ergo amorem pro debito charitatem pro munere animum affectum Domino impendamus soluimus PSALM 89. My song shall be alway of the louing kindnesse of the Lord c. THis one short verse containes the summarie pith and k Bellarmin argument of the whole long Psalme wherein obserue the Songs dittie the louing kindnesse and truth of the Lord manifested vnto the whole world generally to Dauids house that is the Church especially Singers duty magnifying the mercies of God alwaies euen from one generation to another And by all meanes with his mouth for that is expressed in this vers with his mind for that is implied in the next I haue said c. l Geneua glosse Wilcox that is beleeued it in my heart and therefore spake it with my tongue Psalm 116.10 For out of the harts abundance the mouth speaketh Mat. 12.34 My song shall be alwaies of the louing kindnesse Or as other translations I will sing the mercies of the Lord his m Vatablus manifold and sundrie mercies as if he should say wee haue tasted of more then of one yea wee haue felt all his mercies I will therefore praise the same for euer I will sing his mercy for creating this vniuerse which is n Io. de combis compend theolog lib. 2. cap. 2. Macrocosmus a great world and for making man which is Microcosmus a little world 1. My song shall set forth his kindnesse for that he gaue me being 2. For adding to my being life which he denieth vnto stones 3. To life sense which hee denieth vnto plants 4. To sense speech and vnderstanding which he denieth vnto bruit beasts I haue great cause to praise the Lord for that I am a man and yet greater for that I am a sound man hauing a due portion of wit and a true proportion of limbs and lineaments maimed neither in the powers of my soule nor in the parts of my body Some men are like the carued images of Pagans and Papists o Psal 135.16 hauing mouthes and speak not eyes and see not eares and heare not feete and walke not hands and handle not I will therfore sing of thy mercies O Lord for giuing vnto me perfect limbes and perfect vse therof eyes to see tongue to speake eares to heare feet to walke I do not want so much as the left hand or the little finger of that hand or the least ioynt of that finger Againe some men are maimed in their minds as being either borne starke fooles O heauie punishment or else for abusing their good wits in bad workes are by Gods secret and seuere iudgement bereft of their intellectuals Some which haue heretofore worshipped Christ at Bethlem haue preached also Christ vnto the King and his Court in Bethel are now lunaticke bound hand and foote in Bedlem p Fatius de mortificatione cap. 2 In nature the middle participates euer with his extreames as the spring which is the middle betweene winter and summer hath as you know part of the winters cold and part of the summers heate and the morning which is the middle betweene night and day hath a little darknesse of the night and a little light of the day so man is created by God tanquam medius inter angelum brutū a middling betweene an Angell and a brute being a good deale better then a beast and a little q Psalm 8.5 lower then an Angell Hauing in respect of his body somthing of a bruit being sensuall and mortall and in respect of his soule somthing of an Angell as being intellectuall and immortall Now then if the spring haue not any heate of summer it is so cold as winter and if the morning haue no light of the Sunne it is so darke as night so man if he want angelicall abilities of the soule is little better then a beast as r Psalm 32.10 horse and mule without vnderstanding for as ſ Orat. de Dione Synesius said A wise man excels a foole more then a foole doth excel a beast As God is principium effectiuum in creatione so refectiuum in redemptione I am exceeding much bound vnto God for creating me when I was not and for preseruing me vnder his wings euer since I was yet I am more bound to his mercy for redeeming me for blessing mee with all spirituall blessings in heauenly things in Christ his Sonne Ephes 1.3 for his electing of me for his calling of me for his iustifying of me for his sanctifying of me These graces are the t Ephes 2.4 3.16 riches of his goodnesse and glory u Bellarmin misericordiae in aeternum euerlasting mercies as reaching from x Bernard ser 2. in ascen Dom. euerlasting predestination to euerlasting glorification O Lord I will alway sing thy mercies in promising and euer shew thy truth in performing thy promise made to Dauid thy chosen seruant concerning thy sonne my Sauiour saying thy seed will I stablish for euer So the y Hierom. Turrecremat Fathers expound our text I will euer sing thy mercies in vouchsafing to send thy sonne to visit thy seruants sicke to death in sinne First I will euer sing of thy mercifulnesse and then I will euer bee shewing thy faithfulnesse z Augustin Neque enim exhiberetur veritas in impletione promissorum nisi praecederet misericordia in remissione peccatorum And what is Gods mercy set vp for euer and his truth established in the heauens but that which a Esay 55.3 Esay termes the sure mercies of Dauid that is as b Act. 13.34 Paul construeth Esay the holy promises made to Dauid and the promise made to Dauid is briefly this thy seed will I stablish for euer and set vp thy throne from generation to generation For the Prophet Ethan here doth c August de ciuit dei lib. 17. cap. 9. Idem Euthym. Tileman in loc allude to the Prophet Nathan 2. Sam. 7. I will saith he from the Lord vnto Dauid set vp thy seed after thee and I will stablish the throne of his kingdome for euer Now this holy promise was not fulfilled in the temporall kingdome of Dauid as Gods people complaine in this Psalme from the 37. to the 45. verse It is therefore to bee construed of Christ and his spirituall kingdome Christ according to the flesh is the d Rom. 1.3 seed of Dauid and the e Mat. 1.1 sonne of Dauid of him it is true which is said heere by the Lord My couenant will I not breake nor alter the thing that is gone out of my lips I haue sworne once by my holinesse that I will not faile Dauid His seed shall endure for euer and his seat is like as the Sunne before me He shal stand fast for euermore as the Moone and as the faithfull witnesse in heauen Of him it is true f Psal 45.7 Heb. 1.8 thy throne is for euer and euer Of him it is
is to sit on Dauids seate shall I set vpon thy seate The Lord hath made a faithfull oath Men vse to sweare by him that is greater then themselues Hebr. 6.16 that is by God and that for t Caluin Maâ—lorat in Heb. 6.16 three causes especially 1. Because God is greater then themselues in credit 2. Greater then themselues in knowledge 3. Greater then themselues in power Men by sinne haue lost their credit and therefore doe they pawne the credit of God which is truth it selfe and in cases of necessity for want of other sufficient proofe God is content to pledge his truth for honest men who meane well All men are by nature u Psal 116.10 Psalm 62.9 lyars and x Mark 10.18 onely God is good and true wherefore men vse to sweare by him as being greater in y Primasius Lombard in Heb. 6. credit 2. An oath is for the manifestation of a secret truth or intention of the heart for to sweare in things apparant is to take the name of God in vaine But God alone is the searcher of the z 2. Chron. 6.30 heart and a Psalm 7.10 reines and therefore men vse to sweare by him as greater in b See Thomas 22 a. quaest 89. art 1. knowledge 3. If a man violate his oath and forsweare himselfe the wrong is done directly vnto God his truth is falsified his witnesse abused his name blasphemed and therfore men sweare by him as being greater in power c 2. King 2.23 that he may take vengeance on such wretches as dare wrong his sacred Maiesty But God as hauing none greater to sweare by sware by himselfe to father d Gen. 22.16.18 Abraham in thy seed all the nations of the earth shall be blessed This oath is renued againe to Isaac Gen. 26.3 and repeated often vnto Dauid 2. Sam. 7.12.13 and 1. Chron. 17.12 and 2. Chron. 6.16 and remembred also by the Prophets Esay 55.3 Psalm 89.34 It was in him exceeding rich mercy to giue his bare word that he would in the fulnesse of time giue his only begotten Sonne for the redemption of the world saying the seed of the woman shall breake the serpents head but it was vndoubtedly greater mercy for his seruants better assurance to bind his promise with a faithfull oath swearing by his holinesse that hee will not shrinke from it See my notes vpon Psalme 110. vers 4. Of thy fruit of thy body Saint Peter expounds this of Christ Act. 2.30 for according to the flesh hee was the seed and sonne of Dauid e Lib. 3. cap. 27. Irenaeus and f In loc Augustine and g Hugo in loc other Doctours note that it is according to the Hebrew de fructu ventris of the fruit of thy belly not de fructu femoris aut renum Because thy promised seed is the seed of the woman Genes 3.15 made of a woman Gal. 4.4 hauing the materials of his body from his mother Mary but his formale principium from God the holy Ghost agent in his admirable conception And yet for as much as Mary was of Dauids house it may bee said that her sonne was the fruit of Dauids body For proofe whereof it is said that h Gen. 47.29 Ioseph put his hand vnder Iacobs thigh and the seruant of i Gen. 24.2 Abraham vnder the thigh of his master because saith k De Abra. Patriar lib. 1. cap. 9. Ambrose Christ our blessed Sauiour was to proceed out of the loynes of Abraham Isaac and Iacob For as Christians taking an oath in our time lay their hands vpon some part of that sacred book wherein Christ is reuealed so the Fathers in old time put their hands vnder the thighes of those Patriarches of whom Christ was then to come Moreouer Sonnes are called the fruit of the fathers venter as well as of the mothers according to that of Dauid 2. Sam. 16.11 Behold my sonne which came out of mine owne bowels seeketh my life Shall I set vpon thy seate You haue heard how Christ is the seed of Dauid now let vs examine how he sits on the seate of Dauid Wee reade in the Gospels history that hee l Ioh. 6.15 hid himselfe in a mountaine when as the people would haue made him a King and that hee professed openly before Pilate m Ioh. 18.36 my kingdome is not of this world n D. Incognitus Answere is made that by Dauids seate is meant Hierusalem o Galath 4.26 aboue not Hierusalem here below mysticall Hierusalem and p Apoc. 21.2 heauenly not materiall and earthly So the Lord Psalm 2.6 I haue set my King vpon mine holy hill of Sion that is I haue made my begotten sonne ruler and head ouer the whole Church of which Hierusalem is a figure Sion and the seate of Dauid are to bee construed here typically not topically For Christs high and holy kingdome is internall and spirituall not exaernall and temporall q Augustin Theophylact. in Ioan. 18. See Recognit Bellarmin à pag. 26. ad pag. 46. It is hîc not hinc in the world but not of the world By the preaching of his word which is the scepter of his kingdome hee rules in the r Psal 110.1.2 middest of his enemies and makes them all his foot-stoole conuerting such enemies as appertaine to Gods election and confounding such enemies as are the sons of perdition his Gospell is vnto the one the Å¿ 2. Cor. 2.16 sauour of life vnto life and to the other the sauour of death vnto death See my notes vpon the 110. Psalme 2. and third vers t See August in tract 115. in Joan. As his kingdome is not of the world so the faithfull his voluntarie subiects are not of the world Ioh. 17.16 you were of the world saith our Sauiour to his followers but I haue chosen you out of the world Ioh. 15.19 As his kingdome is spirituall euen so they bee u Rom. 8.14 led by the spirit in x Ioh. 2.27 all things And therefore when you come into Gods house to be made partakers of his holy word and Sacraments open the doores of your eares and gates of your hearts that the y Psal 24.7 King of glory may come in and so dwell in you and raigne in you for euermore Behold hee standeth at the doore and knocketh Apoc. 3.20 Open and obey that hee may set vp his kingdome in the parlour of thine heart It is our daily prayer thy kingdome come the meaning whereof is briefly this O heauenly father let not Satan and sinne raigne in our soules but rule thou by thy word and spirit and so build in vs the kingdome of grace and hasten the kingdome of glory The difference betweene our heauenly King and earthly Princes is great 1. Their dominions are limited and the borders of their kingdomes bounded their people numbred the time of their raigne prescribed But Christ hath
malo omni exitio peior z Brunuica faem Britanica apud Zephilin in vita Neronis A woman of a manly spirit said as much Honestius est mortem occumbere quà m capita tributaria circumferre The younger a Reusnerus in Symbol Iustine vsed this apophthegme for his Motto Libertas res inaestimabilis and b Epist 76. Seneca to the same purpose for a man to be his owne man is an inualuable treasure The resolution of our countrey-men to VVilliam the Conquerour is renowned in English historie Kentish men must haue libertie Kentish men will haue libertie c Lambert perambulation of Kent pag. 14. There was neuer any bondmen or villaines in Kent The d Apud Holinshed hist of Scotland pag. 204. prouerbialest vttered reason as well as rime Dico tibi verum libertas optima rerum Nunquam seruili sub nexu viuito fili But bondage is more grieuous and insupportable when it is in a sorreine land as this of Iacobs house was in Egypt The stranger is sad in heart though at libertie wherefore God inioyned his owne people not to e Exod. 22.21 Leuit. 19.33 grieue the stranger considering they themselues were sometime strangers in the land of Egypt The condition of the stranger is to bee pitied as that of the fatherlesse and widow Ierem. 7.6 Oppresse not the stranger the fatherlesse and the widow Zach. 7.10 Oppresse not the widow nor the fatherles nor the stranger nor the poore And when vncharitable men vnconscionably vex thē almightie God takes their cause into his owne hands Psal 146.9 The Lord careth for the strangers hee defendeth the fatherlesse and widow he will maintaine their cause and spoyle the soule of those that spoyle them Prou. 22.23 A man at home being in durance hath among his owne some mediatours or meanes for his deliuerance but an aliant in thraldome for the most part is helplesse if not hopelesse f Psal 137. By the waters of Babylon say Gods people we sat downe and wept when we remembred Sion as for our merrie harpes wee hanged them vp vpon the trees for how should wee sing the Lords song in a strange land We must ascend yet one step higher Israel was oppressed not by strangers only but also by such strangers as were g Placidus Genebrard Beza Paraphras cruell as h Chaldea Septuagint Hierome Munster Castalio Geneua other translations a barbarous people barbarous both in their vsage and language Concerning their tyrannous behauiour towards Gods Israel it is reported by Moses Exod. 1.14 that they made them wearie of their liues by sore labour in morter and bricke and in all worke in the field with all manner of bondage which they laid vpon them most cruelly Moreouer the King of Egypt commanded the Midwiues of the Hebrew women to kill euery man-child in the very birth And because the Midwiues fearing the Lord which is the Father of mercie would not execute that bloodie designe Pharao charged his owne people saying euery male-childe that is borne cast into the riuer Yea but how was Egypt a barbarous nation in language being highly renowned in historie for knowledge and S. Stephen Acts 7.22 recordeth it as a remarkable commendation in Moses that hee was learned in all the wisedome of the Egyptians Answere is made by i Agellius Bellarmine Genebrard some that they were called barbarous as speaking k Aquila apud Agellium another tongue or a strange language which Israel vnderstood not according to that of Paul 1. Cor. 14.11 Except I know the meaning of the voyce I shall be to him that speaketh a barbarian and he likewise that speaketh a barbarian vnto me But l Tileman other in my iudgement better affirme that they were barbarous as being a most idolatrous people notwithstanding all their humane learning ignorant in the knowledge concerning the worship of the true God adoring the creatures in stead of the Creator Barbarous as not speaking the m Esay 19.18 language of Canaan as not vnderstanding the n 1. Tim. 3.16 mysteries of godlinesse So profound Plato learned Aristotle wittie Plutarch eloquent Demosthenes were barbarians vnto the house of Iacob as being vnacquainted with Gods feare which is the beginning of wisedome This of the perill out of which Israel was deliuered it followeth in the next place that I shew the manner of their deliuerance brought to passe by Gods o Deut. 5.15 mightie hand and outstretched arme working a world of wonders in Egypt and in the wildernesse for their safe conduct into the land of promise All which are registred at large by Moses in the second booke of his historie called in p Dio. Carthus Vatablus Sa. this respect by the Grecians Exodus as principally treating of Israels wonderfull egresse from out of Egypt and progresse in the wildernesse Two sorts of miracles are remembred in this Hymne the first vpon the waters The sea saw that and fled c. The second vpon the land The mountaines skipped like rammes c. The sea saw that and fled q Exod. 14.21 That is the red sea seeing Gods people comming toward it and desirous to passe thorough it at the presence of the Lord runned backe all the night and was diuided so that the children of Israel went thorow the middest of the sea vpon the drie land r Wisd 19.7 the great deepe became a greene field and the waters were a wall vnto them on their right hand and on their left hand Some scoffing Atheists haue giuen out that the sea fled not by miracle but by a course meere naturall affirming that Gods people watched their opportunitie when the sea was at an ebbe and so passed thorow the middest of it on drie foote This impudent assertion is notably confuted by iudicious ſ Exercitat 52. Scaliger prouing it an egregious paradox contradicting not only the principles of Diuinitie but also the rules of reason and grounds of Philosophie The text saith expressely that the sea was diuided but t Haeres 64. Epiphanius and the u Apud Genebrard Iacob de Valent. in loc Idem Dr. Incognit in Psal 105. Rabbins auow further that it was parted into twelue paths according to the number of the twelue tribes of Israel euery troope hauing a seuerall as it were to march in But when their enemies followed them into the middest of the sea the waters returned and couered the chariots and horsemen euen all the hoste of Pharao that entred after them into the sea there remained not one of them and so the Lord saued Israel out of the hand of the Egyptians and Israel saw the Egyptians dead vpon the sea banke Exod. 14.28.30 When Israel vpon the sight of Pharaohs innumerable hoste were sore afraid and cried vnto the Lord and said vnto Moses Hast thou brought vs to dye in the wildernes because there was no graues in Egypt Moses answered the people Feare ye not stand still and
passages as they follow the chase And therefore hee shall lift vp his head as hauing a full victorie to his aduancement and exceeding glorie for so this manner of speech is vsed Gen. 40.13.20 PSALME 132. Lord remember Dauid and all his troubles c. THis hymne consists of two parts a Prayer for the Prince Priests people with a commemoratiō of their zeale to Gods holie worship and seruice from the 1. to the 11. verse Promise made by God particularly to Dauid and his seede as also generally to the whole Church as the ground of the prayer from vers 11. to the Psalmes end The penner of this Psalme prayes for the y Bucer Wilcox King first as the chiefe Lord remember Dauid And then afterward for his state both z Luther Mollerus Strigellius Ecclesiasticall and Ciuill the Church and Common-weale The Church Arise O Lord into thy resting place that is thy Temple let thy Priests bee clothed with righteousnes The a Tileman Common-weale Let thy Saints sing with ioyfulnes c. The which is answerable to the Suffrages in our Liturgie Indue thy Ministers with righteousnes and make thy chosen people ioyfull And happily the Church of England aimed at this Prayers order in the composition of the Letanie where praying more particularly wee beseech God in the first place to blesse our most gracious King and gouernour In the next to blesse the whole Clergie Bishops Pastors and Ministers and then all degrees of the Laitie superiours as the Counsell Nobilitie Magistrates and inferiours all the people Satan is called by b Iohn 8.44 Christ a lyar and a murtherer from the beginning euer busily labouring to destroy both our soule with vntruths and our bodies with murthers c Luther in loc Against these two policies and kingdomes of the Diuell almightie God hath erected other two kingdomes the politike state to fight against murthers and the Priesthood to fight against false doctrine and heresies So that Dauid and all other Kings in gouerning the Common-wealth ought to performe their best endeuours that their subiects may leade a d 2. Tim. 2.2 quiet and a godly life Quiet as being free from mutinies and murthers godly as being free from heresies and lyes And these two kingdomes although they be farre vnlike are so ioyned together that the one cannot stand without the other For where politike peace is wanting there pietie cannot bee maintained without great danger and where the word of God is wanting there can bee no sound and secure peace Policie serueth the Church and the Church preserueth policie The Priests and Preachers are said in the 17. verse of this Psalme to be deckt with saluation that is the ministration of the word whereby they e 1. Tim. 4.16 saue themselues and those that heare them And in this respect called f Caluin Ribera Vatablus in Obad. sauiours Obadiah 21. as being helpers and labourers together with God who saueth 1. Cor. 3.9 But that part of this Hymne concerning the promise concerneth our present feast especially The Lord hath made a faithfull oath vnto Dauid c. The Papists in the first verse Lord remember Dauid with all his afflictions and in the tenth verse for thy seruant Dauids sake turne not away the presence of thine annoynted dreame that Salomon and the people did pray to God that he would heare them at Dauids intercession and for his merits and thereupon establish inuocation of Saints and praying to the dead But our g Luther Mollerus Caluin Tileman Strigellius Diuines answere that Dauid is not here to bee taken absolutely for his person onely but as hauing the couenant and clothed as it were with the promises of God For Dauid neuer entreated God to be heard for his owne merits but on the contrary crieth h Psal 143.2 Enter not into iudgement with thy seruant for in thy sight shall no man liuing be iustified Neither did the Church here desire to be heard for Dauids sake but for the promise made to Dauid And their meaning is briefly this O Lord God we pray vnto thee for the kingdome not counting our selues in any sort worthie that we should be heard but as i Dan. 9.18 Daniel speakes we present our supplications before thee trusting in thy great and tender mercies and in that thou hast promised to Dauid to wit that our kingdome shall endure for euer So Moses prayed k Bxod. 32.13 Deut. 9.27 Remember Abraham Isaac and Israel thy seruants to whom thou swarest by thine owne selfe He doth not inuocate Abraham Isaac and Iacob as the Papists imagine fondly but hee doth alleage Gods holy couenant made to them as touching their seed and posteritie For how could God be put in minde of these promises better then by reciting those persons to whom God hath made thē Here then is a notable president for vs that when we pray we should appeare before the seate of God as wretched and miserable sinners not trusting vpon our owne merit but clothed as you would say with his mercie not as he who bragged l Luke 18.12 I fast twice in the weeke I giue tithe of all that euer I possesse but as he who said Lord remember thy promises for the promises of God are nothing else but mercies and compassions offered freely vnto vs in Christ Faith is necessarily required in prayer for m Rom. 10.14 how shall any call on him in whō they haue not beleeued and faith is grounded euer vpon the sure promises of God who saith n Exod. 20.5 I am the Lord thy God and so loued the world that he gaue his o Iohn 3.16 only begotten sonne in p Matth. 3.17 whom he is well pleased If then hee giueth himselfe to be our owne and his sonne to be our owne how shall hee not with himselfe and his sonne q Rom. 8.32 giue vs all things also Verily verily saith our blessed Sauiour that euer spake veritie whatsoeuer ye shall aske the Father in my name he will giue it you Ioh. 16.23 These things ought to be taught diligently because Gods holie promises are the r Luther in loc chiefe part of the Scripture the true bosome and wombe wherein the Church is carried and all her children the faithfull Now the promise mentioned here touching the seed of Dauid is categoricall and absolute so farre forth as it concernes Christ of the fruit of thy body will I set vpon thy seat for euermore But as it concernes other of Dauids house ſ Placidus Luther Mollerus Genebrard hypothetical and conditional if thy children will keepe my couenant c. In that which is promised and prophecied touching Christ obserue The Manner of the promise the Lord hath made a faithfull oath vnto Dauid and he shall not shrinke from it vers 11. The matter of the promise 1. That the Messias is to bee borne of Dauids seed of the fruit of thy body 2. That the Messias