they also their neighbours As ye may sée by this part of the Psalme whereas the Prophet saith Their eyes swell for fatnesse that is to witte Their riches and honour puffeth them vp in suche pride that they contemne and despise all men The thirde thing to be noted is that all thinges that the felicitie and ioyes of wicked men consist in be but worldly and transitorie thinges and as vncerteine as man is him selfe which is to be marked Bycause no man can be happie or blessed by any such vading and inconstant things neyther can any man come to the beatitude of ioyes permanent by such things as God giueth indifferently as well to the bad as to the good and to the vicious as to the vertuous As Solomon in the booke of the Preacher meruellously setteth foorth and matcheth equally the good with the bad in such things as happen vnder the sunne The good the bad saith he be rich and poore in trouble in prosperitie haue frends foes be merrie and sorrie do liue and dye all in like But neither the things that bring them to life euerlasting nor yet life euerlasting it selfe be one thing For there is nothing that leadeth to euerlasting life but the knowledge and feare of God and the doing of his blessed will the which vertues come not by nature but by grace As Solomon declareth when he prayed so earnestly to haue wisdome vnderstanding from God And as these vertues come not from nature euen so be they not the riches of all men but of vertuous and godly men only And as they dwell inhabite only in such as feare God so do they only conduct and lead such as be godly and none other to eternall life The which differeth as farre and as much from the wickeds eternall life as ioy differeth from sorrowe ease from paine plesaunt consolation from fierie flames loue from hatred God from the diuell and heauen from hell For these riches wherwith the vngodly are indued in this life be not the things that can make any man blessed or cursed before God Therefore no more to be cared for then néede is to haue them if GOD will if not to lacke them to haue them with Gods grace well to vse them or else to pray to lacke them least they abuse vs. Better it were to haue too little in the worlde with Gods fauour then too much with his displeasure If we haue meate drinke and cloath let vs be contented with it as with sufficient things to passe this life if any more then these come to take héede they make vs not to swell in pride and take from vs the remembraunce and seruice of God Oh that godly eyes would looke vpon this Psalme namely vpon this part of it that declareth wherein the glory honour felicitie of wicked men consisteth then I know his eyes shal hardly escape teares and wéepings to sée and heare a wicked and cursed creature of God pampered with such a sort of vaine fléetinges that when he woulde most gladly flée from sorrow the least be able to carrie him away Marke the wicked mans riches and ye shall perceiue that God hath giuen no more then he hath vnto the clay moolde and stonie earth wherin lyeth both gold and precious stones His beautie and amiablenesse of vesture and apparel is not like the Rose of the garden nor the Lillie of the field His strength much inferiour to brute beastes His wisedome lesse then horse or mule that vse in meates and drinkes ynough for necessitie and not too much for sensualitie If lacke and néede oppresse them patiently they lacke vntill order prouide for them but if the wicked lacke he beareth not lacke with patience nor séeketh ynough by trueth The couragious horse fiercely in fight cōtemneth death and the méeke swanne féeling the life to passe with swéete tunes welcometh Atropos and striueth not but willingly is contented to surrender that which will not be kept with force But what doth the riche wicked man Forsooth as the wiseman saith Oh death howe bitter is the remembrance of thee to such as haue confidence in their riches Lord what a canell house of stinking carion is this body and life of wicked man puft vppe with riches Inferiour with all that euer he hath to the birdes of the ayre the beastes of the fieldes and vnto the barren clay that he was made of and the soul it selfe within that wicked body cursed of God and ordeined to eternall paines Who is he that can reade or behold the state and honour of man in whom is not mentioned one vertue to dwell without sorrowe heauinesse What a cursed nature is man made of that can sée an other thus pampered vp with Gods displeasure and can not rather bewayle and mourne to sée his brother by these riches lost and cast away then to enuie or disdeine at his person Oh woe befall them that fal into this sinne of ours that thus rather with malice and disdaine enuie the miseries and curses of God vpon other then charitably do goe about to amend them or ruthfully to bewaile them Read my deare beloued in the Lord this place and marke well the wicked men and learne to pray for them as GOD giue vs all grace to doe ¶ The fourth part 10 Therefore fall the people vnto them c. OVt of this part is to be noted how daungerous a thing it is to be continually assaulted with temptation and that the end of it for the most part is the conquest and ouerthrowe of as many as be assaulted As we may sée by the
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
haue his desire and cogitations in the law of God both day and right And to preserue the people from this horrible impediment of ignorance God spake by his prophet Esaie these wordes My spirite which is in thee and my woordes which I put in thy mouth shall not depart from thy mouth and from the mouth of thy seede saith the Lord from henceforth for euermore And in the same Prophesie Christ prayeth the heauenly father to seale his word in his disciples wherby the daungerous impediment of mans saluation which is ignorance might be eschewed auoyded The same remedie against ignorance commandeth Almightie God also by Moses in Deut. and by S. Paul to the Ephesians whereas the fathers and the mothers be not bound themselues alone to knowe the lawe of God but also bound to teach it to their children that by ignorance they offend not God Of the second impediment whiche is feare and dred of Gods iustice commeth trembling and terror of the conscience and many times also the extremest euil of all euils very desperation that neuer looketh who can helpe neither yet trusteth to find any helpe But of these fruites of terror and feare and also of their remedies how they may be cured and holpen it shalbe shewed hereafter in the Psalme as it followeth whereas both terror of conscience and tranquillitie of the same be meruellously and diuinely set foorth Onely vntill I come to those pointes I doe note that this feare and terror of conscience in the faithfull be the very hunger and thirst that Christ saith shalbe quenched and they that féele them shalbe replenished with grace and consolation as the blessed Virgin the mother of Christ saith and they that féele them not shall departe emptie without grace And the cause of this terror and feare is the spirite of God that worketh the knowledge of our sinne by preaching reading or thinking of Gods Lawe that openeth and detecteth how wretched and sinnefull we be by nature in the sight of God But of this matter is better occasion ministred afterwardes in the Psalme then in this place ¶ The second part ¶ How a man should vse himselfe towards him in whome he putteth his trust in the time of trouble 2 In the time of my trouble I sought the Lord my hand I held vppe all night and it was not wearie my soule refused comfort IN this part is taught vs both by doctrine and by example howe we should vse our selues in the time of trouble When we know there is no helpe nor helper but God alone it is not ynough for a man to know that God can helpe but also we must beléeue constantly that he hath as prompt a will to helpe as a sufficient power able to helpe and then béeing assured that he both can and will helpe we must call vppon him for helpe according to his commaundement vnto vs Call vppon mee in the dayes of trouble c. But of this place we may marke and learne what an intollerable burthen and vnspeakeable sorrowe the terrour and feare of sinne is and how gréeuous a thing the sight and contemplation of Gods displeasure and iust iudgement is against euery sinner for his sinne and transgression of Gods most holy Law The text saith That the Prophete when he felt the displeasure of God against sinne cryed out with a lowde voyce vnto the Lord. Whereby we learne that the conscience of man admonished by the word of God of the filthinesse and abhomination of sinne bringeth all the bodie into a trembling and feare lest God should vse rather iustice and iustly punishe sinne then mercie and mercifully forgiue sinne And thus béeing made afrayde thoroughly of sinne the mind is occupied with sorrowfull and heauie cogitations and the tongue by vehemencie of the spirite brought into clamours and cryes As we may sée commonly by examples left vnto vs in the word of God that where sinne is throughly felt in the conscience the feeling sinner is not onely troubled within in spirite but also outwardly in all the members and partes of his bodie as it is to be séene most manifestly in king Dauid In what a sea of heauines was king Dauid in his conscience when he spake to his owne soule Why art thou so heauie and sorrowfull ô my soule and why dost thou thus trouble mee Againe How long wilt thou forget mee ô Lord for euer And in other Psalmes we may sée into what trembling and feare outwardly he was brought by the knowledge and féeling of his sinne In one place he saith The feare of his sinnes did not onely ouerlay his conscience but also crushed and in maner all to broke his bones And in another place His visage was all defaced with wéeping teares and so abundantly they gushed out of his eyes that he watered or rather ouerflowed his bed with them where he lay Into what horrible cryes and waylings many times he fell for feare of sinne this Psalme and many other doe declare The like horrour and feare also of the sight and féeling of sinne we sée to haue béene in Saint Paule when he cryed out vppon him selfe Oh wretched man that I am who shall deliuer me from this bodie subiect vnto death And Marie Nagdalene with the sight and féeling of Gods displeasure against her sinne made teares and wéepings enowe to washe the founteine of mercies féete Iesus Christ. But blessed is that conscience feared by the Lawe whose feare by the swéete promises of the Gospel is turned into mirth and blessed be those teares and wéepings that end in consolation and happie is that troubled bodie whose end is immortalitie in the resurrection of the iust Further as we sée here king Dauid a sinner for feare of Gods iudgement breake out into lowd cryes for helpe and preseruation the same anguish and trouble of minde and of bodie for feare of Gods punishment for sinne towardes man was likewise in Christ without sinne which said My soule is heauie vnto death and in such an agonie was his bodie that he burst out and swett both water and bloud So that of this second part first we learne that such as be truely vnseignedly brought to a knowledge féeling and repentance of their sinnes haue it with great heauines of minde terrour of conscience and trouble also of the bodie many times that no sicknesse nor troubles may be compared to the trouble of the conscience for feare of due and condigne punishment for the sinne perpetrated and committed against Gods lawes The second doctrine that we be taught out of this second part is to declare what difference there is betwéene the penitent Christian in aduersitie and the desperate person that looketh for no helpe or els the presumptuous person that contemneth helpe The penitent afflicted calleth vnto the Lord and although he finde his burden neuer so intollerable doe wéepe and
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
vnspeakable wisedome and iustice maketh them for their sinnes aliue and in securitie of conscience to goe to hell As Pharao whilest he followed the Israelites in persequution into the red sea soudenly was drewned Chore Dathan and Abiron whilest they were doing their sacrifices God killed them in opening the earth that swallowed them aliue downe into hell Nowe this inwarde discomfort although it eude not in ioye but onely in such as beléeue their sinnes to be forgiuen in the death and passion of Christ yet we sée by the examples of the scripture that both good and bad suffer and féele this that their spirite will take no comfort But nowe as concerning outward and externall discomfort which is felt as well of such as haue the word of God as such as haue not the word of God but only the lawe of nature As we may sée in the time of the lawe of nature how Noah shewed the discomfort of all men and the destruction of the world for sinne but this discomfort did not enter into the spirites of the hearers Christ complaineth of the same that the people had both discomfort and comfort preached vnto them and yet they receiued none of them both To whome saith Christ should I compare this generation It is like boyes that sit in the streates and cry vnto their fellowes and say We haue played vpon our tymbrels to you and you haue not daunsed we haue soung mourning songs vnto you and ye haue not wept God by his Prophete Esaie saith the same All the day long haue I extended foorth my hand vnto an vnfaithfull and intractable people Meaning that what so euer he threatened or gently offered vnto the Iewes it came no further then the outwarde eare Whereof both the Prophets and Christ him self gréeuously complaine in this sort They haue eares and heare not and they haue eyes and see not Saint Paule rebuketh men also that by the lawe of nature knewe good whereof they should haue reioyced and euill whereof they should haue lamented and yet did not And to leaue off the examples of our fathers mentioned in the scriptures we may sée the same by daily experience amongest our selues We reade in the booke of God we heare by preaching we knowe in our owne consciences the displeasure and anger of God against vs for our sinnes God outwardly sheweth vs the same with many horrible plagues as by sicknesse warre sedition scarsitie enimitie and hatred by the deliuerance and surrender of a whole realme to the vtter destruction thereof into the handes and rule of a straunger and by the deliuery and giuing ouer of Christian soules into the hands and rule of the Antichristian Pope and his wicked Cleargie and yet this discomfort commeth no further then our outward eare If Asaph the authour of this Psalme were amongest vs he would say His spirite would take no consolation And this is an horrible plague that wéekely this Psalme is read amongest the Popish Cleargie and yet it bringeth their spirites to no sorowe nor féeling of God displeasure Wherefore our owne experience teacheth that there is an inward and an outwarde discomfort in this Psalme and in the rest of Gods most holy word The one penitent sinners féele and by it amend their liues and the other some wicked men féele and yet despaire but of the most part of the world it is not felt at all Whereof commeth the contempt of God the loue of our selues and of the world and the losse of our sinfull soules in the world to come Let vs therefore marke the scripture that teacheth this discomfort and pray to God that as we sée it in the letter so we may féele it in the spirite Of the two maner of consolations it shall be saide in the next verse and of the brightnesse and darknesse also in the Psalme hereafter Nowe in the trouble of the spirite is an other thing to be considered whereof the text also maketh mention that is howe the discomfort of the spirite had continuaunce all the night Whereof is to be gathered the greatnesse of discomfort For as the night is a very image of death and the bed a very similitude of the sepulchre and graue euen so is the discomfort of the spirite in the night that will not suffer the body to take rest but to be vnquieted with it selfe The which vnquietnesse of the spirite is a very similitude and image of eternall discomfort in the world to come that both body and soule whiche were created first to inherite the heauenly blisse after the fall of Adam should rest by night as king Dauid saith and after this life for sinne vnforgiuen should for euer be disquieted in the vnquenchable fire of hell Here may we learne the circumstances and causes how the trouble of the Prophet Asaphes spirite was increased It was trouble ingendered by sinne the occasion onely of al mens miseries opened and reuealed vnto the conscience by the law condemned by iustice to eternall fire and it continued al night yea how much more the scripture declareth not In the which night the darknesse thereof represented vnto his eyes outwardly the horrour of hell prison and also his bed the graue and sepulchre wherein al flesh is clad after the spirite departeth The shéetes of mans flesh after this life be nothing but earth aboue and earth vnderneath as whilest it liueth it is clad with such vaine thinges as grow vpon the earth This whole night in discomfort of the spirit declareth two notable things First howe earnestly God is angrie in déede with sinne that putteth man to such long paine for it And the next howe gratious a God he is that will not yet suffer the discomforted spirite to despaire in his discomfort as it followeth meruellously in the next verse 3 When I am in heauinesse I wil thinke vpon God when my heart is vexed I will complaine Sela. Whilest Asaph was thus troubled in spirite he remembred the Lord and called vnto him for helpe First out of this verse it is to be considered that nothing can quiet the comfortlesse spirit but GOD alone But for as much as it séemeth by the partes of this Psalme that followeth that this verse came in by occasion rather then to shewe a full remedie for the Prophetes trouble I will not write what I thinke thereof but deferre the remedie against trouble to such other verses as follow bycause the Prophete saide before that his spirite could take no consolation and that a great many of troubles followe as the Psalme declareth It sheweth that he was not able to beare the troubles of the minde alone without the inuocation and helpe of God Wherefore before he expresseth by writing al his troubles he writeth also howe in the middest of them he did remember and put his trust in the Lord. Out of this we learne howe necessarie it is
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
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
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
the children of Israel is mentioned as it is in this Psalme The doctrine touching man in this verse is a declaration of mans obstinacie and stubbernesse The insensible creature the water that lacketh both life and reason at euery commandement be as the Lord their maker commaundeth them to be With euery tempest they be troubled and with euery calme so plaine and quiet that it séemeth rather a stablished land then a variable sea But let God send his word vnto man and the contentes thereof threaten the tempest of all tempestes eternall death hell fire and Gods euerlasting displeasure yet man will not heare nor sée them nor yet be moued any thing at all Or let God gently and fauourably offer his mercies vnto man and by his word exhort him neuer so much to repentance it is for the most part in vaine Therefore God by his Prophets Moses and Esaie called Heauen and Earth to witnesse against mans stubbernesse and hardnesse of heart There is also out of this trouble of the water this doctrine to be learned how to receiue consolation and how to learne feare by the creatures of God that beare no life and yet be thus troubled Consolation in this sort When the penitent man that suffereth affliction and trouble séeth vnsensible thinges moued and vnquieted that neuer offended he shal iudge the lesse wonder at his owne trouble When he séeth that a sinner and wretched offender of God is punished he shal learne feare When he séeth God doth punish his creatures that neuer offended for the sinne of man what punishment is man worthie to haue that is nothing but sinne it selfe And what feare should this bring into Christian mens consciences to knowe that no creature deserueth punishment no creature disobeyeth God but the diuel and man Oh what man or woman can with faith looke vpon the least flowers of the field and not hate himselfe In Summer time when men shall sée the medowes and gardens so meruellously apparelled with flowers of euery colour so that he shall not be able to discerne whether their beautie better please the eye or their swéete sauour the nose what may they learne in thinking of themselues as the trueth is that there is nothing in them but filth and sin that most heynously stincke before the face of God And when man shal perceiue that flowers vade and loose both beautie to the eye and swéete sauor to the nose that neuer transgressed what may miserable man thinke he is worthie to loose y t is nothing but sinne and euer offendeth Againe when man shal perceiue that God thus meruellously after long Winter and great stormes doth raise out of the vile earth so beautifull flowers plantes and trées what consolation may the man take that hath his faith in Christ to thinke that all his sinnes in his precious bloud be forgiuen and after long persequution cruel death he shall come to eternall life After this sort did the Prophet consider the workes of God the troubles of his creatures receiued great consolation therby In the end of this verse the Prophete sayth The deapthes were troubled In the which words he hath aptly shewed the mightie power of God and perceiueth how the record of Gods fact may be his consolation In this that he saith The deapths were troubled there be diuers vnderstandings If the meane of the seas when they are troublesome tempestuous by soule weather he speaketh rather after the iudgement of such as suffer the trouble and peril of the waues that thinke at one time they fall to the bottome of the sea at an other time they be rather vpon high mounteins then vpon the waters the rages thereof be so extreme yet in déede the bottome of the seas be not felt neither doth the shippe that is saued descend so farre but the tempestes be so sore that it séemeth to the sufferers thereof that no extremitie can be more In this sense it serueth meruellously the Prophetes purpose For as they that endure the tempestes of the sea thinke there could be no more extremitie then they susteine so doe they that suffer the tempest of mistrust and despaire for a time of the conscience thinke they could endure no more extremitie of conscience whereas in déede if God should suffer them to féele the extremitie it were eternall death as the extremitie of the sea in tempestes is shipwracke and losse of man and goods But if it be vnderstoode as if standeth in the letter then hath the Prophet relation to the mightie hand of GOD that brake the red sea euen vnto the very bottome and also the water of Iordane that his people might haue both a nighe way a safe way a glorious way towards the land that the Lorde had promised them And then in this sense we learne that although water and winde with all troubles else couer the face of the earth in the bottome of the sea and is not possible to come to the vse of man euen so the troublesome temptations and great terror of Gods wrath against sinne couereth the soule of man that vnto the iudgement of the flesh it shall neuer come to haue the vse and fruition of Gods holy fauour againe But nowe as we sée by miracle God maketh drie the deapthe of horrible seas and turneth the bottome of them to the vse of man so doeth he in the bloud of Christ by the operation of the holy ghost drie vp and cleane lade out the ponds and déep seas of mistrust heuines out of the soule and turneth the soule it selfe to the vse of his owne honour in the ioyes euerlasting And as the water couereth the beautie of the land so do sinne temptation couer the image and beautie of mans soule in this life But as with a worde God can remedie the one so with the least of his mercies he can redresse the other And for the better experience and more certeintie thereof we sée it proued by this prophete Asaph in this place For the ground was neuer more ouerwhelmed with water nor the bright Sunne with dimmie cloudes then was this poore Prophetes spirite with heauinesse and sorrowe of sinne and temptations Therefore he féeleth howe God easeth the heart and recordeth howe he banished floudes and waters to make his people a way to rest and tranquillitie 17 The clouds powred out water the aire thundered and thine arrowes went abroad The Prophete remembreth the meruellous invndation and drowning of the worlde in the dayes of Noah that drowned all the world for sinne sauing such as were in the Arke or Ship with Noah And he remembreth also the horrible thunder that was heard of the people when God gaue his lawe vnto them vpon mount Synai Likewise he calleth to remembrance the plagues of Egypt wherewithall God punished Pharao his people and the whole land which paines and plagues he
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