as Paul doth interpret it in righteousnes holinesse So that the more grace we the more gloâ—y God he doth appeare greater in vs albeit he cannot be made greater by vs. He doth not increase but we grow from grace to grace from vertue to vertue the which ought principally to stirre vs vp vnto this dutie for that our selues are magnified in magnifying him as Mary sheweth here My soule doth magnifie the Lord vers 46. And The Lord hath magnified me vers 49. Qui maledicit domino ipse minuitur qui benedicit angetur prior est in nobis benedictio domini consequens est vt nos benedicamus domino illa pluuia iste fructus The Lord. Lord is a name of might Sauiour of mercie Mary then as Augustine and other obserue praiseth him alone who is able to helpe because the Lord and willing because a Sauiour And my spirit Such as distinguish betweene soule and spirit make this a reason of the former verse My spirit hath reioiced in God my Sauiour and therefore my soule doth magnifie the Lord according to that of S. Iames Is any merry let him sing So that this exultation of Mary caused her exaltation of God Inward reâ—oicing in spirit is a great signe of a good conscience which is a continuall feast The wicked are oftâ—n merry sometime mad merrie but all is but from the tâ—eth outward For as Salomon speakes euen in laughing the heart is sorrowfull and the end of mirth is heauinesse But the good man as the Virgin here reioiceth in spirit all worldly meriments are more talked of then felt but inward spirituall reioicing is more felt then vttered It is as the Scripture calles it a Iubilation an exceeding great ioy which a man can neither suppresse nor expresse sufficiently Nec reticere nec recitare for howsoeuer in the Court of Conscience there be some pleading euery day yet the godly make it Hilary Terme all the yeere See Gospell Dom. 1. Aduent Dom. 9. post Trinit In God Happily the spirit of the most wicked at sometime doth reioice yet not in God nor in good but in villanie and vanitie Prou. 2. 14. They reioice in doing euill and delight in frowardnesse whereas in the good man the ioies obiect is alway good goodnesse it selfe God himselfe Dauid delights in the Lord Mary reioiceth in God And this is so good a ioy that Paul saith Reioice in the Lord alwaies and againe I say reioice We may reioice in our friends in our health in our preferment in our honest recreation in many other things praeter Deum beside God yet in all propter Deum for God so farre foorth as they shall increase our spirituall reioicing in the Lord. God forbid saith Paul that I should reioice in any thing but in the crosse of Christ. In any thing in comparison of this in any thing which might hinder this and yet in all things for this See the Epistle Dom. 4. Aduent Sauiour To consider God as a seuere Iudge would make our heart to tremble but to consider him in Christ in whom he is well pleased is of all ghostly comfort the greatest And therefore if we desire to reioice in spirit let vs not behold God in the glasse of the Law which makes him a dreadfull Iudge but in the glasse of the Gospell which shewes him a mercifull Sauiour In euery Christian there are two contrary natures the flesh and the spirit and that hee may bee a perfit man in Christ he must subdue the one and strengthen the other the Law is the ministry of death and serueth fitly for the taming of our rebellious flesh the Gospell is the power of God vnto life containing the bountifull promises of God in Christ and serueth fitly for the strengthening of the spirit It is oyle to powre into our wounds and water of life to quench our thirsty soules As in name so in nature the Goodspell or the Ghosts spell that is the word and ioy for the spirit Mary then had good cause to adde this epithete Sauiour vnto God My spirit reioiceth in God my Sauiour My Sauiour We note two conclusions out of this pronoune the first against some Papists the second against all Papists Some Popish writers affirme that Mary was conceiued and borne without originall sinne and that she liued and died without actuall sinne contrary to the scripture Rom. 3. 9. Gal. 3. 22. So that in honouring the feast of her conception and natiuitie with the singular priuiledge of Christ they worship an Idoll and not her For an Idoll as Paul disputes is nothing in the world and so is that man or woman conceiued without sinne except Christ who was conceiued by the holy Ghost as none other euer was or shall be They ground this assertion vpon a place of Augustine Excepta sanctae virgine Maria de qua propter honorem domini nullam prorsus cum de peccatis agitur habere volo quaestionem Answere is made that Augustine elsewhere concludes all vnder sinne though he did in that place forbeare to rip vp the faults of the mother in honour of her sonne for in lib. 5. cap. 9. against Iulian the Pelagian he doth intimate that Maries bodie was sinfull flesh concluding peremptorily Nullus est hominum praeter Christum qui peccatum non habuerit graÌ„dioris aetatis accessu quia nullus est hominum praeter Christum qui peccatum non habuerit infantilis aetatis exortu So likewise lib. de sancta Virginitate cap. 3. Beatior Maria percipiendo â—idem Christi quà m concipiendo carnem Christi nihil enim ei materna propinquitas profuisset nisi foeliciùs Christum corde quà m carne gestasset And in his Treatise De fide ad Petrum for the Papists admit that booke Firmissime crede nullatenus dubites omnem hominem qui per concubitum viri mulâ—eris concipitur cum peccato originali nasci ob hoc natura filium irae Thus Augustine expounds and answers Augustine Now for holy Scriptures if there were no more texts in the Bible this one is omnisufficient to accuse Marie of some faults and the Papists of much follie My spirit reioyceth in God my Sauiour He that hath no sinne wants not a Sauiour but Marie reioyced in a Sauiour therefore she was sorrie for her sinne The whole neede not a Physitioâ— saith Christ but Marie calles for a salue therefore surely she had some sore and if any sin then she cannot be our Mediatrix or Aduocaâ—e Si peccatrix non deprecatrix Our Aduocate is our propitiation for sinne but the propitiation for sinne knew no sinne Ergo quae egebat non agebat aduocatum And therefore Mâ—ry who needed a Sauiour her selfe could not be a sauiour of other Againe we gather out of this pronoune my Maries particular apprehension and
magnifie the Lord. THis Hymne is nothing else but a grace for grace great thankes for great things receiued of the Lord. Wherein obserue the manner and matter of the Virgins exultation or a thanksgiuing in the two former verses and a reason in the rest For he hath regarded c. I purpose to â—ift euery word of the former part seuerally and because there is as Luther saith great Diuinitie in pronounes I will first examine the pronoune My my soule my spirit my Sauiour It is not enough y t other pray for vs except our selues praise God for our selues He that goeth to Church by an attorney shal go to heaueÌ„ also by a proxie There is an old Legend of a Merchant who neuer would go to Masse but euer when he heard the Saints bell he said to his wife Pray thou for thee and me Vpon a time hee dreamed that hee and his wife were dead and that they knocked at heauen gate for entrance S. Peter the porter for so goeth the tale suffered his wife to enter in but thrust him out saying Illa intrauit pro se te as thy wife went to Church for thee so likewise she must goe to heauen for thee The morall is good howsoeuer the storie be bad insinuating that euery one must haue both a personalitie of faith my Sauiour and a personalitie of deuotion my soule my spirit Officium is efficium it is not enough that the master enioyne his familie to pray or the father heare his child pray or the Teacher exhort his people to pray but as euery one hath tasted of Gods bountie so euery one must performe this dutie hauing oyle of his owne in his owne lampe saying and praying with the blessed Virgin My soule my spirit Soule As if she should thus speake Thy benefits O Lord are so good so great so manifest so manifold that I can not accord them with my tongue but only record them in my heart It is truly said he loues but little who tels how much he loues and so surely hee praiseth God but little who makes it a tongue-toile and a lip-labor only Mark 7. 6. This people honoureth me with their lips but their heart is farre from me God who gaue all will haue all and yet aboue all requireth the soule Sonne giue me thy heart for that alone commands all other members as the Centurion did his souldiers It saith to the foote goe and it goeth vnto the hand come and it commeth vnto the rest doe this and they doe it It doth bend the knees and ioyne the hands and lift vp the eye composeth the countenance disposeth of the whole man and therefore as that other Mary chose the better part so this Mary bestowed vpon God her best part her soule did magnifie her spirit reioyced Some Diuines expound these words ioyntly some seuerally The word spirit is vsed in the holie Scripture sometime for the whole soule 1. Cor. 7. 34. The woman vnmaried careth for the things of the Lord that she may be holy both in body and in spirit that is in soule So S. Augustine thinks that these two words here signifie the same because the latter phrase my spirit reioiceth in God my Sauiour is nothing else but an exegesis of the former my soule doth magnifie the Lord insinuating by this repetition my soule my spirit that her deuotion was not hypocriticall but cordiall and vnfained It is obserued in nature that the Fox doth nip the necke the Mastiue the throat the Ferret the liuer but God especially careth for the heart being as Ambrose speakes excellently Non corticis sed cordis deus And therefore Mary was not content to praise the Lord from the rine of her lips only but also from the roote of her heart So Dauid did pray Praise the Lord O my soule and all that is within mee praise his holy name So Paul would haue vs pray Sing to the Lord with a grace in your hearts And so the Church doth desire that the Priest who is the mouth of the people should pray The Lord be with you saith the Minister and the whole congregation answereth And with thy spirit Heereby signifying that this holy businesse ought to be performed with all attention and intention of spirit Diuines interpreting these two seuerally distinguish betweene soule and spirit and so doth the Scripture 1. Cor. 15. 45. The first man Adam was made a liuing soule the last Adam a quickening spirit Soule is that by which we liue naturally spirit is that by which we liue through grace supernaturally Or as other soule signifieth the will and spirit the vnderstanding as Heb. 4. 12. The word of God is liuely and mighty in operation and sharper then any two edged sword and entreth thorow euen vnto the diuiding asunder of the soule and spirit that is of the will and vnderstanding So that Mary saying here my soule and my spirit doth intimate that she did praise the Lord with attention in her vnderstanding and deuotion in her affection They praise God with halfe an heart who either hauing deuotion want vnderstanding or else indued with vnderstanding want deuotion and so while men pray with the soule without a spirit or with the spirit without a soule their heart is diuided as the Prophet Ose Diuisum est cor eorum and God hath but one part happily the least peece The line then to be drawne from this example is first that we pray with our heart secondly with our whole heart with all our soule with all our spirit Doth In the present For as a gift to man so glory to God is most acceptable when as it is seasonable not deferred but conferred in time Gratia quae tarda est ingrata est gratia Proprium est libenter facientis citò facere Magnifie The word signifieth highly to commend and extoll Magnum facere to make great Now God is optimus maximus already most great and therefore cannot be made more great in regard of himselfe but all our vilifying and magnifying the Lord is in respect of others onely When wee blasheme the most holy name of God as much as in vs lieth we lessâ—n his greatnes when we blesse his name so much as in vs is we magnifie his glory making that which is great in it selfe to be reputed great of other As one fitly Magnificare nihil aliud est nisi magnum significare This magnifying consists in our conuersation especially Noli saith Augustine gloriari quia lingua benediâ—is si vita maledicis Haue your conuersation honest among the Gentiles that they which speake euill of you may by your good works which they shall see glorifie God in the day of the visitation God is magnified of vs as Ambrose and Origen note when as his image is repaired in vs. He created man according to his likenes that is
Diuell Death Christ ouercame the world on earth the flesh on the Crosse the diuell in hell death in the graue now being the Churches head and husband hee tooke her dowrie which was sinne for she had nothing else of her owne and indowed her with all his goods I am my welbeloueds and my welbeloued is mine So that Christ was borne for vs and liued for vs and died for vs rose againe for vs and therefore though the diuell cry ego decipiam the world cry ego deficiam the flesh cry ego inficiam death cry ego interficiam it makes no matter in that Christ crieth ego reficiam I will ease you I will comfort you I will visit and redeeme you See Gospell on whit sonday His people The Iewes as sent to them first and principally whom he did visit in his own person whereas all other diocesses of the world were visited by Commissaries I say first for afterward all people were hiâ—â—â—ople Visitaâ—it omnes gentes quomam omnes egentes In 〈◊〉 we are all one there is neither Iew nor Grecian neither bond nor free neither male nor female Gal. 3. 28. Augustine sweetly The belieuing Gentiles are more Israel then Israel it selfe for the Iewes are the children of Abraham according to the flesh only but we are the children of Abraham after the spirit they be the sonnes of Abraham who doe the works of Abraham But what was Abrahams chiefe worke The Scripture tels vs Abraham belieued and it was imputed vnto him for righteousnes So that as Paul concludes all belieuers are true Israelites Abrahams seed and heires by promise See Nunc dimittis But shall we now sinne because grace doth abound God forbid He hath deliuered vs from the hands of all our enemies that we might serue him without feare in holinesse and righteousnes all the daies of our life Sine timore inimici non sine timore domini Behauing our selues in this present world religiously towards God righteously towards our neighbor soberly towards our selues Examine these fiue circumstances exactly 1. Who did redeeme The Lord God of Israel factor â—errae factus in terra yea fractus in terra 2. Whom Such as sate in darknes and in the shadow of death His enemies aliants from his common wealth and open traitors to his kingdome 3. From what From the hands of all our enemies 4 With what With his owne pretious bloud the least drop whereof had bin meriti infiniti yet his death only was meriti definiti 5. For what That being deliuered from sinne we should liue in righteousnes Consider these points and thinke not this Hymne too much vsed in our Liturgie but sing with Zacharias daily Benedictus Dominus and say with Dauid Quid retribuam domino pro omnibus quae tribuit mihi Primò nihil eram fecit me perâ—eram quaesiuit me quaerens inuenit me captiuum redemit me emptum liberauit me de seruo fratrem fecit me We owe our soules our selues to God for creating vs more then our selues for redeeming vs. Concerniâ—g Iohn Baptist and his office which is the second generall part of this excellent song see the Gospell Dominic 3. 4. Aduent Iubilate Deo Psal. 100. THe Church doth adioine this Psalme to the Benedictus as a parallel and that not vnfitly for as the one so the other is a thanksgiuing vnto God inforced with the same reasons and arguments in so much as Zacharias is nothing else but an expounder of Dauid or Moses As Augustine wittily The new Testament heth hidden in the old and the old is vnclasped in the new Lex antiqua nouam firmat veterem noua complet in veteri spes est in nouitate fides O be ioyfull in the Lord saith the Prophet blessed be the Lord God of Israel saith our Euangelist Why because the Lord hath made vs and not we our selues we are his people and the sheepe of his pasture That is he hath visited and redeemed his people For Augustine Hierome Caluin Turrecrematensis other old and new writers interpret this of our Regeneration rather then of our Creation According to that of S. Paul We are his workmanship created in Christ Iesus vnto good works c. The Lord is gratious his mercy is euerlasting That is he promised euermore by the mouth of all his holy Prophets since the world began that wee should be saued from our enemies and from the hands of all that hate vs. His truth indureth from generation to generation That is hee did in due time performe the mercie promised to our forefathers he remembred his holy couenant and kept that oth which hee swore to our father Abraham and his seed for euer To what end That we might serue God with gladnesse as Dauid in his text that is serue him all the daies of our life without feare as Zacharias in his glosse God insinuated himselfe to the Iewes as a Lord Exod. 20. 2. but to the Christians as a father Mat. 6. 9. And therefore seeing wee are translated from the bondage of seruants vnto the liberty of sonnes hauing in stead of the Law which was exceeding grieuous a burthen which is light and a yoke which is easie let vs serue the Lord with gladnes and come before his presence with a song Non in amaritudine murmurationis sed in iocunditate dilectionis as Augustine vpon the place The whole Psalme doth afford many profitable doctrines and vses in that the Prophet doth double and treble his exhortation O be ioyfull in the Lord serue him with gladnesse with a song Go into his gates with thanksgiuing into his courts with praise be thankfull speake good of his name he doth insinuate our sloth and dulnes in that behalfe and therefore it behoueth all men especially teachers of men in season and out of season to presse this duty It teacheth all people to praise God with a good heart cheerfully vers 1. Not in priuate onely but in the publike assembly also for publike benefits receiued of the Lord vers 3. Our bodily generation and ghostly regeneration are not of our selues but only from God vers 2. See Epist. Dom. post Pasc. Who is alway the same in his truth and goodnesse towards vs abeit we be variable in our loues and promises one to another vers 4. See Nunc Dimittis The Creed THis Apostolicall Creed is pronounced after the Lessons and the Nicene Confession after the Gospell and Epistle because faith as Paul teacheth is by hearing and hearing by the word of God We must first heare then confesse for which cause the Churchâ— of Scotlana also doth vsually repeate the Creed after the Sermon I beleeue in God c. Albeit the Creed be not protocanonicall Scripture yet as Ambrose speakes it is the key of the Scriptures and as Augustine a plaine short absolute summe of all holie
is not only present with his elect but also makes them sensibly perceiue it as Simeon here did and therefore his mourning was turned into mirth and his sobs into songs Againe sometime God is present but not felt and this secret presence sustaines vs in all our troubles and temptatations it intertaineth life in our soules wheÌ„ as to our iudgment we are altogether dead as there is life in trees when they haue cast their leaues And therefore let no man bee dismaied howsoeuer dismaied for God doth neuer leaue those whom he doth loue but his comfortable spirit is a secret friend and often doth vs most good when wee least perceiue it Esay 41. 10 c. 43. 2. According to thy word If God promise we may presume for he is not like man that he should lie neither as the sonne of man that he should repent This should teach vs to be hoiie as God our Father is holy being followers of him as deare children As he doth euer keepe his word with vs so let vs euer keepe our othes and promises one with another It is well obserued that aequinocation and lying is a kind of vnchastitie for the mouth and minde are coupled together in holie mariage Matth. 12. 34. Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh And therefore when the tongue doth speake that which the heart neuer thought our speech is conceiued in adulterie and hee that breedes such bastard children offends not only against charity but also against chastitie Men say they must lie sometime for aduantage but it is a good conclusion both in religion and common experience that honestie is the best policie and truth the only durable armour of proofe The shortest way commonly the foulest the fairer way not much about Lord who shall dwell in thy tabernacle or who shall rest vpon thine holy hill euen he that speaketh the truth from his heart he that vseth no deceit in his tongue hee that sweareth vnto his neighbour and disappointeth him not For mine eyes haue seene thy saluation I haue seene the Messias in whom and by whom thy saluation is wrought and brought vnto vs. As Simeon saw Christs humanitie with the eies of his body so he saw Christs Diuinity long before with the pearcing eies of faith He knew that the little babe which he lulled in his armes was the great God whom the heauen of heauens could not containe and therefore beleeuing in the Lord of life hee was not afraid of death but instantly breakes forth into this sweete song Lord now lettest thou thy seruant depart in peace for mine eyes haue c. Death is vnwelcome to carnall men as Aristotle said Of all Terribles the most Terrible They crie out vpon the miseries of life and yet when death commeth they doe as little children who all the day complaine but when the medicine is brought them are nothing sicke as they who all the weeke runne vp and downe the house with paine of the teeth and seeing the Barbor come to pull them out feele no more torment as tender bodies in a pricking plurisie call and cannot stay for a Surgeon and yet when they see him whetting his lancet to cut the throte of the disease pull in their armes and hide them in the bed And the true reason hereof is want of faith because they doe not vnfainedly beleeue that Christ Iesus hath led captiuitie captiue that he hath swallowed vp death in victorie by his death and opened vnto vs the gates of eternall life The blessed theefe vpon the Crosse died ioyfully because hee saw Christ and beleeued also that he should passe from a place of paine to a paradise of pleasure S. Stephen died ioyfully because he saw the heauens open and Christ standing at the right hand of the Father Here Sâ—meon departed ioyfully because his eyes saw the saluation of the Lord. As there are two degrees of faith so two sorts of Christians one weake another strong The weake Christian is willing to liue and patient to die but the strong patient to liue and willing to die That a man may depart in peace two things are requisit 1. Preparation before death 2. A right disposition at death Both which are procured onely by faith in Christ. If a man were to fight hand to hand with a mightie Dragon in such wise that either he must kill or be killed his best course were to bereaue him of his poison and sting Death is a Serpent and the sting wherewith he woundeth vs is sinne so saith S. Paul The sting of death is sinne Now the true beleeuer vnderstands and knowes assuredly that Christ Iesus hath satisfied the law and then if no law no sinne and if no sinne death hath no sting well may death hisse but it cannot hurt when our vnrighteousnes is forgiuen and sinne couered Christ both in life and death is aduantage Philip 1. 21. Faith also procureth a right disposition and behauiour at death for euen as when the children of Israel in the wildernes were stung with fierie Serpents and lay at the point of death they looked vp to the Brasen Serpent erected by Moses according to Gods appointment and were presently cured so when any feele death draw neere with his fiery sting to pearce the heart they must fixe the eye of a true faith vpon Christ exalted on the Crosse beholding death not in the glasse of the Law which giueth death an vglie face but in the Gospels glasse setting foorth death not as death but as a sleepe only Faith is the speare which killeth our last enemie for when a man is sure that his redeemer liueth and that this corruptible shall put on incorruption and this mortall immortalitie well may he sing with old Simeon Lord now lettest thou thy seruant depart in peace and triumph ouer y e graue with Paul O death where is thy sting O hell where is thy victory The sting of death is sin the strength of sin is the law but thanks be giuen vnto God which giueth vs victorie through our Lord Iesus Christ. And thus much of the reason why Simeon was not afraid of death namely for that he did hold in his armes and behold with his eyes the Lord Christ who is the resurrection and the life he could say with a true heart vnto God thou art my God and his soule did heare God saying vnto him by his word I am thy saluation Which thou hast prepared before the face of all people The second part of this Hymne concerning the generall good our Sauiour brought to the whole world Wherein two points are to be noted especially 1. What are his benefits 2. To whom they belong The benefits are saluation light and glorie So that the world without Christ lieth in damnation darknesse and shame Iesus is a Sauiour neither is there saluation in any other he is the light
men in all things for all times In it obserue Prefaces One of the Law writer God spake all these words c. Another of the Law-giuer I am the Lord thy God c. Precepts of the First table coÌ„cerning our loue to God Second touching our loue to man In the former preface note the Matter all these words Manner When. Who. The matter is these words that is these sentences and all these for Almightie God spake not the first Commandement only nor the second or third and left there but hee spake them all and therefore the Pope proues himselfe Antigod in leauing out one and dispensing with many God gaue so strict a charge to keepe euery one as any one but the Vicar of God abounding with vnlimitted authoritie doth first publish what he list and then expound them as he list To leaue them who thus leaue God is our dutie because God spake them all to beg of him obedience and make conscience to keepe them all as one wittily Totus Tota Totum The whole man The whole law The whole time of his life In the manner I note first the circumstance of time when God spake namely when all the people were gathered together aud sanctified as appeareth in the former Chapter then God spake Whereupon it is well obserued that all men ought to take notice of the law whether they be Commoners or Commanders high or low none so mighty that is greater or so meane that is lesse then a subiect to God and his ordinances and therefore Martin Luther hath worthily reprehended Antinomian preachers who teach that the Law need not be taught in the time of the Gospell Indeed Christ is the end of the Law but as Augustine construes it finis perficiens non interficiens an end not consuming but consummating for as himselfe said I came not to destroy the law but to teach it and doe it Secondly we may learne by this circumstance due preparation when wee come before God either to speake or heare his word Auenzoar vsed to say that hee neuer gaue purgation but his heart did shake many daies before Let the Physition of the soule then tremble to thinke what hurt bad physicke may doe when it is administred abruptly corruptly without either paines in reading or reuerence in speaking Vnto the vngodly said God Why doest thou preach my lawes and takest my couenant in thy mouth when as thou hatest to be reformed and hast cast my words behind thee If hearers of the Law much more Preachers of the Gospell ought to be throughly sanctified In the Millers hand wee lose but our meale in the Farriors hand but our mule in the Lawyers hands but our goods in the Physitians hand but our life but in the hands of a bad Diuine wee may lose that which surpasseth all our soule Hearers also being of vncircumcised hearts and eares ought to fit and prepare themselues as Moses and Iosua were commanded in disburdening their mind when they come to Gods house to heare God speake not only from vnlawfull but also from all lawfull worldly busines presenting themselues and their soules in the righteousnes of Christ a liuing holy acceptable sacrifice to God and it is the dutie both of speaker and hearer to desire the Lord that he would forgiue our want of preparation and so to assist vs with his holy spirit in handling of his holy word as that the whole businesse may be transacted for our good and his glory The second circumstance noted in the manner is the person and that is God Then God spake these words in his owne person attended vpon with millions of glorious Angels in a flame of fire so that there is neuer an idle word but all full of wonderful wisdome so perfect a law that it proues it selfe to be Gods law For the lawes of men albeit they fill many large volumes are imperfect some statutes are added daily which were not thought vpon before many repealed which after experience taught not to be so profitable but this law continueth the same for euer comprehending in a few words all perfection of dutie to God and man inioyning whatsoeuer is good and forbidding whatsoeuer is euill God is author of all holy Scripture but the ten Commandements are his after a more peculiar sort first because himselfe spake them and said in a sound of words and a distinct voice that the people both heard and vnderstood them in which sâ—nse S. Stephen happily calleth them oracula vina liuely oracles not that they did giue life for Paul sheweth that the Law was the ministration of death but liuely words as vttered by liuely voice not of men or Angels as other Scripture but immediatly thundred out by God himselfe Secondly because God himselfe wrote them after a more speciall maner hee did vse men and meanes in penning the Gospels and Epistles and other parts of sacred writ for holy men of God wrote as they were moued by the spirit of God as the Fathers obserue they were the pennes of Gods owne finger but in setting downe the Decalogue Gods owne finger was the pen hee made the tables also wherein they were first written that there might be nothing in them but only Gods immediate worke Since then God had such speciall regard in deliuering the Law wee must hence learne with all humble reuerence to receiue the same If King Eglon a barbarous tyrant respected Ehud a man of meane qualitie when he brought a message from the Lord how much more should we with awfull respect embrace the Decalogue which God in his owne person vttered and it should make vs exceeding zealous also notwithstanding the scoffes of Atheists and carelesse worldlings in obseruing and maintaining the same For what need any feare to defend that which God himselfe spake and whereof Christ said He that is ashamed of me and my words in this world I will be ashamed of him before my father in the world to come As a liuely faith is the best glosse vpon the Gospell so dutifull obedience is the best Commentarie vpon the Law To conclude with Augustine Faciemus iubente imperatore non faciâ—mus iubente creatore Yes Lord speak for thy seruants herare Thus much concerning the first preface The second is of the Law-giuer I am the Lord c. Containing two sorts of arguments to proue that hee may giue a law and that his people are bound to keepe it The first kind of reason is taken from his essence and greatnes in himselfe I am Iehoua The second from his effects and goodnes towards Israel In Generall Thy God More speciall Which haue brought thee out of the land of Egypt out of the house of bondage Now whatsoeuer is said vnto them is said vnto all Almightie God is euer the same which is which was and which is to come who being Iehoua the Lord made vs
you To behold the Lambe of God who taketh away the sinnes of the world and so by the grace of Christ thou shalt vnderstand the loue of God thou shalt perceiue his wisedome power Maiestie sweetned and tempered to thy capacitie thou shalt finde the saying of Paul to be most true that in Christ are hid all the treasures of wisedome and knowledge that Christ in our iustification is all in all and therefore good reason he should haue the first and most place in this argument that his grace should be named first and last The loue of God is the fountaine of all goodnes as Diuines speake gratiarum gratia from which originallie proceeds euery perfect gift and grace For almightie God hath not elected vs in regard of our works or other worth but coÌ„trariwise because God loued vs we do that which is acceptable in his sight I obtained mercie of the Lord saith Paul to be faithfull Vt fidelis essem non quia fidelis eram as Lombard aptly The nature of this short treatise will not endure that I should wade farre into this Abyssus I remember Pauls exclamation O the deepnes of the riches both of the wisedome and knowledge of God how vnsearchable are his iudgements and his waâ—es past finding out And the glosse of Augustine Volentes disputare de deâ— profundo mersi sunt Or as other Versi sunt in profundum I come therefore to the Communion of the holy Ghost a point more comfortable then ordinarily felt and yet more felt then can be disputed It is said Gal 4. 6. God hath sent the spirit of his Sonne crying in our hearâ—s Abba father he said not calling but crying and Rom. 8. 26. hee calleth this crying vnspeakeable groaning When a man is tempted and afflicted hee feeleth the strength of his enemies and the weaknesse of his flesh he feeleth the fierie darts of Satan the terrors of death the wrath of God all these cry out against him horribly so that the perplexed soule sees nothing but sinne threatning heauen thundering the diuell roring the earth trembling hell mouth open and ready to swallow him vp But yet in the midst of all these Gods holy spirit crieth in our hearts and this cry doth outcry the clamors of the law the bellowes of hell and howlings of infernall fiends it pearceth the clouds and ascends vp to the eares of God insomuch that the blessed Angels seeme to heare nothing else but this cry The spirit helpeth our infirmities and the strength of Christ is made perfect through our weaknesse For Christ is most powerfull when as we are most fearfull euen when we can scarsely groane marke the words of Paul The spirit maketh intercession for vs in our temptation not with many words or long praiers he crieth not aloud with teares haue mercie on me O God but only giues a little sound and a feeble groaning as ah father this is but one word yet notwithstanding comprehends all things Indeed the mouth speaketh not but the good affection of the soule crieth aloud after this manner O Lord God of compassion and father of mercies although I am grieuously vexed on euery side with affliction and anguish yet am I thy child and thou art my father in Christ. This little word or rather no word but a poore thought conceiued aright passeth all the flowing eloquence of Demosthenes and Tully yea Tertullian and all the Orators that euer were in the world for this matter is not expressed with words but with groanings and these groanings are from the blessed Spirit Thus you see the large extent of Pauls affection in regard of the thing wished vnto the Corinthians The grace of Christ the loue of God the communion of the holy Ghost The second extension is in regard of the persons be with you all for the Pastor must wish well not only to the best or to the worst but this praier ought to be made for euery one as well as for any one There is none so bad but hath receiued some grace none so good but hath need to receiue more grace Wherefore pray we still that the grace of Christ may be with vs all The Church of England addes a third extension in regard of the time for euermore the which is implied in the text also for the Corinthians as we reade in the former epistle were Saints by calling and so doubtlesse had receiued already the grace of Christ and had tasted of the loue of God through the fellowship of the holy Ghost He doth therefore now desire that the good worke begun in them may be perfect that the grace receiued may continue with them and increase daily vnto the end and in the end that the loue of God which cannot be greater secundùm essentiam may be greater secundùm efficientiam appearing growing abounding in them more and more for euermore Amen Amen is vsed in holy Scripture three waies as Gabriel and Gerson speake Nominaliter Aduerbialiter Verbaliter As a nowne for truth Apoc. 3. 14. These things saith Amen the faithfull and true witnesse and so it is added in the conclusion of euery Gospell and of the whole Bible as a seale to confirme that which is written In the beginning is the first Amen the last word of holy writ a stately beginning a strange ending For what is more stately then antiquitie what more strange then truth Hereby teaching vs that the Scriptures haue vetera and vera which are not together in any other writing For in humane learning many things are vncertainly true and more certainly vntrue onely the word of God is sealed with Amen Secondly as an Aduerbe for verily so Christ often ii the Gospell Amen Amen dico vobis Thirdly as a Verbe signifying so be it Deut 27. 15. Dicet omnis populus Amen and so it is vsed in Pauls praier expounded before and in all our Collects insinuating our earnest desire that those things which we haue faithfully asked may be effectually obtained And this custome of answering the Minister in the Church Amen is ancient as it appeareth in the 1. Cor. 14. 16. Iustin Martyr Apolog. 2. Hieron prolog lib. 2. in epist. ad Galat. Augustin epist. 107. Vsum respondendi Amen antiquissimum esse patet saith Bellarmine lib. 2. de Missa cap. 16. Here is open confession I would the Church of Rome would make open restitution also For if the people must answere the Priest Amen then the Priest must pray to the peoples vnderstanding and how shall they vnderstand except common praier be said in a common tongue A conclusion agreeable not onely to the Scriptures as Bellarmine acknowledgeth and to the practise of the Primitiue Church as Iustin Martyr and Lyra report and to the paternes of other Liturgies in South India Moscoâ—ia Armenia but euen to their owne constitutions and Masse booke for their owne Clement and their owne Missale giue order that