payment For why if thou haddest euen al the whole Bible by hart in Hebrue Gréek and Latin in thy mother tung Nay which is much more and notable if thou couldest tell the true sense and meaning of all thinges that are written and beléeuedst them to be most true yet shalt thou not thereby be saued For the Deuils vnderstand know the things that are written and which haue béene doone from the beginning of the worlde for the saluation of men and they beleeue them all to be true yea and they are in the knowledge and skill of those things vndoubtedlye aboue vs and yet shall they not for al that be saued as Iames saith héer What is then further required This perhaps will some man say that we beleeue that Christ did not onlye suffer but that euerye one beléeue that he suffred also for him But what if we falsely perswade our selues of this as we are wont to deuise imagine many things of our selues what if I say some lewd wicked man an idolater or manslear would perswade him self that Christ died for him as it is like that many in Europe doo perswade thēselues Wil Christ for this vaine perswasions sake saue him Many saith Christ himselfe in that daye shall cry out after this manner Lord Lord open vnto vs we haue prophesied and cast out Deuils in thy name but they shall receiue this answer from him Departe from me all ye woorkers of iniquitie for I know ye not These men perswaded them-selues that Christ died for thē and they looked to haue had life from him but this did them no good What is it then at the last which is required works saith Iames which if faith haue not it is dead and therefore cannot giue either righteousnes or life eternall Notwithstanding it séemeth that this faith in God and in Christ his Sonne comprised in the Apostles Créede is most perfit absolute and that nothing els can further be required So say I likewise doth a painted man seeme to consist of all his parts and members and yet is he nothing els but a painted man or the picture and shadowe of a man which also in effect is to be said of this faith of thine Or that we may tarry in the exāple of Iames the carkasse of a man hath all the partes and members of a mans body and yet for all that it is not a man because it lacketh a spirit saith he in the last verse of this Chapter So that same faith saith he without woorkes is dead though he vnderstood and beléeued the foresaid Créede of Th'apostles yea and the whole Bible besides But thou wilt say these thinges séeme to be cleane contrarye to the doctrine receiued amongst vs and to the writinges of Paule No verily For why they that iudge rightlye of iustification by faith doo not disagree from Iames neither is Paule contrary to Iames. Yet Paule saith that we are iustified by faith only without the woorkes of the Law Paule indeed hath not the woord Onlye but yet when he saith that we are iustified without the workes of the Law I haue no doubt of it but that it followeth by the true exposition of Paule that a man is iustified by faith onlye But I say that it came neuer into Pauls mind to affirm that faith which is without works doth iustifie for so he should indeed haue been contrary to Iames but he attributeth the power and praise of iustification to a true and liuely faith which is neuer voide of good woorkes and not to the woorks themselues which is spoken by him not onely wittily as euery thing els but also truly and Christianly But Abraham thou wilt saye by the testimony of Moses and Paule in that only that he beleeued God promising him a plentifull posteritie was accounted righteous Abraham beleeued God and it was imputed to him for righteousnes But wilt thou knowe Ovaine man saith Iames heere that Abraham was not iustified by faith without woorkes Did he not offer vp his sonne Isaac on the altar Abrahams faith then was not that fruitlesse and barren faith which consisteth in the knowledge or in the ignorant beleefe of some certaine points of Diuinitie but that effectuall and woorking faith which frameth a man to the obedience of God for this appeereth plain by the life and déeds of Abraham But yet some obiect that the same cannot be saide of the Theefe that was crucified with Christ For when he had spent his whole life in euill dooing and had said vnto Christ being now at the point of death Remember me whē thou commest into thy kingdome he heard forthwith This daye shalt thou be with me in Paradise and immediatly after he died Yea but say I the faith of this Theefe was very liuely and effectuall For the effectes of a liuely faith are these an ernest feare of God which Salomon the wisest of all other affirmeth to be the beginning of wisdome secondlye the inuocation of Gods name For whosoeuer calleth vpon the name of the Lord shal be saued the acknowledgment and confession of sinnes loue and dutifulnes toward our neighbour And all these things in that little space of time did the liuely faith of that Theefe vtter and bring forth For that he was affected with an earnest feare of God it appéereth by this in that reprouing the other Theefe which reuiled Christ he said Fearest thou not God that raylest vpon this man We are indeede heere for our misdeedes and are worthily punished but this man hath doone nothing amisse He called earnestly vpon God Lord saith he remember me when thou commest into thy kingdom He acknowledged and confessed his sinnes we are iustly punished saith he to his fellow wherby also it appereth that he suffered paciently so cruell and shamefull a death He discharged his duty also toward his neighbour when being desirous to doo him good he admonished him that he should not raile vpon Christ but consider earnestly of his own sinnes And therfore his faith was not dead but liuing and affectuall It is no meruaile thē though through it he obteyned life which by a dead faith no man euer obteyned neyther shall at any time obteine But seeing this dead faith knoweth and acknowledgeth God to be almighty maker of Heauen and earth and Christ also his Sonne to be sent of God for our redemption what is required more or what is wanting vnto it Euen the Life or Soule as Iames declareth in the last verse of this Chap. Whereby it might be quickened to well dooing For as a dead carkasse consisteth of all and singular his parts and members and yet for all that neither moneth nor liueth because it wanteth a Soule or Spirit which might giue it power to moue and liue euen so faith though it vnderstand whatsoeuer is necessary to be knowne of God and of Christ our Sauiour yet if it be destitute of a Soule or Spirit it cannot giue life But what is then this
no woorkes prescribed in the Lawe that is neither loueth God aboue all thinges nor other men as himselfe what good saith he shall such a faith doo wherwith he that is endued shall neither loue God as becommeth him nor yet men But for somuch as there are many profitable vses of Faith wherof also we receiue some in this life th'apostle repeateth and enlargeth the Question Can such a faith saith he saue a man to the intent it might appeere that he demaundeth not the question heer touching euery vtilitie of faith but of this expressely Whither such a faith can saue a man And heere is propounded and set forth the principall and most excellent fruite of Faith to witte the saluation of our soules which except Faith doo minister vnto vs it is vnprofitable For the other vses thereof if this be taken awaye shall be of no accompt and therfore all that woorship God doo woorship him in manner with this hope that they may obtaine of him a blessed and euerlasting life For albeit the truest and rightest way of woorshipping him is that we maye loue and woorship him for his owne sake because he is best and not for any benefit or commoditie of our owne accordingly as we loue the things that are faire because they are faire although we reape no fruit at all by them yet God applying himselfe to our capacitie dooth euerye where in the holye Scriptures and in his diuine promises and threatninges make mention of life and death euerlasting to the end be might allure vs vnto him and fraye vs from sinne and iniquitie Inasmuch therfore as all men which serue and woorship God doo from him looke for the most blessed life eternall that is such a life as wherin all euils being vtterly abandoned there is store and plenty of all good things and the only entrie thereunto and way that leadeth to it is the way of righteousnes which is perfectly comprised and declared in the Law of God and this righteousnes no man can attain vnto by his own strength for by nature we are all sinners it remaineth that faith alone doth giue bestowe the same vpon man or els that all men should vtterly and vniuersally perish Wherupon also it plainlye appéereth that it is only faith that deliuereth wretched men from all euill and bringeth them to the fruition of that high and soueraigne good so greatly wished for of all For why faith alone giueth vnto man perfit righteousnes and therefore also eternall life If so be then faith minister not this profit vnto vs it is verily vnprofitable sith men as I saide beléeue in God to the end they might be saued by him And therfore if their faith cannot perfourme thus much vnto them they beleeue in vaine Th'apostle therfore by repeating the question propounded dooth profitably and to very good purpose demaund whither that faith that is without woorkes be of such force as that it may saue men For if this be true we ought to be contented with it but if it be not either we must seeke another way to life or else we must perish And therfore how profitable yea how necessarye the true explication of this question is to be knowne to all that are desirous of eternall life there is no man that séeth not Now this dooth Iames himselfe declare vnto vs in the three short verses following Yea the very interrogations wherby he propoundeth the question séeme to conteine a secret answer vnto it and to tell vs what we ought to iudge of this question For this the common course of questioning dooth proue For why if I should saye to some lewde and desperate knaue professing Christian Religion with vs in the vse of the Sacraments publike prayers and sermons in this manner thinkest thou that this outward profession of Christian Religion will doo thée any good when as thou hast a filthy and vncleane hart art thou of an opinion that it will saue thée it is euen as much as if I denied it and said Doubtlesse thou art not to looke that this outward profession of thy mouth shall make thée become acceptable to God So whē Iames saith What profiteth it a man to say he hath faith when he hath no workes that is liueth not by Faith can this Faith saue him that so beleeueth it is all one as if he flatly denyed it And if we take it thus then by the testimonye and authoritie of Iames himself the question shal in this wise be determined and we are to holde that by faith without woorks no man can attain vnto saluation And we must vndoubtedly stand to the iudgemente of Iames as to that which procéedeth not from man but from God For albeit he was a man yet because he was the Apostle of Christ and enspired with the Holy-ghost that spake this which also is agreeable with the rest of the diuine Oracles who but an vncleane person will call this matter into question Notwithstanding least he might séeme willing to conuince and enforce vs by his sole authoritie to beléeue it he addeth a reason by way of comparison whereby he so plainely and manifestlye proueth the thing to be so that now he leadeth vs not only by his authoritie but also by force of reason whereunto they willingly submit themselues that are partakers of reason as it were by the hand to the vnderstanding of the question propounded And his reason is this If some poore wretched man were heere present destitute of all thinges necessarye naked and hungrye to whome some riche and wealthye person would say with all gentlenes Goe thy waye hence I pray thee and take meate and warme thy selfe and yet giueth him nothing for to eate or wherby to warme himselfe though to outward appearance this speech of the rich man seem to be honest and kinde to the poore yet what good doth it to the poor creature that is like to sterue for hunger and colde Nay doubtlesse it is rather iniurious and reprochefull against him Thou seest a man destitute of all thinges naked and hunger starued and thou saiste vnto him Goe home take thy meate and warme thy selfe and yet thou knowest him to want all thinges necessary as neither hauing house to goe to nor meat to eate nor clothing to put on nor any thing to warme himselfe withall Doost thou not mock and deride his pouertie doost thou not alike as if thou vpbraidest him with his poore estate and miserie Euen after the same manner saith Iames standes the case when a man professeth himselfe to beleeue in God the Father almightye and in Iesus Christ his Sonne For the speeche is honest and good and in shewe godlye But vnlesse such a man loue God with all his hart and serue him as his Father and for his sake men also created after his owne image and similitude so as he may labour to profit all and tohurt none this mans externall and outward confession of mouth shal neither be accepted nor accounted off
clad also in a partie colloured coat and for that cause became very much hated of his brethren Beholde a certaine beginning or entry into the matter though appeering onlye a farre off from the which afterward it came to the platforme touching the selling of Ioseph and which although it were euill God intended to vse to the procuring of much good Heerupon Ioseph hath dreames in appeerance and outward shew very absurd but in trueth most certaine prognostications of great and most weighty matters to be accomplished in him As for Dreames they might seeme if any other thing at all to fall out especially by contingence or haphazard as that which are accounted for light and vaine thinges and yet that they were sent of God the very sequell of the matter did declare Doutles it is meruailous to beholde the maiestie of God occupied euen about the disposing of mens dreames And for the same cause were these dreames very much suspected of his bretheren for they priuily feared that it might one day so come to passe as the dreames did portend their conscience no doubt telling them somwhat touching the power of Gods prouidence wonderfullye ruling and ouer-mastering mens matters And concerning his Father it is expressely added that he kept this saying diligently in his hart By which testimony the holy ghost declareth that he was a most reuerend regarder of the diuine prouidence and that he considered right well that those dreames were not sent at all aduentures but by the will of God yea for great and weightye causes But how came Ioseph into Egipt God put into the minde of Iacob to send Ioseph into the fieldes to séeke vp his bretheren Neither in deede was this very thinge doone with-out the determinate puppose of God Ioseph beeing departed stayeth in the feelds wher he findeth one that setteth him the right waye and besides telleth him tydinges of his bretheren where they are As yet there was nothing doone without cause For if this man had not been met withall perhaps Ioseph being wery would haue returned home and of the busines should not haue gon forward Wherfore albeit it may appeere that these thinges came to passe by contingence or haphazard yet is it plaine that nothing was doon without the dispensation of God And loe Ioseph was no sooner come into the sight of his bretheren but that they all eftsoones conspire his death They conceiue in deede a detestable fact but yet such as the Lord will immediatly alter out of which shall come a singuler good Onely Ruben dooth constantly intreat perswading rather to haue him cast into a pitte hoping by that meanes that he might priuily conuaye Ioseph safe vnto his Father And this thing was procured by the Lord least their minds being as yet on fire they should foorthwith defile their hands with their brothers blood Albeit neither did this counsell of Ruben preuaile according to his desire It was in déed good godly of it selfe as that which would haue béen very ioyful to the Father holsome to Ioseph and no whit discommodious to the bretheren and therfore in our iudgement God ought of right to haue holpen forward the attempts of Ruben But in vaine is mans counsayle let against Gods As the counsell of them that would haue had hun destroyed could not take the effect so was it not expedient that his counsaile that coueted to saue him should goe for payment seeing they bothe were indifferently against the immutable decree of the Lord touching the promoting of Ioseph in Egipt which was altogether necessary to be perfourmed Ioseph therfore is cast in to a pitte as who should say to be killed with hunger In the meane time that outragiousnes of minde and boyling wrath in the bretheren is for great good by little and little slaked and waxen colde What then Marry besides all expectation comes me Ismalitish marchants that way But think not that any thing came to passe by haphazard God himselfe had very fitly drawen them to that place For why by this occasion the bretheren changing their sentence consult about the felling of Ioseph to the Ismaelites And héer a man may see the principall meane which the Lord had preordayned for the conuaying of Ioseph into Egipt Wherfore this last deuise of the bretheren the Lord would haue to take place and Ioseph now is solde vnto the Ismaelites he acompanieth them directly into Egipt where he must one day bear the chéefe sway By the way I admonish that heere was propounded and set foorth a wonderfull token and mysterye of Gods dispensation towards the first springing Church in that Ioseph was rather solde for the price of money then by any other meanes which might easily also haue beene deuised cast out For in this behalfe there ought to appeere in Ioseph a type and figure of Christe to be solde afterwarde in like manner Ioseph being solde his party-coulored coate dipped in blood is sent vnto his Father least the olde man should come to the knoledge of the sinne committed and might think the Childe to be torne in peeces by some wilds beast But beholde why God would haue Ioseph to be adorned of his Father with such a garment verily to this end that by this signe he might be induced to beleeue be throughly perswaded of the matter And the Lord would therfore haue this conceit to be inuēted by the bretheren and the Father to be perswaded least the old man should be carefull afterward to make any further enquirie for his Sonne who vndoubtedly would haue laboured euen to his exceding coste and charges to haue fetched him back out of the middest of Egipt if he had knowne him to be there So farre foorthe was that necessarye to be fulfilled which the Lord had alredy determined touching the going of Ioseph into Egipt That which followeth Gen. 38. belongeth not to Ioseph neuerthelesse it contayneth notable instructions concerning Gods prouidence For that we may adde this also as it were by the way it is declared how Thamar taking the matter greuously for that after the death of her husband Er the sonne of Iuda his other sonne Sela being promised vnto her was yet giuen vnto another she in trim apparell and fashioned in a maner after the guise of Harlots went into a common way and that Juda came hastilye thither the selfe same way and companied with her whō he suspected to be a Harlot being in very déed his daughter in lawe and gather with childe giuing her for a pledge or token inasmuch as he had no reward in a readines to bestowe on her his ring Staffe and cloake Now in this history many thinges nay euery thing might séeme to fall out Contingently or by Haphazard for what might be saide to be more Contingent then to be clad in this or that garment to goe to this or that place to resort to a woman with a will to be naught with her to giue a pledge or not to giue it if
ingratitude They that before were in the hand and power of the oppressor or of affliction are now by the Lord deliuered and they ought to be humbled vnder his mighty hand and to giue him thanks yea and to dedicate them selues wholye to God their deliuerer All things therfore are trimly disposed in this beginning and proposition of the Plasme and we may gather from thence no single or slender doctrine 3 And gathered them out of the lands from the East and from the West from the North and from the South 4. They wandred in the wildernes out of the way and found no citie to dwell in 5 Hungrye they were and thirslye their soule fainted in them 6 So they cryed vnto the Lord in their trouble and he deliuered them from their distresse 7 And led them foorth by the right way that they might goe to a citie of habitation Now after the proposition followeth a plentifull confirmation as in the which it is proued by many plaine and pithy reasons that God dooth liberally shewe his goodnes in mortall mens matters and most wiselye gouerne all thinges by his wonderfull prouidence and therfore most worthy to be exceedingly praised and magnified of al men This is the first reason prouing Gods goodnes to shine cleerelye in all thinges taken from an example as also all the rest are in a manner that followe And certes it is drawen from that example of a thing boone not only once and about one person only but ofte times and in many persons vsuallye séene so that thou maist rightly say that all these proofes are drawen out of the common course of life and from the vse and experience of thinges dayly happening Which kinde of proofes doubtles are most fit to moue affections withall and besides they make that to appeere most plaine which is intended And it is to be thought that no man whatsoeuer he be can possibly read this Psalme but that he shall sinde some thing touching himselfe and wherby he may gather that he also hath beene partaker of the bottomlesse goodnes of God in some one necessitie or other Neither truely is it an easie matter to finde such a one as hath not felt in himselfe some parte of the miseries which are héere mentioned and that whilest he is deliuered from them ought not to ascribe his preseruation only and alone to God Yea and there can no discommoditie or danger almost arise which is not comprehended vnder some one or other of the thinges that are héere described at the leastwise it will be like it or not much vnlike wherfore also whosoeuer is distressed with any aduersities shall héer haue some remedie of comfort and shall finde matter of hope for the recouering of his safetie This is also further to be marked that euerye of the proofes are so disposed that they may fitly be deuided into two partes wherof in the former are described the perilles which happen vnto men in the latter is declared how they are by the mercy of God deliuered from the same againe in the former parte the perils are very exquisitly and almost after a poeticall manner expressed by increasments amplifications and representings of things and in the latter parte the deliuerance beeing sodainlye and without any adoo obtained is laid soot the more breefely yet hauing now and then those thinges interlaced which doo not a little beautifie and illustrate the matter And so are all thinges ordered that a man aduisedlye marking them may out of euery member in a maner gather variable and most holsome doctrine This first proofe therfore is drawen from the example of those that for any cause whatsoeuer being driuen from their dwelling places are constrained to wander vp and downe and to séek a place els where wherin they may rest And very properly is the ieopardy of these men described by their iourney in the desert then the which doubtles a greater could not be deuised For why a man would hardly beléeue except he be one that hath had triall of it how greatly they are gréeued that wander in the wildernes where there appéereth no humane help or succour and nothing to be looked for but death and destruction And therfore it is to be thought that certaine of the Greekes were moued to make a lawe touching a penaltie of death to be laide vpon him that would not she we the way to one that went astraye because they sawe vndoubtedly how sore they were tormēted that wandred out of the way And oftetimes into these dangers doo men fall in Palestina and the cuntries next adioyning in asmuch as all Asia for the most parte hath many deserts and obscure places as the holy Scripture and bookes of the Geographers doo testifie Their soule fainted or failed in them Héere thou séest the manner of an enlargment gallantly obserued First euen to straye out of the way is full of wearisomnesse though it be in a Cuntry well knowen Then to goe stil forth on and not to finde a place where to rest is much more gréetious After ward also to be pinched with hunger and thirst who séeth it not to be the extremitie of all miseries and that now nothing remaineth but cruell and wofull death And this is it which he addeth Their soule fainted in them We haue a certaine resemblance of these calamities pictured in Abrahams bondmaide Agar Genes 16. in the people brought out of Egipt through the wildernes where they murmured for meate and drinke Exod. 16. and 17. in Dauid flying from Saul Sam. 23. and 25. againe 2. Sam. 15.16 when he fled by reason of the tumult raised by Absolon likewise in Elias flying for the threats of Iezabell 1. King chap. 19. which all in their flight through desert places were almost dead for hringer and thrist But it is not without cause that the Holy-ghost dooth so liuely painte out these perilles For we ought thereby to gather some instruction First therfore it is doone to this ende and purpose that we might learne how to behaus our selues towards those that are in miserie and to pittie them whom we see to suffer bannishment to wander through vnknowen cuntries and to haue no freends to succour them Secondly that we might so much the more exactly weigh and consider the power and goodnes of God in the preseruation of them that are deliuered by him out of so great distresses How much greater the dangers are so much more fully doth Gode mercy thew it self in deliuerance from them And they cryed vnto the Lord The second part of the proose touching their deliuerance And this verse is put betweene in manner of a parenthesis as that which is oftetimes repeated almostin euery of the proofes following So is this in Virgal Begin my pipe with me to sound Menalian verses And this Leade Daphnis from the citie home my verses leade him home And we learne out of this verse 1 That afflictions sent of God doo stirre vs vp to inuocation prayer vnto
God Concerning which profit of aduersities we haue spoken before 2. That God willingly heareth those that pray in their afflictions graunteth their tequests Hitherto belong all the promises of God euery where extant like wise the exhortations vnto prayer also the exâ—imples of such as whilest they haue prayed haue béen made pertakers of their desires And he led them forth Then is it the Lord him selfe that leadeth them The thing then is not doone by chaunce or fortune neither is it by haphazard that a man strayeth or returneth into the right way but all thinges come to passe by the onely will and dispensation of the Lord. That thou goest out of the waye that thou art in hazard and danger it is the will of the Lord. He would be entreated of thee and séeketh occasion to deserue well at thine hand yea and to shewe his goodnes and mercye towardes thée Therefore all these thinges fall out for the best vnto thée and for thy comfort neither ought any distrustfulnes at all to come into thy minde 8 Let them therfore confesse before the Lord his louing kindenes and his wonderfull woorks before the sonnes of men 9 For he satisfied the thirstie soule and filled the hungry with goodnes This is the conclusion of the firste proofe wherein he exhorteth all people to sing praises vnto God for such and so great goodnes of his shewed and exhibited vnto men endangered after that manner And heere also the former verse is interlaced or put betwéene And the other verse expressely setteth down the cause flowing from the premises whilest namelye it opposeth the benefites receiued as saciety and refreshing to the miseries endured before in the desert And we learne from this place 1 That our safetie and preseruation ought to be ascribed onely and alone to God not to our owne wisdome or to any mans help 2 That being deliuered from dangers or any other way whatsoeuer holpen of God we ought to giue him thanks 3 That we must so much that rather doo it leaste if we remain vnthankfull we should by the iust vengeance of God be plonged again into the like perrills 4 That when and howsoeuer our estate be bettered yet must we still beare in minde the distresses that before were vpon vs they ought alwaies after to be feared of vs. Which consideration is very profitable to the moderation of our mindes that we vse to carry our selues in an euen course aswel in prosperitie as aduersitie For this is in déed perfit wisdome for a man so to be haue himself in aduersity as he may hope for better things and againe so in prosperity as he may fear the contrary Further sith the Holy ghost hath not expressed any certaine cause of their flight and wandrings through desert places neither hath treated specially and by name either of the godly or vngodly it is a token and argument that this proofe belongeth indifferently to all men aswell good as bad which for any kinde of cause are compelled to prouide for theÌ„ selues bâ— flying and to taste of the perrills of perignination Some are forced to flye away and to wander abroad for the trueltie of their aduersaries which seek to hurt them as Iacob did for Esau Dauid for Saul Othersome for the defence of righteousnes the studie of restoring true religion as Elias and at this day many godly persons are constrained to fly out of diuers tuntries Some for common famishment and scarsitis of vitaile as Abraham Iacob Elisha Some for their sinnes God béeing angry are forced to feele the miseries of rouinges and wandrings as Cain Some for refusing to obeâ—â— Gods will and to execute their function and calling as Ionas Some for this cause that some man hath threatned to spoyle or kill them for which cause Paule escaped from Damascus through a wall Christ taught his Disciples that when they were in danger for the confession of the trueth they should seek to saue themselues by flight Some for the tumultes and vprores of warres as the Iewes did oftetimes but especiallye in the tune of the captiuitie of Babilon and in the auerthrowe of Ierusalem vnder Titus the Romaine Some for the inundations and eruptions of the Sea Some for fire and burning Some for the spoyling of their goods or for the losse of them by what means soeuer either honest or dishonest as they that béeing ouer head and eares in debt doo betake themselues to their legges and runne awaye Some for great offences committed are bannished by the magistrate And who is able to reckon vs all such causes as these Notwithstanding all these and such like dangers may well be reduced to this present place and whosoeuer are afflicted any of these waies may fetch from hence some solace and comfort Only let them call vpon the Lords name by faith and paciently waite for his helpe and they shall vnâ—oubtedly at the length féel some succour from God yea and he that is described heer to haue brought the wanderers into the right waye and to haue giuen them a citie where they might rest euen he also will prouide a place for these wherin they may safely liue 10 They that sit in darkenes and in the shadowe of death beeing fast bound in miserie and yron 11 Because they rebelled against the woordes of the Lord and abhorred the counsel of the most High 12 He also handled their hart through heauines they stumbled and fel and there was none to help them vp 13 So when they cried vnto the Lord in their trouble he deliuered them out of their distresse 14 For he brought them out of darknes and out of the shadowe of death and brake their bonds in sunder They that expound this Psalme as a prophesie touching the mercy that is offted through Christ and touching the redemption of the afflicted made by Christ in the time of the Gospell manifested to the worlde doo so expound this part as that they saye that God is therfore to be extolled and praised because he hath deliuered men out of the prison and captinitie of sinne death and the deuill For why vnder these tiranes dâ—oâ—e all men held captiue as appéereth Rom. 7. â—â—ce an other lawe in my members rebelling against the law of my minde and leading me captiue vnto the Lawe of sin which is in my members c. And Rom. 6. they are called the seruantes of sinne And Zacharias Luk. 1. Through the tender mercy of our God wherby the daye spring from an high hath visited us to giue light to them that sat in darknes and in the shadowe of death and to guide our feete into the way of peace And therfore came this captinitie vpon them because they were all rebels against the woord of the Lord. As for the Gentiles they did vniuersallye reiect from the woord and law of the Lord. And the Jewes amongst whome séemed yet to remaine some signes of Gods people slewe the seruantes of God and the prophets that