signified the coÌ„duits of grace and the preachers of Gods holie word and by lightnings the corruscation of miracles and the commination or threatning of the terrible iudgements of God according to that of the Prophet Isaie I will command the Clowds that they rayne Je. 5. noe shower vpon it and that of the Psalmist His lightnings shined to the round Psâ—l 96. world c. Let the earth blesse our Lord. The earth is the lowest and least of the sower Elements and à greate part thereof is ouer flowne with waters neuerthelesse it doth afford aboundant matter of the Creators praise to all that shall rightly consider the quantity disposition fertility and other properties thereof as alsoe how it is as it were the center of the Vniuerse and remaineth firme and immoueable in its place notwithstanding its exceeding weight which is not supported by any thing but hangeth wonderfully in the middest of the world By the stability and fertility thereof is signified constant and vertuous men whome the holie Ghost doth make fruitfull with the celestiall seed of the word of God according to that of S. Luc. 8. Luke The seed is the word of God and that which fell vpon good ground are they who in à good and perfect heart hearing the word doe retayne it and yeeld fruit in patience Mountaines and little hills blesse yee our Lord. By them are designed those that are of great and of small power authority in the holie Church and especially Prelates and such as excell in the gifts of grace according to that of the Prophet Ioell Mountaines shall distill sweetnesse and Ioell 3. the hills shall flow with milke All things that spring in the earth blesse yee our Lord. If we attentiuely consider the value beautie sweetnesse delightfulnesse and other innumerable properties of the things that are produced within the earth and of those that spring out of it we cannot sufficiently admire in them the wisdome sweetnesse and beautie of the omnipotent Creator Blesse our Lord yee fountaines Fountaines are certaine euident representations of almightie God who by reason of his Munificence liberalitie and immense goodnesse towards mankind is often tearmed in holye Scriptures à Fountaine By theÌ„ are signified Doctors preachers and Priests vnto whome it belongeth Psal 67. to communicate and impart to others the streames of wisdome and knowledge to saluation and distribute the gifts of grace and the holie Sacraments and of whome it is written In Churches blesse yee God our Lord of the Isa 12. fountaines of Israell and in another place You shall draw waters in ioy out of the Sauiours fountaines Seas and Riuers blesse yee our Lord There is one great sea called the Ocean and diuers other particular seas as it were armes of the saied great sea From the sea ' as from the first fountaine or head all Riuers issue according to that of Ecclesiastes All riuers enter into the sea and the Eccl. 1. sea ouerfloweth not to the place whence riuers issue forth they doe returne that they muie flow againe By the sea is sometymes expressed the inquietude restlesnesse bitternesse and commotion of this world to witt of secular men according to that of the Prophet Isaie The impious are as it were Psa 57. the raging sea which cannot be quiet Sometimes alsoe by the sea are designed the hearts of penitents mouing themselues with bitternesse and the waues of internall compunction By the riuers are signified the copious gifts of grace according to that of our Sauiour He that Ioh. 7. beleeueth in me out of his belly shall flow riuers of liuing waters and sometymes the excesse of tribulations according to that of Psal 92. the Psalmist The riuers haue lifted vp their waues about the voices of many waters VVhales and all things that moue in the waters blesse yee our Lord. These are the principall ornaments of the element of water and what mortall man is able to explicate the variety profit strength and other properties of the fishes of the sea Verily if we attend to what is written by Philosophers concerning the Whale we shall find an ample subiect of the Creators praise By that our Sauiour speaking to S. Peter and S. Andrew Mat 4. saied Come yee after mee and I will make you to bee fishers of men it should seeme that by fishes are vnderstood men in such sort that by the VVhale are designed the great powerfull men and by the other creatures mouing in the waters are signified the lesser simpler sort of people all regenerated by the waters of Baptisme receiuing thereby infused vertues and life of grace Blesse our Lord all yee foules of heauen to witt of the aire where birds flie Who can worthily admire the wisdome perfection and Maiesty of God in the diuersity sweet modulation swift motion and other proprieties of birds By them are sometymes signified proud men raysing themselues vnto the height of vanity and diuells flying in the aire of whome our Sauiour saied The fowles of the aire did eate Luc. 8. it that is did take away the seed of the word of God Yet in this place by the fowles of the aire some doe vnderstand Contemplatiues eleuated aloft by the wings of Praier and Meditation vnto whome maie fitly be applied that of the Psalmist VVho will giue me the wings of Psal 54. à doue and I will fly and rest and that of the Prophet Isaie VVho are these that Isa 60. fly as clowds and as doues to their windowes and againe in another place They that hope in our Lord shall change their Isai 40 strength They shall take wings as Eagies they shall runne and labour they shall walke and not faint All beasts and cattell blesse yee our Lord. In these alsoe the magnificence of the most high artificer is vnspeakably commended who to declare his singular wisdome in these his effects doth speake many things of them to his seruant Iob. S. Augustine affirmeth that those creatures which haue the least of quantity haue the most admiration for we more admire the workes of the Ante and Bees theÌ„ the vast bodies of other beasts Hugh alsoe of S. Victor conformably speaking saieth That the creatures which we admire for their littlâ—nes are soe artificially and wisely formed that we can scarce discerne whether we ought rather to admire the tushes of the Bore or the wings of the Moath the wings of the Griffon or of the Gnat the head of à Horse or of à Locust the thigh of an Elephant or of an Eagle c. For in these small bodies God almighty hath soe fully distributed all manner of lineaments sutable to their seuerall natures that nothing seemeth to bee wanting to them which nature hath formed in the greatest By beasts and cattell are signified men following sensuality who are inuited to blesse our Lord in that he hath soe gratiously spared them and with such pacience expected their amendment These
parts of the world according to that of Genesis In the beginning Gen 1. God created heauen and earth Heauen is the seate of the Angels and therefore he beginneth with Praise our Lord from the Heauens and referreth to it all superiour things and the earth is the seate of men and therefore he addeth in the 7. verse Praise our Lord from the earth referring vnto it all inferiour things The exposition of the Psalme PRaise yee our Lord from the Heauens praise yee him in the high places Praise yee him all his Angells praise yee him all his hostes S. Augustine well noteth vpon this place that the Prophet doth not by these words commaund the Angells to praise our Lord or exhort them to praise him as though they were slacke and remisse in this happy office or did euer cease or desist from praising him for as S. Iohn affirmeth The Apocalip 4. Psal 83. fower beasts had noe rest daie and night saying holy holy holy Lord God omnipotent and the Psalmist saieth Blessed are they that dwell in thy howse ô Lord for euer-and euer they shall praise thee But he doth hereby congratulate them in this their praising God like as we are accustomed to congratulate those whome wee see doing some worke with ioy wherewith we are well pleased saying courage goe too my Masters or the like which words we vse vnto them not that they stand in need of our incouragement to moue them to beginne that worke but that we are delighted with that they are already in hand with Praise yee him Sunne and Moone praise yee him all Starres and light The Sunne Moone Starres and light are saied to praise our Lord when by their beautie efficacy swittnesse and other proprieties they doe induce intellectuall creatures to admire praise their Creator Praise him yee heauens of heauens to witt the greatest and highest heauens and the waters that are about the saied heauens let them praise the name of our Lord as hath been saied in the precedet Canticâ—e Because he saied intellectually within himselfe to witt in his practical vnderstaÌ„ding that they should bee created and they were made of nothing that which they now are he commaunded by his diuine will and they were created for according to the Apostle God almighty calleth those Rom. 4. things that are not as those things that are as alsoe that of Genesis And God saied Gen. 1. bee light made bee à firmament made c Soe by saving all things were created for God is the cause of all things by his vnderstanding according to that Thou Psal 103. Psal 134. hast made all things in wisdome and by his will according to that All things whatsoeuer our Lord would he hath done in heauen and earth He established them to witt the Angels Sunne Moone Starres and the heauens for euer and for euer and euer for he hath giuen them an incorruptible being Notwithstanding we beleeue that the heauens and the lights of the heauens in as much as concerneth their accidentall forme shall bee changed and renewed for the better as hath been saied in our former explications He put à precept he prefixed them à certaine forme or manner of working and it shall not passe but remaine as he hath decreed He put à precept to the Sunne that it should shine by daie and behold in soe many yeares this hath been obserued to the Moone that it should increase and decrease for thirty daies and this course hath not been altered to the Sea that it should not transcend its limits and behold the surging billowes of the Ocean come wallowing to the shore burst and returne Praise our Lord from the earth all you that any wise appertaine thereunto Yee Dragons and all depthes By Dragons are here vnderstood great fishes which some call Leuiathans or VVhales and by the depthes are vnderstood the deepe placee where such fishes remaine according to that Thou hast crushed the heads of the Dragons in Psal 73 the waters Yet some in this place by Dragons doe vnderstand great serpents rough with scales which dwell in dennes caues and hollow moist places to temper their naturall heat and doe not creepe vpon the earth but fly in the aire and doe exceed other creatures in vast quantity and horrid aspect Fire haile snow yee spirit of stormes to wit tempestious winds exciting suddaine whirl winds and stormes at Sea VVhich doe his word doe obey his diuine will performing that for which they were ordained Mountaines and little hills trees that beare fruit and all Cedars Beastes wild and vntamed and all cattell tame domesticke Serpents and fethered fowles All these the Prophet doth inuite to praise our Lord according as hath been explicated in the precedent Canticle Finally the Prophet inuiteth Man to praise our Lord for whome all things were created saying Kings of the earth all that haue independent temporall authority and absolute right to gouerne and all peoples that owe fealty homage and obedience to their lawfull Soueraignes Princes that haue absolute right to gouerne their subiects within their principalities but yet are subordinate themselues to the saied Kings in some respects and all Iudges of the earth that haue authority from Kings Princes to determine differences betweene party and party and to pronounce sentence of death in criminall causes And that he might comprehend all sorts of people of what age sexe condition soeuer he addeth Yong men and Virgins old with yong All people therefore whether they bee Kings Princes or priuate persons men or women old or yong let them praise the name of our Lord because the name of him alone is exalted that is he himselfe alone doth infinitely surpasse all things in nobility and perfection Eccles 1. Whence Ecclesiasticus saieth There is one most high Creator omnipotent and mighty King and to bee feared exceedinglâ— and Mâ—yses saieth Neither is there other God Deut. 3. either in heauen or on earth that is able to doe thy workes and to bee compared to thy strength The Coâ—fession of him aboue heauen and earth to witt His praise is song in the triumphant and militant Church His glory saieth the Prophet shall couer the heauens and the earth is full of his praise Yet in neither of them can he be praised to the full for all the tongues of men and Angells are altogether in sufficient to expresse Abacuc 3. his immense goodnesse and infinite perfection He hath exalted the horne of his people to witt the power and glory of the people of Israel electing them amongst all the generations of the earth giuing them diuine lawes written with his owne finger protecting them miraculously against the fury of their enimies and gouerning them with singular prouidence and vnspeakable loue An Hymne which is the praise of God with à spirituall song properly belongeth to all his Saints in heauen and earth for they are worthy of all praise and they praise God incessantly to the Children
note that the Iewes in reuerence of their Sabbaoth did number the daies of the weeke from that daie calling the daie immediatly following the first of the Sabbaoth and soe forth of the rest The Gentils called the daies of the weeke by the names of the Planets to wit SuÌ„nedaie Moonedaie c. but the holie Church doth call our Sabbaoth which was the first of the Sabbaoth according to the Iewish accouÌ„t our Lords daie in honour of the Resurrection of our Sauiour on that daie and the daie immediatly following the first Feria and soe forth of the rest signifying thereby that all good Christians ought euery daie to feriate that is to liue holily abstayning from sinne vaine vnnecessary imployment yet not desisting from lawfull labours The sense therefore of this title is The Psalme written by Dauid for the glorie of the Resurrection of Christ which was to bee vpon the first of the Iewish Sabbaoth when Christ rysing on that daie should haue all power giuen him in heauen and vpon earth THE ARGVMENT HOlie Dauid by this Psalme doth intend to shew how of the innumerable multitude of men onely Christ and some few few indeed I maie saie in respect of the multitude of others shall enter into the celestiall house of our Lord. And therefore least perhaps any should beleeue that the residue of mankind did not belong to God but were created by some other Principle as afterwards the Marcionists and Manichees did suppose he declareth and prooueth in the beginning of this Psalme that man and all things else whatsoeuer are our Lords as being their Creator and conseruer which being soe he admireth the inscrutable iudgements of almightie God that out of the plenitude of the earth soe small à number compared with the rest should ascend inâ—o the mount of our Lord that is into his holie Church and that euen of those all should not perseuer in his holie place and dispose themselues to receaue the benediction and the mercie from their Sauiour that is to bee made partakers by him of the merits of his death and Passion but onely such as should haue the fower conditions he there specifieth Next the Prophet addresseth himself towards the Princes of darknes commaunding them to open their gates that Christ maie enter and set free the captiue soules whose ransome he hath paied vpon the Crosse And lastly he speaketh â—o the celestiall powers to open their gates that Christ and his blessed traine and all others that shall euen vntill the end of the world take vp their Crosse and follow him maie enter and keepe an eternall Sabbaoth The exposition of the Psalme THe earth is our Lords and the fulnes thereof all things therein contained to wit men beasts all that groweth thereon or is within her bowells the round world the circumference of the earth and all that dwell therein all these are our Lords as being their Creator gouernour conseruer Because he hath founded firmely placed it the earth or round world vpon the sea vpon certaine armes of the Ocean which inuiron it Yet this is not to bee vnderstood as though the earth properly speaking were aboue the sea for the earth is the Center of the vniuerse whence it is necessarie that it bee in the middest of the world and consequently according to its naturall seate incompassed by the waters and for the greatest part in the middest of them but it is saied to bee placed aboue the sea because by the diuine prouidence it is not wholly ouerwhelmed by the waters but that part which boundeth vpon the sea and the superficies thereof is higher then the sea that creatures maie liue and feed thereon Me then saieth our Lord will Ierem. 5. v. 22. you not feare who haue set the sand à limit for the sea an euerlasting precept that shall not passe the waues thereof shall swell and shall not passe ouer it And vpon the riuers hath prepared it made it an habitation fit for men and other liuing creatures The two precedent verses as likewise the rest of this Psalme maie bee explained in à more spirituall sense as followeth The earth the Church militant remaining vpon earth producing plentifull fruit of holie conuersation is our Lords and the fulnes thereof the whole vertue grace perfection of the faithfull ought by all right to bee ascribed vnto him as being the author and giuer thereof the round world the holie Church spread through all the confines of the earth or collected of people from all the ends of the earth and all that dwell therein all the true beleeuers established in Ecclesiasticall vnitie of faith and operation All these belong to our Lord Iesus Christ who hath purchased them with his pretious bloud That he might present to himself Ephe. 5. à glorious Church not hauing spot or wrinkle Because he hath founded it vpon the Sea vpon secular men wallowing and wauering as the Sea from one vanitie and inconstancie into an other or thus He hath founded it he hath strengthned his Church vpon the Sea vpon the persecutions tribulations bitternesses and inconstances of the world Yet this is not to bee vnderstood that these before named are the bases or foundations of the Church but that Christ hath established his Church in such sort against them that although they should neuer soe much endeauour to subuert her as the vast billowes of the sea doe menace to inuolue and swallow vp the earth yet she shall subsist and neuer bee altogether ouercome by them And vpon the riuers vpon vices gliding like riuers inordinately and without ceasing from one sensuall pleasure to another but neuer satiating hath prepared it disposed the holie Church to combate against them VValking in flesh saieth the Apostle we 2. Cor. 10. warre not according to the flesh for the weapons of our warfare are not carnall but mightie to God Since therefore all things are our Lords as hath been proued VVho shall ascend into the Mount of our Lord who from the seruitude of sinne shall ascend to the obedience of the holie Church who shall forsake the world and enter into religion who from imperfection shall ascend to perfection who from this vale of teares shall ascend into the Kingdome of heauen Or who shall stand in his holie place who shall perseuer to the end in the saied mount of our Lord verily all men shall not It is true indeed that many wicked and reprobate people doe ascend into the mount of our Lord but they stand not there for that belongeth onely to them in whome are found the fower properties following The innocent of hands who hath not iniured any man by his actions and of cleane heart who hath his heart purified from the staine or guilt of sinne and affection thereunto that hath not taken his soule in vaine that hath not neglected to fulfill those things for which his soule was created and infused into the body to wit to adorne it with vertues
alsoe very many from falling into sinne poureth forth a fragrant odour in so much that whosoeuer shall piously call her to mynd shall experience himselfe sprinkled there with Of the Canticle or Hymne Te Doum laudamus THe auncient custome of recyting this Canticle or Hymne in the diuine Office maie bee proued by the Rule of our holie Father S. Benedict where he appointeth that after the fouerth Responsory to wit of the third Nocturne the Abbot doe beginne the Hymne Te Deum laudamus Concerning the originall institution of this Hymne S. Darius Bishop of Milan who liued in the tyme of Iustine the elder about the yeare of our Lord. 540. as S. Gregory affirmeth in his 3. Booke of dialogues the 4. Chap. in his Chronicles writeth as followeth By l. 1. c. 10. Chronicâ— blessed Ambrose saieth he Augustine was baptised and confirmed in the name of the holie and vndiuided Trinitie all the faithfull of the Cittie being present and beholding it at which tyme according as the holie Ghost gaue them to speake they pronounced the Hymne Te Deum Laudamus all that were present hearing seeing and admiring which hath been generally receiued and religiously sung euer since by the vniuersall Church in all ages euen vnto these our daies The Title and argument of the 92. Psalme and first in the Laudes PRaise of Canticle to Dauid himselfe in the date before the Sabbaoth when the earth was founded It seemeth tâ—at he who appointed this title was desirous that the insuing Psalme should bee sung vpon the Sixt Feria or Fryday which is the daie before the Sabbaoth because therein is declared that the earth was founded or according to some bookes inhabited Which is fitly saied to haue been done on the Sixt Feria for on that daie maÌ„ was formed who should bee Lord of the earth and by this the earth was first established which was created for man On this daie not onely man but alsoe all liuing creatures were created which inhabite the earth and therefore on this daie the earth began first to bee inhabited On the same daie alsoe by the Passion and death of Christ Iesus our Lord and Sauiour the earth was renouated and the Kingdome of Christ established the Prince of the world being cast forth All which notwithstaÌ„ding the holie Church doth appoint this Psalme to bee sung at Laudes vpon Sunday about Sunne rising or daie breake because although our Sauiour purchased his Kingdome with the price of his most pretious bloud shed for mankind on the Sixt Feria and thereby layed the foundation of the new earth yet he receiued possession of his Kingdome at his glorious resurrection early in the morning vpon Sunday at which tyme he put on beauty and strength The words of this Psalme maie bee applied both to the Creation Reparation of the world as followeth The exposition of the Psalme OVr Lord hath reigned he hath put on beautie glorie and regall Majestie Our Lord hath alsoe put on strength power and fortitude which are equally requisite to support à Kingly diademe and hath girded prepared armed and setled himselfe to reigne If these words bee referred to the Creation of the world Christ as God is saied to haue begun to reigne when he had created the world for then he first of all began to haue subiects vpon the earth ouer whome he might exercise dominion But if they bee referred to the reparation of the world Christ as man at the tyme of his Resurrection did receiue the gouernment of the Vniuerse put on the beautie of à glorified body and put on fortitude all power being giuen him in heauen and vpon earth and girded or setled himselfe earnestly to ptopagatâ— his Kingdome to the vtmost confines of the earth It is manifest that our Lord hath reigned in this sort For he hath established firmely fixed the round world as the center of the vniuerse which shall not bee moued according to that of Ecclesiastes Generation passeth and generation Eccle. 1. cometh but the earth standeth for euer Christ likewise by his dolorous passion and glorious resurrection hath founded and established the Militant Church spred through all the regioÌ„s of the earth in one faith and religion which shall not bee moued but shall perseuer in the same faith and worship vnto the end of the world for Christ shall reigne in the house of Luc. 1. Iacob for euer and of his Kingdome there shall bee noe end Thy seat ô Lord is prepared from that tyme to wit from the Creation of the world or the resurrection of Christ Yet thou didst not theÌ„ beginne to haue à being for thou according to thy diuine nature art from euerlasting from eternitie Concerning which you are to note that the word art doth not here signify the simple existence of the diuine nature but the fulnesse of his being wherein all things are contained For God was not poore or had need of any thing before he created the world neither was he more wealthy or better stored after he had created it for he created not the world that himselfe might encrease thereby but that he might communicate his goodnesse to vs therefore he created not the world as being compelled by any necessitie but as being moued thereunto by his infinite charitie and mercy and with the same charitie and mercy he hath repaired it for Soe God loued the Ioh. 3. world that he gaue his onely begotten Sonne that euery one that beleeueth in him perish not but maie haue life euerlasting The riuers ô Lord haue lifted vp the riuers haue lifted vp their voices The riuers haue lifted vp their waues aboue the voices of many waters The surges of the Sea are maâ—uâ—lous maruelous is our Lord on high If the words of these verses bee referred to the first sense they signify the manner whereby God almightie made the earth habitable that it might bee à firme seate for all liuing creatures For iâ— the beginning of the Creation the waters couered the superficies of the Vniuerse and the inundations of the waters were eleuated with à terrible motion but God who is infinitely more high more excellent and powerfull repressed their furie closed part of them in the concauities of the earth and appointed limits to the rest which they shall not transcend In the Second sense by the riuers which lifted vp their voices is vnderstood the Apostles and other principall planters of the Christian faith who being filled with the waters of life did passe through the world like vnto soe many heauenly riuers and eleuate their voices preaching the Ghospell of Christ with great freedome By the riuers which lifted vp their waues is vnderstood the Iewes who euen in the very beginning contradicted the Ghospell in all places raised persecutioÌ„ against the disciples of Christ By the surges of the Sea which are farre greater theÌ„ the waues of the riuers is vnderstood the persecutions of the Infidels other aduersaries of the