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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A06500	A commentarie vpon the fiftene Psalmes, called Psalmi graduum, that is, Psalmes of degrees faithfully copied out of the lectures of D. Martin Luther ; very frutefull and comfortable for all Christian afflicted consciences to reade ; translated out of Latine into Englishe by Henry Bull.	Luther, Martin, 1483-1546.; Bull, Henry, d. 1575?	1577 (1577)	STC 16975.5; ESTC S108926	281,089	318

the rodde of the wicked greeueth you but be of good comfort my people and patiently endure it for I wil not suffer the tentation so farre to preuaile ouer you that your confidence and trust in me shall vtterly faile you Stormes and tempestes shall arise and your daungers shall seeme so great as though the waues should presently swallowe you vp But I will not suffer you to perish I wil bridle their rage and make an ende of the rodde of the wicked If Satan your owne conscience doe accuse you as most wicked and vnrighteous yet will I not leaue you destitute of my righteousnes Thus doe tentations teach vs the true vse and meaning of the first commaundement the which none without afflictions and tentations shall rightly knowe or vnderstand Moreouer we are here admonished of the great daunger that followeth these afflictions tentations which they that through impatiencie forsake the word and faith doe fall into Therefore the Lorde here sheweth him selfe so carefull for his people leste they should fall into this danger For their state which haue once forsaken the word is much more perilous then it was before and into such as our Sauiour Christ pronounceth in the Gospel doe enter seuen spirites much more wicked then the first We must therefore patiently suffer and perseuere in all tentations and rather abide all extremities then once shrinke from the word of life lest we be possessed with seuen spirites more wicked then the first And moreouer we must assuredly trust as we are taught in this verse that so long as we haue a desire and a purpose so to doe the Lord will neuer forsake vs or suffer vs to fall into this impietie For here haue we a manifest promise and a liuely description of the Lordes singular care and prouidence ouer vs namely that he is mindful of the end of our tentations and afflictions ▪ so that we onely continue constant and patient vnto the ende ▪ And if the heathen Poet sayd Endure and reserue yourselues for more happy thinges how much more should Christians diligently stirre vppe them selues with mutuall exhortations to patience and perseuerance whether they outwardly suffer in things perteyning to the body and to this present life or inwardly in conscience For we haue a God which euen in death in hell and in the middes of all our sinnes can saue and deliuer vs. Verse 4. Do wel O Lord vnto them that be good true of hart The Prophet sayth not here doe well Lord to the perfect and such as offend in nothing but to the good true of hart The good and true of heart are they which are of a single sincere and vpright hart For these are they which are most accepted of God although they also through infirmitie doe sometimes offend Now where he prayeth that God will doe wel to the good and godly he meaneth also and secretly complayneth that the godly are in miserie and affliction and that the vngodly do abound with all worldly felicitie As we see at this day the enemies of the Gospel to enioy great riches and dignities whereby they vexe oppresse the godly This is a great offence and stumbling blocke to the godly and therefore the Church hath neede of this prayer that God would doe well vnto the godly which trust in him seeke his glory with their whole hart that they by stumbling at this offence do 〈◊〉 fal away to impietie This prayer conteineth in it a prophecie with a promise that like as he prayeth for the blessing welfare prosperitie of the iust so at the length it shall also come to passe Verse 5. But those that turne aside by their crooked waies the Lord shall leade with the workers of iniquitie but peace shall be vpon Israell He sayth not simply Such as turne aside but such as turne aside by their owne wickednes For to giue place to tentations by infirmitie of the flesh or weakenes of mind or else of faith and so to decline from the right way which commeth to passe sometimes euen in the Sainctes as the example of Peter teacheth is one thing and to fall away through wickednes and peruersenes of heart is another which can not be in the children of God but properly belongeth to the wicked and godles This sort of men hath euer corrupted the Church from the Apostles time and with a shewe of holines hath deceiued the simple which because God punisheth them not but spareth them and suffreth them to prosper in this world become so proud that they will be counted amongest the holiest and of the world are so commonly taken We see that not onely the godly are mixed with the wicked in this world but in the Lords floore also the wheate lyeth hidden vnder the chaffe We must pray therefore that God would bring these hypocrites to light giue vnto them their iust punishment with the workers of iniquitie Then shall peace ensue to the Church of god For whiles the Lord poureth forth his iust vengeance vppon the wicked which vexe and persecute his true members he gathereth togither the good and vpright of heare and openly declareth his fatherly good will and tender loue towards them The .126 Psalme VVhen the Lord brought agayne c. Touching the captiuitie whereof the Prophet speaketh in this Psalme the interpreters doe not agree Some vnderstand it to be means of the captiuities of Babylon some of the captiuitie vnder the Romanes other some doeth take that the Prophete meaneth here all the captiuitie and deliuerances of this people according to that promise Deut. 40. That if they should at any time be ledde into captiuitie for their transgressions and by repentance shoulde returne vnto the Lord he would shew mercy vnto them and bring them home into their land againe But in myne opinion they goe neare to the true sense and meaning of the Psalme which doe referre it to that great general captiuitie of mankind ●nder sinne death and the deuill to the redemption purchased by the death and bloodsheding of Christ and published in the Gospel For this kind of speech which the Prophet vseth here is of greater importance then that it may be applyed onely to these particular captiuities For what great matter was it for this people of the Iewes being as it were but a litle handfull to be deliuered out of temporall captiuitie in comparison of the exceeding and incomparable deliuerance whereby mankinde was s●e at libertie from the power of their enemies not temporall but eternall euen from death Satan and hell it selfe Wherefore we take this Psalme to be a prophecy of the redemption that should come by Iesus Christ the publishing of the Gospell whereby the kingdom of Christ is aduaunced death and the deuill with all the powers of darkenes are vanquished This Psalme being thus generally vnderstand may afterward be applyed to euery particular deliuerance Verse 1. VVhen the Lorde bringeth againe the

captiuitie or captiues of Syon we shall be like them that dreame By Syon is signified that people which had the promise of the comming of christ For redemption and saluation was first promised to the people of Syon and to the children of Abraham after the flesh This people was in bondage vnder the lawe and by the lawe vnder the captiuitie of death and sinne Now if this people complaine of their captiuitie and sigh for their deliuerance what ●●all we thinke of the Gentiles which liued in idolatry in their owne lustes without any law without god He could not therefore haue signified a more generall and more greeuous captiuitie then when he saith that his owne people of Syon did long for this deliuerance which in outward appearance was moste holy vnder Dauid and Saul did mightely flourish But beholde how liuely ●e setteth foorth that ioy which should followe this deliuerance We shall be saith he like them that dreame By this kinde of speech he expresseth the greatnes of their ioy meaning that this ioy and gladnes should be so great that the hart of man should not be able to conceiue it As if he should say when we shall heare of yea when we shall in deede feele and enioy this deliuerance from sinne death so farre passing all that we could hope or looke for the ioy therof shall be so great that it shall seeme to vs but vs a ●reame For so we see it come to passe also euen in particular deliuerances when God suddenly deliuereth his seruaunts out of an● great trouble or affliction So it hapned to Peter when he was deliuered by the Angell out of prison Likewise when it was said to Iacob Ioseph thy sonne liueth and ruleth ouer all the land of Egypt he was as one reysed out of a dreame and could not beleue it vntill it was shewed vnto him by certaine tokens to be true in deede Here then is set foorth vnto vs the inestimable grace whereby we are redemed through the blood of the sonne of God who did not spare him selfe and his owne life that he might set vs free from the power of the deuill the wrath of God death and eternall damnation But mans hart is not able as is said to comprehende these thinges The more feeling and ●ast he hath therof the greater alacritie courage hath he to goe through all daungers The lesse feeling he hath the more he is shaken with terrours and at the length looking backe to Egypt with the Israelites seeketh other helpes ▪ Our heart therfore must wholly rest in this redemption we must labour to haue some part of this tast and feling which the Prophet rightly compareth to a most ioyful pleasant dreame They that further list to inlarge this inestimable benefite of Christ or this deliuerāce haue here occasion to amplyfie the same first by the person of the redemer then by the person of the redemed by their former state and misery of the power of the deuill of the hugenes and horrour of death of the force of sinne c. For these things had wholly deuoured all mankind could not be ouercome but by the sonne of god This is that vnspeakeable most glorious redemption which rauisheth astonisheth the mind with ioy They therefore that feele not this ioy haue not truely receiued nor felte this benefit but the word is as a ●ome or a froth in their mouthes Verse 2. Then shall our mouth be filled with laughter and our tongue with ioy Then will they say emong the heathen The Lord hath done great things for them This Psalme hath in it a singular maiesty therfore the Prophet vseth here many figuratiue or borrowed speeches By laughter he signifieth the voice of the Gospell For y Gospel should be to vs nothing else but ioy gladnes especially if we compare it with the law For the law terrifieth killeth whose vse ● office is to br●●● to mollifie the hard stony harts of the impenitent as Ezechiel saith For they must be broken with this yron scepter as it were and beaten downe to hell as the Psalme prayeth Let the wicked be turned into hell and all nations that forget God. For seeing they haue a heart of yron and as the Prophet sayth a brasen forehead they must be terrified with the thundrings of the lawe that is they must be brought to the feare of Gods iudgement and filled with the terrour of death as it hapned to the people of Israell at the mount Sina when the law was published by the voyce of the lord But they that haue a fleshy heart that is to say a soft and a tender heart may not be killed with the law but reuiued and raysed vp with an other kinde of doctrine which the holy Ghost here calleth laughter and ioy that is to say the Gospell This is the right diuiding of the word which S. Paule speaketh of to preach set forth to the impenitent and hard harted the threatnings of the law the wrath of God against sinne the terrours of Gods iudgement but to the weake and broken harted the sweete comforts of the Gospell that they which are secure without feare may nowe learne to feare the Lord and they that are to much oppressed with feare may be of good comfort and now begin to trust in the lord This difference betwene the law and the Gospel is wel knowne but by experience and practise it is not so well knowne For our infirmitie is such that we are rather touched with the sense of sinne and death then with the laughter and ioy that is the sweete comfortes and ioyfull promises of the Gospell For to speake of my selfe and of mine owne feeling the redemption and life giuen by Christ doth not so much pearce my hart as it is terrified with one word or one cogitation of sinne and of the iudgement of god The cause whereof is for that we can not sufficiently learne this difference betwene the lawe and the Gospell For although it be both written and taught yet is it not so effectually felt in the heart Els should it follow that terrified heartes should cast away all heauines for to them as is sayd perteyneth the voyce of laughter and ioy and not the voyce of terrour and heauines And here also we find Satan to be our deadly aduersary which most subtilly disputeth with vs touching the lawe and vseth such arguments as we can not deny For when he layeth vnto vs our sinnes we are constreyned to confesse and to acknowledge them which albeit we couer them some times before men our conscience as a thousand witnesses pronounceth against vs and wil not suffer vs to forget them or hide them Whereof sometimes ariseth also a doubting or mistrust euen of holy workes I speake nothing of those which are manifestly wicked With these dartes Satan pearceth and greeuously woundeth the soft and tender hart onely because

repose our selues vpon the good will and pleasure of our God. Likewise in the Church are not all thinges I pray you full of troubles vexations and wofull calamities in so great a multitude of prophane godles people Notwithstanding all these things when we looke to the will of God are easily borne and ouercome So let vs also in matrimony consider first the word of God then the gift which the Lord bestoweth vppon vs when he giueth wife and children and thirdly Gods blessing and peace in the politike state and common weale For these giftes thus acknowledged let vs afterwards giue thankes vnto god So shal God be prouoked to bestow a greater blessing vpon vs whereas if these thinges be not done we shall prouoke him to take from vs those giftes which we haue So great Empires kingdoms cities common weales might longer prosper and flourish then they do But because they be vnthankfull vnto God and contemne his word they come to ruine and miserably perish Let vs therefore learne to be thankfull and the blessing of God shall abound in vs. The .129 Psalme They haue often times afflicted c. This Psalme consisteth of two partes In the former he giueth thankes to God for the defence and continuall deliuerance of the people of god In the later part he maketh his prayer against the aduersaries in praying he prophecieth withal Both these serue for our instruction and also conteyne an exhortation to patience vnder the crosse which perteyneth not to one age or tyme but as the continuall history of the Church doth shew to all times and to the whole life of man Moreouer we doe here comprehend both Churches of the Iewes and of the Gentiles as Paule also in a maner ioyneth them both togither when he sayth First to the Iewe and then to the Grecian For as touching the Church or people of the Iewes it appeareth by the histories that they were placed in the middes of their enemies as a goodly rose in the middest of thornes On the southside the Ismaelites the Arabians other cruell people vexed them On the west part the Egyptians the Ethiopians the Troglodites and other like On the North side the Philistines the Assyrians c. So the Church after the destruction of the Synagoge is compassed euery way with enemies and Christ according to the Psalme reigneth in the middes of his enemies Thus were they often times and many wayes afflicted But herewithall God shewed this miracle that when they were so afflicted he alwayes deliuered them And thus was the kingdom of Israel a miraculous kingdom in that the Lord when he would correct and chastise them suffered the Philistines Edomites Moabites Assyrians and Babylonians to haue victory ouer them Againe when they seemed to be vtterly oppressed they victoriously preuailed against their enemies So continued this kingdom in despite of the cruel nations round about it and of Satan him selfe as is to bee seene in the bookes of the Kinges and also of the Chronicles Now because this people had both threatnings and promises set before them as touching their afflictions deliuerance this was vnto them a great consolation euen when they were afflicted spoyled that they knew that all these things came to passe not by the wil or power of their enemies and much lesse by their righteousnes or desertes but onely by the will of God thus punishing and chastising his people yea threatning and forewarning them by the Prophetes that he would so punish the disobedient This is no small consolation that in thy affliction and calamitie thou mayst be able to say this is the scourge of God thus correcting me and visiting my sinnes It is not the wrath of God or the merite and deseruing of my aduersary These thinges must we apply vnto our selues also to the ende that when we be oppressed we may comfort our selues that we are not oppressed by the power of death sinne hell or any creature but by the will of God our creator afflicting vs and punishing our sinnes ingratitude and yet so that he leaueth vnto vs this fatherly promise the he will not forsake vs And such a figure of the whole kingdome of Christ is set forth in the Apocalyps For how much doth is speake of euill angells of cruel beasts such other plagues of the Church which should enter into the Church the kingdom of Christ God so permitting Notwithstanding consolation followeth afflictions and calamities and though the Church be neuer so sore afflicted yet shal it continue and endure at the length shall ouercome and victoriously triumph But this Psalme agreeth especially vnto our time wherein the Church hath bene most greuously afflicted both vnder the Turks and also vnder the Romish Bishops yea and as it were vtterly abolished So that if ye wey the matter well it may appeare that the condition of the Iewes in Babylon was better then the state of the Church vnder Antichrist where the true vse of the Sacraments was taken away the benefit of Christ darkned faith extinguished no true seruice of God vsed no true good workes exercised generally all thinges which perteyne to true religion were cleane abolished or most miserably deformed and defaced Wherfore like as the Iewes in Babylon were put from the sight vse of the temple the sacrifices the ceremonies all politike gouernment so the Church vnder Antichrist had no true ministery no true seruice of God not her owne kingdom and gouernment but was constrayned to obserue and keepe the babylonicall and hethenish rites and ceremonies of the Papistes Thus was the wrath and thus haue bene the punishments of God in a maner all one in the Church of the Iewes and the Gentiles Wherefore it is most necessary that we lay hold vpon this consolation that as the Psalme sayth we are afflicted we are cast downe we are troden vnder foote but we are not ouercome For the Church shall stand and remaine inuincible notwithstanding that through great incredulitie and incredible infirmitie the victorye therof is hidden can not be seene As it was vnder the Pope where all Scholes and all Churches taught nothing else but the blasphemous doctrine of the Romish bishops and doting dreames of the Monks This was the very same thing that the psalme 73. complayneth of where it sayth VVe see not our signes and yet God had euen then his Church although it was very litle obscure miserably deformed Before the kingdome of the Romish Antichrist what a swarme of heretikes sprang vp Of whem also the Church was sore vexed and afflicted euen as the Iewes were afflicted of the nations which dwelled nere vnto them And like as the captiuitie followed that affliction of the Iewes so the kingdom of the Romish Bishops was that captiuitie which f●llowed the outragious furie of the heretikes out of the which also haue flowed all the euills and plagues which haue bene euer since in the Church as out of a

foule sinke and filthy pudle But nowe by the great mercie of God the captiuitie beginneth to be turned the temple is repaired and the true seruice of God restored This Psalme after my iudgement speaketh generally of all such troubles and afflictions of the Church as haue bene at all times in all ages As first that the kingdom of the Iewes when they were yet vnder good Kinges was mightely assailed but yet not vtterly ouercome And that the people afterwards were spoyled of the Assyrians and Babylonians and carried away captiue but not cleane forsaken For they were againe deliuered out of captiuitie and in their owne land enioyed the promise concerning christ Thus speaketh the Psalme first of the Iewish Church Afterwards it comprehendeth as a prophecy the state and condition of the Church of the Gentiles to witte that God would preserue and defend it against all heretikes against all the rage and fury of the world against the kingdom of the Romish Antichrist moreouer against al the tentations of sinne which vexe and oppresse the conscience Thus must we apply this Psalme to all times and ages of the Church to all chaunges and alterations all daungers of the world the flesh sinne the lawe death and the gates of hell For the world assaileth it with power wisedome the deuil with desperation and dubitation heretikes with errors in faith and religion and the conscience with sinnes In all these perills we say Blessed be the Lord God who suffereth vs not to be tēpted aboue that we are able to beare In deede we must be tempted and tried but in the tentation he will giue an outscape besides this that he giueth vs strength also to beare the tentation vntill the time of deliuerance come This benefite Dauid here setteth forth and sheweth vnto vs the state of his people to the ende we may thereby learne this comfort that like as he preserued that people euen so wil he also preserue vs For we haue one and the same God the same spirit the same word the same promises briefly all things else whatsoeuer Wherefore we may say and sing with Dauid Verse 1. They haue often tymes afflicted me from my youth may Israel now say Verse 2. They haue often tymes afflicted me from my youth but they could not preuayle against me He nameth no certein enemie to the ende he may comprehend all Where he sayth From my youth he vnderstandeth all the time from their primitiue Church as we call it vntill Israel beganne first to be the people of god For albeit we euer praise those thinges which are most auncient and of greatest antiquitie as the primitiue Church is in deede worthy to be praysed yet God regardeth not this difference For in all times and euen in the last ages of the Church he gaue notable Prophets to the people of Israell as before the captiuitie Esay of all other the most excellent after the captiuitie Aggaeus Zachary and others In the meane time betwene Moises and these were Helias Heliseus c. So we see that the primitiue Church was more pure from heretikes and wicked opinions But yet notwithstanding there were some notable Prophets and other excellent men euen in the later times And when the roote of Iesse seemed now to be withered yet God reised vp Anna Symeon Zachary Elisabeth For God preserueth his Church though it be neuer so much assailed and oppressed according to his promise Onely let vs open our eyes that we may see from whence this commeth And here we may not looke to those things which the world especially estemeth and magnifieth but we must behold the Church as it is afflicted oppressed full of calamitie For this is the true face of the Church of God that it is weake enuironed with all deadly engines and compassed with all the furies of the deuill the world the flesh ▪ sinne and death These thinges he that will not behold but flieth and abhorreth them shall neuer finde out the true Church in deede For that is not the true picture and image of the Church which the painters see forth which paynt her as a goodly virgin as a citie well armed adorned and bewtified In deede that is a true picture but not according to the eies of the flesh But spirituall eyes doe see this great bewty that Christ is her husband begot her vnto him self by the holy Ghost bewtified her made her glorious with his owne blood with his merites and with his righteousnes Of all these thinges the flesh can see nothing can iudge nothing but seeth rather the contrary how she is subiect to most bitter hatred malice vexations torments Wherefore if it would paint her out in such sort as he seeth and beholdeth her then must it paint and set her forth as a deformed and a poore maiden sitting in a daungerous wood or desart in the middest of cruell and hungry lyo●s beares wolues swine venimous serpents also in the middes of outragious furyous men attempting with sword fire and water to destroy her and to roote her out from the face of the earth As there is in the Apocalyps set forth a goodly picture then the which there is nothing more excellent in that booke that the church as a desolate woman flyeth from the old serpent or dragon persecuting her her child Wherfore these words which Dauid here vseth may very wel be applied to her Many times haue mine enemies afflicted me many times haue they vexed me But this affliction seemeth rather to be an vtter destruction if we follow the iudgement of the flesh As if the enemies did so preuaile and ouercome that the Church were vtterly oppressed and vanquished for euer As we all find by our owne experience in our conflicts which priuately we suffer in our harts when Satan terrifieth confoundeth our consciences For then are reysed vp such terrors that no man can otherwise iudge but that the victory is Satans oppressing vs with heauy bitter cogitations with tentations vexations and anguish of spirit spoyling vs as to the flesh it seemeth of all the sweete consolations which by the merite of Christ and the word are offred vnto vs According to this sence we may well say Often times haue they afflicted mee For this seemeth to be not onely an affliction but an vtter desolation destruction As we priuatly feele this euery one in our owne hartes and consciences so the whole body of the church in all times doth confesse that it is vehemently assailed with strong and mighty armies of most deadly enemies of all nations and oppugned with the engines of all tentations tribulations euen from her youth that is from the time that when the people were deliuered out of Egypt they began to be knowne from other nations and to be the people of God. But here the church and the children of God comfort and reyse vp them selues agayne hauing good experience that in all