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
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
The word originall signifieth rather fauour then pitie because pitie is shewed onely in aduersitie not in prosperitie whereas fauour in both and therefore the vulgar Latine Deus misereatur happily not so sufficient as Deus faueat Be fauorable O Lord and so mercifull as to blesse vs that is not only to deliuer vs from euill but also to giue whatsoeuer is good In more particular Shew vs the light of thy countenance Euery man doth desire blessing but the good man only this blessing all other are blessings of the left hand common to the wicked with the godly but this a blessing of the right hand which only belongs vnto Gods elect God lookes on the reprobate like an angry Iudge with a cloudie countenance but beholds all his adopted children in Christ as a mercifull father with a gratious aspect Shew vs thy countenance that is indue vs with true knowledge of thy word and a liuely faith in thy Sonne which is thine owne image and countenance where we may learne to confesse with Paul that all other things are but losse in comparison of the superexcellent knowledge of Christ Iesus for it is eternall life to know God and whom he hath sent Iesus Christ. That thy way may be knowne As light so the participation of Gods light is communicatiue we must not pray for our selues alone but for all other that Gods way may be known vpon earth and his sauing health among all nations Thy way that is thy will thy word thy works Gods will must be knowne on earth that it may be done on earth as it is in heauen Except we know our Masters will how shall we do it Ergo first pray with Dauid here Let thy way be knowne vpon earth and then let all the people praise thee Gods will is reuealed in his word and his word is his way wherein we must walke turning neither to the right hand nor to the left or thy way that is thy works as Dauid elsewhere Psalm 25. 9. All the waies of the Lord are mercie and truth Or as other most fitly Thy way that is thy Christ Thy sauing health that is thy Iesus for I am the way saith our Sauiour Iohn 14. 6. No man commeth to the Father but by me wherefore let thy sonne be knowne vpon earth thy Iesus among all nations At this time God was knowne in Iurie but saith Hierome Gods way was vnknowne his sonne was not as yet manifested in the flesh this as Paul speakes was his wisedome but now reuealed as S. Iohn in his first epistle Wee haue heard wee haue seene with our eyes and our haâ—ds haue handled of the word of life Blessed eyes happie eares for I tell you many Prophâ—â—â— and Kings haue desired to see the things which you see and haue not seene them and to heare the things which you heare and haue not heard them Let the people praise thee Marke the sweete order of the blessed Spiâ—it first mercie then knowledge last of all praising of God We cannot see his countenance except he be mercifull vnto vs and wee cannot praise him except his way be knowne vpon earth his mercie breeds knowledge his knowledge praise Wee must praise God alway for all things Ephes. 5. 20. but especially for his sauing health among all nations And this is the true reason why the Church in her Liturgie doth vse so many Hymnes and giue so much thanks vnto God for the redemption of the world Wherein assuredly she did imitate the blessed Apostles in composing the Creed the greatest part whereof as hath been noted is spent in the doctrine which concerneth our Sauiour Christ. Let all the people Some mislike the Letanie for that it hath a petition for all men and all people yet wee haue both a precept and a precedent out of Gods owne booke the Commandement is 1. Tim. 2. I exhort that first of all supplications prayers intercessions and giuing of thankes be made for all men The practise of Gods Church is apparent in this place let the people let all the people which the Psalmographer vttered from the spirit of God as the mouth of God and therefore let men construe the Church as the Scripture when as the Church doth speake Scripture lest they wipe out of the Bible many good lessons as Tertulli in said of Marcion if not with a spunge yet with a peeuish and ouerthwart interpretation And heere let the Nouelist also remember that both our English reformers and the Churches of Scotland vse the same petition for all men in their prayers after the Sermon O let the nations reioyce and be glad It is obserued to good purpose that this clause is inserted fitly between that doubled exclamation Let the people praise thee because none can praise God well except they doe it heartily with ioy and gladnesse For as the Lord loues a cheerefull giuer so likewise a cheerefull thanksgiuer God is terrible to the wicked but a God of gladnesse to such as haue seene the light of his countenance for being reconciled vnto God they haue such inward ioy and peace that it passeth all vnderstanding For thou shalt iudge the folke righteously The Psalmist here may seeme to contradict himselfe for if mercie make men reioyce then iudgement occasioneth men to tremble Answere is made that all such as haue knowne the waies of the Lord and reioyce in the strength of his saluation all such as haue the pardon of their sinnes assured and sealed feare not that dreadfull assise because they know the Iudge is their aduocate Or as Hierome let all nations reioyce because God doth iudge righteously being the God of the Gentiles as well as of the Iewes Acts 10. 34. Or let all nations reioyce because God doth gouerne all nations that whereas heretofore they wandred in the fond imaginations of their owne hearts in wrie waies in by-waies now they are directed by the spirit of truth to walke in Gods high way which leades vnto the celestiall Ierusalem now they shall know Christ the way the truth and the life For iudging is vsed often for ruling 1. Sam. 7. 15. 2. Cor. 1. 10. So Dauid here doth expound himselfe Thou shalt iudge that is thou shalt gouerne the nations Vpon earth Not excluding things aboue but openly meeting with their impietie who think God careth not for the things below for Epicurus in old time so taught Epicures in our time so liue as if almightie God did not marke what were done well or ill vpon earth O yee fooles when will ye vnderstand He that planted the eare shall he not heare or he that made the eye shall he not see Totus oculus est quia omnia videt totus manus est quia omnia operatur totus pes est quia vbique est as Seneca like a Diuine Prope à te est Deus
Hitherto concerning the greatnes and goodnes of God in generall Now Dauid in the seuenth verse proceedes intimating that the Lord of all in common is our God in speciall Hee is the Lord our God as being the people of his pasture and the sheepe of his hands that is himselfe doth feede and fauour the Church in a more particular sort committing this charge to none other See preface of the Decalogue The last reason is from iudgement for God vseth all meanes to winne men vnto him The summe whereof is that wee must not harden our hearts and obstinately settle our selues in sinne as our forefathers in the wildernesse but rather heare the voice of the Lord speaking vnto vs out of his word all the day long the whole time of our life generally but on the Sabbath day more specially leâ—t in his anger hee sweare that wee shall not enter into his rest Reade this historie Numb 14. Exod. 17 for as Paul doth teach these things are written for our ensample vpon whom the ends of the world are come Lege historiâ—m ne fias historia The iudgements of God are like thunder claps poena ad vnum terror adomâ—es As in a Common-weale places of execution are publike ad terrorem populi because as Plato said Nemo prudens punit quia peccatum est sed ne peccetur And another ancient Philosopher to the same purpose Malefici non pereunt vt pereant sed vt pereundo alios deterreant That the State which had no benefit by their life should make vse of their death In like manner almightie God in this huge Theater of the world doth make some spectacles vnto other all of vs being either actors or spectators and so by consequence must take example by other or else make example to other See Epist. Dom. 9. post Trin. Te Deum THat Hymnes accurately framed by deuout men according to the word may be sung in the Church with the Psalmes of Dauid and other spirituall songs taken out of the word we can alleage precept and example Precept Colos. 3. 16. Admonish your selues in Psalmes and Hymnes c. Marlorat doth construe this of singing in the Church and Haymo that Hymnes were godly songs inuented by the Christians of that age For Gods holy Church hath vsed this custome from the Primitiue times euen vnto this present day Concerning Te Deum in particular it is approued by Luther and held by our Martyrs a good Creed as it is thought generally composed by those two great lights of the Church Ambrose who was the most resolute Bishop and Augustine who was the most iudicious Doctor of all the Fathers It is reported by Dacius a reuerend Bishop of Millane that in his time who liued vnder Iustinian anno 538. this Hymne was receiued and vsed in the Church which argueth it of greater antiquity then vpstart Popery The Nouelist as Augustine writes of Faustus the Manichee Vel non intellâ—gendâ— repreâ—endit vel reprehendendo non intelligit Either too much passion or else too little knowledge Benedicite omnia opera THâ—â— Cantiâ—â—e is a rapsodie gathered here and there from diuâ—â—s Psalmes of Dauid as the marginall notes indigitate cited often by the learned and ancient fathers and not censured for it by the Lutheran Historiographers Cent. 5. colum 219. Imprinted at Mâ—â—elburgh with the Dauidicall Psalmes in English meeter an honour denied vnto the Church Psalter in prose In a word I finde this Hymne lesse martyred then the rest and therefore dimisse it as Christ did the woman Iohn 8. Where be thine accusers Hath no man condemned thee no more doe I goe thy way Benedictus LVKE 1. 68. THe Benedictus Magnificat and Nunc dimittis are said in the Church daily whereas other Psalmes of Dauid Asaph Moses are read but monethly The reasons hereof are manifest and manifold I will onely name two First these most excellent Hymnes as gratulations wherewith our Lord and Sauiour was ioifully receiued at his entrance into the world concerne vs so much more then the Psalmes of Dauid as the Gospell more then the Law and the new Testament more then the old For the one are but prophecies of Christ to come whereas the other are plaine discoueries of Christ already present Secondly these songs are proper onely to Christianitie whereas other Psalmes are common to the Iewes as well as to the Christians wherewith they praise God in their Synagogue so well as we praise God in our Church A Iew will sing with Asaph and Dauid that the Messias of the world shall come but he cannot he will not acknowledge with Zacharias and Simeon that he is come So that the Nouelist herein misliking the Churches custome doth seeme to play the Iew which I rather ascribe to the lightnes of his folly then to the waight of his malice Sententiam Ecclesiae non intelligit sedamat suam non quia vera est sed quia sua est It is fitly placed after the second Lesson as an Hymne of praise to magnifie God for the comfort we receiue by the sweet tidings of the Gospell Blessed be the Lord God of Israel for visiting and redeeming his people It hath two principall parts 1. Concerning Christ and his kingdome 2. Touching Iohn the Baptist and his office vers 76. c. It is very remarkable that Zacharias who was dumbe vers 20 doth now not onely speake but also prophecie He was made speechlesse because he was faithlesse but now belieuing his lips are opened and his mouth doth shew forth Gods praise saying Blessed be the Lord. Let no man in his affliction despaire for as Ambrose notes if we change our manners Almightie God will alter his mind Nec solum ablata restituit sed etiam insperatâ— concedit He will not onely restore that which was taken a way but also giue more then we can expect So he blessed the last daies of Iob more then the first for whereas he had but 7000 sheepe 3000 comels 500 yoke of oxen and 500 shee asses afterward the Lord gaue him 1400 sheep 6000 camels 1000 yoke of oxen and 1000 asses In the second of Ioel If you will turne to me saith the Lord with all your heart with fasting weeping and mourning I will render vnto you the yeeres which the grashopper hath eaten the canker worme and the caterpiller And moreouer I will powre out my spirit vpon all flesh and your sonnes and your daughters shall prophecie c. In the 9. of Matth. when Christ saw the faith of the palsie man he did not onely cure the sores of his body but also the sinnes of his soule Sonne be of good cheere thy sinnes are forgiuen thee In the first part two points are to be considered especially 1. Who to be blessed the Lord God of Israel 2. Why first for promising then for performing redemption vnto the world Blessed That is praised as
singulorum albeit not singuligenerum or as Euthymius all people who beleeue aright in the Sonne shall blesse the Mother not all liuing but all beleeuing for Iewes and Gentiles and Heretickes in stead of this honour reuile her Augustine mentioneth Antidicomarianites Heluidius in Hieromes age was as Roffensis termes him a Mariaemastix and in our time some are content to giue her lesse because the Papists haue giuen her more then is due Let vs not make the Spirit of truth a lier which saith All generations shall call her blessed This shall is officij not necessitatis all ought howsoeuer all doe not blesse this blessed Virgin For hee that is mightie hath magnified me Magna mihi fecit hath done maruellous things in me For it is wonderfully singular and singularly wonderfull that Mary should be both a virgin and a mother of such a sonne a mother as was her father hee that is mightie and none but the Almightie could thus magnfie Mary shee was blessed in bearing the most blessed in whom all nations of the earth are blessed Vnto this purpose Bernard excellently Non quia tu benedicta ideo benedictus fructus ventris tui sed quia ille te praeuenit in benedictionibus dulcedinis ideo tu benedicta Hitherto concerning the goodnesse of God toward her selfe now shee remembreth his mercie toward other His mercie is on theÌ„ that feare him c. Generally 1. In helping and comforting theÌ„ He exalteth the humblâ— and meeke filling them with all good things 2. In scattering and confounding their enemies He hath scattered the proud put doâ—n the mightie from their seate and sent the rich empty away More specially 1. In promising 2. In performing his gratious promise touching the Messias of the world Remembring his mercy hath holpen his seruant Israel as he promised to our forefathers Abraham and his seed for euer These points are flagons of wine to comfort the distressed soule For if God who promised in the beginning that the seed of the woman should bruse the Serpents head deferred his promise almost 4000. yeers and yet at length accomplished the same to the very full then no doubt God hauing promised the resurrection of the dead and euerlasting life will in his good time bring them to passe That which is past may confirme our hope touching things to come For he remembreth his mercie towards his seruant Israel and it is on them that feare him throughout all generations Cantate Domino Psalm 98. THe Church hath done well in ioyning to the Magnificat Psalme 98 for the one is a perfect eccho to the other all Interpreters agreeing that Dauids mystery and Maries historie are all one Whatsoeuer is obscurely foretold in his Psalme is plainly told in her Song as he prophecied O sing vnto the Lord a new song shew your selues ioyfull So she practised My soule doth magnifie the Lord and my spirit reioiceth in God my Sauiour And this as Christ teacheth is a new song The houre commeth and now is when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and truth The voice doth say Magna fecit Hee hath done maruellous things and the Eccho Magna mihi fecit He hath magnified or done maruellous things in me For it is an exceeding wonder as Paul speaks a great mysterie that God should be manifested in the flesh that the father of all should bee the sonne of Mary Voice With his owne right hand and with his holy arme hath he gotten himselfe the victorie Eccho He hath shewed strength with his arme he hath scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts Voice The Lord declared his saluation his righteousnesse hath hee openly shewed in the sight of the Heathen Eccho His mercie is on them that feare him throughout all generations he hath filled the hungrie with good things and the rich hee hath sent emptie away Gentiles esurientes Iudaeos diuites as Theophylact expounds it Voice Hee hath remembred his mercie and truth towards the house of Israel Eccho He remembring his mercie hath holpen his seruant Israel In the whole Psalme fiue circumstances are to be considered especially Who. What. Whereto Wherefore Wherewith 1. Who must sing All men all things For the Prophet in the latter end of the Psalme doth incite sensible men by directing his speech vnto insensible creatures Let the sea make a noise let the floods clap their hands and let the hils be ioyfull All which sing Psalmes and Hymnes in their kinde onely man for whom all these were made is vnkind The oxe knoweth his owner and the dull aâ—â—e his masters crib but Israel hath not knowne my people hath not vnderstood 2. What Sing a new song This is mans end to seeke God in this life to see God in the next to bee a subiect in the kingdome of grace and Saint in the kingdome of glorie Whatsoeuer in this world befalleth vs wee must sing be thankfull for weale for woe songs ought alwaies to be in our mouth and sometimes a new song for so Dauid heere sing a new song that is let vs put off the old man and become new men new creatures in Christ for the old man sings old songs onely the new man sings a new song hee speaketh with a new tongue and walkes in new waies and therefore doth new things and sings new songs his language is not of Babylon or Egypt but of Canaan his communication doth edifie men his song glorifie God Or a new song that is a fresh song noua res nouum canticum new for a new benefit Ephes. 5. 20. Giue thanks alway for all things It is very grosse to thanke God only in grosse and not in parcell Hast thou been sicke and now made whole praise God with the Leper Luke 17 sing a new song for this new salue Doest thou hunger and thirst after righteousnes whereas heretofore thou couldest not endure the words of exhortation and doctrine sing a new song for this new grace Doth almightie God giue thee a true sense of thy sinne whereas heretofore thou diddest draw iniquitie with cords of vanitie and sinne as it were with cartropes and wast giuen ouer to worke all vncleannes euen with greedinesse O sing sing sing a new song for this new mercie Or new that is no common or ordinarie song but as Gods mercie toward vs is exceeding maruellous and extraordinarie so our thankes ought to bee most exquisite and more then ordinarie not new in regard of the matter for we may not pray to God or praise God otherwise then he hath prescribed in his word which is the old way but new in respect of the manner and making that as occasion is offered wee may beate our wits after the best fashion to bee thankfull Or because this Psalme is propheticall a new song that is the song of the glorious Angels at Christs birth Glorie to God on high
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
mentis not so toothsome as wholsome not corporall meate but spirituall Manna The Lords Supper in three respects 1. Because it was ordained by the Lord 1. Cor. 11. 23. 2. Because it was instituted in remeÌ„brance of the Lord Luk. 22. 19. 3. Because it was in the Primitiue Church vsuallie receiued on the Lords day Acts 20. 7. It is called a Communion in respect of the common vnion among our selues hauing at that time more specially perfect peace with all men or a Communion in respect of the publike participation as being a common messe not a priuate Masse proper to one as the Popish priests vse it or a Communion as being a signe and seale of our communion with Christ for his graces are conueied vnto vs by the preaching of the Word and administration of the Sacraments Hence the Sacraments as Paschasius obserues haue their name Sacramenta dicuntur à secreto eò quòd in re visibili diuinitas intus aliquid vlâ—ra secretius efficit In the words of our Church Sacraments are visible signes of inuisible grace ordained of God as badges and sure witnesses of his good will towards vs. It is meete euery Christian should vnderstand these and the like plaine principles of holy faith but exact knowledge to discusse controuerted points about the Sacraments is not required according to that of Chrysostome The table of the Lord is not prepared for chattering â—ayes but for high towring Eagles who flei thither where the dead bodie lieth It is not for subtle Sophisters but for simple beleeuers ascending vp to Christ vpon the wings of faith and therefore the Communicant must not only know but applie that in particular which he beleeueth in generall as that Christs body was crucified for him and his bloud shed for him Hee that vnderstands and beleeues and applies these things examineth his faith as he should In our repentance we must examine two points especially to wit our Contrition for sinne past Resolution to preuent so farre as we can all sinne to come For the first Poenitentia est quasi punientia Poenitere saith Augustine is poenam tenere Wee must therefore weepe with Peter and water our couch with Dauid and put on sackcloth with Nineueh nay we must rent our heart For a broken spirit is an acceptable sacrifice to the Lord. O magnum donum quod in poenam dedit in salutem vertit peccatum tristitiam peperit tristitia peccatum contriuit As the worme bred in the tree deuoures the tree so sorrow brought into the world by sinne doth ouerthrow sinne so good is God to turne curses into blessings and griefe into grace If thy heart be not throughly touched for sinne become sorrie because thou art no more sorrie resolue to be more resolued For as one wittily factum infectum si non sit cor affectum If Ioseph of Arimathea wrapped the bodie of Christ in cleane linnen how darest thou receiue it with an vncleane soule If thou wilt not kisse a Princes hand with a foule mouth eate not the Lords bodie with a foule minde Let a man therefore examine him selfe c. And so let him eate of this bread and drinke of this 〈◊〉 Hauing thus examined examination I come now to the participation And so let him eate c. Of which words I purpose to speake first ioyntly then seuerally Considered ioyntly they confute three popish conclusions as first the reseruation eleuation circumgestation adoration of the bread Our Apostle saith here plainly that the bread must be taken and eaten Ergo not to be reserued nor carried about not lifted vp nor kept in a box to be worshipped Secondly to take to eate to taste to drinke to doe this in remembrance of Christ are actions of the liuing only pertaining to the liuing and therefore the Papists are deceiued holding the Masse to bee a propitiatorie sacrifice both for the quick and the dead How can the dead eate or drinke taste or take Ergo neither the dutie nor the benefit belongs vnto them but only to those aliue who first examine themselues and after eate of this bread and drinke of this cup. Thirdly the coniunction of these two Let him eate of this bread and drink of this cup abundantly proues that both parts of the Lords Supper ought to be ministred vnto all Ergo the Papists in denying the cup vnto the Laitie wrong both God and his people by defrauding them of this comfort As euery one must examine so euerie one both eate and drinke not onely drinke and not eate or eate and not drinke but both eate and drinke Christ foreseeing this Papisticall error said in his first institution Drinke ye all of it he tooke the bread and said only take eate indefinitely but when he tooke the cup he did adde an vniuersall note Bibâ—â—e omnes Drinke ye drinke all ye We conclude therefore with Cyprian Adulterum est impium est sacrilegum est quodcunque humano furore instituitur vt dispositio diuina violetur Christ is the truth and the way to the truth Ergo non aliud fiat à nobis quà m quod pro nobis prior fecit Thus much of the words iointly Now of euery one seuerally And so Let there be first preparation and then participation when a man is thus examined let him thus eate Let him eate The which are not words of permission only leauing it to his choice whether he will eate or not eate but they are words of Pauls commission insinuating that hee must eate necessarily not vpon custome but vpon conscience For it is not said here let him if hee haue no let at home or occasion of absence abroad if he be neither displeased with his Pastor nor angry with the people but let him without all let examine and then let him without all let eate of this bread Eate Christ in his first institution hath take and eate First take then eate take not onely into your mouthes but into your hands hereby representing the soule and faith for the taking of the bread and wine into our hand sealeth our apprehension of Christ by the finger of faith Ioh 1. 12. As many as receiued him to them he gaue power to be the sonnes of God euen to them that beleeued in his name Eating of the bread and drinking of the wine sealeth our application of Christ incorporated into vs mystically 1. Cor. 10. 16. For by the strength of faith wee chew the cud as it were and make Christ our owne Yet herein obserue a great difference betweene corporall food and this heauenly bread for the one digested is made like vs but the other receiued into our soule maketh vs like it This action then of taking is very significant and therefore I see no reason why the Priest altering Christs ordinance should giue the bread into the peoples mouth only not into their hand First the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉
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