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
soe great Maiestie as thou art pleased to manifest vnto me by these thy wonderfull and magnificent workes I cannot conclude my song more fitly then as I begane saying O Lord our Lord how maruelous is thy name in the whole earth because c. The auncient holie Fathers grounding themselues vpon the words of S. Paul the 2. to the Hebrews and the first to the Corinthians the 15. as alsoe vpon the authoritie of our B. Sauiour himself in the 21. of S. Mathew doe applie the words of this Psalme wholly to Christ our Lord and his holie Church Wherefore I shall here vnfold the propheticall sense of this Psalme vsing as neare as I can the very self same words which I find set downe in the workes of the saied holie Fathers which are to this effect The propheticall sense of this Psalme IN this vale of teares we cannot see God for it is written Man shall not see Exo. 33. him and liue nor consequently can we come to know how admirable he is other wise then by his effects which are in two sorts that is to saie naturall and supernaturall By the first God appeared alwaies and euery where sublime for by the contemplation of his naturall effects all men might perceiue how incomprehensible à workman he was But by the second he cheefly shewed himself to be of infinite power and Maiestie in the tyme of the law of Moyses not to all the world but to some few people but in the tyme of the law of grace he hath shewed himself admirable in the whole earth in all the parts whereof he hath wrought wonderfull things and manifested to the inhabitants the hidden and secret things of his wisdome reuealing vnto them the mysterie of the Incarnation Passion Resurrection and Ascensian of Christ and other wonderfull testimonies of the Christian law and faith by all which the name of our Lord is made exceeding admirable and altogether inscrutable euen to the vtmost confines of the earth Dauid therefore foreseeing in spirit the supernaturall workes of God which were to bee wrought in the comming of Christ and manifested to the whole world stroken with admiration saied as followeth O Lord of all things and particularly Our Lord who with true Religion and due reuerence doe worship thee in faith of the Messias to come how maruelous by the future preaching of the Gospell is thy name shall thy fame and glorie be not onely in Iewry but alsoe in the whole earth in all the parts whereof thy holie Church shall bee dilated Because thy magnificence the humanitie of Christ that most noble sumptuous and magnificent worke of thyne is eleuated shall bee exalted from terrene humilitie and placed at thy right hand aboue the materiall heauens and aboue all the Angelicall or celestiall powers for then it shall bee diuulged through the world that thou hast giuen to Christ thy Sonne in his assumpted humane nature all power in heauen and vpon earth Yet soe inscrutable are thy iudgements that thou wilt not make choice of such as swell with humane learning greatnes to promulgate these thy diuine misteries neither wilt thou reueale thy perfect praise to them but out of the mouth of abiect simple and vnlearned people who not so much in regard of age as in respect of their resemblance to the propertie of children maie well bee tearmed Infants and sucklings thou hact perfected thou wilt perfect diuine praise to bee song to thyne and thy Sonnes holie name and wilt by them proclaime thy law wherein thy praise is contained And this thou wilt doe because of thy enemies to conuince the Priests of the Synagogue as alsoe the Priests of the Idoles and the professors of humane wisdome who by impugning thy new law will become thy enimies that thou maiest destroie disperse and cause to desist from their manner of religious worship the enimie the people of the Iewes who will be the prime enimies of the Messias and the reuenger the Gentils who by thy diuine ordinance shall reuenge the iniuries done by the Iewes vnto him Because I who am onely one of those Infants and sucklings as hauing been brought vp à poore simple sheep heard shall see thy heauens shall attentiuely consider those woÌ„derfull subtile workes of thyne which thou didst make with exceeding facilitie as being the workes of thy fingers the moone and starres which thou hast founded which thou hast created of nothing to stable and incorruptible being I cannot sufficiently admire what is man the whole race of men what are they or what seruice are they able to doe thee that thou who art of soe great power and Maiestie as these thy workes shew thee to bee art mindfull of him of them preuenting them with thy diuine grace and heaping innumerable benefitts vpon them without any the least merit on their part but meerely moued therevnto by thy owne immense goodnes Or the sonne not of men that is begotten of men according to the ordinary course of nature but of man borne of the Virgin Mother of God Christ our Lord who in respect of his humanitie will bee in some sort à creature what is hee That thou visitest him that thou wilt visite him assuming his humane nature to the personall vnion of thy diuine nature Verily O Lord this thou wilt doe out of thy diuine grace alone not moued thereunto by any fore goeing merits of Christ as man Thou hast minished him vdzt Christ our Lord à litle lesse then the Angels If we consider his humane nature precisely abstracting from the graces which he shall participate by such hypostaticall vnion thou wilt make him in some respects inferiour to the Angells for thou wilt make him passible and mortall but if we consider him as he shall bee in that state of vnion he shall transcend them farre in dignitie and excellencie Indeed for à small tyme during his Passion thou wilt minish him à litle lesse then them but after his Resurrection with glorie with renowne and praise worthy fame and with honour with reuerence that shall bee exhibited in token of his vertue thou hast crowned him thou wilt crowne him and adorne him on all sides and hast appointed him ouer the workes of thy hands and wilt constitute him Lord and King ouer thy creatures and giue him all power in heauen and vpon earth Thou hast subiected all things except thy self alone vnder his feete vnder his humanitie by which his diuinitie will deâ—cend vnto vs. All sheepe simple deuout soules and oxen learned Doctors and Preachers who cultiuate the hearts of the faithfull Moreouer all the beasts of the feild sinfull loose liuing people who wander vp and downe without à guide in the broad way of the pleasures of this life following their owne concupiscence The birds of the aire proud men puffed vp with the wind of vaine glorie And the fishes of the sea that walke the pathes of the sea curious worldly men who imploy their wâ—ole study in search of temporall
Israel hath erected saluation to vs and deliuered vs from our enimies To worke mercie to our Fathers to witt to the end that he might procure impart compleat felicity to the Patriarks Prophets and other iust men long since departed this life transporting them out of Limbâ— and placing them in the celestiall pallace as it is saied of Christ Thou alâ—oâ— Zacha. 9. in the bloud of thy testament hast let forth the prisoners out of the lake wherein is not water Or To worke mercie to our Fathers to witt to the end that he might mercifully fulfill what he hath foretold he will performe vnto them For this reason alsoe these words are saied because Christ assumed humane nature not moued thereunto by our iustice but of his owne immenâ—e piety as the Apostle writeth to Titus The ad TituÌ„ 9. beuigâ—â—ty and kindnesse towards man of our Sauiour God appeared not by the workes of iustice which we did but according to his mercie he hath saued vs. And to remember his holie testament to witt that by this worke of our deliuery he might shew that he was mindfull of his holie couenant and firme league which he entred into with the Patriarkes and Prophets vnto whome Christ as God promised he would bee incarnated come into the world according to that of Isaie For this cause shall my people know my name in that daie because I Isaie 52. my selfe that spake loe I am present Of this testament therefore he shewed himselfe mindfull by assuming humane nature in the wombe of the blessed Virgin The oath which he sware to Abraham our Father Of this oath we read in Genesis By Gen. 22. my owne selfe haue I sworne saieth the Lord because thou â—ast done this thing and hast not spared thyne onâ—ly begotten sonne for my sake I will blesse thee and I will multiplie thy seed as the â—â—arres if heauen and in thy seed shall bee blessed all the nations of the earth Where by the seed of Abraham according to the Apostle Christ is vnderstood 〈◊〉 Abraham saieth he were the promiseâ— saied Galath 3. and to his seed He saieth noâ— And to seeds as in many but as in one And in thy seed which is Christ By this oath therefore the eternall Father promised that his onely Sonne should be incarnated of the seed of Abraham Who by giuing his Sonne vnto vs in the mistery of the Incarnation did alsoâ— bostoâ— himselfe vpon vs by â—â—â—â—â—â—ple 〈◊〉 hence it followeth in this place That he would giue â—onself 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Sonne hath giâ—â—◠〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to 〈◊〉 ting â—imselfe ouâ— brâ—ther our Sauiour c our aduocate 〈◊〉 â—is hath communicated himselfe vnto vs diuers waies for being borne â—oâ—mersing in the world he hath madeâ— himselfe à companion of men in his lâ—st sâ—â—â—â—â—s he gaue himselfe for our soâ—â—â—â—e dying â—e gaue himselfe for the price of our redemption aâ— râ—igning in the celestiall to 〈◊〉 for our bâ—atificall re◠〈◊〉 God a brighty â—s alsoe 〈◊〉 to giue himselfe 〈◊〉 into 〈◊〉 he infuseth charity and diuine grace beâ—â—â—â—â— such haue and possesse God as the obiect of the 〈◊〉 light and occupation â—nd which wonderfull â—dignation the aboundant liberality exceeding fauour and 〈◊〉 of God towards vs is clearely 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 because giuing vnto vs his gifts he imparteth himselfe withall to bee had possessed be held beloued enioyed to bee our conseruer helper and protector euer at hand Yet in this place Zachary speaketh literally of the donation wherein the onely begotten Sonne of God is giuen to vs by this that he hath assumpted our nature to worke and consummate our saluation whence is that of the Prophet A litle child is borne Isa 9. to vs and à Sonne is giuen to vs. That without feare to witt inordinate earnest secular or semile being deliuered by the intarnation and Passion of Christ from the hand of our enimies both visible and inuisible We maie serue him the true God with the seruice of diuine worship In holinesse in purity of body but much more of the mind all terrent and carnall affection being excluded that is to saie in à perfect conuersion of the heart all affections of the soule being reformed rectified and reduced towards God for in this sort God ought to bee serued according as he exacteth of vs its Leuitâ—â—us Doe not contaminate your soules 〈…〉 for I am the Lord your God bee holie because I am holie and our Sauiour Christ reacheth vs Bee you perfect as alsoe your heauenly Maâ— 5. father is perfect It is therefore requisite that wee doe not onely exhibite our selues reuerently purely towards God rendring what is due vnto him to â—itt all thankfulnesse and praise all honour and glory but alsoe that wee comport ourselues iustly towards our neighbours rendring to our Superiours equalls and inferiours respectiuely what belongeth to all and euery of them and giuing them good example and edification in all things according to that of the Apostle The things that are of peace let vs pursue and Roma 14. the things that are of edifying one towards another let vs keep Put not a stumbling block or à scandall to your Brother doe not destroy him for whome Christ died Whence it followeth here and iustice to witt that we maie not onely serue him in holinesse but alsoe in iustice rendring vnto him for his immense goodnesse and mercie shewed towards vs all obedience and loue praise and thankfulnesse and to our neighbours respectiuely what is due vnto each one before him to witt with à pure intention and internall attention placing our selues as in his presence considering him as the King and iudge beholding all things and soe desiring to please him alone seeking his honour and glory in all things and doing all things freuerently witâ— a filiall â—â—are and simple heart not like vnto hypocrites doing good workes before men for humane respects and to bee praised and rewarded by them that foe we maie truely saie with the Psalmist I haue kept thy commaundâ—â—neurs and thy testimonies Psal 118. because all my waies are in the fight All our daies to witt incessantly and perseuerantly There is noe greater folly then to spend this tyme not onely vnfruitfully but alsoe vitiously which is alotted vnto vs wherein to worke our saluation with feare and trembling for after this life there will be noe occasion offered of merit or demerit Let vs therefore now whilst we haue health ability of bodie and mynd and many other meanes to serue our Lord labour to performe our dutie towards him and our neighbour and to increase in perfection and his diuine loue Let vs doe this I saie not one daie or seldome or for à small tyme but continually perseuering therein to our last breath for He that shall â—ath 10. perseuer vnto the end he shall be saued and the Apostle saieth Doing good let vs not Gala. 6. faile for in due tyme we shall reape