salt of the earth purity of doctrine and the vnity of the teachers Examples of hurtful emulation euen in the ancient Bishops of the Church Discord arising felse brethren Why the Apostles and good Bishops are called Kings with their hoasts Verses 4. 5. 6 Teachers of the Gospell compared vnto doues for the diuersity of their gifts The vocation or calling of the Minister The 3. effects of the Gospell Iohn 12. 35. The 2. effect of the Gospell The 3. effect of the Gospell The exceeding great traine of Christ our triumphant king The saying of Athanasius against Arius of the ascension of Christ The deliuerance of the captiues The captiuing of the enemies and the spoiling of them A comfort vnto the Church burdened with the crosse A prophecie touching the destruction of the Iewish nation The sweete ioies of this triumph A thankesgiuing of the church for the victory by Christ obtained The order of the Apostles marching as Princes in the tryumph of Christ The stability and felicity of Christs church kingdom Dauids prophecie of kings and princes which shuld be patrones of the Church Dauid denouÌ„sceth a downfal and destructioÌ„ of Antichrist and his cruel bloody beastly warriours Dauid reciteth a prophecie touching the calling of the Gentiles to the church of God The Epilogue or conclusion of this Psalme is a general exhortation vnto thanksgiuing for manifold benefites * Of Shoshanim reade Psal 45. A threefolde Meditation of this Psalme The instructiue meditatioÌ„ The saying of Hippocrates The saying of Clement B. of Alexandria Pontanus The spiritual meditation of this Psalme The exemplary meditation The first part of this Psalme is a praier to the 31. verse Senecas verses of Hercules Christ bare vpon him the burthen of all our sinnes Preachers oftimes very vnthankfully delt with of those whom they haue best deserued of Examples of the heathen most vertuous persons Aristotles saying of iustice The godlie zeale which Dauid had for the aduancement of Gods glory Vrigils verse Scipios zeale for his country The seruent zeale of our sauiour Christ for our saluation S. Augustines saying touching a good conscience a good name The blind affection of man Christ is y e gate and the tower altar of refuge for vs to runne vnto with harty and humble praier Iosephs praier Daniels Praier It is Gods commandement and will that we should pray vnto him and his promise is assured performance The last act of Christs passion The 2. part of this Psalme containing a curse against the enemies of Christ Fiue degrees of punishmeÌ„ts inflicted vpon the Iewes and wherefore The 3. and last part of this Psalme containing a thanksgiuing by Dauid or rather by Christ and the maner thereof in 3. degrees The blessings lost by Adam are in and by Christ restored vnto vs. Gratiae priuatiur positiuae The diuers Epithites of our iustification by Christ A conclusion Exhortation The effects of this Psalme are touching faith and the force thereof mightily shaken by three meanes Iobs patience in his calamities Matth. 7. 7. 8 The effect of an oath The effect of prayer Dauid praieth for defence froÌ„ God in a good cause and for the destruction of his enemies We must pray to God to cut off the Pope and Turke the 2 strong arms of Antichrist A debasing of mans self conceit in his own nature A description of the 3. ages of the world The diuel stirs vp tyrants and heritikes in the last olde age of the world most wickedly weakning the state thereof Two effects of this Psalme The righteousnes of God in the law His righteousnes in y e gospel D. Martin Luthers saying vpon the first verse of this Psalme Tyrants trusting in mans helpe are desperately deceiued The Church sore charged and burdened with the crosse When good men are vnjustly slaundered it behooueth them to hold fast the consolations left them in the word of God against vnrighteous iudgements A principall proposition of this Psalme consisting in a Prayer and a Promise The Church in her old age thankfull vnto God A prayer for the Church in her old age The great mercy of God aboue mans merit The restoring of the church in the latter daies comparable to the deliuerances by God in former ages 1 Kinges 10 1 Kâ—ngs 12 2 〈◊〉 13 40 The church in the latter age shal at length descry and attaine vnto the port of life euerlasting The effects of this Psalme with a refutation of the Iewes contrary opinion in two points The vayne dreames of the Iewes This Psalme discerneth Christ the sauior from all other souerainty for euer The predictions of the prophets touching Christs suffering for mans saluation The excellencie of Dauids art oratoricall in compiling in 4. poynts The sentence of Saint Augustine cited by Prosperus Our excellent benefits by Christ our Sauiour A diuerse vse of the worde iudgement Dauids verse interpreted touching the first second comming of Christ the chiefe Iudge The peaceable estate of the Chucrch The maner of Chirsts kingdome governed by his iustice iudgement How Christ the Sauiour is to be honored in his kingdom The application of Daulds verse first to Gedeons and secondly to Christ his victorie Righteousnes and peace two effects of christ his kingdome A great difference between the bounds of Christs kingdom and the kingdoms of earthly Princes namely is sixe points Of kings and Queenes the nursing fathers and mothers of the Church from the beginning The great mercie of God in sending his son Christ to deliuer the distressed The application of the fable touching the viper and the palme Touching the eternail godhead of Christ and the royaltie of his euerlasting kingdome The florishing state of the Church with puritie of doctrine coÌ„cord of the Church The euerlasting renowme of Christ God and man eternal king of the faithfull and their euerlasting blessednes in and by him The myracle of myracles in the Messias Christ God man king immortall
particle must we diligently consider where he saith I paide them the things that I neuer tooke That is he hath peformed our duties for euerie bond is cancelled and made voide when the debt is paid neither is it materiall whether he that oweth the debt do pay it or an other for him Then this our Redeemer tooke quite away or rather frustrated our obligation wherein wee were bound to the curse of the lawe and euerlasting punishments because he performed for vs the dutie by vs owing to the lawe according to that saying Galat. 3. 13. Christ being made a curse for vs redeemed vs from the curse of the lawe God thou knowest simplenesse and my faultes are not hid from thee How great humilitie was that where Christ prostrating himselfe before his father did beare his wrath as if he had polluted himselfe with the most heinous sins of all men This is no Rhetoricall spéech nor vaine amplification but indeed such was the sorrow of Christ taking vpon him the wrath of God as if he himselfe had committed these our sinnes But who can at full declare the greatnesse of this humilitie Where the sonne of God yéeldeth himselfe as a guiltie person in so great and grieuous sinnes This humilitie doth Paule with excellent wordes thus describe 2. Cor. 5. 21. Him that knewe no sinne made hee sinne for vs that by him we might bee made the righteousnesse of God Most trulie said Aristotle Iustitiam esse Hespero Lucifero formosiorem Iustice is more beautifull farre then the morning or the euening starre For there is nothing better nor more excellent then the congruencie with the whole law which is a rule of righteousnesse in the will of God Contrariwise nothing is more filthie then sinne wherewith God is horriblie angrie For the Sonne of God taketh and turneth vnto himselfe this deformitie and bestoweth vpon vs his obedience that by his meanes wee might be righteous before God But the excellencie of this purpose in God can neither the eloquence of Angels nor of men sufficientlie disclose or manifest vnto vs I do therefore exhort the reader to consider the same diligently and to giue thankes vnto Christ Iesus the sonne of God for his wonderfull humilitie and seruent love towards vs. Let not them that trust in thee O Lord of hostes bee ashamed for my cause let not those that seeke thee be confounded through me O Lord God of Israel And why for thy sake haue I suffered reproofe shame hath couered my face The sonne of God in this verse applyeth his sacrifice vnto the Church for it belongeth unto the Priests dutie not onelie to offer some thing but he must haue therwith a mind to pray for him touching whom the sacrifice is made and testifying that for his sake he performeth this obedience Therefore that these wordes in this place and in the 17. cap. ver 19 of S. Iohn are recited by Christ the son of God we are faithfullite to remember I saith he do sanctifie my selfe for them that euen they also might be sanctified in the truth Againe vers 9. I pray not for them onelie but for all those which shall beleeue in me for my wordesake Here doth Christ openlie affirme that his sacrifice is effectuall not onlie for his Apostles but for all them that embrace the gospell But this application must we firmelie take holde vpon by faith and wee must beleeue that the fruite of this sacrifice perteineth vnto vs and that by meanes of this sacrifice the wrath of god is vnfainedlie pacified towardes vs yea that we are receiued into gods fauour heard and saued by him Therefore saith Paule Rom. 3. 34. We are freely iustified by his grace through the redemption which is in Christ Iesus whom God hath ordained our propitiator or mercifull Sauiour by faith in his blood So saith he is he thy mercifull Sauiour when thou beleeuest that by means of his sonne Christes death god is pacified with thee This doctrine of application let vs for euer and with speciall care remember I am become a stranger vnto my brethren euen an aliant vnto my Mothers children For the zeale of thine house hath euen eaten mee and the rebukes of them that rebuked thee are fallen vpon mee The worde zeale signifieth a displeasure in vs driuing awaie the iniurie from that which we loue or striuing that the person whom we loue be not taken awaie form vs As when Sampsons wife was taken from him euen he a man of most mightie courage conceiued great sorrowe and displeasure that for the loue he bare to his wife he woulde either plague and scourge the Philistians or else haue her to him home againe Also by this zeale are manie motions or rather passions of the minde intermixed in men like as Virgill saieth Mixta est Insania luctu Euen with verie mourning mood is mixed motion mad or wood And the Poet Ouid with notable wordes describeth this mixture of affections where hee saith Cor dolet atque it a mixtus abundat amor The heart of louers sorroweth sore and loue abounds by mixture more So Scipio was in person present at thrée battles where he saine his country ouercome These ouerthrowes brought him both great sorrow and enflamed his anger to restore the ancient glorie of this countrie and to subdue or represse Annibal This great affection or rather passion did Christ feele in suffering aduersitie which he must and would needes beare to restore the glorie of his eternall father and to deliuer his Church which he loued feruentlie and knew the would not be otherwise deliuered except the himselfe should be made a sacrifice for her Therefore saith he in this 9. verse The zeale of thine house hath euen eaten me That is consumeth me in that I hasard my life for deliuerance of the congregation which I loue and to vanquish and ouercome those reproches wherewith God is agréeued which bring me great sorrow and prouoke my anger against the balsphemous person I wept and chastened selfe with fasting and that was turned to my reproofe I put on sackloth also and they iested vpon me They that sit in the gate speak against me and the drunkards make songs vpon me Well it is said by Augustine Bona conscientia mihi mea causa opus est sedbona fama opus est propter proximum I had néed in anie my cause to haue a good conscience but I haue néede of a good name by reason of my neighbor For although a guiltlesse conscience maie well scorne lying reportes so far as to the effect of the cause apperteineth because the knoweth that Truth at length wil haue y e victory ouer sclanders yet y e vertuous or noble mind is sore grieued with the lewd iudgments of men and had rather suffer great punishments in the bodie then to heare the poisonfull backbitings stickled on with popular and plawsible arguments Wherefore séeing Christ was tempted by all means as we are tempted except
of the man tooke him also with them and when they arriued at Tuneta and had openly shewed their prize they declare vnto the King a rare and memorable acte who though he were a Prince barbarous and enemy to Christianity yet merueiling and perceiuing the vertue of the man did set him and his wife both at liberty and commaunded them to bee registred as of the number of those which were the guard of his person So the sonne of God leaped from high and heauenly beatitude into the sea of our mischiefes and miseries and of free became bondman of rich poore that by his virtue and power hee might obtaine liberty for vs and coopt vs into the society of heauenlie blessings Let vs therefore be ashamed of our pride and impatience wherein we disdaine to suffer some sorrowe to profit the Church thereby The spirituall meditation of the passion of the sonne of God consisteth in Feare and in Faith Feare is to tremble with acknowledgement of Gods wrath against sinne whose speciall testimony is the death of the sonne of God For although the threatnings added vnto the Law and horrible examples of punishments and feares of conscience doe shew the iudgements of God destroying contemptuous persons yet if we looke well into this glasse of Christ crucified wee shall see a far more euident signe of Gods horrible wrath For seeing God could not be pacified with the obedience of anie creature but did decree that his Sonne should be the propitiator or attonement maker in his bloud as S. Paule saith Assuredly me must confesse that great earnest and vnspeakeable is the wrath of God against sinne And least this acknowledgement of Gods wrath should leaue in our minds the stinges or darts of seruile feare which is a sorrowe without faith and a grudging against God and a horrible fleeing from God as was in Saule and Iudas let faith take roote in vs whereby the hart is stirred vp in the acknowledgement of Gods mercie promised for his sonnes sake For seeing God hath not spared his only begotten sonne but giuen him for vs all surely it cannot otherwise be but with him also he will giue vs all thinges Therefore spirituall meditation is not only to knowe the history touching the passion and to beleeue the same but also to feele in our hart sorrowes and consolations The exemplary or imitatiue meditation of Christes passion is to follow the humility and patience of Christ as S. Peter saith 1 Pet 2 21. Christ suffered for vs leauing vs an example that wee should follow his steps And although none of vs in this our imbecility or weakenes is able to follow the example of Christ yet notwithstanding let there bee some lineaments agreeable in vs with this Image of imitating Christ ⧠The Psalme and Exposition thereof Saue me O God for the waters are come in euen vnto my soule I sticke fast in the deepe myre where no grounde is I am come into deepe waters so that the flouds runne ouer mee I am weary of crying my throate is drie my sight faileth me for waiting so long vpon my God SOme men do merueile whie the Euangelistes write That the sonne of God was grieued with sorrow and vexed in mind when he was in the Orchard seeing it seemeth a thing vnméete for a strong graue and constant person to weepe and waile and ware pale with feare of death as women vse to do For of Hercules addressing to cast himselfe into a burning fire Seneca saith thus Quis sic triumphans laet us in currustetit Victor Quis illo gentibus vultu dedit Leges tyrannus quanta paxobitium tulit Vultus petentis astra non ignes erant Who did so ioufull victor triumph make What Tyrant with such austere countenance Prescribed lawes to Nations for their state How great a peace toth' skies did him aduance No fiers they were But let vs knowe that Christ vare upon him a greater burthen then Hercules did for he was not in anguish and veration of minde for death onelie and for thinking vpon the tormenting of his bodie but he felt the wrath of God to bee turned vpon him against mine thine and all mens sinnes This féeling of Gods wrath sore vexed and grieued his most sacred breast For although euerie creature groneth and moneth when it is burthened aboue the abilitie of bearing the same yet the greatnesse of this burthen expressed in Christ not onelie teares but also drops of water and blood mingled togither which the Grecians call 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Therfore omitting disputations let vs tremble with feare in acknowledgement of Gods wrath against our sinnes and with the Prophet Isay let vs saie Surely he hath borne our infirmities and caried our sorrowes c. He was wounded for our transgressions hee was broken for our iniquities the chastisement of our peace was vpon him and with his stripes we are healed say 53. verses 4 5. They that hate me without a cause are mo then the haires of may head they that are mine enemies and would destroy me guiltlesse are mightie I paide them the things that I neuer tooke The former thrée verses contained a description of feares inwardlie in his heart This verse setteth forth his outward enemies As in truth for most part alwayes inward feares and outward fightings and hostile inuasions do méete togither But we are admonished by this saying They that hate me without cause c. that we suffer not as murtherers and theeues c. but like vnto Christians c. 1. Pet. 4. 15 16. That is for the confession of the Gospel And there is a notable ardent affect in the particle without a cause As if he had said They hated me not only as one neither guilty of sin nor hurting them but also most feruentlie coueting to do them good yéelding with great humilitie and taking vpon my selfe the punishments which they temselues deserued not séeking any reuenge but rather with great sorrow deploring or bewailing their wilfull obstinacie and destruction For this great good will and full of sorrow and lamentation for them and earnest desire to do them good do I beare this hatred Let Teachers or Preachers consider this figure and let them know that it is a common disease almost in all mankinde to be vnthankfull and let them for their great good will and great benefits suffer with patience to haue euill will hatred reproches and other mischiefes rendred them like as all Hystories are full of examples of vnthankfulnesse The Citie of Athens kept Miltiades in prison almost euen to his verie death and banished Aristides Themistocles and Cimon who had well deserued of the same Citie Finallie there is an infinite number of such whose examples maie admonish vs that we for Gods cause be carefull to do well not for reward of man and that we be not dismaid when mens indeuours and duties are not answerable to our good will and deseruings And that
thine indignation vpon them and let thy wrathfull displeasure take holde of them Let their habitation be void and no man to dwelt in their tents For they persecute him whom thou hast smitten and they â—alke howe they may vexe him whom thou hast wounded Let them fall from one wickednesse vnto another and not come into thy righteousnes Let them be wiped out of the booke of the liuing and not be written among the righteous As for me when I am poore and in heauines thy helpe O God shall lift me vp HItherto the first part of the Psalme namelie a prayer full of most sorrowfull affections is expounded Nowe followeth the second part wherein Christ reckoneth vp against the blasphemous Iewes dire and grieuous matters When we read this cursing let vs tremble with feare in all our bodie and let vs scare the wrath of God which is bent against the contempt of the Gospell for If God spare not the naturall branches how much lesse will he spare the wilde branches Rom. 11. 20. 24. 1 And the first degrée of punishments for despising the Gospel is furie and blindnes which wickedly corrupteth the natiue meaning of the worde The impudencie and sawcinesse of the Iewes of late dayes is knowne in peruerting the sayings of the Prophets As when they interpret the 9. ca. of Isay they imagine that the Prophet speaketh there of Ezechias king of Iuda With the same face do they bragginglie striue that the same Prophet in the 53 cap. preacheth not of the Messias or Sauiour that was to come but of the Iewish people So where they busie themselues vpon the ninth chapter of Daniel then peruert with their horrible ignorance and impietie the race of the kings of the Persians so as by all meanes they do but trifle out the prophecie of Daniel Finallie the vniuersall writing of the Prophets which was sometime a table furnished for this people with most wholesome meates is now by their blasphemies no other thing but a snare and offence of falling as in this 23. verse is said 2 The second degree of punishment is perpetuall thraldome and most miserable for although now and then they haue put in practise with warres to recouer their Countrey and restore their Church and policie yet by Gods prouidence being ouerthrowne they acknowledged themselues but to rol the stone with Sysiphus to play at the dice vpon a broken boord that is to be vtterly consumed with vaine contention 3 The third degree is the wrath of God which they cannot by anie meanes escape 4 The fourth degree was the most sorrowfull destruction of their gouernement and of their Temple 5 The fifth degree is that sins are punished with sinnes for they are euerie day more then other become like mad dogs howling stirring vp and heaping vp sinnes and offences 6 The sixt and last degree is the depriuing of them of the life and righteousnesse euerlasting For according to that saying of saint Iohn He that beleeueth not in the Sonne hath not life but the wrath of God resteth vpon him This plague O God vouchsafe thou to turn quite away from vs. I will praise the name of God with a song and magnifie it with thanksgiuing This also shall please the Lord better then a bullocke that hath hornes and hooffes THe thirde and last part of this Psalme is a thankesgiuing which instructeth the reader touching the abrogation of Moses ceremonies The Prophet saith here Hee will not offer vnto God the blood of Bulles and Calues but the true signification of thankfulnes wherewith God is more pleased and delighted then with the Ceremonies of Leueticall sacrifices Well do the Lawiers say Cessante ratione legis cessareipsam legem When the reason or cause of the lawe ceasseth then also ceasseth the verie law it selfe And the speciall reason or cause for which the Lord God ordained these ceremonies was that they should be tipes or figures of one onelie sacrifice taking away the sinnes of the world When this sacrifice was once offered then by good right and reason ceased the Leuiticall sacrifice But what time the Leueticall priesthood flourished the slaughter and sacrificing of beasts without faith and morall obedience pleased not God anie thing at all For it is not inough to do the workes by God commanded except they be done in such order as the wisedome of God hath ordained Nowe then it appeareth plainlie that Faith is the foundation of all worshippings according to that saying of saint Paule Rom. 14. 23. Whatsoeuer is not of faith is sinne 2 The second and next degree is morall obedience which containeth loue and other vertnes according to the commaundements 3 The third degree is the vse of ceremonies which as I said please not God except there be first a foundation laid that is a Pediator acknowledged and that remission of sinnes bee had for his sake reconciliation to God and morall obedience begun anew in the heart of man This order of workes doe manie Sermons if the prophets lay open vnto vs As Isay saieth Cap. 1. 11. I will none of your burnt offerings c. But rather vers 17. Seeke ye iudgement and relieue the oppressed c. Againe the same Isay in the 58. cap. 7. Breake thy breade vnto the hungrie c. And the prophet Micheas cap. 6. 7. Will the Lord be pleased with thousands of Rammes c Hee hath shewed thee O man what is good and what the Lorde requireth of thee surelie to doe iustly and to loue mercie and to humble thy selfe to walke with thy God ver 8. And the Prophet Zacharias sayth cap. 7. 6. When yee did eate and when yee did drinke did yee not eate for your selues and drinke for your selves Thus saith the Lord of hostes execute true iudgement and shewe mercie and compassion euerie man to his brother oppresse not the widow nor the fatherlesse the stranger nor the poore and let none of you imagine euill against his brother in your heart verses 9. and 10 c. The humble shall see this and bee glad seeke ye after God and your soule shall liue The chiefe blessings which the reasonable or sensible creature hath are Wisdome righteousnesse and ioie in God These blessings being lost by Adams transgression Christ againe by his passion and resurrection hath restored vnto vs For he died for our sinnes and rose againe for our righteousnesse that is through his obedience which he performed in suffring his death he deliuered the church from euils namely from Gods wrath the curse of the lawe sinne euerlasting death and the tyrannie of the deuill But if he had remained still in death and in the graue which was a thing impossible he had not restored those blessings vnto vs which are opposed and set against most grieuous euils To the end therfore that deliuerance should not be onelie the remoouing of euill from vs but also the placing of benefits for vs he rose againe from death the third
27. Let them curse but do thou blesse Let my enemies be confounded but let thy seruant be glad and ioyfull Isay 52. 7. Feare not ye the reproches of men Math. 5. Blessed are you when men reuile you and presecute you and say all maner of euill against you for my sake falselie vers 11. And in such conflicts let the difference betweene the true Church and of that companie bee knowne which falsely arrogateth vnto them the title of the Church when it is most assured that the enemies of the truth are not the Church of God according to these sayings Iohn 10. 27. My sheepe heare my voyce But of the enemies it is said thus Ioh. 10. 26. Ye are not of my sheep Againe Iohn 8. 44. Ye are of your father the Diuell c. Cast me not away in the time of age forsake mee not when my strength faileth me For mine enemies speake against me and they that lay waite for my soule take their counsell togither saying God hath forsaken him persecute him and take him for there is none to deliuer him The first verse is a principall proposition of this psalme which is not onelie a praier but also a promise according to the rule All praiers of the holie Ghost are promises But I pray you thinke how necessarie a prayer is this Like as in aged persons all things are more faintlie seene in them so in this old age of the world the Church is more weake fuller of wrinckles in her forehead then the hath had before time because she is not onelie grieued with infirmitie of her age but is also fore worne and wrecked with punishments which are increased by reason of her sinnes And againe the outrage of the diuels both the more ercaede because they know within a short time their iudgement draweth neare wherein their filthinesse shall be clearelie and openlie reuealed before all Angels and men Let vs therefore craue with most seruent praier that God would not cast away the remnants of the Church now in her old age because of her dotings and other blemishes but seeing he knoweth that olde age had néed to haue quietnes and rest that he would vouchsafe mercifullie to succour help and comfort his Church now in extreame olde age as he hath promised so to do Isay 46. verse 3 and 4 Heare ye me house of Iacob and all that remaine of the house of Israel which are borne of me from the wombe and brought vp of me from the birth Therefore vnto olde age I the same euen I will beare you vntill the hoare haires I haue made you I wil also beare you and I will carie you and I will deliuer you Let vs with this promise comfort our selues when in these confusions and ruines of kingdomes we being disquieted do séeke where the Church shall remaine The latter of these two verses is easilie to be vnderstood of them which do consider the hystorie or state of these daies For what sleights hath not Sathan exercised by his instruments the Tyrants and Hypocrites of our time to oppresse and extinguish the light of the refined and purified doctrine He mooueth seditions he kindleth ciuill warres he deuiseth odde formes and orders of fained reformation in religions and opinions of men hee hath troubled our congregations with vnnéedfull and vnnecessarie disputations Finallie hee hath prepared and practised all manner of meanes which might seeme to tend to the destruction of the truth But like as the foming waues dashing and mounting vpon the rocks do with their owne force fall off againe into the sea when the rocks stand firme and immooueable so the mischieuous enterprises practises of Sathan so much as to the effect of the cause appertaineth haue beene are and shall be redounding to no purpose according to these sayings of Christ our Sauiour Mat. 28. 20. Behold I am with you euen vnto the end of the worlde Againe Mat. 16. 18. The gates of hell shall not preuaile against her Furthermore Iohn 10. 28. No man shall take my sheepe out of my hands Go not sarre from me O God my God make haste to helpe me Let them be confounded and perish that are agaynst my soule let them be couered with shame and dishonour that seeke to do me euill Such perspicuitie there is in this praier that he which will expound the same with long Commentaries shall séeme to lights a Candle euen at the midday Letting passe therefore diligence vnnecessarie and needlesse in this point I come to the verses next following As for me I will pacientlie abide alway and will praise thee more and more My mouth shall dayly speake of thy righteousnesse and saluation for I know none end thereof I will go forth in the strength of the Lorde and will make mention of thy righteousnes onely Thou O God hast taught me from my youth vp vntill now therefore will I tell of thy wonderous workes The Church in her olde age promiseth vnto God for his defence and preseruation of her some recompence namelie Confession and propagation of the true doctrine And euen this is specially to be obserued that thée affirmeth she will not be the aduancer of her owne righteousnesse but of the righteousnes of God according to that saying 1. Cor. 3. 1. He that reioyceth let him reioyce in the Lord. Againe where he saith 3. Phil. 9. That I may be found in him not hauing my owne righteousnesse which is of workes but that which is from God by faith in Christ This pronounced praise as else where is often said attributeth vnto God and his sonne Christ true glorie and setteth downe firme consolation vnto our consciences and discerneth the church from other sects which maruaile at nothing but the figge leafe that is a wretched and vncleane hypocrisie of outward works And truely when I reade these verses it seemeth to me that the holie ghost fore-prophesied in them the refining or purifying of the doctrine which in this age hath beene made by the ministrie of the reuerend D. Martin Luther For which let vs bee thankfull vnto God and the same as an excellent gift and treasure of great price left vs by the power of the holie ghost faithfullie kéepe that it may passe and procéed vnto our prosteritie pure and vncorrupt without anie our default therein Forsake mee not O God in mine olde age when I am gray headed vntill I haue shewed thy strength vnto this generation and the power to them that are yet for to come The repetitions in Psalms are not vaine repetitions of the same things but signes of most feruent affects or motions of the mind For what thing is it that with greater force of mind can be craued of God then that he would not suffer the Church his spouse now in her extreame olde age almost dotage for or by reason of her manifold deformities to be either forsaken or cast out of his fauour Wherefore it is not inough that we make these prayers