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A10800
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An exposition vpon the hundred and thirtie Psalme Gathered out of some of the ancient fathers and later writers. / By Alexander Roberts Bachelour in Diuinity, and preacher of the word of God at Kings Linne in Norfolke..
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Roberts, Alexander, d. 1620.
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1610
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STC 21073; ESTC S112040
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93,874
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praier 1. King 8. 39. And the Apostles Acts. 1. 24. Secondly Inuocation is the chiefe part of his worship therefore it is only to be performed to him due by commandement call vpon me in the time of trouble and I will heare thee Psal 50. 15. and of this y Libro áe Spir. sancto cap. 12. Ambrose truly we must worship nothing but God and him onlie shalt thou serue Math. 4. 10. Thirdly he only knoweth all and hath mercy vpon all therefore in euery place he heareth the petitions of his children and will helpe them for which cause the Church addeth this as a motiue of their prayer And a reason of their hope Doubtlesse thou art our Father though Abraham be ignorant of vs and Israell know vs not yet thou O Lord art our Father and our Redeemer thy name is for euer Esay 63. 16. Ecclesiastes 9. 5. and it is a worthie saying of z De cura pro mortuis agenda lib. ad Paulinum cap. 13. 14. 15. Augustine concerning the Saints departed They doe not intermeddle either in taking knowledge of the matters or deedes of the liuing or in helping them the vnquiet life of the liuing doth not disquiet them being at rest Fourthly wee must beleeue in God alone therefore wee must pray to him alone so the Apostle reasoneth Rom. 10. 14 how shall they call vpon him on whom they haue not beleeued for none doth desire either fauour or helpe but of those in whom hee reposeth trust to obtayne his request As the blinde man in the Gospell prayeth vnto Christ to haue his eyes opened because hee was vndoubtedly resolued of his mercy and power Marke 10. 51. 52. for faith is requisite and necessary to true prayer as the cause vnto the effect for that praier only is pleasing vnto God which proceedeth from faith and that a Nazienzene proueth by this argument the holie Ghost to bee God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Oratio de Spiritu sancto Vide in eum locum Elia scholia faith which is ioyned with prayer therefore religious inuocation is due to none but to God one in essence three in persons The Father Sonne and holy Ghost in whom we doe beleeue Fiftly there is no example in all the Scripture of the Saints who haue made any prayer either petitorie for obtayning of good thinges or deprecatorie for the auoiding of euill but only to God so Iacob fearing Esau and his threatnings Gen. 32. 10. 11. Ezechias in his distresse 2. Kings 19. 15. Iehosophat 2. Chron. 20. 12. Paul 2. Cor. 12. 8. The Apostles Acts. 4. 24. Therefore for conclusion for b Hilarius this point It is sufficient that he doth heare our prayers who is in nature most mercifull in power Almightie in helping most readie and present in euery place yet will be prayed vnto of vs that he might heare and doe according to our petitions yea farre exceeding aboue that either we can aske or thinke Ephes 3. 20. * Vse From hence appeareth the error of Popish doctrine which sendeth vs c Bellar. de Ecclesia triumphaÌ„te l. 1. c 15. Concil Trid. Sess vltima quae fuit Anno 1563. Gentiletê° Lombardus l. 4. Distinct 45. vnto the dead Saints to obtaine by them all thinges necessary not as the principall authours of benefits but as secondarie Mediators and helpers with God and hath no other foundation whereupon it is builded being contrarie to the written word and vnknowne in the pure times of the Church and vnheard off for many yeares but from the peruerse imitation of the Heathen who had their chiefe God whose maiestie they fayned to be so great that he could not attend the businesse of all men or vnto whom the baser sort might haue immediate accesse and therefore had two other sorts of vnder Mediators d Eusebiê° de praeparatione Ruangelica l. 12. c. August de ciuit Dei l. 8. c. 18. in eum Viues Damones spirituall substances and Heroes soules departed who while they were aliue deserued well of men and therefore now would haue a speciall regard of them and their suits Or from the prluate surmises and opinions of men As that of e Origin in Epist ad Rom. lib. 2. Origen If the Saints separate from the bodie and are with Christ doe any thing for vs and labour in our behalfe as the Angels are ministring spirits for their sakes that be heires of saluation this is a mysterie to be laide vp among the secrets of God not committed to writing Or the wonder of miracles for when God did at the Monuments of the Martyrs worke sometimes miracles to testifie the glory into which they were taken against the contempt and reproch of the world and also to strenghthen others in their holic profession after the stormes of persecution were calmed some applied this to the making of prayers vnto them and whereas yearely especially in the day of their suffering f Dionisius Areopagit Hier arch Ecclesiast cap. 3. Epistola Ecclesie Smyrnensis apud Euseb l. 4. c. 15. their names were publikely read that the present age might be moued by their example amongst other thinges to liue godlie and die constantlie vpon this occasion while the instructers slept the enuious man sowed his tares they were afterward frequented to obtaine their g Hinc apud veteres Authores Graecos 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 pro rodemsumuntur Patronage Or h Nazianz. de laudibê° Gorgoniae 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Orat. 1. cont Iulianum de Constantino 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 de Basilio 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Hieronimus in Epitaphijs Paulae Nepoliaâ—i c. from the Rhethoricall excursions of some of the Fathers in their Sermons who had beene brought vp in the Vniuersity and schooles of Eloquence but with a clause of vncertaintie Or bastard writings layed to the charge of the Fathers which were neuer theirs and the iust sentence passed against i Vt Nazian lib. de paenitentia Cypr. vide Gratian distinct 15. c. Sanct Roman Missa Chrysost August sermones ad fratres in Eremo c. them Or from the probability of humane reason as men haue accesse to Princes and great Personages by meanes therefore so must it be with God for we so base ought not to thrust our selues into his presence but k In primum caput Epist ad Romanos S. Ambrose calleth this miseram excusationem a pittifull excuse and a non sequitur the comparison will not hold For Princes are men and know not of themselues to whom they may commit the common-wealth their power and presence and vnderstanding is limitted and they therefore must be helped by the information of others But in God there is no defects our best Spokesman vnto him is a deuout soule therefore that is a true confession of l De visitatione infirmorum lib. 1. cap. 2. Augustine Tutius iucundius loquor ad meuns Iesum
the corruption of weake flesh which in afflictions and vnder the waight and burden of the Crosse murmureth against God like Iobs wife Iob 2. 9. and intermitteth prayer as though it were to no purpose to call vpon God to appease him being displeased And in truth the holie Saints doe oftentimes finde in the extremities of trials that their temptations are not only not lessened but rather increased and more sharper when they haue made petition for deliuerance or mitigation and then euery moment of differring comfort seemeth a deniall of helpe as in Dauids complaints how long how long Psal 13. 1. 2. and some learned doe thinke that Elias did then striue with the like temptation when he said heare me O Lord O Lord heare me 1. Kings 18. 37. Such as doe feele Gods heauie hand pressing them sometimes Doctrine perswade themselues that he neither seeth their miseries nor heareth their complaints nor remembreth to shew mercy and send deliuerance So Iob 16. 17. If I crie and he answere me yet would I not beleeue that he heard my voice for hee destroyeth mee with a tempest and woundeth mee without a cause for the bitternesse of the present suffering distafleth the sweetnesse of the comfort and the whole Church of Iudah in that great desolation mentioned 2. King 25. 4. when I crie and shoute he shutteth out my prayer Lament 5. 8. and Psal 77. 8. 9. is his mercy cleane gone for euer doth his promise faile for euermore hath God forgotten to be mercifull hath he shut vp his tender mercies in displeasure And truly of all temptations this is one of the greatest therefore the Wiseman Pro. 18. 14. maketh this question which is equiualent vnto it and in effect a negation A wounded soule who can beare it is too heauie a burthen for the strongest shoulders Vnder this Cain dispaired Gen. 4. 13. And Iudas oppressed with griefe did hang himselfe Math. 27. 5. and became a dreadfull spectacle to the world Acts 1. 18. And not long since g Totam illam historiam Epistolis aliquot coÌ„plexus est Caelius Secundus Francis Spira after he had for feare denyed the truth was so deeply wounded in his conscience that he dyed in great discomfort interpreting all the sweete promises of Gods mercy against himselfe for a soule thus touched without especiall grace is skilfull in the owne accusation For the vse of this doctrine none can be more profitable Vse then to consider what medicines God hath prouided against such a wound in his word which is the soueraigne healing balme as Psal 107. 20. necessary to be knowen for oftentimes in great sicknesse and other extraordinary crosses weake and sinnefull men priuie to their owne offences and fearing the iust desert of them come to this plunge Therefore for helpe in this case first take hold of Gods generall promises of mercy as If thy sinnes be as red as Scarlet I will make them as white as wool if they were as blood they shal be as snow Esay 1. 18. Further As I liue saith the Lord I will not the death of the wicked but that he should turne from his way and liue Ezech. 33. 11. Thus God hath promised mercy and if it be not enough hath h O faelices quorum causa iurat Deus O miseros sinec iuranti eredimus Tertull. de patientia sworne it that so by two thinges immutable in which it is impossible hee should lie we might haue strong consolation Heb. 6. 18. Thus did Paul receiue comfort by applying the generall particular to himselfe and hath left an example of that heauenly Art to the faithfull for euer in that notable speech This is a true saying and worthy by all meanes to be receiued that Christ Iesus came into the world to saue sinners of whom I am the greatest notwithstanding for this cause was I receiued to mercie that Iesus Christ should first shew on i Paulus ex persecutore ChristianoruÌ„ Christi annunciator factus est vtilitas huius rei gesta haec est quanc ipse coÌ„memorat dicit enim ab hoc sibi veniam datam c. vt nemo de se desperet qui suerit magnis peccatis inuolutê° c. August serm de coÌ„uersione Pauli Vide illius insig nem de hac materid tractatum in serm 10. de bis ipsis verbis Apost Sic Tantus Deus Tantum vt da â—et filium Tantillos munduÌ„ Tales Gratis quare Dilexit me all long suffering vnto the example of them which shall in time to come beleeue in him vnto eternall life 1. Tim. 1. 15. 16. for indeed he came to seeke and to saue that which was lost Luc. 19. 10. and calleth vs with an assurance of reliefe Math. 11. 28. therefore let vs goe with boldnesse vnto the Throne of grace not doubting to obtaine fauour in the time of need Hebr. 4. 16. Secondly consider the price by which you are redeemed it is not gold or siluer but the precious blood of Iesus Christ a Lambe immaculate and without spot 1. Pet. 1. 18. whom God of especiall fauour gaue for vs and therefore the Euangelist k vttereth this with a note of admiration and wonder So God loued the world that hee gaue his only begotten Sonne that all that beleeue in him should not perish but haue life euerlasting Ioh. 3. 16. and here in appeared his loue not in that we loued him but he loued vs first and gaue himselfe a reconciliation for our sinnes 1. Iohn 4. 10. for then we were weake sinners and his enimies Rom. 5. 7. 10. hee will not lose them l Hic est feuctus orationis Christi pro crucifixoribus Luc. 23. 34. Aug. in psal 93. sanguineÌ„ queÌ„ fuderunt saeuientes biberunt credentes facti sunt sequeÌ„tes qui erant persequentes Idem de S. Stephano ser 4. Hae sunt primitiae quas Petrus Deo obsulit whom he hath so dearely bought for euen those are washed with that blood of Christ which they shed l as Acts 2. 37. and therefore euery Christian must grow to that resolution that he be perswaded that neither death nor life nor Angels nor Principalities nor Powers nor thinges present nor thinges to come nor heighth nor depth nor any other creatures shall be able to separate him from the loue of God which is in Christ Iesus our Lord. Rom. 8. 38. 39. Thirdly set before your eyes the examples of sinners whom God hath receiued into fauour as Adam resisting and laying the imputation of his transgression vpon God m 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 peccati in Deum haec vna nobiscum nata est Rhetorica himselfe The n 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Dorotheê° doctrina prima in Orthodoxographia woman whom thou gauest hath deceiued me yet vnto him neuer asking was preached the Gospell that the seede of the woman should breake the head of the Serpent Gen. 3. 15. Dauid obtaining pardon after his adulterie and murther