Herewithall was added that ioyfull promise of the eternall posteritie of Dauid and his true sonne Christ 2. Reg. 7. Dauid therefore in this Psalme as it seemeth to me intreateth of the first part of this promise wherein he reioyceth not onely for him selfe but also for the whole people of God for that God had appointed a place in Ierusalem both certaine permanent wherein he would be worshipped Albeit therefore that Dauid doth here partly signifie that house which Salomon afterwarde built yet specially he treateth of the fruite that should come of the building of that temple namely that the word of the Lord should there be published prayer made and sacrifice offered This is that ioy and gladnes which Dauid so notably setteth forth in this Psalme whiles he beholdeth the inestimable goodnes of God towards his people in giuing to them the knowledge of his worde in reuealing his face vnto them in perswading their hearts of his good will towards them The Papists dispute much of God but without the word the true knowledge of god They neither teach nor yet once thinke what that wil of God is towards vs or what he will do with vs for say they we know not whether god loue vs or hate vs And to this end they blasphemously allege this saying out of Ecclesiastes No maÌ„ knoweth whether he be worthy of loue or of hatred with other like For what is it to talke of God if thou knowe not what his will is towards thee to what end he hath ordained thee They that knowe not God thus knâ—w him not at all It is the word of God therfore that certifieth vs of the will of God towards vs what pleaseth or displeaseth him what he would haue vs to doe and what he wil do with vs The barbarous brutish ignorance wherof hath brought forth all those monstrous idolatries in the kingdom of Antichrist Theft which is forbidden by the law of God in the 7. commaundement is thought to be but a smal sinne in comparison of the rest as murther horedom c. NotwithstaÌ„ding suppose that this commaundement were not what great enormities what horrible impieties would ensue We should become like rauening wolues beares destroying and deuouring whatsoeuer they may come by yea-like vnto swine which when they come to their draffe swill if euery one could deuour so much as might suffice al they would leaue none for the rest Therefore that our goods are in safety yea rather all that we haue is not spoyled and taken from vs it is the benefite of the seuenth precept What a life would this be if our wiues were not in safety if our children were vncertaine if men might resist the Magistrate and do what they list would it not be a continuall hel That we inioy therfore true godly matrimony that the common welth and the lawes are preserued in which and by which we liue in safety rest and quietnes all these are the benefites of the second table But let vs ascend to higher matters â–ª What were this life if the first table were not if there were no Sabbots no Church no place wherein the word might be published taught if there were no knowledge of God no inuocation of God but euery man had his peculiar idoll to worship These are farre greater and more horrible euils then those that are committed against the second table and yet so much the lesse regarded because they are spiritual But if we had the eyes of the spirite and did see how many soules Mahomet the Pope do cary vnto hel it should be muche more greeuous vnto vs then if we were euery houre in daunger of losing both goods and life We ought first therfore to reioyce for these smal benefits which we inioy by the second table whereby both our goods and bodyes are in safety Small benefites I call them in comparison of those which we inioy by the first table wherby God so abundantly openeth the treasures riches of his mercy towardes vs in reueiling him self vnto vs in certifiyng vs what his wil is towards vs what he hath decreed to doe and how to deale with vs in giuing vs his word faith the holy Ghost in hearing our prayers increasing dayly the Church by his word These things are so great that no hart can conceiue them no tongue can expresse them wherby our soules are deliuered from the tyranny of the deuil whereby we inioy peace tranquillitie of mind a good conscience whereby also we attaine and retaine the true knowledge of God whereby many are instructed to eternal life These things Dauid beholdeth with the eye of faith these things he deepely wayeth considereth with him self therfore is stirred vp to thanks giuing which the inward ioy of hart coÌ„pelleth him vnto For such are thaÌ„kful in deed which doe embrace y graces gifts of God reioyce in the giuer But such as fele not this ioy albeit they set forth this psalm with piping singing with organs and mincing musicke neuer so much yet are they vnthankful because they do not vnderstand these benefits These things I doe therefore recite that all men may beware of that detestable impietie and headspring of all mischiefe in the Church of God the contempt or lothing of the word for that is an horrible apostacie and a falling away from god When men are once come to this lothing of y word it is not possible that any true or sincere cogitation of the spiritual life or remission of sinnes should enter into their heartes But alas we see that there is nothing at this day more common For how wickedly doe the nobility gentlemen rich welthy yea and all other inferiour sortes of men at this day contemne the word of life the gospel of saluation the ministery ministers more esteming their earthly possessions wealth and pleasures then all the sweete comfortes of the gospel These the children of God are compelled to behold as Loth did the Zodomites not onely despising molesting and spitefully intreating them but also liuing in all fleshly liberty and doing what they list It was an horrible thing for Dauid to fal into adultery murther but how much more horrible is it thus to offende against the first table as the Angels did and therefore were cast out of heauen But Dauid repenting returned vnto God found mercie And here the godly are so much the more in daunger of this euill by how much the fall is more easie For this venime so secretly infecteth the soule and so creepeth in by litle and litle that it can not almost be perceiued I call it a contempt of the word not onely when the word is despised derided persecuted but also when it is negligently and vnreuerently taught heard and learned according to the saying of the Prophet Esay This people honour me with their lippes but their heart is farre from me And
not in their riches their wisedom and policie Moreouer he forewarneth them what discommoditie they should finde in matrimony namely that they must worke and liue with the labor of their owne handes Nowe where there is a lust remayning in the flesh which ioyneth man and wife togither yet is not this the principall knot For such occasions and such troubles may follow whereby this knotte may soone be loosed But these are the true knots of matrimony to know that euen this labour of thy handes and care for thy family are an acceptable sacrifice vnto God that the wife when she giueth the breast vnto her infant the husband when he laboureth vntill he sweate and tyereth his body with labour to succour him and his doth such seruice vnto God as farre passeth all the seruice and all the worshippings of the Pope and his religious rout For marke I pray you what the Prophet sayth Thou shalt be blessed and it shall be well with thee This consolation therefore is very necessary against this offence and this peruerse iudgement of the world to the ende that they which are married may know that God hath ordeyned this kind of life and that in it they should labour and sweate and beare the malediction of originall sinne which malediction began in paradise and is layed vppon vs all and moreouer that they should know that the holy Ghost pronounceth them blessed which are diligent in their calling and labour cheerefully These things are suche as are able to encourage the godly to beare willingly all troubles and miseries what so euer For what canst thou desire more First thou hearest that God will so blesse thy labours that thereby he will giue thee a liuing and all things necessary for this life Moreouer thou hearest that he hath a pleasure in thy labour and approneth the same yea and accounteth it for a most acceptable sacrifice For it is not labour alone but a worke of obedience and of thy vocation These thinges the wicked know not therefore either they seeke ease and rest or else if they must needes labour they are very impatient For they doe not see with the eyes of the spirite but iudge all togither according to the eyes of the flesh which eyes can see nothing but troubles and miseries But the spirite reyseth vp and comforteth the godly with this comfort that God will both blesse them by the meanes of their labour for if he giue any thing to those which are idle and slothfull he giueth it but to their destruction and that this sweate this trauell pleaseth God highly Here are two great commodities for one discommoditie which the flesh seeth onely and no more But here we must note that this is not called labour only when the body is exercised and weeried but the care and trouble of the mind is also a labour For the Prophet vseth here such a word as signifieth not onely that labour which is done with the hande but also the discommodities the sorrowes and vexations wich in our labour and with our labour we doe susteyne Such troubles in families and housholdes doe chaunce very often Many tymes it commeth to passe that when the husband doth his duetie carefully and diligently his wife is vnquiet and ful of strife his children fal sicke his seruaunts are not onely negligent but also deceitful and vnfaithful These thinges we call not labours but sorowes and vexations and yet notwithstanding the Prophet comprehendeth both vnder the name of labour So that whether we seeme to bee afflicted either in doing or in suffering that is either in bodily labour or vexation of the mind all this shoulde we patiently endure think that God hath not giuen vs this life that we should spende it in ease in idlenes and vaine pleasures For this cause he sayth to the woman I will multiply thy sorrowes whiles thou art with child and in sorrow shalt thou bring forth children For great are the sorrowes and the troubles of a woman euen before her trauell also And in her trauell how neare death is she Likewise he saith vnto the man Cursed is the earth for thy sake In sorrowe shalt thou eate of it all the dayes of thy life Here thou seest that this labour and this sorrowe is appoynted to endure not for a day or a yeare but for all the time of thy life Here will some man say If it be so it is better to be vnmarried to liue in whoredom Proue and see whether thou canst bring thy selfe out of these troubles Nay in so doing thou shalt more miserably entangle thy self therein and heape more horrible calamities vppon thine owne heade For by this meanes thou shalt procure vnto thy selfe the wrath of God and an euill conscience and thyne owne hart shall condemne both thee and thy deuilish life For whilest thou followest the pleasures of the flesh thou shalt fall into the bitternes of the spirit and what that is thou shalt feele when the time commeth For one droppe as you would say of an euil conscience swalloweth vp a whole sea of worldly ioyes and pleasures How wilt thou then do when through thy wicked life thou shalt be compelled to suffer the torment and vexation of conscience not for one day but for many yeares On the other side where as a merry and a quiet conscience is being wel perswaded of the fauour and blessing of God there is also euerlasting ioy which doth so swallowe vppe those droppes of worldly sorrowes and troubles as the heate of the Sunne consumeth morning dewe Is it not then a greate madnes so to feare and to shunne those small droppes litle sparkes of labour when thou seest that God hath seasoned and sweetned them with moste sweete and pleasaunt sugar in that he saith here to all those that laboure and suffer the discommodities and troubles of matrimony Thou art blessed it shall be wel with thee That is where as thou art placed in this kind of life wheras thou labourest and art many wayes troubled tempted and afflicted and sufferest nowe this trouble nowe that this doth not onely please me but to thee also it is very profitable that by this meanes the flesh may be mortified and originall sinne suppressed and thou in matrimony as in a schole maist learne this heauenly wisedome namely to abyde and endure the will of God patiently and mayest haue thereby a thousand occasions to declare the patience and loue which out of matrimony and in the single life thou could neuer haue They that so liue in matrimony when they are moste miserable are euen then most happy and blessed Contrariwise they that doe not so liue are moste miserable For they suffer the labours troubles which this life can not be without in such sort that they ioyne sorowe to sorowe one calamitie to an other Hereof riseth strife and variance betwene the husband and the wife Hereof it commeth that the one so abhorreth the other that
the truth both which sortes I haue here in few words to exhort to desire first such as haue mind to heare reade the doctrine of truth that they in life will follow that they heare and reade Of the other companie this I haue to craue that for as much as the gracious goodnes of the Lord hath raysed vp before their face such plenty of preachers teachers writers and translators wherby by all meanes to call them and to do them good they wisely againe for their partes wil consider what they haue to do that is to take the time before them not to refuse the riches of Gods great grace offered least peraduenture hereafter ignorance wil not excuse them wheras now the light of truth so euidently appearing wittingly and willingly they stoppe their eyes from seeing their eares from hearing The Lord God of peace father of all mercy consolation for Christ Iesus his Sonnes sake open our hartes and senses that all preiudice pertinacie set aside we may both be willing to learne the right way of perfect faith and truth and no lesse carefull in life to follow that we learne growing vp in grace and knowledge more and more till we atteyne at length to the full measure which is in Christ Iesu our Lord Amen Iohn Foxe THE PREFACE OF D. MARTIN LVTHER VPPON the fifteene Psalmes called Psalmes of degrees YE haue heard me before many times declare in the beginning of my Lectures for vvhat cause I haue taken in hand to expound the holy Scriptures not for any desire I haue to teach nevve and straunge thinges vvhich haue not beene knovvne or heard before for our diuinitie is so vvel knovvn both in the Latine tongue and also in our ovvne Language that vve may seeme novv to haue more neede of exhortation then instruction but because the diligent teaching and setting forth of the vvorde of God is a kinde of Gods seruice or vvorship properly belonging to the nevve Testament being much more acceptable vnto God more holy excellent then vvere all the vvorshippings and sacrifices of the olde Testament and therefore euen vvhen the lavv vvas yet in his ful strength the holy Prophets of God vtterly reiecting the burnt offerings and other sacrifices of the lavv did commend aboue all other the sacrifice of praise In like maner also ought vve so much the more earnestly diligently to set forth this kind of vvorship because that after so great blindnes vvherein vv haue liued the vvisedom of God hath as the Sunne in the mid day appeared and shined vnto vs againe Therefore like as it hath bene counted a maner of seruitude in times past to heare a godly sermon vvhich men vvere vvont to doe euen as they did their seruile labors so must vve novv othervvise thinke that they vvhich teach reade vvrite or heare the holy Scriptures are Gods true Priestes vvhich serue their God vvith a vvorthy and thankful kind of vvorship Albeit true it is also that vve can not here attaine to such full knovvledge of spirituall matters but that dayly vve haue neede to learne them again to be exercised confirmed therin because of the continuall vexations and assaultes of Satan that as vve are neuer vvithout occasions of declining falling from God so likevvise vve should not cease to exercise our selues in the continuall meditation of the vvord of God to the edifying both of our selues and of the Church For there is nothing so pernitious as the opinion of many at this day vvho as soone as they haue gotten neuer so litle knovvledge of this heauenly vvisedom thinke them selues by and by to be greate doctors For seeing that these thinges doe not consist in fine and eloquent talke in reasoning and disputing but in practise and experience directed not by mans reason but by the spirite of God they are miserably deceiued that rest in bare and naked knovvledge vvhich is but vnprofitable vvithout experience and practise In the olde Testament God appoynted but onely the ten commaundements vvherin he vvould haue his people to be exercised and occupyed But vvho vvas there euer amonge the Sainctes of God vvhich could say that he vvas able to atteyne to the vvisedom of the holy Ghost sette forth in those commaundements And shall vve vvhich in the nevv Testament haue the vvhole Scripture set forth vnto vs glory in the fulnes and perfection of our knovvledge Let vs not thinke therefore so highly of our selues but let vs humble our selues before the holy Ghoste and confesse this vvisedom to be infinite and such as vve could neuer fully attayne vnto although vve should spende our vvhole life in the study of the Scriptures For although by the grace of God vve are not vvithout some knovvledge yet because vve are continually oppressed vvith cloudes of tentations vve must haue recourse to this fountaine yea to this fire that our hartes may be kindled therevvith and that vve may giue no place to Satan or our ovvne flesh vvhereby the first fruites of the spirit might be quenched in vs This lothing of Gods vvord vvhich riseth of a false opinion of knovvledge is alas to common at this day For a remedy therefore against this euill Moses commaundeth that the lavv of God should be diligently set forth to the posteritie that is to say should continually be taught and exercised though it vvere neuer so vvel knovvne before For this cause therefore I haue taken in hand to expounde the Psalmes that vve might learne to abhorre this damnable lothing of the vvord of God and also to confirme and as it vvere to nourish the good spirite of God in vs by the exercise and practise of the same But the chiefest cause that moued me hereunto is for that vve knovv this kind of vvorship aboue all other to please God vvhen vve set forth his vvord in teaching in reading in vvriting in hearing c. And this one thing ought to keep vs in the continual exercise of the vvord of god For to teach to exercise and to set forth the vvorde vvhat is it else but continually to offer sacrifice vnto God continually to vvorship God continually to be exercised in the three first commaundements Lamentable it is to see vvhat a multitude there is of such as cōtinually blaspheme God either in teaching false doctrine or in persecuting the truth VVherfore very necessary it is that vve vvhiche in comparison of them are so small a number should serue the Lord our God praise his holy name vvhich both hath giuen vs this life and promised the life to come Moreouer our ovvne daunger giueth vs good vvarning to take heede that vvhiles vve thus neglect loth the vvord vve feele not his heauy vvrath plage vpon vs before vve be vvare For vvhen vve are once vveery of the vvorde then follovveth the contempt of the same vvhich contēpt the Lord so punisheth that he taketh his vvord cleane avvay Hereof the Papacie may be
that he is able likewise to destroy both body and soule if God did so permitte but also to stirre vs vp to faith and prayer that we should call vpon him for ayde and succour agaynst these perilous snares and being deliuered should giue him thankes and prayse for the same Moreouer euery tentation is a snare whether it be of the flesh or of the spirite Persecution torments imprisonment sclaunder diseases and infirmities of the body be snares which as they are permitted of God to exercise and strengthen our fayth so by the malice of Satan they are wrought to afflict and to vexe men that he may bring them to infidelitie and desperation and so into the snares of eternall death From the which snares but by the speciall grace of God there is no way to escape Thus our life lyeth alwayes open to the snares of Satan and we as sely birdes are like at euery moment to be caried away Notwithstanding the Lord maketh a way for vs to escape Yea when Satan seemeth to be most sure of vs by the mighty power of God the snares are broken we are deliuered Experience hereof we haue in those which are inwardly afflicted with heauines of spirit greeuously oppressed that when they seeme to be in vtter despaire ready as you would say now to perish yet euen at the last pinch in the vttermost extremitie commeth the sweete comfort of Gods holy spirite and raiseth them vp againe When we are most ready to perish then is God most ready to helpe Except the Lord had holpen me sayth Dauid my soule had almost dwelt in silence Verse 8. Our helpe is in the name of the Lord who hath made both heauen and earth This is the conclusion of thankesgiuing contayning a worthy sentence of great comfort that against sinne the horrour of death and other daungers there is no other helpe or safetie but onely the name of the lord If that were not sayth he we should fall into all maner of sinne blasphemy errours and into all kind of calamities But our helpe is in the name of the Lord which preserueth our faith and our life against the Deuill and the world And as ye heard in the other verses before so he sheweth in this verse also that God suffereth his Sainctes to be tempted and in their tentation to fall into great distresse as euen nowe readie to be drowned and swallowed vp presently with great floodes of water yet notwithstanding this comfort he sheweth them that he will not vtterly forsake them By the which examples we may learne to know the will of the Lord and to seeke our help and safety at his hands which suffereth his people to be exercised in the fornace of Egypt not to their vtter destruction but onely to kill the olde man with his vaine hope and confidence which he hath in his owne strength This is the cause why God suffereth his people so to be exercised For it is not hearing reading talking or teaching nor speculation onely which maketh a Christian man but practise is that which specially is required in a true Christian that is to say the crosse to plucke downe the fleshe and bring it to nothing that man despairing of his owne strength and seeing no succour in himselfe should resigne him selfe wholly vnto the Lord looking with patience and hope for helpe at his hande for this is the will of god Neither must we imagine to our selues any other God then such a one as will helpe the afflicted and oppressed with desperation and other calamities To knowe this doctrine is one peece of the victory For they that know it not when tentation assayleth them either doe dispayre or seeke other helpes Let vs learne then out of this Psalme that it is the will of God to exercise his Sainctes with troubles and afflictions Who suffereth great floodes of water to runne ouer their heades who also permitteth them to fall into the snares of the wicked and tryeth euery way not to destroy them but to shew them what they are of them selues so to teach them to trust in his sauing health But the flesh looketh to the power and multitude of the aduersaries and her owne infirmitie but to looke vnto God and to hope for his helpe and succour it is not able Wherefore this is a necessary conclusion Our helpe is in the name of the Lord. It is a short sentence but it setteth foorth most worthie doctrine and consolation whereof ▪ specially in these latter daies we haue great neede seeing the Pope togither with the greatest part of the Princes rulers of the world so cruelly doe persecute the doctrine of the Gospel In respect of these huge mountains what are we small molehills Yea though there were no force nor power of man for vs to feare how are we able to stand against not onely so many deuills but euen the very gates of hell also And yet this experience we haue of the great mercy and goodnes of the Lord our God that when we are euen in their handes and neuer so much oppressed yet are we not forsakē but are safe through our confidence and trust in his helpe But to this wisedom it is vnpossible for vs to attayne without continuall afflictions whereby it is necessary that the confidence of all worldly succours should be beaten downe For vexation and trouble bringeth vnderstanding as Esay sayth whereby we are compelled to cry Helpe Lorde for else we perish So in the last houre when death approcheth there is nothing wherein mans heart can repose it selfe or finde comfort but his trust and confidence in the helpe of the Lorde There is rest and quietnes there is perfect peace He that can then say My helpe is in the name of the Lord dyeth happely and is out of all daunger Thus we may learne what it is to haue and enioy God euen to rest in the sure trust of his mercifull helpe and succour in all daungers These are the wordes therefore of a victorious and triumphing fayth Our helpe is in the name of the Lord which made heauen and earth As if he sayd The maker of heauen and earth is my God and my helper Shew me a God O ye my aduersaries like vnto him What are your snares and your traynes then compared vnto this God What are your threatnings your power your pollicies c. Thus he setteth the eternall God the maker of heauen and earth against all terrours and daungers against the floodes and ouerflowings of al tentations and swalloweth vp as it were with one breath all the raging furies of the whole world and of hell it selfe euen as a litle droppe of water is swallowed vp of a mightie flaming fire And what is the world with all his force and power in respect of him which made heauen and earth Let the worlde fret then let it rage so that this succour neuer faile vs And if it be the will of
fleshe although they be compassed about with such high and mightie mountaynes as touching the spirite as Satan can neuer surmount yet touching the flesh and the olde man they lye open on euery side to the dartes of Satan and of the worlde For God by these meanes will afflict and exercise the flesh that sinne the foolishnes of the flesh may be mortified in them and that spirituall wisedome and the inward man may encrease This is the cause why we are according to the flesh as a broken hedge and as a citie whose wals are cast downe and so lyeth open to the enemy on euerie side Wherefore there is no sort of men so vile and abiect which do not thinke that they may doe what they list against the true professors of the Gospell Hereof come such intollerable iniuries horrible blasphemies cruel torments and bloody slaughters of the Saincts of god For the flesh hath no walls no munitions to defend it but the spirite Therfore the flesh is in daunger to al stormes and tempests broken troden downe of the wicked as Esay sayth chap. 51. VVhich haue sayd vnto thy soule Bow downe that we may go ouer Thou hast layed thy body as the ground and as the streete to them that went ouer These afflictions we must needes suffer and by patience ouercome them withall we must beware that by these outward afflictions the inward man be not weakened or ouercome resting in this assured hope and trust that the Lord will neuer forsake vs but that we are in the bosome of the father and are closed within most sure and strong holds So that now although our goodes our wiues our children yea and our liues also be taken from vs yet we shall neuer be spoyled of our Christ by whome we are so surely defended that in the middes of all our tentations he will make away for vs to escape or else geue vs strength to beare them Thus we see what consolations the holy Ghost setteth forth vnto them which beleue the word For vnto such as looke for a better life then this all thinges are here full of calamities and miseries Death followeth death as Paule sayth and we continually dye One tentation followeth an other vntill at the length by the death of the flesh all miseries shall cease and haue an ende This verse therefore maketh much for our comfort admonishing vs that we must suffer many troubles yet so that at the length we shall be safe and sette at libertie from them all though not in this life yet in the life to come and in eternall life And why should we not thus boldely promise vnto our selues remayning vnder this diligent custody of the Angells yea of the Lord him selfe which is alwayes round about his people But here as before I sayd we haue neede of fayth that we may iudge herein not according to our present troubles and tentations but according to the word of promise And what should we neede any promises if there were no tentations which tentations whether they be within in the spirit or without in the fleshe the time shall come when we through Christ shall haue full victory hereof as this verse full of sweete consolation doth promise vnto vs. Notwithstanding this promise seemeth incredible both to vs which suffer and also to them which persecute and afflict vs For if we behold the same with our outward eyes what can be more false yea the contrary seemeth to be most true Behold our Sauiour Christ was he not so forsaken hanging vpon the crosse that the rod or scepter of the wicked rested vpon him Did it not rest likewise vpon the Prophets the Apostles and other holy Martyrs This matter then if we consider it with our outward eyes hath an other meaning then the wordes doe import For they promise that the scepter of the wicked shall haue no power ouer the godly and yet all stories and examples doe testifie the contrary Therefore the holy Ghost calleth vs backe to the purpose counsell of God reueiled in his word and commaundeth vs to wey and consider not what we suffer and with our outward eyes behold but what is decreed with the Lord in heauen And he that can so sequestre him selfe from the beholding of his afflictions and tentations and yeld him selfe wholy ouer to the will of God there rest is a right diuine yea he that is ignorant hereof in true diuinitie knoweth nothing at al. For what knoweth he which is ignorant that God is such a God as will not suffer the godly to be oppressed of the wicked For seeing he hath sayd I am the Lorde thy God he will neuer suffer that which is his owne to be wrested either by the world or by the gates of hell out of his hands If he then abide and continue they shall also continue for euer which are his Thus to beleeue and thus to lay hold on thinges inuisible is true diuinitie and true spirituall wisedom in deede whereupon we may ground this proposition out of the inuisible counsell of God God hateth the wicked loueth the iust ergo he will damne and destroy the wicked and wil deliuer and saue the iust And here we see that which is the chiefest thing in all the Psalmes and Prophets to spring out of the first precept I am the Lorde thy God. Now haue we to learne how we may apply this verse rightly and to our comforte For true diuinitie consisteth in vse and practise We are vexed on euery side with cruell Bishops wicked Princes and others which hate the word of God and the doctrine which we professe But these are very trifles if ye compare them with those vexations which Satan sinne and our owne infirmitie raise vppe in our consciences We must learne therefore thus to iudge of all these thinges that they are the rodde or scepter of the wicked and to set the Lorde against them reueiling his will here in his word and pronouncing that he will not suffer the scepter of the wicked to rest vpon the godly Seeing then the same Prince promiseth thus much vnto vs which hath all thinges in his hand what can we require more For the will of God is certaine that though he suffer vs to be afflicted yet will he not see vs troden vnder foote or perish Thus must we apply these sweete consolations What the rodde signifieth in the scripture it is wel knowne Children when they are yong are corrected with a rodde when they waxe bigger with a wand or a cudgell and if they will not so amende then followeth the yron rodde Hereof it commeth that the rodde signifieth all power and rule whiche is for the amendement and correction of such as doe offende So is it taken in the 110. Psalme The Lord shall send forth the rodd of thy power out of Sion That is to say thy kingdome For there he signifieth such a rodde wherby kingdoms and people are gouerned On this wise the
this distinction is not so well knowne by practise as it is by speculation For if we had this practise in deede we shoulde rightly discerne betwene the law the Gospell also betwene the disciples of the law and of the Gospel beate backe Satan with this answere that like a lying spirite he seeketh nothing else but to blind and deceiue the hart with falshood and lyes For whereas hard and stony harts be those he doth not kill or terrifie but flattereth and filleth them with hope faire promises which doe not perteyne to such harts Contrariwise where as such tender and timorous heartes be as are to much terrified already and therefore should be confirmed reised vp with the promises of the Gospell those heartes Satan most of all not onely goeth about further to afflict and terrifie but to beate them downe also to vtter discomfort Wherefore the Christian man must learne and labour by feeling and practise to make this distinction in his heart and say vnto Satan Away from me Satan with thy lyes When I am void of the feare of God secure and hard harted then come and pleade the lawe against me then will I heare thee for then that is the tyme to teach the law But since thou commest nowe vnto me with the law whereas my heart is terrified already with sinne death I wil not heare thee For thy doctrine perteyneth not vnto me but laughter and ioy not terrour and death So should Satan be aunswered when he goeth about to terrifie vs But by experience we feele that when most neede is our heart is not able thus to aunswere although we haue heard these thinges before neuer so often The cause is this that albeit heauen be ours and wide open for vs yet such is our nature and such is our infirmitie that all this can not make vs so ioyfull as the gaping gulph and horrour of hell doth terrifie vs So that one cogitation of our sinnes doth more afflict vs then all the teaching and preaching of the merites of Christ can comfort vs Wherefore we must earnestly endeuour to learne this practise or at the least to atteyne to some knowledge thereof and reyse vp our selues with these wordes that the Gospell is nothing else but laughter and ioy which properly perteyneth to the captiues that is to those that feele the captiuitie of sinne and death to the fleshy and tender heartes terrified with the feeling of the wrath and iudgement of god These are the Disciples in whose hearts should be planted laughter and ioy and whiche onely should heare the voyce of ioy and gladnes in the tabernacles of the righteous and that by the authoritie of the holy Ghost which this verse setteth foorth For it signifieth that this people was in Sion and after the outward shew of the kingdom and priesthood did mightely flourish But if a man consider them according to the spirite he shall see them to be in miserable captiuitie and that their tongue is full of heauines and mourning because their heart is terrified with the sense of sinne and death This is Moises tongue or Moises mouth full of wormewoode and of the bitternes of death wherewith he ought to kill those onely which are to liuely and full of securitie But they which feele their captiuitie should haue their mouthes filled with laughter and ioy that is the redemption and deliueraunce from sinne and death purchased by the bloode of Christ should be preached vnto them This is the sense and meaning of the holy Ghost that the mouth of such should be filled with laughter that is their mouth should sound and shew forth nothing else but great gladnes and those inestimable consolations of the Gospell with voyces of triumph and victory by Christ ouercomming Satan destroying death and taking away our sinnes This was first spoken vnto the Iewes for this laughter was first offered to that people then hauing the promises Now he turneth to the Gentiles whome he calleth to the partaking of this laughter Then shall they say among the Gentiles c. The Gentiles naturally hated and disdayned the Iewes and coulde abide nothing lesse then their religion Yet these Gentiles saith he when this laughter this ioy shall be published and preached shall maruell thereat and shall praise the great workes as the Lorde Nowe the Gentiles would not thus doe or esteeme this worke of God as a benefite excepte they also should be partakers of the same Therefore when the holy Ghoste saith that the Gentiles should publish praise and magnifie this benefite of the Iewes deliuerance out of captiuitie he plainely signifieth withall that they shoulde be partakers of this deliuerance and that they likewise shoulde extoll and magnifie this greate mercy of God this deliuerance from sinne and death To this doe almost all the Prophets beare witnesse In the 8. of Zachary it is saide that out of all languages of the nations should take hold of the skirte of him that is a Iewe and say we will goe with you for we haue hearde that God is with you Which place of Zacharie seemeth to be taken out of this Psalme In the first of Esaie likewise All nations shall flow vnto the Lord and many people shall go and say Come and let vs goe vp to the mountaine of the Lord to the house of the God of Iacob and he will teach vs his wayes and we will walke in his pathes c. These things doe make for our comfort which are not of the seede of Abraham after the flesh For albeit the promise was not made vnto vs yet when it was accomplyshed we were made partakers thereof but by the Iewes notwithstanding according to the wordes of the promise In thy seede shall all nations be blessed And salâ—ation saith Christ commeth of the Iewes Thus doe we Gentiles pertaine to this redemption although it was not due vnto vs for to vs it was not promised but came by the free mercy of God through this laughter and this ioy whiche the Prophet speaketh of published and preached not onely in Simon but emongst the Gentiles also which doe enioy all the good blessings and benefites of God togither with his holy people as it followeth Verse 3. The Lord hath done great things for vs therefore we reioyce Here you see one Church gathered togither of the Iewes and of the Gentiles and with one voyce magnifying the workes of the Lorde that as Paule saith with one minde and with one mouth God euen the father of our Lord Iesus Christ might be glorified For as the Church of the Iewes singeth The Lord hath done greate thinges for vs so singeth the Church of the Gentiles also being both partakers of one fruite both knowne by one true signe to be the people of the Gospell namely because they are the people of ioy and gladnes as these wordes declare Therefore we reioyce Consider now the kingdom of the Pope and the horrible abomination thereof
the word is deliuered vnto vs to this ende that we should continually exercise ourselues therein Foâ— without this exercise we waxe dull and forget our selues We see into what great daungers men dayly fall And whereof else commeth this but because they are secure they pray not they heare not the word whereby Satan worketh in their hearts by litle and litle a contempt of the word and so bringeth them either in to sudden desperation or other horrible calamities For if the word be once lost and gone what hath a man to defend him selfe with all against this aduersary It is the part of a Christian therefore to be exercised continually in the word and prayer not onely because it conteineth such thinges as the hearte is not able fully to comprehend but also for that our aduersary tempteth not once but continually therefore we must continually fight against him with the word and prayer Thus we see that prayer perteineth to the people of Christ to the redemed and sanctified for the vnbeleuers and wicked doe not pray Verse 5. They that sowe in teares shall reape in joy Emongst other thinges which properly pertaine to the redemed this also is one that they are subiect to many temptations according to the saying of Sainct Peter By many tribulations we must enter into the kingdom of heauen Therefore the profession of a Christian man is rightly called the profession of the crosse So it behoued Christ the head of his Church to suffer And the Prophets through the inspiration of the holy Ghost did testifie before of his passion and his glorification which should follow And how can it be but that Christians must needes suffer since thou shalt finde no kind of life in the world which is without the crosse except thou wilt be vniust But if thou vnfaynedly seeke to liue iustly and godly in this world it can not be auoyded but that Satan wil lay a crosse vpon thee and vexe thee How much more then will he so doe when thou must fight with him touching righteousnes and life euerlasting For if Satan can not abide ciuill and externall iustice home will he abide eternall righteousnes whereby he knoweth that he shall perish for euer Thus Satan continually persecuteth and vexeth the children of god Wherefore of all men their life is most miserable whether you looke to the thinges which they suffer in the flesh or in the conscience In ciuil affaires and thinges parteyning to this life there appeareth some shadow at the least of ioy and pleasure but they that will be true Christians feele them selues miserably wrapped in sinne which maketh the conscience giltie before god Moreouer in the sight of the world they are counted as wormes outcastes and cursed people subiect to the malice of Satan and the whole world therefore the world rageth against them with all kind of crueltie Who so then wil see the true image of a Christian let him behold Iob compassed on eâ—ery side and oppressed with deuills greeuously afflicted and tormented full of fowle and lothsome sores What shall we then doe These thinges must we suffer if we desire to atteyne eternall life If we will confesse and acknowledge our redemer Iesus Christ and our redemption let vs be assured that there shall alwayes be ready which will seeke to spoyle vs of our righteousnes and eternall life Let vs therefore as Sirach teacheth prepare our soules to tentation and let vs offer our backe to the plowers c. as the Psalme sayth For who so euer counteth him selfe a Christian must thinke him selfe no better then his maister christ For we must be made â—â—ke to the image of the sonne of God. If Christ bare a crowne of thorne vpon his head let not vs thinke that we shall haue a garland of roses set vppon our head For our partes we seeke peace and quietnes neither doe we giue vnto the world iust occasion to rage against vs Albeit Satans malice is not so pacified but rather encreased Behold nowe therefore the miserable image of a Christian which is redeemed notwithstanding he is full of sinne full of discomfort and ful of death He is like vnto Lazarus lying before the rich mans gate He is like to Iob oppressed with infinite miseries and calamities Here thou wilt say Who would then desire to be a Christian Harken therefore what Peter sayth Brethren thinke it not straunge as concerning the fiery tryall which is amonge you to proue you as though some straunge thing were come vnto you but reioyce in as much as ye are partakers of Christes sufferinges that when his glory shall appeare ye may be glad and reioyce For this is the image of Christ of his Church and of al the brethren that we should suffer But looke not to the sufferings and tribulations onely but behold also the fruite that followeth namely that they which sowe in teares shall reape in ioy Whâ—â— can be sayde more comfortably to those that carry the crosse of Christ which touching the spirite are vexed of deuills touching the body afflicted of the world For Satan oppugneth our faith â–ª causeth vs to murmure against God or else so oppresseth our hartes with heauines and sorrow that we knowe not what we doe or whether to turne vs and yet is it true that we are sanctified 〈◊〉 redemed Notwithstanding this redemption is hidden but thâ— temptation is felt both in the spirite and in the flesh Besides 〈◊〉 this the world ceaseth not to vexe vs the aduersaries of the woâ—â— slaunder vs and our doctrine and falsely accuse vs seeking a thousand occasions to molest vs yea to roote vs vtterly from the fact of the earth When a man once feeleth these thinges his heart trembleth and cryeth Haue mercy vpon vs O Lord haue mercy vppon vs All this is to sowe in teares to goe foorth and weepe and to cary seede for so the holy Ghost calleth it It can not be then but that a Christian must needes be such a sower as must reape not in laughter but in bitter sorrow and teares But thou wilt say Where iâ— then the laughter which is preached to the redemed whereof Dauid spake a litle before In the spirite For looke how much faith thou hast so much laughter thou hast also But sometimes this laughter is lost and turned into mourning yet are we not forsaken For the promise is sure that we shall reape in ioy Moreouer we must not vnderstand here by sowing the office of teaching onely as Paule vseth it which sow vnto you spirituall thinges c. but it signifieth the life of the godly with the whole course and all the actions thereof which they take in hand in respect of their vocation For these are as it were seedes of the life to come which life we enioy and possesse in hope For our saluation is sure certaine and the victory ouer sinne hell and death is ours but yet in hope Notwithstanding so long as we are in
call grace heauen it selfe by the which we haue an open passage vnto heauen and the which we can neuer atteyne vnto by the law by workes or by our owne endeuour but rather as a most large heauen it receaueth vs beleuing that by adoption we are made righteous before God through Christ. Hereby we may see what the entent and purpose of the Prâ—phet is in this Psalme namely to teach vs the true way to righteousnes life and saluation Againe to shew vs the way how to escape death sinne and the wrath of God that out of this life we may passe to life euerlasting And in teaching of these things he sheweth his owne experience and layeth open vnto vs his owne hart which the holy Ghost had exercised and scholed with many tentations that so he might atteyne to this doctrine wherein he goeth about here to enstruct vs also The summe whereof is that he resteth wholy in the hope of Gods mercie and in the sure trust of the forgiuenes of his sinnes But these thinges shall more clearely appeare hereafter in expounding of the Psalme Verse 1. Out of the depth haue I called vnto thee O Lorde It may seeme that the Prophet vseth here moe wordes then needeth But he that considereth well the cause which forceth him to burst out into these wordes shall see that no plentie of wordes could expresse the sorrow and anguish of his wofull hart nor sufficiently declare his daunger For it was no light or common tentation that vexed him He complained not of the perills that he was in by the rage of Saul by his sonne Absolon by the false Prophets and others nor of any other tentations which proceede of malice and hatred wherewith the world persecuteth the godly but he setteth forth here the griefe of a vexed and wounded conscience the very sorrowes of death when a man feeling his hart as it were oppressed with desperation thinketh him selfe forsaken of God when he seeth his owne vnworthines and desertes accused before God as a terrible iudge yea when it seemeth vnto him that God hath not onely forsaken him but cast him away for euer hateth abhorreth him for his sinnes These teÌ„tations are much more terrible then those which men commonly fall into for they are not without daunger of soule eternall saluation Therefore he vseth here this maner of speech saying Out of the depth I call vnto thee c. As if he should say great are the troubles wherewith I am oppressed For I feele mine owne sinnes and the iust wrath of God vpon me for the same neither can I find reliefe or comfort to my restles afflicted soule Against the malice of men wherewith they molest and vexe vs there are remedyes to be found but this wound is vncurable except the Lord send helpe and succour from aboue And in dede such troubles as the godly are commonly exercised withall as the losse of goods wife children such other may yet be ouercome or borne with patience Moreouer in those which are counted inferior sinnes as the offences of youth the deiect broken herted may more easily be raised vp againe But these afflictions seeme to them and are in deed vntollerable when they feele them selues oppressed with such horrible and hellish cogitations that they can see nothing else but that they are caste away from God for euer They therfore that feele such bitter tentations haue here an example that Dauid in him selfe felt and had experience of the like For it maketh the tentation much more greuous when they which are thus afflicted feele that as to them it seemeth which none else doe feele but they alone We must learne therefore that euen the godly haue euer suffered the same afflictions and haue bene beaten downe euen to death with the terrors of the law and sinne as we may see here by the example of Dauid crying euen as it were out of hell and saying Out of the depth doe I cry vnto thee O Lord c. But it is not inough for vs to knowe that we sustaine not these troubles and tentations alone but we muste also learne the way whereby such as haue suffered the like tentations haue beene raysed vp againe And here ye se Dauid what he doth Ye see whither he flyeth in his great distresse He despaireth not but cryeth vnto the Lord as one yet hoping assuredly to find reliefe and comforte Rest thou also in this hope and do as he did Dauid was not tempted to the end he should despaire Thinke not thou therefore that thy tentations are sent vnto thee that thou shouldest be swallowed vp with sorrowe and desperation If thou be brought downe euen to the gates of hell beleue that the Lord will surely raise thee vp againe If thou be brused and broken knowe that it is the Lorde which will heale thee againe If thy hart be ful of sorrow and heauines looke for comfort from him who hath saide that a troubled spirite is a sacrifice vnto him It is expedient also to haue some faithfull brother at hande which may comfort vs in these bitter conflictes For God would that in his Church one should help to comfort an other as meÌ„bers knitte togither in one body and he hath promised that when two are gathered togither in his name he will be the thirde amongest them And doubtles nothing comforteth an afflicted conscience so much as to heare some godly brother declaring out of the word of God that such terrours and afflictions are sent of God not to destroy vs but to humble vs therby to make vs to acknowledge the great mercy of God offred vnto vs and to receiue the same with thankful harts But if in this distresse we be destitute of the helpe of such faithfull brethren we must then doe as Dauid â—id in this place that is we must cry vnto the Lord pray as this Psalme teacheth vs Wherein ye see such sorrowfull and bitter sighes as liuely expresse in Dauid the great anguish of spirite from whence floweth such plentifull matter and yet nothing superfluous as compelleth him not onely to say that out of the deepe depth he cryeth and calleth vnto the Lord but he putteth the Lorde also in minde of his promise thereby to moue him the rather to giue eare vnto his prayer Verse 2. Lorde heare my voice let thine eares attende to the voyce of my prayers He speaketh as I haue saide before to the same God whose seate was in Ierusalem like as we now speake vnto that God and call him father whom we knowe and worship in Christ alone On this God with deepe sighes he calleth that he would with the eye of mercie looke vpon him and gratiously harken vnto his prayer But if we thinke that we can not pray with such a minde or with such feruencie of spirit as these words doe expresse we must consider that Dauid him selfe did not thus pray in his anguish and in the
called trust but in deede it is nothing for we may not depart from the vocall worde For if we so doe what certeintie can we haue of God especially seeing that God hath giuen his worde ordeyned Ministers of his worde Magistrates Parentes c. to this ende that we should followe their voyce speaking to vs out of his holy worde and commaunding vs to obey their authoritie The prophet signifieth here also an other tentation which all they doe fall into that are not diligent in holding fast this knowledge of mercie For this Satan seeketh and busily goeth about either publikely to take away the word or priuately to hinder this hope in those that haue the word So the Pope had the word and Sacramentes and yet notwithstanding he suffered him selfe to be ledde away to pilgrimages rules vowes superstition idolatrie c. What trouble we haue had with sectes we haue before declared And who is able to recite the tentations wherewith men are priuately assailed tempted to depart from the word to straunge opinions which reason deuiseth and imagineth So great a matter is it to auoyde these subtile sleightes of Satan Dauid sayth therefore I will not suffer my selfe to be ledde from the word but in the word I will trust for remission of sinnes and wil not frame my faith after mine own imaginations but after the word There is then a double tentation against the which the Prophete by his owne example armeth vs The first taketh hold of those which do imagine vnto them selues a faith and take away the word as the prophane and godles spirits doe The seconde followeth those which haue the word and lay no holde on it but are ledde away to idolatries and such are the Papistes But there is yet a third tentation which is the forest of all against the which Dauid speaketh as followeth Verse 6. My soule wayteth on the Lorde from the morninge watch euen vnto night When Satan cannot preuaile by plaine and direct meanes in tempting vs to forsake the word and followe our owne imaginations as the heretikes doe or retaining the word to turne to Idolatrie as the Papistes doe then he goeth aboute to make vs weery of all togither and vtterly to giue ouer Wherefore we must not onely haue a good courage that we may obtaine the victorie but we must also continually withstand his force endure his assaults neuer suffer our selues to be ouercome by his importunitie For oftentimes we see that by long continuance they are ouercome whom no troubles were they neuer so great could ouercome And in warfare we se that nothing is so much commended as to presse still vpon the enemie So the Turke although he hath had many ouerthrowes yet because he still goeth on and neuer giueth ouer therefore he preuaileth In this continuance diligence trauel al they must constantly perseuere which wil hold this doctrine of iustification righteousnes And here Dauid setteth forth his owne example that like as the enemie hath his continuall assaultes and neuer giueth ouer so he also neuer ceaseth to wait vpon the Lorde to trust in the Lord that not only with a strong a valiant but also with a constant faith inuincible hope he may gaine the victory Wherefore we must learne by the policie of our enemie to play the good souldiers For he is neuer weery in deuising and practising all the meanes possible whereby he may trouble and molest the Church So at the first the ende of one heresie was the beginning of an other and one persecution followed an other We also at the beginning had many conflicts with the Pope and his monsters When they were repressed by and by new errours ensued which notwithstanding did not then first begin to spring vppe but the olde enemie who as he is neuer weery so lacketh he no subteltie and policie to doe mischiefe raysed vp againe such errours and heresies as had beene conuicted and confounded long agoe to the end that the poore afflicted church might haue no breathing time For we see what swarmes of Epicures be now euery where And there is no small number also of such as seeke to reuiue the heresie of Arius This continual diligence and importunitie of the enemy it behoueth vs to know that we fall not into security For it is not enough to haue once ouercome but one battaile followeth an other and one victory an other This earnest and continuall trauell of the enemie we doe not onely see in the story of the Church but we haue experience therof also in our selues and in our owne priuate exercises Wherfore if by prayer thou hast this day ouercome be not negligent and secure for to morrow he will come again more strongly armed and prepared then he did before Wherefore doe thou also prepare thy selfe to a new battaile So it commeth to passe that the same tentation which to day we were able easily to ouercome to morrow shall ouercome vs and giue vs the ouerthrowe A Christian therfore must be readily prepared not only with strength to stand against the enemie but with stedfast purpose also to continue vnto the end For he runneth not in such a race wherein there is any ende of his course during this life but he runneth as it were in a rownd circle in the which he must haue a continuall recourse thither where he first began Therefore our Sauiour Christ saith He that continueth to the end shall be saued We must not then be discouraged by the importunitie of our enemie or ouercome with tediousnes and long continuance but we must fight not onely against the power and subtiltie of our enemie but also against our owne weakenes and weerines and raise vppe our selues with this faith that like as Satan sleepeth not so the Lorde our God neither sleepeth nor resteth Thus Dauid setteth out vnto vs his owne example that we being armed against all tentations which followe the remission of sinnes shoulde giue no place to the enemie For albeit it is most certaine that there is mercie with the Lorde that our sinnes are forgiuen that we are baptised into the death of Christ that we are called by the word vnto the communion of Sainctes and that we with the other members of Christ are nourished by the body and blood of Christ all these thinges I say although they be most certaine yet are we still in daunger lest we be deceiued of the craftie enemie which lyeth in waite for vs on euery side He is on our right hand by hypocrisie and securitie he is on our lefte hande by tyrannes and desperation Besids all this so great is his vigilancie that he is neuer farre of but euer at hand Therefore the Prophet saith My soule wayteth on the Lorde from the morning watch c. This saying of the heathen is well knowne furor fit laesa saepius patientia that is patience being often times hurt is turned into