many times the word of God in a Psalme worthie much reading and more marking of the thinges conteyned therein For he intreateth all the Psalme thorough that a godly life doeth consist in the obseruation of Gods lawes and therefore doth he so many times in the Psalme pray God to illuminate and indue his spirite and hearte with these two vertues Knowledge and Loue of his word wherewith he may both knowe howe to serue God and at all times to be acceptable vnto him And our sauiour Christ himselfe in Saint Luke saith vnto a woman Blessed be they that heare the word of God and kepe it And in S. Iohn Christ exhorteth all men to the reading and exercising of the Scripture For the ignorance of Gods word bringeth with it a murren and rott of the soule yet for the sinnes of the people God said He would sende a hunger and famine amongst men not a hunger of bread nor water but of hearing Gods word King Dauid therefore as one assured both of the Authour of life also of the foode wherewith the life is mainteyned stayeth himselfe with Gods benediction and fauour that he is assured God féedeth him with his word And he sheweth also that none is the authour of this word neither can any giue it but God alone For when the first fall of Adam and Eue by eating forbidden meates had poysoned infected both body and soule with sinne and Gods displeasure so that he was destitute both of Gods fauour wisedome none but God could tell him where remedie and help lay nor yet could any deliuer him the help but God For till God made promise that the séed of a woman should make whole and saue that which the diuel and man had made sicke and lost by reason of sinne and also made open the remedie vnto Adam and inclined his heart to beléeue the remedie Adam was dead in sinne and vtterly cast away Then the pittie of the heauenly shéepheard said He should notwithstanding in time be brought into the same pasture againe and none should deceiue him nor bring him any more out of the pastures of life But onely God gaue this meate which was his holy word and promise and also the mouth of fayth to eate these promises of Gods onely gift And the same appeareth throughout the whole Bible that onely God by sending of his worde and preachers brought knowledge of euerlasting life to the people that were in ignoraunce As Saint Paule sayth God before time spake vnto our fathers by the Prophets and in these latter dayes vnto vs by his sonne and after the ascension of his sonne by his Apostles and Euangelistes in so much that none of the Prophetes-euer spake of Gods worde that mainteined the life of the soule otherwise then they receiued it of the high shepheard almightie God as Saint Peter saith Prophesie came not by the wil of man but the holy men of God spake as they were taught by the holy Ghost So that God is the onely authour and founteine of his true word the foode of all mens soules In like manner he is the onely giuer of the same as he is the giuer of it and none but him selfe so none can eate it but such as haue the same deliuered vnto them by the holy Ghost So our Sauiour Christ likewise in the Gospell of Saint Iohn telleth Nichodemus that it was not possible to vnderstand and to knowe the grace of redemption except he were borne from aboue And when Saint Paule preached the worde of God at Philippos amongest the women by the water side the Lorde opened the heart of Lidia to vnderstande the things spoken of by Paule And when Christe preached among the Iewes and wrought wonderfull miracles yet they vnderstoode nothing neither were they anything the better And Christe sheweth the cause Proptereà vos non auditis quia ex Deo non estis that is to say Therefore ye heare not bicause ye be not of GOD. But the fault was not in God but in the obstinacie and frowardnesse of their owne heartes as ye may sée in Saint Matthewe Christ offered him selfe but yet the malice of man rebelled at all times Sainte Paule to the Corinthians wonderfully setteth foorth mans vnablenesse and saith The naturall man is not able to comprehend the thinges that be of God And in Saint Iohn Christ saith No man can come vnto him except the heauenly father drawe him for they must be all taught of God Nowe as the Prophete sawe these things for him selfe and his saluation in Gods worde euen so must euery Christian man take héede that he learne the same doctrine or else it were no commoditie to haue the scripture of God deliuered and taught vnto vs. And euery reader and hearer must learn of this Psalme that there is none other foode nor meate for the soule but Gods word And who so euer doe refuse it when it is offered or preached or when they knowe the truth therof doe yet of malice feare lucre and gaine of the world or any other way repugne it they be vnworthy of al mercy and forgiuenesse Let euery man and woman therefore examine their owne conscience without flattering of them selues and they shal find that the most part of this realme of England in the time of our holy and blessed king Edward the sixt were fed with this holy foode of Gods worde or else might haue bene fed with it For it was offered and sent vnto them as well by most godly statutes and lawes of Parleament as by many Noble men and vertuous learned Preachers If they fed not vpon it accordingly or now their téeth stand on edge and their stomachs be cloyed with it to their perill be it Thus Christ saith They haue nothing wherby iustly to excuse them selues of their sin And likewise he faith that Whosoeuer hateth him hateth also his father By which words it appeareth manifestly that no man can hate Christes doctrine but he must hate Christe him selfe and no man can hate Christe but he must also hate the father of heauen Wherefore it is expedient for euery man to marke such places For it was not Christes name nor Christes person that the Iewes hated so mortally Christe for but they hated him to death for his doctrine sake and it was Christes doctrine that condemned the world and shewed the life and learning of the worlde to be euill and could not abide the light of Gods worde and therefore in no case they could abide to heare of it as ye sée the like in his poore Preachers For his wordes sake they be lesse passed of then dogges or brute beastes for they be hated to death and more fauour doeth Barrabas the murtherer finde then Peter the preacher of Christe that would leade the flocke redéemed with Christes pretious bloud into the pastures of Gods word with the Prophete Dauid and yet in
the Gentiles Yet saith he The foolishnesse of God is wiser then men and the weakenesse of God is stronger then men And that had king Dauid good experience of when he said The Lord ruleth me and I lacke nothing hee putteth mee in a sweete pasture and leadeth mee by the riuers side hee turneth my soule and conducteth mee into the way and pathe of iustice for his names sake and for his mercies sake He sawe the diuel the world his flesh and sinne all conquered by the power of God and for his names sake brought both to liue also vertuously to liue to his honour that gaue the life and to his owne saluation that receiued the life All our teaching a great many of yeares and also your whole labours haue béene chiefly to knowe the miserie of man and the mercie of Almightie God Wherefore it shal not néed long to tarrie in opening of this place of the Psalme for ye be riche in God in these 2. points God giue you grace wel to vse them Yet in any case we must remember that our soules be turned from sinne we accepted as the people of euerlasting life only for Gods mercies sake So doth king Dauid wonderfully open vnto vs in the 32. Psalme where he saith Blessed be they whose sinnes are forgiuen and whose transgressions be couered blessed is the man to whome the Lord imputeth not his sinne Of the which wordes we learne that the godly king called those happie and blessed not that be cleane and pure without sinne for there is no such man in this life but those be blessed whose sinnes the mercie of God forgiueth and they be onely such as vnfeignedly acknowledge their sinne and stedfastly from their heartes beleeue that the death and passion of Iesus Christ is the onely expiation and purging thereof as S. Paule wonderfully expoundeth Dauids woordes in his Epistle to the Romanes As the Prophete by these wordes For his names sake declareth that there is nothing in him nor in any other man wherefore God should turne the soule of man from death to life from errour to trueth from the hatred of God to Gods loue from wandring a stray to a stablished continuance in the veritie of Gods word but only Gods mercie so doth he in other of his Psalmes always when he intreateth of Gods mercie of mans sinne set foorth man so naked and vile as a thing most destitute of all health and saluation and sheweth that none of these giftes remission of sinne acceptation into Gods loue and fauour pasturing of them with his most blessed word can happen vnto any other sauing vnto such as do knowe and earnestly confesse that they be sinners and infected with many contagious daungerous infirmities And therfore he sayth in the 2. verse of y e psalme aboue mentioned Blessed is he to whom the Lord imputeth no sinne in whose spirite there is no guile For there is no greater guile nor more danger in man then to think himself to be somwhat when he is nothing in déede or else to thinke him selfe to be of such puritie of minde as though he néeded not this frée remission and fauour of God And as there is nothing more proude and arrogant then such a minde so there is nothing in man more detestable and miserable Of the contrarie part they be blessed that hunger and thirst for iustice for God filleth the hungrie with good thinges but the proud he sendeth away emptie And that knewe this holie Prophete right well that it was humilitie and the casting downe of him selfe that was most acceptable vnto God and the séeking of health and saluation onely for his names sake that is to say for his mercie promised in the death and passion of his onely sonne our Sauiour Christe In the end of the .xxxij. psalme king Dauid that had thus humbled himselfe bringeth in God that speaketh vnto him whiles he is thus making his complaint of his corrupt nature and sinneful life saying in this manner Intellectum tibi dabo c. that is to say I will giue thee vnderstanding instruct thee in the way thou shalt goe and will haue mine eyes euer vppon thee Wherein he declareth that suche humbled men and lowly persons as knowe their iniquitie shall haue vnderstanding of God and shall not swarue from the right wayes not for their déedes and their deseruinges but for his mercie that vouchsafeth to instruct teach them And so likewise doeth this godlie king shew in this Psalme The Lorde ruleth me and I lacke nothing he feedeth me in sweet pastures and leadeth me by the riuers side he turneth my soule and bringeth me into the pathes of righteousnesse and all for his names sake When he hath opened the saluation of man and also the cause thereof and wherein it consisteth he procéedeth to the fifte parte of his oration and holie Hymne ¶ The fifte parte of the Psalme What trouble may happen to such as God giueth life and saluation vnto THE FOVRTH VERSE Although I walke thorough the vallie and shadowe of death I will feare no euill for thou art with me thy rodde and thy staffe comfort me SEing I haue suche a guide and defender there is no difficultie of perill nor feare of death that I will passe of For what harme can death do to him that hath God the authour of all life with him Or what can the tyrannie of man do where as God is the defender In this fifte part King Dauid sheweth howe the Lord God doeth exercise his shéepe whom he féedeth with his blessed worde in daungers and troubles also how he will defende them in the middest of their troubles what so euer they be In the first wordes of the fift part of this sacred and holy Hymne the prophet declareth that the life of Gods shéepe and people in this worlde can not be without daungers and troubles Therefore Christ sayeth that He came to put fire in the worlde and that the same fire should burne meaning that he came to preache suche a doctrine as shoulde moue dissention and discorde betwéene friend and friend the father and the sonne and sette them at debate Not that his worde is a learning or doctrine of dissention and discorde of it selfe but that by the malice of men that can not abide to be rebuked by the worde of God they will be alwayes at discorde and variaunce with the worde of God and with any friende or foe that teacheth it And the same doeth Christ our heauenly shéepeheard shewe vs both in his doctrine and in his life who was hated and troubled more then any man before or sithens his time and assureth all his to haue troubles in this world yea and death also But it forceth not for he sayth I haue ouercome the worlde And whatsoeuer the dangers bée and howe horrible soeuer they séeme Christe being with vs we néede not to
same members to rise againe at the generall resurrection and they shall suffer with the wicked spirite eternall paines Let this doctrine therefore teach all men to knowe and féele the crueltie of sinne that so painefully vnquieteth doth body and soule and think that if these grudgings discomforts terrours and feares be so great that death it selfe is more tollerable and easie to beare howe much more intollerable and vnspeakeable be the paines of hell which God hath ordeined for all impenitent sinners After this verse of trouble and anguish whereas we sée sléepe taken from the eyes and speach from the tongue followeth next how these great sorrowes were mollified and somewhat diminished 5 I haue considered the dayes of old and the yeres that be past 6 In the night I called to remembrance my song and communed with mine owne heart and my spirite searched diligently I did sayth the Prophet in this great discomfort and heauinesse consider with my selfe the times and worlds of old wherein the Lord had holpen and deliuered my fathers before my time from such troubles as I am in and also from greater And in the night while I was sléeplesse I remembred that many times I lauded and exalted the goodnes of God in my Psalms and Hymns giuing him thanks for his great mercie and goodnes vsed towards his Church at all times and in remembring Gods accustomed clemencie and pitie my spirite was much giuen to debate thinges Out of these two verses we may note diuers doctrines for our consolation in the dayes of our trouble And the first after my minde shalbe concerning the two brightnesse and the two darkenesse in the word of God The one brightnesse is in the letter outwardly and the other brightnesse is in the spirite and heart of the reader of the Scripture This brightnesse or claritie of the letter is this when by reading hearing or thinking of Gods word men learne and knowe that God made all thinges and that he preserueth all thinges and that Iesus Christ his onely sonne is the mediatour betwéene God and man and that he pacified Gods iust ire against man by his bitter death and passion Also he knoweth by the externall histories of the Scripture that GOD hath deliuered many times his people from dangers and perils in maner impossible to be holpen This claritie and brightnesse of the Scripture although it be necessarie yet it is not sufficient for if standeth alone in bare and naked knowledge whiche before God saueth no neither illuminateth the man that hath the knowledge in a sufficient claritie and brightnesse of faith and of Gods promises due in Christ vnto faith As we may sée how the children of Israel had the external claritie and brightnesse of Gods promises vnto Abraham Isahac and Iacob that they and their posteritie should inherite y e lande of Canaan that flowed with all plentie and aboundance yet notwithstanding such as came out of Egypt for the most part perished in the desart wildernesse The Phariseis and learned men amongest the Iewes had the clearenesse and brightnesse of Christes comming of the place he should be borne in and told in that part the trueth vnto Herod yet did they for all this knowledge and claritie abhorre Christ when he came and put him to death most wrongfully The people in like sort saw an external brightnesse in Christ that by his miracles and wonders they thought him worthie to be made a king and yet for all this they cryed out against him Crucifige eum crucifige eum Crucifie him crucifie him The diuel himselfe said he knewe who Christ was the sonne of the most highest and yet for all this knowledge and clearenesse shall he neuer be saued And Christ himselfe also perceiued that this external brightnesse was amongest a great many that called him Lord Lord Yet notwithstanding he said they should not enter into the ioyes of heauen So likewise be there very many at this present time that sée the claritie and brightnesse of Christ outwardly in the letter and yet follow it not here in liuing neither shall they haue the effect of their knowledge in the life to come for their clearenesse is onely knowledge without féeling or practise of the brightnes inwardly which deserueth more stripes then obscuritie or darkenesse doth There is another claritie or brightnes which is an inward vnderstanding and spirituall knowledge and sight of Gods trueth which no man hath but he that is possessed with the spirite of God that whatsoeuer he readeth in Gods word himselfe or heareth preached of other men he vnderstandeth it and consenteth vnto it gladly and willingly As for example God spake vnto Adam and his wordes made him afeard so that he trembled for feare Christ spake vnto Paule and he fell downe flatt and could not abide the peril of Christes voyce So that as the lawe rebuked sinne in the voice and letter it wrought also rebuke and discomfort in the hearts of Adam and Paul and made them afraid inwardly as the voice and letter was terrible outwardly Wherefore they had not onely an externall clearenesse of Gods hatred against sinne but also an internall sight and féeling of the same as the Scripture doth record The like is also in the promises of God when they be preached or read that promise remission of sinne The inward claritie and brightnesse of the same is to féele priuately euery man and woman in his owne conscience through faith in Christ that the same promises doe apperteine and belong vnto himselfe As the Prophet Abacuc saith The iust man liueth by his owne faith Also Christ said vnto the woman of Canaan that it was not good to cast the bread that apperteined to the children vnto dogges she said Yes Lord for the dogges do eate of the crumbes that fall from their maisters table And so doth Christ himselfe vse the brightnesse of his promises to Marie Magdalene Thy sinnes be forgiuen thee Applying the clearenesse of the letter vnto the inward comfort of her soule The same is likewise meruellously expressed in the common créede whereas euery man saith Hée beléeueth in God the father God the sonne and God the holy Ghost and that he beléeueth the remission of sinnes meaning that whosoeuer saith his créed should sée feele in his soule the claritie and brightnesse of his saluation that is conteined in the letter and wordes of the créede But this clearenesse is not séene of all men nor yet of the most part of men As Christ declareth Many be called and fewe chosen Many say Lord Lord and fewe doe the Lords will Therefore Christ saith meruellously concerning the claritie and brightnesse of Gods word inwardly in S. Luke Blessed be they that heare the word of God and keepe it By the which words he declareth that many heare and sée the outward light and trueth of Gods word but very fewe there
CERTEINE comfortable Expositions of the constant Martyr of Christ M. Iohn Hooper Bishop of Glocester and Worcester written in the time of his tribulation and imprisonment vpon the XXIII LXII LXXIII and LXXVII Psalmes of the Prophet Dauid Newly recognised and neuer before published MATTH 24. 13. ¶ Who so continueth to the end shall be saued AT LONDON Printed by Henrie Middleton ANNO 1580. TO ALL THE FAITHfull flocke of Christ grace and peace from God the Creatour Christ the Redeemer and the holy Ghost the comforter MAnie are the monuments beloued in the bowels of Christ Iesus and volumes of the faithfull left as legacies to the Church of Christ which as they are y e true riches for they are spirituall so ought they to be reuerenced not onely with outward seruice of body but also with inward submission of soule Among which monumentes being the treasure of the Church and such iewels in deede as the price of them is inualuable this excellent worke though wanting bignesse yet ful of brightnesse of that most learned godlie faithfull zelous constant and in all points praise worthie Protestant Maister Iohn Hooper Bishop of Glocester and worcester challengeth no small title of dignitie For if the wordes of our Sauiour be true which to improue what incestuous mouth without horrible blasphemie a trespasse vnpardonable dare presume seeing he is the verie substance of truth it selfe that he is a true disciple of Christ which continueth to the end then is it the dutie of vs all except we hide our profession vnder the hiue of hypocrisie not onely by looking at the life of such a loadesman to reforme our deformities but also by tracing ouer and through the testimonies of the trueth such godlie bookes I meane as are left in writing to the worlde as vndoubted assurances of an vnspotted conscience to thanke God for so singular an instrument of his Gospell to beseech him to worke in vs the like loue his law that we may be partakers of such glorie as no doubt this notable Martyr of God doth immortally enioy Of whom breefly to insert and say somewhat because the brightnesse of such a glittering starre cannot bee ouercast with the cloudes of obscuritie and darkenesse shall be a meanes to make the worke more commendable although in very deed precious things haue their proper price and therefore consequently wil haue their deserued praise And first to touch his blessed beginning blessed I say euen frō aboue with the dewe of Gods grace his education in Oxford his prosperous proceeding in the knowledge of Diuinitie his forsaking not onely of the Vniuersitie but also his common Countrie his flight into Germanie his returne into Englande his painefulnesse in preaching his fame and credit among the people his obteined fauour with the Kings maiestie his aduauncemēt to more thā a Bishoplike dignitie his dispensatiō for his ceremonious consecration his secret enimies the supporters of papistrie his supplantation by their priuie cōspiraces his faithfull continuance notwithstanding in sowing sincere doctrine his painfulnesse in hearing publike controuersies his visiting of scholes and founteines of learning his maintaining of godlie discipline his want of parcialitie in iudgement betwixt person and person his Bishoplike behauiour abrode in his Dioces his fatherly affection at home towardes his house and familie c. do warrant him the name of a Saint vpō earth surely God hath registred him in the Kalendar of his chosen seruāts in heauen Againe the falling away of his fauourers when religion languished the malicious practises of his aduersaries threatening his destructiō the bloudthirstie broching of his persecution his appearing before the Queene and her Councell the tyrannicall cōtumelies of his Archenimie his spitefull accusation his milde purgation his vndeserued depriuation his cruell imprisonment his harde intertainment his lamentable lodging his succourles sicknesse his pitifull complaintes his restlesse tribulations his streight examinations his apologeticall aduouchments the cōmitting of him to the Fleete the tossing of him from the Fleete to the Counter in Southwarke from the Counter in Southwarke to the Clinke from the Clinke to Newgate his vniust degradation his cruell condemnation and his lamentable execution c. all these pageantes considered as they were done woulde make a flintie heart to mealt and stonie eyes to sweate not onely water but also bloude and to be short the whole bodie though all the lims thereof were as strong as steele euen for pities sake to tremble This comming within the compasse of my poore consideration I remembred that Christ Iesus the onely begotten sonne of the almightie eternal God had passed the like yea and worse perilles as by the historie of his death and passion may appeare that the Protomartyr S. Steeuen had his tormenters S. Paule the Apostle his persecuters and other of Christes disciples their afflicters then thought I that these sanctified vessels made their vocation honourable euen by their deathes which were opprobrious and therefore howe can it bee but that this our Martyr worthie Bishop Hooper offering vp his body a burnt sacrifice liuely reasonable acceptable vnto God shoulde giue good credit to his doctrine assure his profession affirme his vocation liue in euerlasting memorie by the dispersion of his bookes though his fauour be forgotten and his body consumed Of such a souldier so valiantly fighting vnder the ensigne of his Capteine I cannot say sufficient Of this I am resolued that although his earthly tabernacle bee destroyed yet hath hee a building giuen him of God euen an house not made with handes but eternall in the heauens where God graunt vs all to reigne as ioynt heires with Christ his annointed To proceede and approch neerer to our purpose for the premisses are effectuall enough to breed beleefe and to kindle reuerence in the heart of any true Christian towardes this our excellent Martyr replenished with the abundance of Gods holy spirit I commende vnto thy minde good reader a good work of this so good a mā namely Certaine expositions vpon the 23. 62. 72. and 77. Psalmes of the Prophet Dauid of the which the three last being gathered together by a godly professor of the trueth M. Henrie Bull were neuer before printed Their beginnings are vsually read in this maner 23. The Lord feedeth me I shal lack nothing 62. My soule truly waiteth vpon God 72. Truly God is louing vnto Israel euen vnto such as are of a cleane hart 77. I wil crie vnto God with my voice euē to God will I crie with my voice he shall hearken vnto me The expositions of which psalmes to be pithie profitable this may be a substantial proofe because they were written in the time of his trouble whē no doubt he was talking in spirit with God being so occupied his exercises could not but be heuenly therfore effectuall fruitfull and comfortable Come therefore y u sorrowing soule which gronest for reliefe to
this hatred of Gods worde the foode of Gods shéepe they would be séene and none but they to loue and honour God but it is not so in their heartes for they haue a contempt of God as their fruites well declare And Christe saith They hate both him and his father yea and that without cause But thou Christian reader sée thou féede thy soule with no other meate then with the holesome pastures of Gods word what so euer the world shal say or doe Looke vppon this text of Saint Iohn When the comforter shall come whome I shall send from my father euen the spirit of trueth which doth proceede from the father he shall testifie and beare recorde of me Weigh that place and thinke wherefore the sonne of man referred him selfe to the witnesse of the holy Ghoste and ye shall knowe that it was for no vntruth that was in the authour being Christe or in the doctrine that he preached but only to make the disciples to be of good comfort and that they should not estéeme the Gospel he preached vnto them any thing the lesse although it had many aduersaries and enimies and was spoken against in maner euery where for against the furie and false iudgement of the world that cōtemned the Gospell they should haue the testimonie of the holy Ghoste to allowe and warrant the Gospell Let vs therfore pray to the heauenly shepheard that he will giue vs his holy spirit to testifie for the word of God the only foode of our soules that it is true that God saith and onely good that he appointeth to féede vs. And this we may be assured of that in this heauie and sorrowfull time there is nothing can testifie for the truth of Gods word and kéepe vs in the pleasant pasture thereof but the very spirite of God whiche we must set against all the tumults and daungers of the world For if we make this veritie of GOD subiect to the iudgement of the world our faith shall quaile and faint euery houre as mens iudgements varie Wherefore let vs pray to haue alwayes in vs the spirite of adoption whereby when our faith shall be assaulted we may cry Father father and the same helpe for the maintenaunce of trueth God promised by his holy Prophete Esaie saying This is my couenant with them saith the Lord my spirit which is in thee and my wordes which I haue put in thy mouth shall not depart from thy mouthe nor from the mouth of thy seede nor from the mouth of the seede of thy seede from hencefoorth vntill the world end Here doth the almightie God set foorth what a treasure and singular gift his worde is and that it shall not depart from his people vntill the worldes end And in these wordes is this parte of Dauids Psalme meruellously opened and set foorth It is the Lorde alone that feedeth and instructeth saith Esaie the Prophet It was not mans owne imagination and intention nor the wisedome and religion of his fathers what so euer they were but it was the Lord that spake and made the couenant with man and put his spirite in man to vnderstande the couenaunt and by his worde and none other worde he instructed man and saide that by this meanes all men should till the worldes ende féede and eate of Gods blessed promises For in his word he hath expressed and opened to euery man what he shal haue euen the remission of sinne the acceptation into his fatherly fauour grace to liue well in this life and at the end to be receiued into the euerlasting life Of these things the reader may knowe what mainteineth life euen the word of God as Christe saith If ye abide in me and my words abide in you aske what ye will and ye shall haue it He shall learne also that it is not Generall counsell Prouinciall counsell the determination and agréement of men that can be the authour of this foode but only God And as God is the only authour of this foode euen so is his holy spirite he that féedeth the poore simple soule of the Christian man with his blessed pasture and not the wisedome of man mens sacrifices or mens doings But as touching the foode of mans soule to be the only word of God I will if it be Gods blessed pleasure to whom in the bitter and painefull passion of Christe I commit my will with my life and death open vnto the shéepe and lambes of God at large in an other booke ¶ The third part of the Psalme Howe man is brought to the knowledge of life and saluation which part sheweth what man is of him selfe and howe he is brought into this life and to feede in the pleasant pastures of Gods worde THE THIRD VERSE He shall conuert my soule and bring me into the pathes of righteousnesse for his names sake MY soule erred and went astray from the right way of godly liuing but the Lord conuerted me from mine errors faultes of liuing and brought me to the obseruation of his holy lawes wherein is conteined all iustice trueth and godlinesse Here is to be noted what degrées and orders the Lord and heauenly shepheard doth vse in bringing his shéepe vnto the pasture of life First he conuerteth the man that is gone astray by his wicked wayes and sinnefull maner of liuing If he were an Infidel he bringeth him first to knowe féele and hate his infidelitie and afterwardes to a true faith If he be a persecuter he sheweth him first his tyrannie and afterward how to vse him selfe méekely If he be a sinful man that liueth cōtrarie to his knowledge profession he bringeth him first to the knowledge and hatred of his sinne and afterwards to the forgiuenes of the same As Christ our sauiour wonderfully teacheth in Saint Iohn where he saith The holy Ghost when he commeth shall rebuke the world of sinne iustice and iudgement By the which wordes he declareth that the faithfull of God can not profite in the Gospell of Christ neither loue nor exercise iustice and vertue except they be taught and made to féele the burthen and daunger of sinne and be brought to humble them selues as men that be of them selues nothing but sinne And therefore the lawe and threatenings of God be verie wholesome whose nature and propertie is to cite and call mens conscience vnto the iudgment of God and to wound the spirite of man with terrour and feare Wherefore Christe vseth a wonderfull way and teacheth the same vnto his Apostles that neither him selfe for that present time nor they in time to come could preach profitably the Gospell wherewith men are led into the swéete and pleasant fieldes of Gods promises by his word except they vse this order to leade them from sinne to iustice and from death to life And as iustice and life commeth by Christe shewed vnto vs in his bitter passion death and glorious resurrection
so doeth sinne and death both appeare and be felt by the spirite of God shewed vnto vs in the lawe This order also fawe the holy Prophet when he saide The Lorde conuerteth my soule and leadeth me into the pathes of righteousnes This is a wonderfull sentence and much and déepely to be considered and weighed of the Christian man The Lorde conuerteth my foule saith Dauid He féeleth in him selfe that as long as the diuell and sinne haue the rule and kingdome in man the soule of man being Gods creature is deformed foule horrible and so troubled that it is like vnto all things more then vnto God and vertue whervnto it was created but when the wicked diuel deformed sinne be by the victorie of Christ ouercome expelled the soule waxeth faire amiable swéete louing pleasant like vnto God againe and cōmeth into order obeisance vnto his creatour so brought into y e pathes of righteousnes féedeth with the rest of Gods well ordered flocke vppon she pastures and foode of his holy worde to doe his blessed will Oh that we would in the glasse of Gods worde looke vpon our owne soules when they be in the tyrannie of the diuell vnder the kingdome of sinne as this king did we should more loathe and detest our owne soule and the companie that our soule is accompanied withall then if we should for all our life time be put into sties with hogges and alwayes be bound during our life to liue with them féede as they féede sléepe and wake as they do and be as they be in all things Looke in the Gospel of Saint Luke and there shall ye sée a man by sinne so foule so disordered so accompanied with swine so hungerbaned so rent and torne so beggerly so wretched so vile so loathsome and so stinking that the very swine were better for their condition then he was But sée howe the heauenly shepheard behelde from his heauenly throne the place of the euerlasting ioyes this poore strayed shéepe féeding not amongst shéepe but amongest swine and yet could not be satisfied therewith And no meruell for swine féede not vpon the meate of shéepe nor yet doe shéepe fill them selues with hogges draffe and swillinges but this shephearde vsed his olde wonted clemencie and strake the heart of his shéepe making him to wéepe and bewayle his condition a man to come to suche dishonour to be coupled and matched with swine to féede like swine eate like swine such meate as swine eate remembring that the worst in his fathers house was a Prince and noble King in comparison respect of him then also being persuaded of his fathers mercy he returned his father brought him into his pleasant swéete pastures gaue him his old fauor accustomed apparel againe as a man to kéepe companie with men no more with adulterous men and vncleane swine howbeit he came not to his old honour againe till the Lord had practised in him that he practised in this Prophete king Dauid Ammam meam conuertit He conuerted and turned my soule It is but a follie for a man to flatter himselfe as though he were a Christian man when his hart and soule is not turned vnto the Lord. He shal neuer féed in the pastures of life but be an hypocrite all the days of his life as the most part of the world be that professe Christes name at this present day They say they be conuerted from the world to God when there is nothing within the pastures of Gods word but that they wil contemne rather then to haue as much as an euil looke of the world for it They say they be conuerted to God when they be contented with the world to honour that for God that is but bread and wine in the matter and substance as the scripture of God and the holy Church of Christ haue taught and beléeued these thousand and fiue hundreth yeares and more Oh Lord be these men turned to thée Be these the men that shall dwell with thée in thy holy mount of Sion and stand in thy holy place Nay doubtlesse for they be not turned to thée but from thée be not with thée but against thée They speak with thée and yet their déedes dishonour thée they talke of trueth and practise lies What good Lord shall thy simple poore vnlearned shéepe do Where shall they séeke thy trueth For the shéepeheards say and sing this Psalme euery wéeke and at euery dirige for the dead and yet they be not conuerted in their spirits to thée that thou mightest lead them into the pathes of righteousnes But Lord there is no man nowe in manner that dare accuse them they destroy themselues and thy shéepe and no man can be suffered with Gods word to remedie it Notwithstanding good Lord although in this world none may accuse them yet they in the world to come shal haue king Dauid whose Psalmes they daily reade and in whom they most glorie to accuse them both of heresie and blasphemie as Moses shall accuse the wicked Iewes whome they most glorie of For as the Iewes read the scripture of Moses and yet were neuer the better so these priests of Antichrist reade the holy scripture yet neither the people nor they themselues are any thing the better And in this they passe y e abhomination of the Iewes Turkes for they were and yet be content that their bookes of religion shal be vsed in their churches in the vulgar and common tongue but these enimies of God and man would not haue the word that God hath appointed for all mens saluation to be vsed in any tongue but in the Latine The God therefore of peace that brought againe from death to life the great shéepheard of the shéepe by the bloud of the euerlasting testament our Lord Iesus Christ conuert the soules and heartes of all those that cause the shéepe of God thus to eate and féed vppon the carrine and infected pastures of mens traditions Amen Nowe as king Dauid in this text hath wonderfully set foorth y e miserable nature of al Gods shéepe and put himself for an example that the nature and condition of all men is corrupt wicked and damnable so that it cannot be partaker of Gods benediction and euerlasting grace except it be borne a newe amended restored and instructed so likewise he sheweth that none conuerteth the soule of man but the heauenly father the great shéepeheard that both séeth the loste state of his shéepe and willeth of his mercie the saluation and calling of the shéepe home againe and then he procéedeth further and sheweth what the heauenly shéepeheard will doe with his shéepe He saith Hee will lead them into the pathes of iustice Wherein the Prophete declareth that it is not onely God that conuerteth the man from euill but also he alone that kéepeth him in goodnes and vertue And therein is shewed a wonderfull miserie and wretchednesse in the soule and
part of the Psalme that declareth why the troubled man trusteth in God 3 How long will ye imagine mischiefe against euerie man Ye shalbe slayne all the sorte of you yea as a tottering wall shall ye be and like a broken hedge 4 Their deuise is onely how to put him out whom God will exalte their delight is in lyes they giuâ— good wordes with their mouth but curse with theiâ— heart Selah The thirde parte of the Psalme wherein is shewed thâ— soudenly thy persequuters of the innocent shall perisâ— 5 Neuerthelesse my soule wayt thou stil vpon Goâ— for my hope is in him 6 He truely is my strength and my saluation he â— my defence so that I shall not fall 7 In God is my health and my glorie the rocke â—â— might and in God is my trust 8 O put your trust in him always ye people powâ— out your harts before him for God is our hope Selaâ— In these foure verses is conteyned the fourth part wheâ— in is mentioned the repetition of the two first verseâ— 9 As for the children of men they are but vaine thâ— children of men are deceiptfull vpon the weightes they are altogether lighter then vanitie it selfe 10 O trust not in wrong and robberie giue not youâ— selues to vanitie if riches increase sette not youâ— heartes vpon them Here is the fifte parte that teacheth no trust to be put 〈◊〉 man for he is not able to damne nor saue 11 God spake once and twise I haue also heard tâ—â— same that power belongeth vnto God 12 And that thou Lorde art mercifull for thou râ—â— wardest euerie man according to his worke In these two verses is comprehended the sixt parte whiâ—â— is that God hath promised to be mercifull in helpiâ—â— the afflicted and that he will performe his promises A briefe explanation of the Psalme generally MY soule doubtlesse wayteth still vpon God c. Be my troubles neuer so great and daungerous yet my soule shall trust continually and constantly in the Lorde that can and will remedie them For he is my strength and my saluation and he is my defence So shall I not greatly fall Although good Lorde by reason of mine infirmitie and sinne which is in all men my soule is weake and féeble that it wilbe oppressed with the lightest of all thy troubles whiche thou layest vpon man for his sinne yet when it taketh holde of thy mercie it waxeth strong And although it be weake and trembling by reason of infirmitie yet doth it not cleane fall from the trust of constancie and hope And let the wicked imagine their wicked imaginations against thy poore seruauntes O God yet at length shall they come to shame and destruction as the tottering wall doth fall and the rotten hedge is consumed with fire For that they go about they shal neuer bring to passe because they deuise to put him to shame that God hath purposed to exalt and magnifie And what so euer doublenesse they vse to speake faire with their mouthe and yet haue false and hollowe heartes it shall not bring their intent to their purposed end Sela. God be thanked of whom dependeth al the hope of my saluation And he is my strength my saluation and my defence so that I shal not fall Wherefore all Christian and afflicted persons saith the Prophet follow mine example and put al your hope and trust in the mercie of God who onely saue vs from euill and blesse vs with all goodnesse Powre out therefore before him all your cares and heauines and looke assuredly for help from him for doubtlesse the helpe of man is nothing worthe For If man and vanitie were bothe weighed in a paire of balance vanitie it selfe would be weightier then man How then can so light a thing as man is helpe in the time of trouble And as a man is but vanitie or else rather more vaine then vanitie so be al worldly riches that man possesseth and as little or lesse able to helpe an afflicted as man is vnable to helpe himselfe And this I knowe sayeth the Prophete not by mans wisdome but by the mouth of God that what so euer helpe man looketh for besides God he may be assured at all times to be both helpelesse and comfortlesse and trusting to God he shall be at all times both holpen and comforted For so saith the Lorde whose sayings no power is able to falsifie nor to resist ¶ What things are to be noted out of euerie particular part of this Psalme for the edifying and comfort of him that shall vse to say sing or meditate this Psalme THE FIRST PARTE My soule truely wayteth vpon God OVt of the first part wherein is conteyned what the Christian should doe in the time of trouble is to be noted what it is for a man to haue his soule wayting still vppon God or else to haue silence alwayes in his soule towardes God in the dayes of aduersitie As this Psalme speaketh When the Christian man or woman in the time of sorrowe and heauinesse without grudge or impatience looketh for the helpe of God and giueth not himselfe to quarelling or complayning of God as thoughe hée did him wrong and punished him too muche then doth the soule waite vpon the Lord or else hath silence towardes God As wee maye sée by Iob where his soule attended stil vpon the Lord. When his goodes cattell house and children were taken from him he said after this sorte The Lord gaue them the Lorde hath taken them away as the Lorde is pleased so is it done The name of the Lord be blessed All this while hee bore the crosse of God without murmur or grudge and had his soule still wayting vpon God as this Prophet here saith But when he was burdened further and from the sole of the foote to the top of the head was stricken with sores and botches he cursed the day that he was borne in and the night wherein he was conceiued with many more vnquiet and lamentable wordes as it appeareth in his Booke The like example we haue before of king Dauid in the Booke of the Psalmes where be these wordes In trouble and aduersitie I said I was cast away from the sight of thine eyes ô God And as Iob sometime saide If he should die yet he would trust in the Lord. So sayde Dauid a litle before If he should goe in the middest of the shadowe of death he would not feare In the whiche Psalme ye may sée how constantly his soule wayted vpon the Lorde yet in the 31 Psalme his troubles were so great that in them he saide I am cast from the sight of thee ô God So that these testimonies and examples of the Scriptures do declare that to haue the soule to wayte vppon the Lord is to be assured that God will helpe in trouble and patiently to beare the trouble without grudge vntill God sende remedie and helpe for it The second thing to be gathered of
examples of our forefathers Temptation not resisted at the beginning preuayled against the innocent fathers Adam and Eue in Paradise against Caine in murther against Aaron the people in idolatrie against Nemroth in pride against Dauid in adulterie against Iudas in auarice against Aaron and Marie his sister in enuie against Esau in gluttonie against Pharao in pride against Herode in hypocrisie against the Phariseis in blindnesse and obstinacie of minde against the Iewes in the slaunder of Christes death against the Gentiles in ignorance of Gods worde against the most part of Christians now a days in cowardnesse and feare and against all the world in looking more howe to profite it selfe then to serue and feare God The Prophet said before He was almost gone to sée the wicked so prosper but he saith now that The people fall vtterly vnto them and learne both wicked opinions and wicked life of the wicked The second is that the people fall not into the wicked blasphemie of iniquitie one by one but by clusters in great number Wherein is much to be noted that so few so hardly turne to God and so many so quickly to abhomination But as Christ said The way to heauen is narrowe and straite and fewe enter and the way to hell is broade and plaine and many enter in it ¶ The fifte part 14 Then haue I cleansed my heart in vaine c. OUt of it we be admonished that our nature is to be offended by and by with troubles for the glorie of God And euen as we be vnquiet with the troubles so be we inconstant and vnstable in the knowledge and trueth that we suffer trouble for and beginne to repent that euer we began to fauour or imbrace the trueth and wishe also that we had vsed our selues as other men did and then to haue suffered with other men the common lott and fortune of the world and not thus to haue béene giuen to a singular knowledge of Gods word whiche bringeth with it a singular hatred and punishment in this world Such is our nature if we be by afflictions and troubles but for a dayes space made like vnto Christe we thinke it too long but if we be by sinne for all our life time made like vnto the dinel we thinke the time too short and wish longer to liue because we would longer worke and delight in sinne and abhomination Great and haynous is our offence in this respect for a little time spent in wel doing we iudge too long and all time spent in euil doing we iudge too short All labours and paines be too little if they be bestowed in worldly thinges but if they be appointed to heauenly thinges be they neuer so fewe and slender we thinke them too much There is not sea nor land with all the perils within them but men dare aduenture both their goodes and their liues to winne increase of worldly goodes but to winne towards God and godlines scarse one of a great many without danger will labour or take paines to gaine it So doth the Prophet say in this place that He had clensed his heart in vaine because he sawe clenlinesse and vertue persequuted and filth with iniquitie honoured and exalted Christ in the Gospel of S. Iohn perceiuing that when vertue wel doing should be troubled men would waxe wearie of well doing and vertue he said vnto his disciples Remember when they come that I spake of them and warned you before ¶ The sixt part 15 Yea and I had almost said euen as they c. OUt of it we learne that no man should iudge of Gods workes nor Gods people but by the word of God In this behalfe we do many times gréeuously offend the Almightie God For when the world damneth Gods word then doeth the most part of men the same If the world say it is true we say so to If the world say it is vntrue we say it is vntrue And if the world condemne it we condemne it also Likewise if the world accompt them cursed and damned that be persequuted for Gods sake and for the testimonie of his name we do so to Yea and moreouer if the world slaunder and lie vppon poore men and poore women that suffer for Gods sake we speake as they doe sometimes persequute also the good with them This is an horrible thing to reproue after such a carnall and worldly sort God and all his blessed people whiche will be at lengthe doubtlesse a iust condemnation of the world ¶ The seuenth part 16 Then thought I to vnderstand this but it was too hard for mee c. WE learne out of this part that vntill reason be amended and remoued from her naturall blindnes it can doe none other but condemne both God and Gods people And no meruell for the Prophet in the 83. Psalme also in the 31. Psalme hath these wordes Consultauerunt aduersus absconditos tuos They haue consulted against thy hidden people As though he had said The mercifull father of heauen kéepeth the godly people in most sure and strong defence and protection but this kinde of protection is hid from the eyes of mans reason So that it séemeth many times that God hath the lesse care of the godly and passeth more of the wicked then of them Yet howsoeuer the world iudgeth God sléepeth not Further how blessed the state and life of the godly is and how cursed the life and state of the wicked is only the vertuous and godly do perceiue Therefore the Scripture calleth those that be godly and vertuous The hidden of God Moreouer the godly doe perceiue that all the vanitie of worldly things which be the treasures of the wicked and the permanent state and condition of heauenly thinges whiche be the treasures of the godlie be onely séene of such as enter into the holy Sanctuarie and secret treasures of Gods most holy word without y t which worldly thinges séeme to be riches and heauenly thinges pouertie wicked men to be blessed and godly men cursed falsehood to be trueth and trueth falshood death to be life and life death ¶ The eighth part 23 Neuerthelesse I am alway by thee for thou hast holden me alwayes by my right hand THe Prophet out of this part declareth that which Saint Paul writeth to the Romanes If God be with vs who can be against vs If he loue vs what is hee that can separate vs from his loue which spared not his only sonne for our redemption but gaue him for vs vnto the death Therefore there is neither life nor death thinges present nor thinges to come that can separate vs from him Unto this place is referred all the diliuerance from trouble and danger that God vsed from the beginning of the world vnto our time And when we vnderstand and knowe Gods mercie towardes our selues and others we must giue our selues wholy to laude and praise his
himselfe for euer This may be vnderstood two maner of wayes For this English word euer hath two meanings in the Hebrue tonge Sometime it is taken for continuance and time euerlasting sometime for certeine yeres and the life of men If it be taken in this place for time euerlasting the sorrowes of the Prophete were the greater when he reuelued with his spirite that God iustly for sinne might cast him into euerlasting paines the remembraunce whereof is greater paine then the mortall death of the bodie If this word euer be taken for a certeine time and the life of man then meaneth the Prophet thus Will God as long as I liue absent himselfe And thus continue me in heauines of spirite and sorrowes as long as I liue Which sense soeuer be taken there be profitable thinges to be learned of it But I suppose the latter sense to be the better for diuers causes First in this that the Psalme conteineth the complaint and prayer of the Prophet a man of God that cannot be brought to this desperation that he should be cast away for euer from the fauour of God vnto eternall paines And the text that saith It is mine owne infirmitie and the right hand of the Lord can chaunge this doth beare with this latter sense and explanation For the words be of great weight and of meruellous wisedome and consolation and do declare that although the Prophete felt the iudgement of God against sinne and was in a meruellous terror feare with the horror and sight of his sinns yet the spirite of God did testifie with his spirit that he was the child of God and that it was a paine and punishment of the soule and body and not a desperation and thorough casting away and absenting of Gods mercie For the very electes of God be chosen so ordeined so preserued and kept that nothing is able to take them out of Gods hand For the godly men in the Scripture did reioyce with the assurance of Gods certein promise and did not presume to do euill as S. Paule in sundrie places doth giue testimonie Once to the Romanes where as he felt and perceiued the filthines of sinne the iust iudgement of God against the same as it appeareth by his wofull crie and complaint Oh wretched man that I am who shall deliuer mee from this body subiect vnto death He felt as we may perceiue the heauie burden and weight of Gods displeasure and yet in the midst of terror and feare he stayed assuredly in the mercie of God through Christ. And the same he writeth also to the Corinthians to his disciple Timothie that his death was at hand that he knew although his quarell were neuer so good that he of himselfe was a sinner and by sinne worthie reiection casting away from God yet he said that Christ had in kéeping for him a crowne of iustice whiche he should assuredly receiue at the day of his death God is contented that his chosen people shall suffer and beare the burden and heauinesse of temptation and feare of euerlasting paine as Adam did first in Paradise Dauid many times Iob and others yea Christ himselfe that said his soule was heauie euen vnto death which made him sweat both water and bloud But these temptations and terrors shall neuer ouercome and cast away the person that hath his faith in Christ for none is able to take his shéepe out of his hand Yet God withdraweth his hand many times and suffereth his to be tempted and to be comfortlesse and as it were cleane ouerthrowen not that in déede their election can be altered or they themselues left comfortlesse vntill the end of their liues but for a time as ye may sée by Iob who spake as horrible words and as desperatly as might be Yet sée in the end of his booke and marke what a ioyfull outgoing his gréeuous temptations had What pitifull cryes were these of Christ our Sauiour vppon the crosse My God my God why hast thou forsaken me Yet the end was Father into thy handes I commend my spirite It is written that we must enter into heauen by many troubles Now of all troubles the trouble of the minde and of the spirite is the greatest Who then can enter into heauen without such troubles Doubtlesse no man For the iudgement of God must begin at his house as Saint Pater saith That is to say None shall in this life more féele Gods displeasure for sinne in the spirite nor suffer more aduersitie in the bodie then such as be of Gods owne houshold and very electes Wherefore we be admonished in the troubles and sorrowes that this Prophete Asaph susteined in his soule that could not rest and in his bodie that could not sléepe nor speake that good men be not frée from aduersitie and that aduersities be they neuer so great shall not separate men from God for euer but for a time he punisheth sinne and hideth the consolation of God from vs As the scripture saith For a time a little while I haue forsaken thee but I will gather thee together in wonderfull mercies In a short time of my wrath I hidd my face a while from thee but I will haue mercie vppon thee for euer saith the Lord thy redeemer All men that shall profitably knowe and féele the certeintie of Gods promises in this life and enioy them in the life to come shall be troubled with some paine of doubtfulnes of them before he come to perfection For as by sinne death entered into the flesh and also the flesh is subiect vnto sicknesse and aduersitie so is there entered into the soule and powers thereof by reason of sinne great imperfection As the minde of all men is burdened with ignorance the heart with contumacie and the will with frowardnesse so that as they be before regeneration and knowledge of God in all godly matters starke blind very obstinate and naturally altogether froward euen so after regeneration and the knowledge of God they continually resist and fight against the spirite not onely of man in whome these powers dwell but also against the spirite of God that teacheth and leadeth the spirite of man to eternall saluation So that it is not man that is able to ouercome the wickednesse of his owne soule And therefore séeing life through grace dwelt in a bodie naturally full of sinne Saint Paule said I doe liue yet not I but Christ liueth in mee So this Prophete Asaphe séemeth in wordes to be starke dead from grace but it was not for euer for he felt the spirite of God that told him that such heauie and vngodly thoughtes of his spirit came of his owne infirmitie and that Gods right hand could alter and chaunge them And this is the difference betwéene the affliction of the godly and vngodly as it is
mind he came to y e trust in the Lord. Ye may learne by these Psalmes indited by king Dauid that easily he taught Gods religion and how men should put their trust in the Lord and yet how hard it was to do and practise the thing himselfe that he taught vnto others Asaph also declareth the same For in the 73. Psalme he teacheth what men should thinke and iudge in aduersitie that God would be good vnto Israel But in this Psalme he himselfe being vnder the rod and persequution of God is come to questioning and demaunding Will God absent him selfe for euer Will he be no more intreated Is his mercy cleane gone for euer with many other demaundes declaring vnspeakable troubles and difficulties of the minde before it be brought to a perfect consent and full agréement vnto the promises of God So that we sée the excellent Prophetes and most vertuous organes and instruments amongest sinfull men knewe it was an easie matter to speake of faith vertue and yet a very hard thing to practise true faith and to exercise vertuous liuing Saint Paule sheweth the same to the Romanes to be in him selfe For he had more adoe in Christ to get the victorie of sinne in him selfe then to speake of the victorie vnto others by mouth and more adoe to mortifie and kill the fleshe and to bring it in subiection to the spirite then to practise the death of the flesh in him selfe and to followe the spirit He spake and vttered with his mouth most godly doctrine to the destruction of sinne but with what prayers teares and clamours to God he did the same in him selfe read 2. Corinth 12. The olde saying is Knowledge is no burthen and in déede it is a thing easie to be borne but to put knowledge in experience the body and the soule shal finde paine and trouble And yet Christes wordes where he saith My yoke is light my burden easie be most true to such as haue wrestled with sinn and in Christ got the vpper hand To them I say the precepts of vertuous liuing be easie and swéete as long as the spirite of God beareth the ouer hande in them But when faith waxeth faint and the flesh strong then can not the spirit of God command nor desire any thing but both body and soule be muche offended with the hearing therof and more gréeued with the doing of it S. Peter likewise maketh mention of the same For when Christ bade him followe him meaning that he should dy also for the testimonie of his word he liked not that but asked Christe what Iohn should do being doutlesse in great perplexitie when Christ tolde him that he should suffer the paines of death But here are to be noted two things The one that as long as affliction is talked of generally other mens paines spoken of so long can euery man and woman heare of affliction yea and commend the persons that suffered affliction as we sée at this day All men be contented to heare of y e death of Christ of y e martyrdome of his Saints and of the affliction and imprisonment of his godly members but when the same or like should be experimented and practised by our selues we wil none of it we refuse it and we abhorre it yea so much that where Christ and those Saints whose names be most common and vsual in our mouths suffered the vilest death that could be deuised we will not suffer as much as the losse of a frend or the deceiueable goods of this vnstable and transitorie world so that in the generalitie we be very godly and can cōmend al godly martyrs and sufferers for Gods sake but alas in the particularitie we be very vngodly and will followe no martyr nor suffer at al. Also as long as we be without danger for Christes sake we can speake of great daungers and say that we will suffer all extremitie and crueltie but when it commeth to passe that an enimie to God and his worde shall say in déede Forsake thy religion or else thou shalt dy as Christ said vnto Peter When thou art old an other shall girde thée and leade thée whether thou wouldest not then a litle threatening of an other man stark quayleth this man that said he wold suffer al troubles as Peter said If he shuld loose his life he would not refuse his maister but when an other yea a poore maide but asked him Whether he were one of Christes seruants and made no mentiō at al of losse of life or goods he would not hazard him selfe to beare so much as the name of Christes disciple Thus we sée the vilenesse frailtie of our owne nature how weake we be to suffer in déede when of necessitie we must beare the crosse and can by no means auoyd it How troublesome also it is both to body and soule this Psalme place of the scripture declareth and therfore in the end of these temptations is put Sela. A worde that maketh as it were an outcry against the corrupt nature of man for sin As S. Paule said I know that there dwelleth in my flesh no good thing To admonishe therefore man thereof in déede and to shewe him his owne damnation the word is put there to cause the reader or hearer of the place to marke and bewaile the wretchednesse thereof As the Prophete him selfe doth in the next verse ¶ The fourth part Howe a man taketh consolation in the time of his trouble 10 And I said This is my infirmitie but these things the right hand of God can chaunge HEre is life and death and the occasions of both meruellously set foorth He said that it was his infirmitie that caused him to question doubt of Gods mercy Wherein he hath disburdened God and charged him selfe with sinne and doubtfulnesse And so much al men sée and find in them selues that damnation is of our selues and saluation onely of God There is also to be noted in thi◠infirmitie y t it occupieth not only the body but also the soul. For he saith These cogitations and questions as touching the doubtfulnesse of Gods mercy were the deuises and actes of his mind so that both his body and soule were comfortlesse And good cause why for in both of them were sinne and abhomination against God And of these two partes of man the body the spirit came these dubitations of God and of his promises The which fruites of corruption ingender except sinne be forgiuen eternall death And here is the wisedome of the fleshe séene to be very enimitie vnto God working continually the breach of Gods commaundements and the destruction of mans saluation as much as lyeth in it But in the second part of the verse is life the occasion thereof which is a sure trust that God can remoue despaire put in place therof faith hope sure confidence And the
the children of Israel is mentioned as it is in this Psalme The doctrine touching man in this verse is a declaration of mans obstinacie and stubbernesse The insensible creature the water that lacketh both life and reason at euery commandement be as the Lord their maker commaundeth them to be With euery tempest they be troubled and with euery calme so plaine and quiet that it séemeth rather a stablished land then a variable sea But let God send his word vnto man and the contentes thereof threaten the tempest of all tempestes eternall death hell fire and Gods euerlasting displeasure yet man will not heare nor sée them nor yet be moued any thing at all Or let God gently and fauourably offer his mercies vnto man and by his word exhort him neuer so much to repentance it is for the most part in vaine Therefore God by his Prophets Moses and Esaie called Heauen and Earth to witnesse against mans stubbernesse and hardnesse of heart There is also out of this trouble of the water this doctrine to be learned how to receiue consolation and how to learne feare by the creatures of God that beare no life and yet be thus troubled Consolation in this sort When the penitent man that suffereth affliction and trouble séeth vnsensible thinges moued and vnquieted that neuer offended he shal iudge the lesse wonder at his owne trouble When he séeth that a sinner and wretched offender of God is punished he shal learne feare When he séeth God doth punish his creatures that neuer offended for the sinne of man what punishment is man worthie to haue that is nothing but sinne it selfe And what feare should this bring into Christian mens consciences to knowe that no creature deserueth punishment no creature disobeyeth God but the diuel and man Oh what man or woman can with faith looke vpon the least flowers of the field and not hate himselfe In Summer time when men shall sée the medowes and gardens so meruellously apparelled with flowers of euery colour so that he shall not be able to discerne whether their beautie better please the eye or their swéete sauour the nose what may they learne in thinking of themselues as the trueth is that there is nothing in them but filth and sin that most heynously stincke before the face of God And when man shal perceiue that flowers vade and loose both beautie to the eye and swéete sauor to the nose that neuer transgressed what may miserable man thinke he is worthie to loose y t is nothing but sinne and euer offendeth Againe when man shal perceiue that God thus meruellously after long Winter and great stormes doth raise out of the vile earth so beautifull flowers plantes and trées what consolation may the man take that hath his faith in Christ to thinke that all his sinnes in his precious bloud be forgiuen and after long persequution cruel death he shall come to eternall life After this sort did the Prophet consider the workes of God the troubles of his creatures receiued great consolation therby In the end of this verse the Prophete sayth The deapthes were troubled In the which words he hath aptly shewed the mightie power of God and perceiueth how the record of Gods fact may be his consolation In this that he saith The deapths were troubled there be diuers vnderstandings If the meane of the seas when they are troublesome tempestuous by soule weather he speaketh rather after the iudgement of such as suffer the trouble and peril of the waues that thinke at one time they fall to the bottome of the sea at an other time they be rather vpon high mounteins then vpon the waters the rages thereof be so extreme yet in déede the bottome of the seas be not felt neither doth the shippe that is saued descend so farre but the tempestes be so sore that it séemeth to the sufferers thereof that no extremitie can be more In this sense it serueth meruellously the Prophetes purpose For as they that endure the tempestes of the sea thinke there could be no more extremitie then they susteine so doe they that suffer the tempest of mistrust and despaire for a time of the conscience thinke they could endure no more extremitie of conscience whereas in déede if God should suffer them to féele the extremitie it were eternall death as the extremitie of the sea in tempestes is shipwracke and losse of man and goods But if it be vnderstoode as if standeth in the letter then hath the Prophet relation to the mightie hand of GOD that brake the red sea euen vnto the very bottome and also the water of Iordane that his people might haue both a nighe way a safe way a glorious way towards the land that the Lorde had promised them And then in this sense we learne that although water and winde with all troubles else couer the face of the earth in the bottome of the sea and is not possible to come to the vse of man euen so the troublesome temptations and great terror of Gods wrath against sinne couereth the soule of man that vnto the iudgement of the flesh it shall neuer come to haue the vse and fruition of Gods holy fauour againe But nowe as we sée by miracle God maketh drie the deapthe of horrible seas and turneth the bottome of them to the vse of man so doeth he in the bloud of Christ by the operation of the holy ghost drie vp and cleane lade out the ponds and déep seas of mistrust heuines out of the soule and turneth the soule it selfe to the vse of his owne honour in the ioyes euerlasting And as the water couereth the beautie of the land so do sinne temptation couer the image and beautie of mans soule in this life But as with a worde God can remedie the one so with the least of his mercies he can redresse the other And for the better experience and more certeintie thereof we sée it proued by this prophete Asaph in this place For the ground was neuer more ouerwhelmed with water nor the bright Sunne with dimmie cloudes then was this poore Prophetes spirite with heauinesse and sorrowe of sinne and temptations Therefore he féeleth howe God easeth the heart and recordeth howe he banished floudes and waters to make his people a way to rest and tranquillitie 17 The clouds powred out water the aire thundered and thine arrowes went abroad The Prophete remembreth the meruellous invndation and drowning of the worlde in the dayes of Noah that drowned all the world for sinne sauing such as were in the Arke or Ship with Noah And he remembreth also the horrible thunder that was heard of the people when God gaue his lawe vnto them vpon mount Synai Likewise he calleth to remembrance the plagues of Egypt wherewithall God punished Pharao his people and the whole land which paines and plagues he