whole world Attend therefore to him and he will attend to thee But the way how to make it is not yet shewed which notwithstanding is noe lesse needfull for the vnlearned to know Wherefore for the benefite of simple but well minded soules I will as plainly and breifly as I can sett downe à meâ—â—ode how to prepare the mynd and keepe it well imploied which they maie make vse of and I hope with profitt vntill God almightie shall please to inspire them with à better and more agreeable to the affections of their soules CHAPT XI Câ—ntaininge à forme of Preparation before praier with Aspirations of diuers Kindes THe Ecclesrastes giueth this aduice Ecclesiastes c 5. Speake not any thing rashly neither let â—hy heart be swif to vtter à word before God Wherefore it will be good that when they come to pray they pause à while in silence and consider attentiuely what à waightie matter they goe about vizt to treate with God almightie concerning the busines of their saluation Next let them frame to themselues à firme beleâ—fe that God is there present before thâ—â— thoughâ— disguised and that perhaps if they proue faithfull feruent and perseuerant he will if it be â—o â—â—nieâ—â— for them manifest himself vnto them as he did to S. Marie Magdalâ—â—e and since hath often done to many holie Sâ—ints Yet they ought not to frame vnto themselues any positiue coÌ„ceipt of him as pâ—re God supposing him to bee present in this or that forme or shape for he is à most simple Spirit and cannot be compreh â—ndâ—d vnder any corporall Specieâ— or Image but à negatiue that is that he is neither 〈◊〉 nor that nor any thing which their â—aâ—tafie can represent vnto them They are alsoe to beleeue that he vieweth all their externall comportment and all the internall desires and affections of their hearts proue cleanely â—â—eâ— if their bodies â—erâ— composed of transparent â—â—riâ—â— all â—and iâ—â—â—â—â—â—d with the sonne beames This done let them â—â—deâ—â—our â—o gâ—â— into theiâ—â—â—t 〈◊〉 by soâ—e â—â—ouâ— Aâ—piration For â—â— the 〈◊〉 saiâ—th Oâ—â— mile will dâ—iâ—â— out another Wherefore those that seeke to free 〈◊〉 â—â—luâ—s from distractionâ— and to â—â—der the passâ—â—â—â— aâ—â—e into their Interiour must endeâ—â—our by some internall imployment such as is the exercise of Aspirations to expell the images of their externall affaires and by little and little to winne their minds 〈◊〉 their passions and draw neare to the image of God which he hath impressed or stamped in the Fund or bottome of their soules as the Prophet witnesseth The light of thy countenance o Psal 4. Lord is signed vpon vs where they may find him soe often as they will withdraw themselues from the mâ—â—â—â—ltuous noise of exteriour busines and conuert their hearts towards him sweetly and with à filiall reuerence But least this tearme Interiour maie seeme to obscure it will be needfull to giue this short explication thereof Mysticall diuines doe â—â—ach that whilest our minds are busied in any exteriour imployment although it be good and laudable 〈◊〉 not yet directly tending towards God almightie â— that the saied imploimâ—nâ— doth mediate or interpose it self betweene vs and hiâ— and doth as it were keepe vs out of ourselues that is doth hinder vs from working immediatly to the end for which we were created which is to haue our eies and hearts fixed vpon God and to direct all our actions and thoughts to praise and glorifie him immediatly Our first parents did performe this immediate tendance towards God and soe remained alwaies in their interiour vntill they did voluntarily extrouert and distract themselues to reflect vpon the forbidden fruit of which fruit after they had tasted both they and all that descend from them found and doe find great repugnance and difficultie to keepe themselues introuerted or to remaine in their Interiour for any long space and therefore God almightie who is most gracious and benigne hauing regard to humaine infirmitie doth not exact of vs the practise of this introuersion at all times out of praier but in à very imperfect manner Yet when we come to praier he doth expect that we practise it in some better measure that our praier maie be performed with due reuerence which we cannot well doe vnlesse we auert our minds from all exteriour things vnto which things whilst we remaine attent we are properly teamed to be extrouerted or out of ourselues and that we conuert of hearts to tend immediatly towards God where in whilest we continue we are tearmed to be introuerted or to remaine and dwell in our interiour This maie suffice for the explication of that tearme The Aspirations that I here speake of maie be these that follow or such like either in à few words or in many as they shall find most proper for them I desire that they may not be recited vocally but pronounced as it were mentally yet herein alsoe let such proceed as they shall experience themselues best recollected and moued to deuotion Aspirations in à few words INdeed our Lord is in this place and Gen. 28. I was not aware of it I will hold him I will not let him goe vntill he haue giuen me his benediction O Lord thou commaundest me to loue giue what thou commaundest and commaund what thou wilt O that I knew thee and knew my self What is there for me in heauen or what desire â— on earth besides thy self Heauen is not heauen to me without thee O Lord thou knowest all things thou knowest I loue thee When shall I come before the face of our 〈◊〉 I desire to be dissolued and to be with Christ Woe is me that my soioâ—rning is prolonged Praise our Lord o my soule let his praise be alwaies in thâ— mouth My beloued to me and I to him one to one all to all à creature to his Creator My beloued is all faire all sweeâ—â— all delightfull He hath wounded my heart If I maie find fauour in thy sight shew me thy face Let thy voice sound in myne eares for thy voice iâ— sweet and thy face beautifull Thou art worthy o Lord to receiue glory and honor and vertue and benediction Aspirations in more words Speaking to the soule DVst and ashes as I am how dare I appeare in the sight of my God before whome the powers of heauen doe tremble Yet be not dismaied o my soule He hath saied that he came to calumners and whâ—t would he but they should come vnto him How sweetly and mildly did he absolue the woman that was taken in adultery who stood wholy abashed and confounded in his presence VVoman where are thy accusers Hath none of them condemned thee Neither doe I Goe thy way and sinne noe more O wonderfull meâ—â—y O sweete answer I how can we feare to open our greifes vnto him He hath saied come all to me that are heauy lâ—aden and I will refresh you Be confident therefore o my soule heauen and earth may passe but he will not
the lib. 9. Confes c. 1. li. 4. de oratione c. 2. â— 10. saied hymnes of the orientall Church as S. Augustine affirmeth Suarez saieth that the holie Church was moued by the especiall prouidence of God to institute that the confession and glorification of the B. Trinitie by the accustomed Hymne Glorie be to the Father c. should be added to the end of euery Psalme because saieth he the vse of the Psalmes was of greater antiquitie then the law of grace and by this meanes they doe participate the proper perfection thereof and become compleate and consummate Cornelius à Lapide dilating vpon these words of the Apostle For of him and by Rom. 11. him and in him are all things to him be glorie for euer Amen doth expound this hymne of glorification in fauour of such who repeat it often Glorie saieth he be to the Father of whome all things are as of the prime origine Glorie to the Sonne by whome all things are made as by wisdome and men redeemed as by their mediator Glorie to the holie Ghost in whome are all things as it were in à bond and consummation Glorie to the Father of whome is all paternitie in heauen and vpon earth Glorie to the Sonne by whome is all filiation Glorie to the holie Ghost in whome is all holines and sanctification Glorie to the Father of whome is eternitie Glorie to the Sonne by whome is all forme beautie Glorie to the holie Ghost in whome is all felicitie and fruition Glorie to the Father of whome is all vnitie glorie to the Sonne by whome is all equalitie glorie to the holie Ghost in whome is all loue and concord Glorie to the Father of whome is all powâ—r glorie to the Sonne by whome is all wisdome glorie to the holie Ghost in whome is all goodnes Glorie to the Father who created me glorie to the Sonne by whome I am redeemed glorie to the holie Ghost in whome I am iustified Glorie to the Father who hath predestinated me glorie to the Sonne by whose precious bloud I am washed and made cleane glorie to the holie Ghost in whome I shall be glorified for euer Amen Alleluia NEXT in order followeth the Angelicall Hymne Alleluia which is song froÌ„ Easter vntill Septuagesima not without good reason for holie Dauid Psal 146. Psa 99. exhorteth To our God let there be à pleasant and comely praise againe Make ye iubilation to God all the earth serue ye our Lord in gladnesse enter ye before his fight in exultation And this hymne signineth praise God with à heart dilated through excesse of ioye The holie Church therefore because we ought neuer to surcease from praising God noe not then when we recount the miserable estate of man by the fall of our first parents hath ordained that in lieu of this hymne of exultation the verse Praise be to thee â— Lord King of eternall glorie shall be recited from Septuagesima vntill Paster which is à tyme of mourning and pennance li. 2. de Ritibuâ— c. 20. Stephen Durantus disputeth this question at lardge why the holye Church should omitt Alleluia from Septuagesima and yet place in lieu thereof à praise which seemeth equiualent thereunto after many solutions at length he answereth with S. Thomas and the Glosse vpon the ninth of the Apocalipse that this Hymne Alleluia besides the ordinary praise doth insinuate à iubilation which cannot be expressed in words Leo the 9. saieth that these two Hymnes Cap. de Consecr Hi. duo Dist. 1. onely are mentioned in the New Testament to haue been song by the Angells that is to saie Alleluia and Gloria in excelsis both which are intermitted in Septuagesima to shew that for the sinne of our first parents we are banished from communicating with the Angells in Iubilation which Adam in the state of innocencie did enioy as S. Iohn Damascene li 2. de Paradis affirmeth in these words Adam in bodie was delighted in the terrestriall paradise but in mind he was present with the quires of Angells in the paradise of holie spirits The same alsoe in effect S. Gregorie the Great affirmeth in his Dialogues Dialog 2. to witt that man in paradise was accustomed to enioy the words of God and to be present with the blessed Angeliall Spirits in puritie of heart and hight of contemplation But we alas doe now Psal 64. sit and weepe in Babilon of this wretched life and vpon the bankes of the riuers thereof whilest we remember that Syon where the Prophet saieth An hymne becommeth God VVisupra â— S. Leo aboue named giueth this reason why Alleluia is intermitted for nine weeks precisely and reassumed in the tenth weeke There are saieth he nine quires of Angells and the tenth quire sell by the sinne of Pride and thereby disturbed the ioye of the rest vntill Man was created to supplie their number but when he fell alsoe by disobedience they were againe greatly discomforted vntill our Sauiours birth at which tyme they begane to reassume their songe of ioye and afterwards at his Resurrection and Ascension together with those blessed soules which accompanied him vnto his throne of glorie they conceiued full hope that their number should be made compleate and their praise perfect S. Augustine saieth that although this Li. 2. Hymne might be interpreted both in de doctrina Christiana c. 10. Greeke and Latin yet it hath remained intire because it relisheth best in its owne originall to witt in the Hebrew Whosoeuer out of curiositie shall desire to soe more of the signification of this Hymne let him peruse the 137. Epistle of S. Ierome to Marcella where he maie receiue satisfaction The Inuitatorie verse IN the diuine office the Inuitatorie verse is vsually varied according to the nature of the office appointed for each daie and it is thus defined by Peter Damian Tom. 3. c. 7. in his booke intituled Dominus vobiscum The Inuitatorie saieth he is that by which the communion of the faithfull is inuited to the praise of God Concerning which you must note that the communion of true beleeuers be they scattered abroad in neuer soe many seuerall countreys doe yet make but one mysticall bodie whereof Christ is the head in whome they maie and doe meete together in spirit in the diuine praises by the feete of their soules which are the affections and in this sort they are inuited to come and ioyne with vs in the praise of almightie God S. Augustine affirmeth that if two iust In Psal 94. men be placed one in the East and the other in the West yet maie they truely be saied to be together because they are both in God but although à iust man and à wicked man be linked in one chaine yet are they farre à sunder for the one by louing iniquitie hath seperated himself farre from God and the other by louing God is nearely adioyned vnto him and if two such should praise
him who hath been mindfull of you euen before you had existence in nature In this Psalme we are admonished to weigh diligently the horrour distriction and seuere rigour of the last iudgement and to consider from our heart how horred Hebre. 10. it will bee then to fall into the hands of the liuing God to behold him à furious iudge to see the world all in flames to see the whole troupes of Angels assisting Christ our iudge against the vniust before heauen and earth to render an account of all our words deeds and thougts to bee confounded and reproued before men Angels and diuels to heare that most bitter and irreuocable sentence of damnation pronounced Goe Math. 25. ye accursed into eternall fire to expect the vncertaine or rather certaine sentence of the iudge to behold the wide gaping Chaos of the infernall dungeon and lastly to bee separated for euer from the societie of the iust and throwne into the abisme of hell there to bee scorched with vnextinguible flames without any the least hope of euer departing thence Wherefore let vs recite this Psalme with feare and trembling and beg of our Lord grace to coÌ„porte our selues in such sort in this life that we maie merit to behold him then as à gracious patrone and mild Father not as a seuere iudge The title and argument of the 97. Psalme and last in the Nocturne Office A Psalme to Dauid himselfe In the person of Dauid is prefigured Christ our Lord as hath been saied The Prophet doeth by this Psalme inuite all nations with heart voice and instruments ioyfully to celebrate the two foresaied commings of our Sauiour yet he cheefly treateth of his first comming to saue the world The Prophet doth in this as in many other of the Psalmes speake of things to come as if they were already passed for the infallible certainty of them all which we now behold to bee performed accordingly The exposition of the Psalme SIng ye to our Lord à new song because he hath done maruelous things farre surpassing mans capacitie which are at lardge recorded by the Euangelists His right band his diuine power hath wrought saluation to himselfe hath raised his mortall body from death to life or thus hath saued mankind for himselfe and his arme his vertue and fortitude is holie God the Father Our Lord hath made knowne his saluation hath proclaimed to Zachary and the shepheards by his Angels to S. Elizabeth S. Anne and holie Symeon by the holie Ghost afterwards to S. Iohn the Baptist and finally to the Apostles in the transfiguration of our Lord that Christ Iesus is his beloued Sonne whome he promised should come and worke saluation to all mankind In the sight of the Gentils he hath reuealed his iustice first by the starre which appeared to the three Kings and afterwards by the preaching of the Apostles he hath reuealed Christ our Lord who is tearmed his iustice because by him God hath redeemed the world not by his power onely but bâ— the way of iustice or thus hath reuealed the precepts couÌ„sells of the Euangelicall law in which the plenitude of iustice is contained The words and sense of this most sweet verse are frequent in tâ—â— Prophesie of Isaâ—â— The Isa 40. glorie saiet he of our Lord shall bee reuealed and all flesh together shall see that the mouth of our Lord hath spoken And our Lord 52. hath prepared his holie arme in the sight of all the Gentils and all the ends of the earth shall see the saluation of our God and againe I 56. haue made my iustice neere it shall not bee farre of and my saluation shall not tarrie He hath remembred his mercy wherewith he mildly and sweetly not onely spared our first parents but alsoe promised that the seed of tâ—e woman should crush the serpents head and he hath remembred his truth to the bouse of Israel to performe faithfully what he promised to Abraham Iacob and his progeny according to that of S. Luke He hath receiued â—srael his child Luc. 1. being mindfull of his mercy As he spake to our Fathers to Abraham and his seed for euer All the ends of the earth haue seene the saluation of our God by saith in Christ our Lord diuulged by the holie Apostles Marc. 16. vnto whome our Sauiour saied Going into the wâ—ole world preach the Gospell to all creatures For which singular benefit the Propâ—et doth here inuite all creatures to praise and giue thankes to our Lord saying Make ye iubilation to God all the earth O all ve inhabitants of the earâ—h with excessiue and vnspeakable ioy of heart saie ye praise to Christ our God chaunt with your voices reioyce in your hearts and sing on instruments Sing to our Lord on harpe on harpe voice of Psalme on long drâ—wne trumpets and voice of câ—rnet of horne According to the letter the Hebâ—â—wes did â—se â—uch musicall instruments as these therewith to set forth the praise of God But being taken in à spirituall sense by the harpe is vnderstood the workes of mercy or mortification of the flesh by the long drawne trumpets are signified the tribulations and aduersities oâ— this life and by the cornet of horne the contemplation or celestiall things by which all transitory things are transcended The sense therefore of this verse seemeth to bee Sing to our Lerd on harpe with mortification of your flesh and workes of mercy that your song maâ—e bee acceptable and deligâ—tfull On harpe and voice of Psalme with life answerable and concording to your voice On long drawne trumpets in aduersities tribulations and tentations giue thankes to God esteeming it all ioy when you fall Iac. 1. into diuers tentations And voice of cornet of horne with vocall praise proceeding from diuine contemplation Make ye iubilation in the sight of the King our Lord to wit Christ Iesus Let the Sea bee moued and the fulnesse thereof the round world and they that dwell therein The riuers shall clappe with hand This is Bellarme in bunc locum Metaphorically spoken in regard that the noise of their motion compared with the roaring of the sea is like to that of clapping of hands The mountaines together shall reioyce at the sight of our Lord because he cometh to iudge the carth If this bee referred to the first comming of our Sauiour all these are saied to reioyce because he cometh to gouerne the world with most iust lawes not onely as in tymes past with the Majestie of his inuisible diuinitie but alsoe in a corporall and visible Philip. 2. forme Made into the similitude of men and in shape found as à man But if it bee referred to â—is second comming these are inuited to reioyce because God will then exterminate all sinners and renew all the elements Some expound the two precedent verses as followeth Let the Sea bee moued and the fulnesse thereof to wit those that negotiate on the sea and such as
2. â—ies haue seene thy saluation which thou hast prepared before the face of all people à light to the reâ—elation of the Gentils c. and in another place All flesh shall see the saluation Luc. 3. of God By this verse therefore the faithfull doe praie for the illumination of the holie Ghost that they erre not in the way of this present life but by working maie know and by knowing maie walke in the way of our Lord of which our Sauiour speaketh in the Ghospell Straâ—â—e Math. is the way that leadeth to life and few there are that fynd it and by these words in all nations thy saluation they praie that Christ maie be acknowledged and honoured by all nations Let people ô God Confesse to thee let all people Confesse to thee Let the worship and veneration of the false Gods cease and to thee alone the liuing God let all diuine honour be giuen by all people Let nations called to the faith of Christ be glad with interiour ioy and exult by shewing exteriour signes of their inward ioy and this because thou ô God by thy annoynted iudgest people in equitie that is the seruile yoake of the Prince of darknesse being taken away thou hast constituted à most iust Kingdome in thy holie Church and the nations in earth thou doest direct gouerning them and directing them by most wholsome lawes to the port of eternall saluation S. Augustine interpreteth the words of this verse in the future tense as thus Thou wilt iudge people in equitie and referreth them to the last iudgement And the nations in earth thou wilt direct referreth them to the direction of this present life according to whome the sense of this verse is Let nations bee glad and exult because if they happen to suffer any euill here from men the tyme will come when thou ô God wilt iudge people in equitie and in the meane tyme the nations in earth which are subiect and deuoted to thee thou wilt direct Let people ô God Confesse to thee let all people Confesse to thee Here the Prophet againe exhorteth all people to praise and giue thankes to God adding à new reason or motiue to wit because the earth hath yeelded her fruit This fruit is Christ our Lord borne of the terrene substance of the blessed Virgin à fruit of such excellency that in coÌ„parison thereof all the fruit the earth hath heretofore brought forth maie well bee esteemed briers and thornes Of this fruit the Prophet Isaie maketh mention saying In that Isaiae cap. 4. daie the bud of our Lord shall bee in magnificenee and glory and the fruit of the earth high Yet taking the last words of this verse in à morall sense The earth is saied to yeeld her fruit when the holie Church doth spiritually instruct perfect and conserue her children and when our body liueth soberly and serueth to the aduancement of the soule obeying in all things The Prophet doth here as in many other places of the Psalmes vse the preterperfect tense for the future because in his prenotion that was now done which he foretelleth to bee done God our God blesse vs God blesse vs and let all the ends of the earth feare him This in effect is as much as if he had saied Since all people doe praise thee ô God and the earth hath yeelded her fruit let there henceforth bee a gratefull vicissitude betweene thee vs doe thou open thy liberall hand and fill vs with all benediction to wit with aboundance of all temporall and spirituall benefits and we as it is most meet will serue thee with à filiall reuerence and render thee the tribute of obedience and praise for euer The threefold repetition of the word God in this verse signifieth the affection of the Prophet Yet it seemeth likewise to insinuate the mystery of the blessed Trinitie which was afterwards manifested to the whole world by our Sauiour and his hole Apostles A certaine graue author vpon these words in the first verse of this Psalme to wit God blesse vs and illuminate his countenance vpon vs hath this obseruation Because saieth he many desire to bee blessed by God with aboundance of temporall benefits to wit with beautie power riches honour and the like all which indeed doe come from God but yet are common to the iust and vniust therefore the Prophet addeth what is proper to the iust to wit illuminate his countenance vpon vs. This is proper to the iust whereas the other mentioned things are common to all both good and euill almightie God soe disposing least if they should bee giuen solely to the good euill men would thinke that God were to bee worshipped for them and if to the euill onely infirme and fraise people would feare to conuert themselues to God least these things should bee wanting vnto them Behold here à short Psalme but full of feruour deuotion Let vs conforme the affections of our heart to the sacred words thereof with the whole forces of our mynd let vs implore the diuine mercy that he will bee pleased to inrich vs with the benedictions of Christ and instruct vs with the light of his countenance Let vs alsoe most heartely pray for the common good and for the generall soules health of all men that all men maâ—e confesse to God honour and loue him The argument of the Canticle of the three children BY the insuing Canticle the three men Sidrach Misach and Abdenago who were throwne into the furnace of burning fire by the commandement of Nabuchodonosor because they refused to adore the golden statue he had erected as is at lardge related by the Prophet Daniel did inuite all creatures in their seuerall Daniel 3. degrees and natures to praise God and they themselues did praise and glorifie him who preserued their bodies that they were not touched by the fury of those flames and made their hearts inflamed with the fire of his loue Indeed by how much the more one is inflamed with his loue by soe much the more intensly doth he desire that God maie bee praised loued and honoured by all l. 1. de doctrina Christiana creatures according to that S. Augustine By how much the more feruent any one is in the loue of God by so much the more doth he endeauour by all the meanes he can diuise that God maie bee beloued of all men by how much the more sincerely any one doth coÌ„template God by soe much the more he doth vnderualue and humble himselfe esteeme the praise wherewith he doth set forth the glory of God to bee the more insufficient and therefore doth earnestly desire that God maie bee magnificently praised by all creatures and doth his best to procure it The exposition of the Canticle ALl workes of our Lord blesse ye our Lord praise and superexalt him for euer Although euerie Creature doth not blesse and praise almightie God with voice which is proper to Men nor mentally which is
parts of the world according to that of Genesis In the beginning Gen 1. God created heauen and earth Heauen is the seate of the Angels and therefore he beginneth with Praise our Lord from the Heauens and referreth to it all superiour things and the earth is the seate of men and therefore he addeth in the 7. verse Praise our Lord from the earth referring vnto it all inferiour things The exposition of the Psalme PRaise yee our Lord from the Heauens praise yee him in the high places Praise yee him all his Angells praise yee him all his hostes S. Augustine well noteth vpon this place that the Prophet doth not by these words commaund the Angells to praise our Lord or exhort them to praise him as though they were slacke and remisse in this happy office or did euer cease or desist from praising him for as S. Iohn affirmeth The Apocalip 4. Psal 83. fower beasts had noe rest daie and night saying holy holy holy Lord God omnipotent and the Psalmist saieth Blessed are they that dwell in thy howse ô Lord for euer-and euer they shall praise thee But he doth hereby congratulate them in this their praising God like as we are accustomed to congratulate those whome wee see doing some worke with ioy wherewith we are well pleased saying courage goe too my Masters or the like which words we vse vnto them not that they stand in need of our incouragement to moue them to beginne that worke but that we are delighted with that they are already in hand with Praise yee him Sunne and Moone praise yee him all Starres and light The Sunne Moone Starres and light are saied to praise our Lord when by their beautie efficacy swittnesse and other proprieties they doe induce intellectuall creatures to admire praise their Creator Praise him yee heauens of heauens to witt the greatest and highest heauens and the waters that are about the saied heauens let them praise the name of our Lord as hath been saied in the precedet Canticâ—e Because he saied intellectually within himselfe to witt in his practical vnderstaÌ„ding that they should bee created and they were made of nothing that which they now are he commaunded by his diuine will and they were created for according to the Apostle God almighty calleth those Rom. 4. things that are not as those things that are as alsoe that of Genesis And God saied Gen. 1. bee light made bee à firmament made c Soe by saving all things were created for God is the cause of all things by his vnderstanding according to that Thou Psal 103. Psal 134. hast made all things in wisdome and by his will according to that All things whatsoeuer our Lord would he hath done in heauen and earth He established them to witt the Angels Sunne Moone Starres and the heauens for euer and for euer and euer for he hath giuen them an incorruptible being Notwithstanding we beleeue that the heauens and the lights of the heauens in as much as concerneth their accidentall forme shall bee changed and renewed for the better as hath been saied in our former explications He put à precept he prefixed them à certaine forme or manner of working and it shall not passe but remaine as he hath decreed He put à precept to the Sunne that it should shine by daie and behold in soe many yeares this hath been obserued to the Moone that it should increase and decrease for thirty daies and this course hath not been altered to the Sea that it should not transcend its limits and behold the surging billowes of the Ocean come wallowing to the shore burst and returne Praise our Lord from the earth all you that any wise appertaine thereunto Yee Dragons and all depthes By Dragons are here vnderstood great fishes which some call Leuiathans or VVhales and by the depthes are vnderstood the deepe placee where such fishes remaine according to that Thou hast crushed the heads of the Dragons in Psal 73 the waters Yet some in this place by Dragons doe vnderstand great serpents rough with scales which dwell in dennes caues and hollow moist places to temper their naturall heat and doe not creepe vpon the earth but fly in the aire and doe exceed other creatures in vast quantity and horrid aspect Fire haile snow yee spirit of stormes to wit tempestious winds exciting suddaine whirl winds and stormes at Sea VVhich doe his word doe obey his diuine will performing that for which they were ordained Mountaines and little hills trees that beare fruit and all Cedars Beastes wild and vntamed and all cattell tame domesticke Serpents and fethered fowles All these the Prophet doth inuite to praise our Lord according as hath been explicated in the precedent Canticle Finally the Prophet inuiteth Man to praise our Lord for whome all things were created saying Kings of the earth all that haue independent temporall authority and absolute right to gouerne and all peoples that owe fealty homage and obedience to their lawfull Soueraignes Princes that haue absolute right to gouerne their subiects within their principalities but yet are subordinate themselues to the saied Kings in some respects and all Iudges of the earth that haue authority from Kings Princes to determine differences betweene party and party and to pronounce sentence of death in criminall causes And that he might comprehend all sorts of people of what age sexe condition soeuer he addeth Yong men and Virgins old with yong All people therefore whether they bee Kings Princes or priuate persons men or women old or yong let them praise the name of our Lord because the name of him alone is exalted that is he himselfe alone doth infinitely surpasse all things in nobility and perfection Eccles 1. Whence Ecclesiasticus saieth There is one most high Creator omnipotent and mighty King and to bee feared exceedinglâ— and Mâ—yses saieth Neither is there other God Deut. 3. either in heauen or on earth that is able to doe thy workes and to bee compared to thy strength The Coâ—fession of him aboue heauen and earth to witt His praise is song in the triumphant and militant Church His glory saieth the Prophet shall couer the heauens and the earth is full of his praise Yet in neither of them can he be praised to the full for all the tongues of men and Angells are altogether in sufficient to expresse Abacuc 3. his immense goodnesse and infinite perfection He hath exalted the horne of his people to witt the power and glory of the people of Israel electing them amongst all the generations of the earth giuing them diuine lawes written with his owne finger protecting them miraculously against the fury of their enimies and gouerning them with singular prouidence and vnspeakable loue An Hymne which is the praise of God with à spirituall song properly belongeth to all his Saints in heauen and earth for they are worthy of all praise and they praise God incessantly to the Children
vertue of true humilitie doe euen from the fall of Lucifer acknowledge all their excellencie as receiued from him and mankind depressed by the Serpent alsoe in particular such as resigne themselues to his holie will and for his loue doe submitt themselues vnder all creatures Raising vp from the earth from carnall life from the loue of transitorie things and terrene thoughts the needie such as are voide and destitute of spirituallitie inriching them with diuine gifts with the loue of heauenly things and the contemplation of high mysteries and lifting vp to the Kingdome of glorie the poore the humble out of the dung of this corruptible bodie To place him there with Princes with the holie Angels with Princes of his people with the cheifest of his elect for the Triumphant Church is one vnited of good men and holie Angels Or thus That he maie place him on his right hand in the daie of iudgement with the Princes of whome the Prophet Isaie speaketh saying Our Isa 3. Lord shall come to iudgement with the ancients of his people and his Princes VVho maketh the barren woman the congregation of the Gentils to dwell in à house in the militant Church à ioyfull Mother of spirituall children whome she regenerateth of water and the holie Ghost In this sense the Apostle alleadgeth Gala. 3. that of the Prophet Isaie Reioyce thou barren that bearest not breakeforth and crie that trauailest not because many are the children of the desolate to witt of Gentilitie then of her that hath à husband to wit the Synagogue whose spouse husband was God almightie but he left her for her incredulitie as the Prophet Ieremy Iere. 12. doth manifestly declare saying I haue forsaken my house I haue left my inheritance I haue giuen my beloued into the hands of her enemies myne inheritance is become vnto me as à Lyon in à wood The Prophet tearmeth Gentilitie or the people of the Gentils Sterill and desoâ—ate because they were long forsaken by almightie God for their Idolatrie in such sort that they brought forth noe fruit of the holie Ghost nor generated any children to Christ whence is that of Amia the Prophetesse The barren woman bare verie manie and she that had manie children was weakened It is meet that we sing this Psalme with spirituall ioy it being composed wholly in the diuine praise It importeth vs alsoe to striue to become children that is pure innocent and humble that soe we maie merit to praise God worthily and to bee beheld by him with a gratious eie for Praiso is not comely Eccles 15 in the mouth of the vitious The third Psalme in Vespres which is the last in Tierce as alsoe the fourth Psalme which is the second in None are alreadie expounded in the saied Houres The title and argument of the 147. Psalme and last in Vespres THe title is Allelâ—ia In this Psalme the Prophet doth exhort the people of God both of the Triumphant and Militant Church to sing his praise incessantly giuing thankes for his singular benefits showred vpon them in particular for that he hath fortified them on all sides placed peace in their borders blessed their of spring fed them with the bread of life and manifested his hidden mysteries vnto them aboue all other people The explication of the Psalme O Ierusalem praise our Lord render the tribute of praise thankfulnesse to the Soueraigne Monarch of heauen and earth you Cittizens of the holie Ierusalem the Cittie of peace and vnitie of blessed spirits that see him face to face Praise thy God ô Sion ô all you that are called to the vnion of the holie Catholicke Church and doe contemplaâ—e God your Creator redeemer conseruer by the eies of faith praise him in the best manner you can excogitere to witt in puritie of heart and conuersation without blame And that you maie praise him the more worthily remember the singular testimonies of his good will shewed towards you Because he it is that hath strengthned the lockes of thy gates to hinder the enemie from surprising thee at vnawares and moreouer he hath blessed thy children in thee If this bee referred to the celestiall Ierusalem by the Gates here mentioned is vnderstood the admission where by any of the elect are admitted to the fellowship of the blessed by the Lockes is vnderstood the confirmation whereby the elect are firmely established in God and soe the sense of those words He hath strengthned the lockes of thy gates is that God hath made the confirmations of the celestiall Cittizens soe immoueable and secure that they cannot bee broken à suÌ„der by any slight or force The lockes of the gates of this Ierusalem are metaphorically saied to bee confirmed because as à Cittie of this world whilst it is fortified with strong lockes boults and barriers is held secure neither the enemies being of power to make forceable entrance nor the inhabitaÌ„ts willing or able to depart out of it soe the holie Cittie is altogether most secure in respect that neither the reprobate can enter it nor the blessed will or can abandon it But if they bee referred to the Militant Church by the Gates thereof are vnderstood Vertues especially Faith hope and charitie and by the Lockes are vnderstood the Sacraments which our Lord hath fortified by giuing the efficacie of sanctification vnto them in vertue of the Passion of our Sauiour in such sort that noe man soe long as he shall remaine within the fortresse of the Catholike Church and keep himselfe in the shelter of the infused vertues through the force of the Sacraments which he therein receiues need to feare the machinations of the euill enemie VVho hath sett thy borders peace ô celestiall Ierusalem He it is that hurld downe to the abisse of hell like to à flash of lightâ—ing that mutinous crue that once to disturbe thy peace and in an instant begirt thee with à wall of concord of warreproofe which noe dissention shall euer penetrate And filleth thee with the fatte of corne with the fruition of his diuinitie For the superessentiall diuinitie is the foode of the blessed whose vision or fruition maie well bee tearmed the fatte of corne that is to saie the sweet refection of the eternall bread which refection is the essentiall reward of the blessed wherewith they are soe fully enriched that they can desire noe more Iâ— is his paternall prouidence likewise that hath established within thy circuits â— Militant Church that happie peace which the world cannot giue to witt tranquillitie of conscience which all those enioy who remaine within thy precincts Christ alsoe doth daily fill thee with that Soueraigne foode the holie Sacrament of his owne bodie vnder the species of the purest wheat bread VVho sendeth forth his speech to the earth He it is who sendeth his onely Sonne the eternall word into the world to assume humane flesh for the saluation of mankind Or thus He it is who sendeth forth by
The Canticles of the old Testament might not bee song but onely in the land of Promise but such new songs as these of the new Testament maie bee song by all the inhabitants of the earth and therefore Sing to our Lord all the earth this new and most sweet song That for the excessiue Charitie Ephes 2. wherewith God the Father hath loued vs he hath sent his onely Sonne into the world Sing ye to our Lord and blesse his name praise him and recount his wonderfull benefits with iubilation of heart saying See what manner of Charitie the Father hath 1. Ioâ— 3. giuen vs that we should bee named and bee the Sonnes of God Such sweete sentences as these are called à new song not onely in regard of the newnesse of tyme but alsoe in respect of the new and fresh deuotion of the mynd and for that they ought to bee song by renewed men in whome vaine and dishonest loue raigneth not any more but true Charitie Let vs therefore reforme the affections of our heart and out of the feruent loue we beare towards our Sauiour seeke for and inuent new songs in his praise according to the grace and internall light that God hath giuen vs as the fond louers of the world doe compose songs of him or her whome they loue carnally Shew forth his saluation praise ye and diâ—ulge ye Christ by whome in whome God the Father doth saue vs from daie to daie euery daie for as daie doth succeed to daie without ceasing soe it is meet that praise should succeed to praise O all ye Apostles and Disciples of our Lord and all others whosoeuer their lawfull successors that haue the zeale of the diuine honour and brotherly charitie Shew forth his glorie among the Gentils which shall bee conuerted that they may beleeue and to those that are already conuerted that they maie encrease in loue and shew forth his maruelous workes in all peoples his creation of the world Redemption of mankind sending of the holie Ghost all other his wonderfull workes It is most meet that ye doe this Because our Lord is great and exceeding laudable He is an infinite and immense goodnes and he is as laudable as good therefore cannot bee sufficiently praised by any creature he is terrible aboue all Gods more to bee feared then all those which the Gentils did adore as Gods Almightie God in himselfe is all sweet benigne and louely for as S. Iohn affirmeth 1. Ioh. 4. God is charitie Yet he is saied to bee terrible in regard that he is as it were constrained to seeme soe to proud stubborne and disobedient people who will not bee wonne by lenitie and sweetnes Moreouer he is saied to bee terrible because it is more greeuous to bee separated from him then from all the creatures or delightfull things in the world as alsoe for that none can inflict soe cruell torments as he can whence is that of the Euangelist Feare not them that kill the Math. 10. body and are not able to kill the soule but rather feare him that can destroy both soule and body into hell For all which reasons it is manifest that he is more to bee feared then the Gods of the Gentils as alsoe Because all the Gods of the Gentils are Diuels reprobate Angels who for their pride and disobedience were throwne downe by him from heauen and cannot hurt vs further then he shall please to permit but our Lord made the heauens It is generally knowne that many of the Gentils did worship certaine wicked men for Gods to wit Saturne Iupiter Mercury Priapus c. and that many others did adore the Sunne Moone Starres fire water and the beasts of the earth as S. Paul doth infinuate to the Romans How then can all the Gods of the Gentils bee saied to bee diuels To which maie be answered that those wicked men are called diuels by participation of diuellish wickednesse like as some men are called Angels by participation of Angelicall dignitie and office as S. Iohn calleth the Pastors or Apoc. 2. Bishops of the Seauen Churches in Asia Angels and the Prophet Malachias calleth Malach. 2. à Priest the Angell of the Lord of hostes as concerning the other things which were adored for Gods although they were not diuels yet because those that exhibited worship vnto them beleeuing certaine deities to bee in them did by such their worship serue the diuels therefore it is that all the Gods of the Gentils are saied to bee diuels and the things that are immolated to them to bee immolated to diuels Confession and beautie in his fight holinesse and magnificence in his sanctification This verse is expounded by the holie Fathers fower seuerall waies and in effect as followeth First that in contemplating God is seene all beautie and matter of praise holinesse and magnificence in his sanctuary Secondly that praise and puritie is exercised in his presence holinesse and diuine worship in his sanctuary Thirdly that praise is sung to God by his Saints in heauen for the beautie which they behold in him who is indeed the fountaine of all sanctitie puritie glory and Maiestie as is acknowledged by those blessed spirits of whome consisteth the triumphant Church wherein he doth manifest this his beautie which is here tearmed his sanctification or is sanctuary Fowerthly that in those whome God almighty is graciously pleased to behold with the eies of his mercie this his sight causeth remorse of conscience and confession or acknowledgement of their faults by which meanes they attaine to interiour beautie and puritie of heart Bring ye to our Lord ye families of Gentils bring ye to our Lord glorie and honour bring ye to our Lord glorie vnto his name The Prophet repeateth here Bring ye to our Lord three tymes and endeth with glorie to his name as in the beginning of the Psalme he repeated thrice Sing ye to our Lord ending with blesse his name thereby as the holie Fathers doe note obscurely insinuating the most high mistery of the B. Trinitie which afterwards in the new testament was to bee diuulged more clearely Take ye vp hoastes bring with you gifts and sacrifices not such bloudy sacrifices as are now offred in the Temple but such as the Apostles and their successors shall teach you to offer to wit the sacrifice of à contrite heart confession of sinnes praier fasting almesdeeds and the like according to that of S. Peter Bee ye Epist 1. c. 2. à holie priesthood to offer spirituall hoastes acceptable to God by Iesus Christ And enter into his courtes into the Catholike Churches and other places deputed to the diuine worship and especially into the Temple of your hearts descending into your interiour and there praising and adoring God within you by contemplation loue and watchfull custody of your senses for The temple of God is holie 1. Cor. 3. which you are Adore ye our Lord in his holie courts adore ye in his
after their conuersion for the most part are accustomed to praise our Lord with à gratefull heart saying with the Psalmist But that our Lord hath holpen me within very Psal 9â— litle my soule had dwelt in hell Yet in regard that bruit sauadge and vntamed creatures are properly called beasts and bruit tame domesticall creatures cattell by beasts may fitly bee vnderstood carnall cruell vntractable men by cattell gentle courteous and tractable men Sonnes of men blesse yee our Lord. Reasonable and intellectuall creatures as the Sonnes of Men are ought to blesse our Lord not onely by affording matter of the diuine praise to such as rightly consider them but by considering their owne excellencie and perfection as alsoe the perfections in other creatures to magnifie and extoll with heart and mouth the infinite goodnesse wisdome and power of almigtie God acknowledging him by words and deeds the author and fountaine of all perfection cordially giuing thankes vnto him for all benefits gifts bestowed either vpon them or vpon other creatures Indeed if we will attentiuely consider Man as touching his body and soule and other circumstances concerning him we shall find soe much the more copious and excellent matter of the Creators praise by how much man is of à more high and excellent nature then the rest of the forenamed creatures For in the body of Man how great goodnesse of God how great prudence of soe mighty à Creator doth appeare Are not the places of the senses and the rest of the members soe disposed the forme shape and stature of the whole body soe delineated that they clearely shew they were made for the seruice of à reasonable soule Man is not created as we see irrationall creatures inclining towards the earth but with the forme of his body bolt vpright towards heauen whereby he is admonished according as the Apostle exhorteth To mynd the things that are aboue and not the things that Collos 3. are upon the earth By how much the more and greater benefits therefore are bestowed vpon him by soe much the more he is obliged to praise God and by soe much the more seuere and terrible shall his doome of reprobation bee if he bee found defectiue herein Let Israel blesse our Lord. Amongst all the generations of men the Israelits are most obliged to God almighty for his especiall graces and singular patronadge and consequently are bound by all the lawes of gratitude to render him due praise VVho declareth his word to Iacob his Psal 147. iustices and iudgements to Israel He hath noe done in leke manner to any nation and his iudgements he hath not made manifest to them Yet in respect that the people of Israel for their incredulity and obstinate blindnesse are become vnworthy of that name of whome the Apostle saieth Behold Israel 1. Cor. â—0 according to the flesh by Israel is now to bee vnderstood the people that are Christians by faith and workes of whome the same Apostle saieth Peace vpon the Israel of Gal. 9. God for they are frequently designed in the Prophets vnder the names of Ierusalem Sion and Israel especially in regard that the Primitiue Church consisted of the saied people Priests of our Lord blesse yee our Lord. These holie men hauing in generall tearmes inuited all Israel to blesse our Lord doe now here especially nominate the Priests on whome greater gifts are bestowed then vpon the vulgar and who in respect of their office or function are peculiarly obliged to spirituall exercises and the praise of God vnto whome Ezechias saied My children be not negligent 2. Paralip 29. our Lord hath chosen you to stand before him and to minister to him and to worship him and to burne incense to him and of whome our Lord hath saied I will replenish the soules of the Priests with fatnesse and in Exodus it is alsoe saied that The Priests shall be holie to their God If then the Priests Exod. 29 of the old law were bound to liue soe spiritually continently and soberly whose priesthood was but as à type and figure of the priesthood of Christ and his holie Church how spiritually continently and temperately are the Priests of the holie Church obliged to liue Verily so much the more perfectly ought they to frame their liues by how much their priesthood is more spirituall and diuine and the sacrifice they offer more excellent and the Sacraments they handle of greater value Seruants of our Lord blesse yee our Lord. These words doe seeme to bee spoken to those cheefly who ministred to the Priests in the diuine worship to witt to the Leuites vnto whome Deacons doe succeed in the holie Church yet they maie alsoe be vnderstood as spokeÌ„ to all the faithfull for they are all properly stiled the seruants of God as being Created by him redeemed with the pretious bloud of his most deare and onely sonne Christ Iesus Spirits and soules of the iust praise yee our Lord. You are to know that these words Spirit soule doe expresse one the same essence of à reasonable soule which in as much as it informeth and giueth life to the body is called Anima that is à soule and by reason of its simplicity and in as much as it contemplateth heauenly things it is called à Spirit Holie and humble of heart blesse yee our Lord not attributing your vertues and merits to your owne proper power labour or industry but to the piety and grace of the holie Ghost who operateth in you both à good will and ability to performe your duties Ananias Azarias and Misael blesse yee our Lord. These holie men hauing inuited all creatures to praise our Lord doe now prouoke themselues thereunto in consideration of their present benefit being miraculously preserued from the fire of that flaming furnace The verse following is not in the Text but hath been added by the holie Church in the praise of the most blessed Trinity in the place of Gloria Patri which Pope Damasus by the perswasion of S. Ierome did institute to be recited or sung at the end of euery Psalme as hath been saied heretofore Let vs Blesse that is Let vs with heart and mouth exhibite deuotion praise honour reuerence and diuine worship in spirit and truth to the Father our Creator and the Sonne our Redeemer with the Holie Ghost our Comforter and for that these trhee persons are one vndiuided and most amiable God Let vs praise him in three persons with one praise and superexalt him for euer speaking well of him thinking well of him and ascribing vnto him all that is good Thou art blessed o Lord in the firmament of heauen and laudable and glorious and superexalted for euer The argument of the 148. Psalme intituled Alleluia that is to saie Praise our Lord. THe Prophet intending to inuite all creatures to praise our Lord doth reduce them to two Classes to witt Heauen and earth for these are the two principall
exercise this deuotion towards the B. Virgin and encouradge others to the like office of pietie In the first Tome of the flowers of examples is related out of diuers graue authors that à certaine venerable Archbp of Canterburie returning from the court of Rome did take vp his lodging in the famous and Princely Monasterie of Saint Bertin in the Citie of Saint Omers of the holie Order of Saint Benedict and the daie following was conducted into the Chapter howse where he made à speech to the Religious in which amongst other remarkable things he declared vnto them that when he was at Benenentum he vnderstood of à certaine Religious man who was accustomed to recite daily Fiue Psalmes in the honor of the B. Virgin which began with the fiue letters of her name The Psalmes were these Magnificat Ad Dominum Retribue In conuertendo and Ad te leuaui before euery one of which he saied the Angelicall Salutation or Aue Maria. There was present at this Sermon one Ioseius à Monke of the saied Monasterie of S. Bertin who gaue diligent attention to what was saied and did from that tyme daily when he had ended Mattins recite the saied Psalmes in the manner aboue saied It happened one night about the feast of S. Andrew the Apostle that the rest of the Religious rising to the night office the saied Ioscius was absent The Subprior therefore looking about the Quire as the manner is to see who was absent perceaued him wanting and went straight to his chamber and found him dead wherevpon returning to the Quire he called together the Religious and brought theÌ„ to their deceased Brother where after they had vncouered his face they beheld this wonderfull spectacle Fiue Rofes did issue out of his face one whereof sprong out of his mouth and tongue one out of each eie and one out of each nostrill There former sorrow therefore being changed into excessiue ioy at the sight of this soe great à miâ—acle they carried him into the Quire and laying him with his face open they againe more curiously veiwed the saied Roses and found the word Maria written as it were in the Rose which issued out of his mouth whereupon they kept him vnburied Seuen daies in which space three Bishops and very many of the Clergy Laietie beheld this admirable worke of God This happened about the yeare of our Lord 1162. Leo being Abbot of the saied Monasterie and Theodoricus Earle of that I rouince Cantiprat in his second Booke of the Vniuerse relateth à wonderfull miracle not vnlike to the former of à certaine auncient souldier who being admitted into the Nouiship in à Monastery of Cistercians proued soe indocible that he could not be brought to learne our Lords Praier wherefore his Maister endeauored with much labour to reach him the Angelicall Salutation which likewise proued soe difficult à taske vnto him that he could not after much tyme and industry retaine in memory any more of it then these words Aue Maria gratia plena Dominus tecum These words therefore by aduice of his Maister he volued and reuolued and ruminated in all places yea euen at meale tyme and at length by long continuance conceiued soe great sweetnes in them that the sole memory of the Mother of God did possesse his heart and mouth in what busines soeuer he was imploved Some yeares being passed in this deuotion this holie man exchanged this life for à better and being buried in the Church yard shortly after there grew out of his graue à tree of such à sort of wood which was not vsuall in those parts in the leaues where of were ingrauen in golden letters Aue Maria gratia plena The Bishop of the Diocese hauing notice giuen him hereof by the Abbot of that Monasterie came to the graue accompanied with à great multitude of people and after he had veiwed the saied tree caused some to digge about it and found that it tooke roote in the mouth of the saied holie man The saied tree hauing as it should seeme performed the office for which it grew vdzt to giue restimonie of the sanctitie of that holie man and how gracious the B. Virgin is to such as are deuoted vnto her as alsoe how pleasing it is to almightie God that we honor his blessed Mother did wither and consume in the sight of them all then present like as the Iuie tree we read of in Ionas the Prophet Wherefore by this holie Praier let vs often renew in our memory the benefit of our Redemption which began with this holie Salutation and let vs beseech her who was is and euer shall remaine most gracious in the sight of God to be our aduocate and patronesse in our greatest extremities A praier appointed by the holie Church to be saied before the diuine office OPen my mouth o Lord to praise thy holie name cleanse my heart from all vaine peruerse and impertinent thoughts illuminate my vnderstanding inflame my affection soe that I maie be able to recite this office worthily attentiuely and deuoutly and maie merite to be heard before tâ—e face of thy diuine Maiestie through Christ our Lord. Amen Pope Leo the X.th to such as after the office shall deuoutly recite the ensuinge Praier hath graunted pardon of all the defects and faults contracted out of human frailtie in the performance thereof TO the sacred and vndeuided Trinitie to the humanitie of our Lord Iesus Christ crucified to the fruitfull integritie of the most Blessed and glorious Virgin Marie and to the generalitie of all the Saints be sempiternall praise honour vertue and glorie from all creatures and to vs remission of sinns for infinite worlds of worlds Amen And blessed be the bowells of Marie the Virgin which bore the sonne of the eternall Father and blessed be the brests that gaue sucke to Christ our Lord. Pater noster c. Aue Maria c. A praier to be saied after the office of the B. Virgin approued by Pope Pius the fift of that name REceaue most mild God for the praiers and merits of B. Marie euer à Virgin and of all the Saints the office of our seruice and if we haue done any thing praise worthy behold it propitious but what hath beene negligently performed doe thou benignely pardon who liuest raignest in perfect Trinitie for all worlds of worlds Amen An other Praier or oblation before the diuine office Ludouicus Blofius declareth that it was Moni spi c. 3. reuealed to S. Mecthild as à most gratefull thing to God that those wâ—o are about to recite the Canonicall howers doe vnite them with the praiers of our Sauiour For saieth he by this meanes they will be reputed one exercise with his like as à small quantitie of water mixed with à great Vessel of Wine is noe more reputed water and therefore he aduiseth such to recite this short Praier to that end O Lord in vnion of the perfect attention wherewith thou vpon earth didst offer
parts of the Soule in soe much that either the hidden misteries of the Prophesie will be laied open vnto it or the good spirit will be infused S. Chrisostome after he hath admired Homil. 6. de Paenitentia why the Prophet Dauid whome he stileth the musicall Doctor of puritie should be more frequented in all parts of the world then the rest of the holie Scriptures addeth these words The Prophet Dauid doth adorne our life with all sorts of benefits making himself all to all growing in yeares with children inuiting youth to prudence giuing to virgins modestie and puritie and to old men strength Sinners he prouoketh to Pennance saying Confesse to our Lord for he is Psal 117. Psal 18 good He fortifieth those that haue made good progresse in pennance saying The sinns of my youth and my ignorances O Lord remember not He exciteth those that haue receiued great graces to thankes giuing saying VVhat shall I render to our Lord for Psal 115. all things he hath giuen me He recalleth to confession such as often fall into a â—â—lapse saying If thou wilt obserue iniquities O Psall 1â—9 Lord who shall sustaine it Finally he concludeth O excellent harpe congregating the minds of all men through out the earth like vnto certaine strings in one consonance S. Basill the great saieth that in this Homil. in Psal 1. one booke of the Psalmes is comprised whatsoeuer is necessarie for all mens vse in the rest of the holie Scriptures It foresheweth future things with most certaine oracles it containeth an historicall narration it establisheth lawes to order our liues more holily it prescribeth and aduiseth euery one what is best to be done and in à word it is à plentifull and common promptuarie of all doctrine wherein the Prophet by his onely prouident industrious care hath deuised and excogitated what maie best conduce to the saluation of euery one which the saied holie Saint doth particularly recount in the same place adding further that the verse of the Psalmes doth cure our soules with the well proportioned modulation of the numbers which is rather à pleasant then à bitter medecine and moreouer that the Psalmes are à preseruatiue to profligate the inchauntments of the deuills à meanes to procure the patronage of the Angells à target of securitie in the terrours of the night à quiet rest in our daily labours à protection to infants an ornament to those that are in the flower of their age à comfort to old men and finally à fit attire for women wherewith to set out their beautie S. Augustine amongst other praises of the Psalmes hath words to this effect The holie Ghost saieth he beholding the minds of men to resâ—st and draw backe from the waie of vertue and to be inclined to the delights of this life hath mixed the force and operation of his doctrine with the pleasant melodie of à song that soe whilest the hearing is delighted with the sweetnes of the verse the benefit of the diuine words maie there withall find entrance and make deeper impression according to the proceeding of skillfull phisitians who when the diseases of their patients doe require that they administer bitter yet soueraigne potions least the diseased should refuse to take that which by all probabilitie will cause their recouery in regard of the vnpleasaÌ„tnes and loathsome tast thereof are accustomed to anoynt the top of the cup wherein the saied remedie is contained with honey or some such pleasant iuice It will be ouer long to rehearse the praises of this admired booke which maie be read in almost all the workes of the most famous writers and therefore I will conclude with these words of S. Ambrose In all other parts of the holie Praefa in Psal Scriptures saieth he are here and there singular or speciall remedies for singular or speciall persons according to their singular or speciall needs but the booke of the Psalmes containes à certaine generall medicine or remedy for the soules health of all mankind for each soules particular infirmitie or need Whosoeuer doth read them maie haue there à speciall remedy wherewith to cure the wounds of his proper passions and whosoeuer alsoe doth desire to enter the lists in à spirituall combate maie there as in the common place for the exercise of soules in the martiall feates of vertues find diuers sorts of maisteries or coÌ„flicts prepared and make his choice of such as he shall iudge most fit for him wherein he maie with most facilitie attaine the crowne of victorie VVhat is meant by an Antiphone BEfore euery one of the Psalmes is placed an Antiphone in most parts of the diuine office S. Isidore saieth that the lib. 6. orig c. 9. word Antiphona signifieth in Latin vâ—x reciproca or à reciprocall voice that is à voice which one wing of the quire returneth to the other from whence it cometh singing it in an exchanged order It alsoe appeareth by the workes of the li. 1. de Eccles officijs c. 7. saied Saint in another place that Antiphones were first of all vsed in the Greeke Church and afterwards introduced into the Latin Church by S. Ambrose Antiphones are for the most part taken out of the Psalmes or else are some deuout sentences desumed out of some other part of the holie Scriptures and accoÌ„modated to the nature of the office of that daie according to the tune where of the Psalme following is sung They are as it were à breathing fit betweene the Psalmes wherewith the mind is recreated and recouereth new feruour and alacritie to prosecute that which followeth Amalar saieth that an Antiphone doth resemble the vertue of Charitie for it ioyneth the works of two brothers in one The Psalmes maie be referred to workes and the Antiphones to the loue wherewith each lendeth to other his helping hand An Antiphone is song by turnes alternatly by both quires because charitie cannot be exercised betweene fewer then two The two Cantors doe signifie the vicissitude of charitie who of both sides in their turne or order doe as it were lift or passe the Antiphones from one side to the other Finally the two quires were prefigured by the wings of the liuing creatures stretched forth in length and meeting together which the Prophet Ezechiel saw in the figure of the comming of Christ of the new testament for that coniunction of their wings is the same that the Antiphones doe performe The title of the 8. Psalme and 1. in number in the nocturne office of the B. Virgin A Psalme to Dauid himself belonging to the end for Presses SAint Augustine affirmeth that the Prophet In Psal 1. Dauid did sing but 9. Psalmes onely with his owne proper voice and that the residue according to their seuerall titles were pronounced by one of the fower cheife Chanters to witt either by Asaph Eman Ethan or Idithun In the persoÌ„ of Dauid is prefigured our Sauiour to whome of all others
the signification of the word Dauid maie most fitly bee applied for Dauid is by interpretation strong of hand or worthy to be desired Belogning to the end that is to Christ for The end of the law is Christ vnto iustice to Roma 10. euery noe that beleeveth who is the glorious perfectioÌ„ of al good things For Presses that is for the merits of his painefull passion wherein he was as it were troden vnder the feete of the Iewes and all his sacred bloud forced out of his veines Which Metaphor Isaias alsoe vseth demaunding Isa 63. of Christ VVhy is thy cloathing red and thy garments as theirs that tread in the vine presse answering in Christs person I haue troden the presse alone The word Presses maie be morally applied to the holie Church where Christ is the vine the Apostles are the branches and spreaders that is preachers of the Gospell Christians are the grapes Christian vertues the wine as namely Patience and Fortitude in afflictions whereby the good are purified and seuered from the midst of the reprobate as wine is pressed out of the grapes barrelled and layed vp in cellers and the huskes and carnells cast to hoggs or other beasts Theophilactus saieth that the Hebrewt In Comment super Ioh. did in auncient tyme sing this Psalme at the feast of Scenopegia in the month of September when they had gotten in their haruest thereby giuing thankes to God the bestower of all for their good haruest of corne and wine Christ Iesus the fruit of the wombe of the B. Virgin is our haruest of corne for he is the bread of life which descended from heauen he is likewise our vintage for he hath giuen vs his body for our foode and his precious bloud for our drinke Since the Iewes therefore gaue thankes by this Psalme to God the bestower of all good things for their carnall foode how much rather ought we to offer vp vnto him this Psalme by the hands of the B. Virgin in thankfulnes for our spirituall foode beseeching her to make intercession for vs that we maie conuert it to our soules benefit An historicall exposition of this Psalme O Lord of all by thy omnipotent power and particularly Our Lord for thou hast selected vs out of all the generations of the earth to be thy peculiar people and we alone haue chosen thee for our God vnto whome we will exhibite all honour diuine worship and to none but thee onely How maruelouse is thy name thy glorie and the fame of thy greatnes in the whole earth not onelye in Iurie where thou hast been pleased to manifest thy infinite goodnes and immense power by innumerable signes and miracles but alsoe in the vttermost bounds of the earth Because thy magnificence the confession of thy praise is eleuated not onely aboue the earth but alsoe aboue the heauens which with their continuall and ordinate circumuolution doe neuer cease to proclaime to all creatures thy incomprehensible maiestie which is more to bee admired euen Out of the Mouth of infants and sucklings thou hast perfected established and altogether made manifest the Praise of thy holie name because of thy enimies to witt that incredulous people who will not acknowledge thee for the author of all things but doe with great furie oppugne those that loue and honor thee and thee in them maie blush at their owne malice and grosse ignorance when they shall behold sucklings to set forth thy glorie moreouer that thou maiest destroy and confound the wisdome and subtilities of the enimie of all mankind and the reuenger alsoe of the iniuries done to thee executing the seueritie of thy iustice vpon misbeleeuers and such that acknowledge thee for the true God but denie thee in their actions and dishonour thee in their bad liues Because I shall see thy heauens those huge vast celestiall orbes the workes of thy fingers which thou hast made by the wisdome of thy diuine vnderstanding the goodnes of thy will and the actiuitie of thy creatiue power which are thy fingers the Moone and starres which thou hast founded placed fixed and disposed in their proper spheres I cannot sufficiently admire VVhat is man Adam the very first man that was created what is he That thou who art of such immense Maiestie as those thy stupendious workes doe shew thee to bee art mindfull of him furnishing him with all things necessarie in due season Or the sonne of man the ofspring of that first man Adam what is he that thou soe graciously visitest him with manifold fauours and benedictions Yet when I considere the excellencie of his nature I perceiue thou hast good reason to bee solicitous for him for Thâ—â— hast diminished him à litle lesse then the Angellâ— in dignitie and excellencie of nature thou hast made him litle inferiour to them true it is whilest he remaineth in this life he is something inferiour to them in regard that he is clothed with à body subject to corruptioÌ„ they are pure immateriall substances but at the generall resurrection he shall be like vnto them impassible glorious and capable to behold thee cleerely as thou art Yea in this life with glorie and honour thou hast crowned him according to the soule thou hast formed him to thyne oâ—ne image and similitude and indued him with three Angelicall powers memorie vnderstanding and will and other graces which he enâ—oyed during the tyme he remained in originall iustice and according to the bodie thou hast adorned him with beautie comelinesse many other ornaments and hast appointed him ouer the workes of thy hands made him Prince and Soueraigne Lord ouer all thy creatures Thou hast subiected all things vnder his feete commaunded all thy creatures to doe him homage and obey his will All sheepe and oxen and other domesticall creatures Moreouer all the beasts of the feild vntamed and sauadge creatures the birds of the aire and fishes of the sea that walke the pathes of the sea This dominion ouer thy creatures man enioyed fully and absolutely before his fall noe one of them making the least resistance against him for as Saint Augustine saieth soe longe as lib. de Na. gra 15. raison in man remained subiect and obedient to God the inferiour powers of his soule were alsoe perfectly obedient and subiect to raison the bodye to the soule and all creatures to man But when man had once transgrâ—ssed thy holie precept and thereby became disobedient to thee the inferiour powers of his soule begane presentlye to bee rebellious to raison the flesh to the spirit and creatures though naturally subiect to him to disobey him And albert he still retained the dominion ouer them which through thy infinite goodnesse and clemencye thou didst againe alsoe confirme vpon him fully and intirely according to right yet according to exercise or power to execute his right thou hast iustly weakened him for his demerit Since therefore thou art our Lord soe potent and of
soe great Maiestie as thou art pleased to manifest vnto me by these thy wonderfull and magnificent workes I cannot conclude my song more fitly then as I begane saying O Lord our Lord how maruelous is thy name in the whole earth because c. The auncient holie Fathers grounding themselues vpon the words of S. Paul the 2. to the Hebrews and the first to the Corinthians the 15. as alsoe vpon the authoritie of our B. Sauiour himself in the 21. of S. Mathew doe applie the words of this Psalme wholly to Christ our Lord and his holie Church Wherefore I shall here vnfold the propheticall sense of this Psalme vsing as neare as I can the very self same words which I find set downe in the workes of the saied holie Fathers which are to this effect The propheticall sense of this Psalme IN this vale of teares we cannot see God for it is written Man shall not see Exo. 33. him and liue nor consequently can we come to know how admirable he is other wise then by his effects which are in two sorts that is to saie naturall and supernaturall By the first God appeared alwaies and euery where sublime for by the contemplation of his naturall effects all men might perceiue how incomprehensible à workman he was But by the second he cheefly shewed himself to be of infinite power and Maiestie in the tyme of the law of Moyses not to all the world but to some few people but in the tyme of the law of grace he hath shewed himself admirable in the whole earth in all the parts whereof he hath wrought wonderfull things and manifested to the inhabitants the hidden and secret things of his wisdome reuealing vnto them the mysterie of the Incarnation Passion Resurrection and Ascensian of Christ and other wonderfull testimonies of the Christian law and faith by all which the name of our Lord is made exceeding admirable and altogether inscrutable euen to the vtmost confines of the earth Dauid therefore foreseeing in spirit the supernaturall workes of God which were to bee wrought in the comming of Christ and manifested to the whole world stroken with admiration saied as followeth O Lord of all things and particularly Our Lord who with true Religion and due reuerence doe worship thee in faith of the Messias to come how maruelous by the future preaching of the Gospell is thy name shall thy fame and glorie be not onely in Iewry but alsoe in the whole earth in all the parts whereof thy holie Church shall bee dilated Because thy magnificence the humanitie of Christ that most noble sumptuous and magnificent worke of thyne is eleuated shall bee exalted from terrene humilitie and placed at thy right hand aboue the materiall heauens and aboue all the Angelicall or celestiall powers for then it shall bee diuulged through the world that thou hast giuen to Christ thy Sonne in his assumpted humane nature all power in heauen and vpon earth Yet soe inscrutable are thy iudgements that thou wilt not make choice of such as swell with humane learning greatnes to promulgate these thy diuine misteries neither wilt thou reueale thy perfect praise to them but out of the mouth of abiect simple and vnlearned people who not so much in regard of age as in respect of their resemblance to the propertie of children maie well bee tearmed Infants and sucklings thou hact perfected thou wilt perfect diuine praise to bee song to thyne and thy Sonnes holie name and wilt by them proclaime thy law wherein thy praise is contained And this thou wilt doe because of thy enemies to conuince the Priests of the Synagogue as alsoe the Priests of the Idoles and the professors of humane wisdome who by impugning thy new law will become thy enimies that thou maiest destroie disperse and cause to desist from their manner of religious worship the enimie the people of the Iewes who will be the prime enimies of the Messias and the reuenger the Gentils who by thy diuine ordinance shall reuenge the iniuries done by the Iewes vnto him Because I who am onely one of those Infants and sucklings as hauing been brought vp à poore simple sheep heard shall see thy heauens shall attentiuely consider those woÌ„derfull subtile workes of thyne which thou didst make with exceeding facilitie as being the workes of thy fingers the moone and starres which thou hast founded which thou hast created of nothing to stable and incorruptible being I cannot sufficiently admire what is man the whole race of men what are they or what seruice are they able to doe thee that thou who art of soe great power and Maiestie as these thy workes shew thee to bee art mindfull of him of them preuenting them with thy diuine grace and heaping innumerable benefitts vpon them without any the least merit on their part but meerely moued therevnto by thy owne immense goodnes Or the sonne not of men that is begotten of men according to the ordinary course of nature but of man borne of the Virgin Mother of God Christ our Lord who in respect of his humanitie will bee in some sort à creature what is hee That thou visitest him that thou wilt visite him assuming his humane nature to the personall vnion of thy diuine nature Verily O Lord this thou wilt doe out of thy diuine grace alone not moued thereunto by any fore goeing merits of Christ as man Thou hast minished him vdzt Christ our Lord à litle lesse then the Angels If we consider his humane nature precisely abstracting from the graces which he shall participate by such hypostaticall vnion thou wilt make him in some respects inferiour to the Angells for thou wilt make him passible and mortall but if we consider him as he shall bee in that state of vnion he shall transcend them farre in dignitie and excellencie Indeed for à small tyme during his Passion thou wilt minish him à litle lesse then them but after his Resurrection with glorie with renowne and praise worthy fame and with honour with reuerence that shall bee exhibited in token of his vertue thou hast crowned him thou wilt crowne him and adorne him on all sides and hast appointed him ouer the workes of thy hands and wilt constitute him Lord and King ouer thy creatures and giue him all power in heauen and vpon earth Thou hast subiected all things except thy self alone vnder his feete vnder his humanitie by which his diuinitie will deâ—cend vnto vs. All sheepe simple deuout soules and oxen learned Doctors and Preachers who cultiuate the hearts of the faithfull Moreouer all the beasts of the feild sinfull loose liuing people who wander vp and downe without à guide in the broad way of the pleasures of this life following their owne concupiscence The birds of the aire proud men puffed vp with the wind of vaine glorie And the fishes of the sea that walke the pathes of the sea curious worldly men who imploy their wâ—ole study in search of temporall
in this inferiour world in the sight of all men by which meanes he that before did dwell in inaccessible light was seene vpon earth and was conuersant with men The second is that Christ hath put his saied tabernacle in the Blessed Virgin in whose wombe he dwelt for nine months Our Lord Ierem. 31. saieth Ieremy hath created à new thing vpon the earth A woman shall compasse à man and the Prophet Zachary Praise and Zach. 2. reioyce ô daughter of Sion because loe I come and will dwell in the middest of thee The Blessed Virgin is called the sunne in regard of the most excellent splendor of diuine grace in her of whome the Spouse saieth in the Canticles Thou art Cant. 4. all faire ô my loue and there is noâ— Ã spot in thee and in another place Faire as the Moone elect as the Sunne as alsoe for that she gaue light and life to thee world And himselfe Christ our Lord as à bridegroome comming forth of his bridechamber to wit out of the wombe of the Blessed Virgin in which by putting on humane flesh he did espouse the holie Church vnto him He hath exulted as à giant Christ shall come ioyfully and descend with longing desire into the wombe of his most deare Mother to runne the way to prosecute the worke of our Redemption with all speede and to shew vs the way of life in his holâ—e conuersation His comming from the top of heauen to wit from the bosome of his eternall father into the wombe of the Blessed Virgin from the intellectuall heauen vnto the sensible earth This his descent was not by change of place but by appearing after à new and vnheard of manner And his recourse his returne or ascension euen to the top thereof vnto the same place whence he came fortâ— as our Sauiour witnesseth of himself saving I came forth from the Father and Iob. 16. came into the world againe I leaue the world and I goe to the Father Neither is there that can hide himself from his heate None can excuse themselues from the loue of Christ for his benefits are soe many soe great and manifest that none can plead ignorance or thus none can hide themselues from the operation of the holie Ghost who is the burning loue proceeding from the Father and the sonne or thus in the law of Christ grace will soe abound that none can with iust cause subtract themselues from the receipt thereof The plaine literall exposition AMongst all things created all which doe in their manner praise God The heauens by their beautie greatnes motion and influx into these inferiour things doe most cleerely and in à transcendent manner shew forth the glorie of God affording aboundant matter to excite all such as shall contemplate them to confesse the Majestie wisedome power and prouidence of the Creator and the firmament wherein God almightie Gen. 1. placed the Sunne Moone and starres declareth the workes of his hands of what sorte and excellencie they are Moreouer the heauens doe not onely shew forth the glorie of God but alsoe doe manifest it after an admirable and stupendious manner First without intermission or ceasing The daie present vttereth vnto the daie following the word to wit certaine sensible signes which doe represent vnto vs the glorie of God and in like manner the night present sheweth vnto the night following Knowledge which maie bee learnt by contemplating those principall workes of God in the firmament to wit the Moone and starres in such sort that what we are not able to draw out of such consideration in one daie and night we maie more fully conceiue by the succeeding daies and nights Secondly they shew forth the glorie of God in the words of all formes of speech for There are noe languages or speeches whose voice are not heard or thus according to the latin text There are noe languages or speeches of which the voices of them to wit of the heauens the firmament daie aâ—d night are not heard for these doe by the foresaied sensible signes as it were speake all languages and speeches and euery one heareth them that is vndestandeth them in his owne language and consequently there are noe people how barbarous soeuer that doe not perceiue and vnderstand the doctrine which the heauens the firmament daie and night doe deliuer concerning God Thirdly they shew forth the glory of God to the whole world for Their sound hath gone forth into all the earth and vnto the ends of the round world the words of them By the word sound is not here vnderstood any corporall consent or harmony such as some philosophers did suppose but that confession of praise which doth arise out of the beautie of the heauens considered by men He God almightie who remaineth euer in the heauen of the blessed is there beheld cleerely as he is in himselfe in this world as being à place of peregrination hath put his Tabernacle or Pauilion in the Sunne as in the most noble portion of the heauens whence he is gratiously pleased to represent himself vnto vs in à manner best suting with the estate we now liue in and fittest to manifest the admirable effects of his immense power and infinite goodnes for the Sunne is the common parent of all things giuing life and light vnto them and himselfe to wit the Sunne returning from the lower Hemisphere and ascending our horizon all glorious and resplendent is as à to wit like vnto à comely and ritchly arrayed bridegroome coming forth of his bridechamber He the Sunne hath reioyced exulted and shewed signes of alacrite and infatigabilitie to runne the way to passe the immense space of the heauens with wonderfull celeritie much like as a couragious and mightie giant doth to runne à race His coming forth is from the top the extreame part of heauen to wit the East where he ariseth and his recourse circuition or returne euen to the top thereof to the other extreame to wit the West neither is there any man or created thing what soeuer that can hide himself or it self from his heate influence and viuificating vertue which penetrateth euen into the depth of the sea and the most intime bowells of the earth In this sort the heauens the firmament and all their resplendent ornaments which we behold with our eies doe declare vnto vs the glorie of God excite vs to his praise but the diuine law which we perceiue by our eares doth much more clearely shew vs â—ow to direct our liues in order to God and farre more efficaciously moue vs to conforme our actions to his diuine will as maie appeare by the properties thereof For first The law of our Lord is immaculate free from reprehension not permitting sinne as humane lawes doe but rendring the obseruers thereof pure and without blame Conuerting soules causing men to descend into their interiour and there to consider their bad waies and returne to God and liue withdrawing them from vnlawfull
note that the Iewes in reuerence of their Sabbaoth did number the daies of the weeke from that daie calling the daie immediatly following the first of the Sabbaoth and soe forth of the rest The Gentils called the daies of the weeke by the names of the Planets to wit SuÌ„nedaie Moonedaie c. but the holie Church doth call our Sabbaoth which was the first of the Sabbaoth according to the Iewish accouÌ„t our Lords daie in honour of the Resurrection of our Sauiour on that daie and the daie immediatly following the first Feria and soe forth of the rest signifying thereby that all good Christians ought euery daie to feriate that is to liue holily abstayning from sinne vaine vnnecessary imployment yet not desisting from lawfull labours The sense therefore of this title is The Psalme written by Dauid for the glorie of the Resurrection of Christ which was to bee vpon the first of the Iewish Sabbaoth when Christ rysing on that daie should haue all power giuen him in heauen and vpon earth THE ARGVMENT HOlie Dauid by this Psalme doth intend to shew how of the innumerable multitude of men onely Christ and some few few indeed I maie saie in respect of the multitude of others shall enter into the celestiall house of our Lord. And therefore least perhaps any should beleeue that the residue of mankind did not belong to God but were created by some other Principle as afterwards the Marcionists and Manichees did suppose he declareth and prooueth in the beginning of this Psalme that man and all things else whatsoeuer are our Lords as being their Creator and conseruer which being soe he admireth the inscrutable iudgements of almightie God that out of the plenitude of the earth soe small à number compared with the rest should ascend inâ—o the mount of our Lord that is into his holie Church and that euen of those all should not perseuer in his holie place and dispose themselues to receaue the benediction and the mercie from their Sauiour that is to bee made partakers by him of the merits of his death and Passion but onely such as should haue the fower conditions he there specifieth Next the Prophet addresseth himself towards the Princes of darknes commaunding them to open their gates that Christ maie enter and set free the captiue soules whose ransome he hath paied vpon the Crosse And lastly he speaketh â—o the celestiall powers to open their gates that Christ and his blessed traine and all others that shall euen vntill the end of the world take vp their Crosse and follow him maie enter and keepe an eternall Sabbaoth The exposition of the Psalme THe earth is our Lords and the fulnes thereof all things therein contained to wit men beasts all that groweth thereon or is within her bowells the round world the circumference of the earth and all that dwell therein all these are our Lords as being their Creator gouernour conseruer Because he hath founded firmely placed it the earth or round world vpon the sea vpon certaine armes of the Ocean which inuiron it Yet this is not to bee vnderstood as though the earth properly speaking were aboue the sea for the earth is the Center of the vniuerse whence it is necessarie that it bee in the middest of the world and consequently according to its naturall seate incompassed by the waters and for the greatest part in the middest of them but it is saied to bee placed aboue the sea because by the diuine prouidence it is not wholly ouerwhelmed by the waters but that part which boundeth vpon the sea and the superficies thereof is higher then the sea that creatures maie liue and feed thereon Me then saieth our Lord will Ierem. 5. v. 22. you not feare who haue set the sand à limit for the sea an euerlasting precept that shall not passe the waues thereof shall swell and shall not passe ouer it And vpon the riuers hath prepared it made it an habitation fit for men and other liuing creatures The two precedent verses as likewise the rest of this Psalme maie bee explained in à more spirituall sense as followeth The earth the Church militant remaining vpon earth producing plentifull fruit of holie conuersation is our Lords and the fulnes thereof the whole vertue grace perfection of the faithfull ought by all right to bee ascribed vnto him as being the author and giuer thereof the round world the holie Church spread through all the confines of the earth or collected of people from all the ends of the earth and all that dwell therein all the true beleeuers established in Ecclesiasticall vnitie of faith and operation All these belong to our Lord Iesus Christ who hath purchased them with his pretious bloud That he might present to himself Ephe. 5. à glorious Church not hauing spot or wrinkle Because he hath founded it vpon the Sea vpon secular men wallowing and wauering as the Sea from one vanitie and inconstancie into an other or thus He hath founded it he hath strengthned his Church vpon the Sea vpon the persecutions tribulations bitternesses and inconstances of the world Yet this is not to bee vnderstood that these before named are the bases or foundations of the Church but that Christ hath established his Church in such sort against them that although they should neuer soe much endeauour to subuert her as the vast billowes of the sea doe menace to inuolue and swallow vp the earth yet she shall subsist and neuer bee altogether ouercome by them And vpon the riuers vpon vices gliding like riuers inordinately and without ceasing from one sensuall pleasure to another but neuer satiating hath prepared it disposed the holie Church to combate against them VValking in flesh saieth the Apostle we 2. Cor. 10. warre not according to the flesh for the weapons of our warfare are not carnall but mightie to God Since therefore all things are our Lords as hath been proued VVho shall ascend into the Mount of our Lord who from the seruitude of sinne shall ascend to the obedience of the holie Church who shall forsake the world and enter into religion who from imperfection shall ascend to perfection who from this vale of teares shall ascend into the Kingdome of heauen Or who shall stand in his holie place who shall perseuer to the end in the saied mount of our Lord verily all men shall not It is true indeed that many wicked and reprobate people doe ascend into the mount of our Lord but they stand not there for that belongeth onely to them in whome are found the fower properties following The innocent of hands who hath not iniured any man by his actions and of cleane heart who hath his heart purified from the staine or guilt of sinne and affection thereunto that hath not taken his soule in vaine that hath not neglected to fulfill those things for which his soule was created and infused into the body to wit to adorne it with vertues
knowledge necessary to saluation and the like nor sworne to his nighbour in guile hath not promised any thing which he intended not to performe hath not constantly auerred for truth what he could not prooue nor confirmed any thing with an oath with intent to deceaue his neighbour by which meanes he will neither haue sinned in thought word nor deed against God himself or his neighbour He whosoeuer he bee that obserueth these things he it is that shall receaue blessing diuine guifts and graces together with increase of them and prosperous successe in all he vndertaketh and mercie the grace of perseuerance of God his Sauiour to wit of our Lord Iesus Christ. This is the generation of them that seeke him Such iust and innocent men as this are the generation that seeke God their Sauiour by faith holie desires and good workes of them that seeke by Praier and contemplation in present with confidence hereafter clearely to behold the face of the God of Iacob incouradged by those words of our Sauiour Blessed are the cleane of heart for they shall see Math. 5. God Behold what is required of such as desire once to enioy the cleare vision of God from which we are as farre distant as we faile of this innocencie The words following are esteemed to bee the voice of the Angells that attended vpon our Sauiour after the separation of his blessed soule from the body vpon the Crosse and first to the Princes of darknes when they descended with him into Lymbo Patrum Lift vp your gates yee Princes desist yee Princes of darkenes from further exercising the right and power you haue hitherto had to detaine the soules of the elect for the guilt of originall sinne and hee yee lifted vp ô eternall gates which haue been shut from the beginning of the world that none could depart thence and shall remaine shut for euer to the damned for as much as concerneth their freedome and the King of glorie shall enter in and set free the captiue soules whose ransome he hath paied vpon the Crosse The deuills strucken with admiration at this voice demaund of the Angels VVho is this King of glorie that descendeth vnto vs in soe vnusuall à manner with such splendor and securitie Vnto whome the Angels make answer it is Our Lord strong in regard of his diuinitie and mighty in regard of his humanitie our Lord mighty in battle in his Passiō wherein as in à new sort of combate not by force and contention but by suffering innumerable indignities reproaches scoffes stroakes wounds and finally an ignominious death he hath vanquished Goliath subdued the Prince of the world bound him cast him forth and taken from him his spoiles Againe the Angels attending vpon our Sauiour at his Ascension into heauen doe call to the celestiall powers saying Lift vp your gates yee Princes set open the passadge into heauen ô yee celestiall powers The tyme that God prefixt by his inuiolable decree that none should enter Heauen till his Iustice were satisfyed is now happily expired the dreadfull schedule of mans condemnation is cancelled Open therefore your gates at lardge and the King of glory will enter in triumph attended with à specious trayne the trophies of his glorious victory ouer theirs and our mortall enemies being the first fruits of his painefull labours and an earnest penny that he will infallibly repaire our ruine bring vs daily à blessed sort of Citizens into the vacant habitations of Lucifer and his adherents that rebellious crue that once disturbed our ioy And bee yee lifted vp ô eternall gates and bee yee layed open ô yee gates of eternall life and the King of glorie shall enter in The celestiall powers hearing this voice and beholding Christ to ascend with such brightnes and Majestie doe inquire of the superiour Angels VVho is this King of glorie vnto whome the Angels attending vpon our Sauiour doe make answer The Lord of powers the onely Sonne of God the Father who is the Lord of the Sabbaoth and of all the celestiall powers He is the King of glorie the Prince of ioy the fountaine of eternall felicitie who is of such excellencie that euen according to his humanitie all power Math. 23. is giuen him in heauen and vpon earth Behold how excellently and breifly the holie Prophet doth teach vs by this Psalme to contemplate the diuine Majestie to the end to excite vs to reuerence and holie feare He teacheth alsoe how we must dispose our selues if we desire to be numbred in the list of the elect thereby exhorting vs to puritie cleanenesse of heart finally he vnfoldeth vnto vs the happy mystery of Christs Ascension thereby to erect our hearts to the loue of heauenly things according to that of the Apostle Seeke the things that are aboue where Christ is fitting Collos 3. on the right hand of God mynd the things that are aboue not the things that are vpō the earth The exposition of the 44. Psalme and 4 in number in the nocturne Office The title an exposition thereof VNto the end for them that shall bee changed to wit for Gentils and Iewes who shall bee conuerted to Christianitie and other sinners who shall bee changed here in this world by iustification and in the next by glorification To the sonnes of Chore to those that shall imitate Christ crucified on Mount Caluary for Chore is by interpretation Caluaria for vnderstanding for their instruction in the mysteries treated of in this Psalme A Canticle for the beloued for Christ of whome God the Father affirmed This is my welbeloued Math. 17. sonne THE ARGVMENT THis Psalme is à Epithalamy or wedding song composed in honour of the spirituall nuptialls betweene Christ the Spouse and the holie Church the Espoused The two first verses maie bee vnderstood in two senses The first and most profound sense which is set downe by S. Augustine in his exposition of this Psalme is to suppose them as spoken by God the Father and then they importe the incomprehensible generation of the Sonne of God before all world The second sense is that they bee vnderstood as spoken by the Prophet of himselfe and then they seeme to bee à Preface or dedication of this worke of his to the Kingly Spouse whose vertues and excellencies he setteth forth most elegantly in the following verses shewing how the daughters of Kings and euen the Queene herselfe inamoured of his beautie and exquisite vertues doth couet to assist in his presence Next he proceedeth to celebrate the praise of the Espoused describing her ornaments and instructing her how to comport herselfe that she maie become most pleasing in his sight And lastly he sheweth what ofspring they shall haue and how pious and diligent they shall bee to promote the honour of the Spouse and the Espoused The exposition of the Psalme MY heart hath vttered à good word my Paternall mynd or I my selfe who am the paternall mynd most simple and pure or my
for thy loue for he is the Lord thy God and they to wit all that shall beleeue in him shall adore him according Daniel 7. to that of the Prophet All peoples Tribes and tongues shall serue him And the daughters of Tyre of that great cittie neare to the land of Iuda called Tyre by whome are signified the Gentils shall present him with gifts all the rich of the earth shall beseech thy countenance shall with humble praiers and gifts seeke to winne thy fauour that they maie bee admitted to bee of thy traine and by thy meanes bee brought vnto his presence All the glorie of that daughter of the King who sometymes is called the Queene the spouse of Christ and the Church is within in interiour vertues and beautie of her mynd not in exteriour vaine fading things in borders of gold in workes of charitie clothed round about with varieties with the acts of diuers vertues In these consisteth her glorie and with these she trimmeth and adorneth herselfe that she maie appeare amiable in the eies of her spouse who is not delighted with exteriour vaine dressings and attyre Virgins shall bee brought to the King after her in the first principall place after her Virgins shall bee brought to thee ô Christ and next after them her neighbours holie widowes and such as lead their liues in lawfull wedlocke vsing it for the true end for which marriage was instituted and not for carnall delectation shall bee brought to thee They shall bee brougâ—t in ioy and exultation of body and spirit they shall bee brought into the temple of the King into the Kingdome of heauen after their passadge out of this place of banishement For thy Fathers in the place of the holie Patriarks and Propâ—ets thy Fathers ô holie Church ô spouse of Christ there are borne to thee sonnes Apostles Bishops and Priests thou shalt make them Princes ouer all the earth and they shall prescribe lawes to the whole earth which neuer yet any temporall Monarch could doe They and all those they shall begett in Christ Iesus shall bee mindfull of thy name in all generation and generation shall seeke to dilate thy glorie in all ages Therefore shall peoples of all nations â—â—ome the holie Apostles and their successors haue taught and instâ—ucted Confesse vnto thee for euer shall praise thee vnto the end of the world and for euer and euer for eternitie This their praise shall beginne in this world and continue in the future without end By the espoused here mentioned all Expositors doe vnderstaÌ„d the holie Church because the Apostle in the 5. to the Ephesians doth most clearly teach that the holie Church is the espoused of Christ Notwithstanding all that is here spoken of her in this Psalme maie alsoe bee fitly applied to euery perfect soule and principally to the Blessed Virgin who although she bee the Mother of Christ according to the flesh is neuerthelesse the espoused of Christ according to the spirit and amongst the members of the holie Church is deseruedly alotted vnto her the cheifest place of dignitie which is the reason that this Psalme is appointed to bee song in all her feasts and in the feasts of the other holie virgins The title and argument of the 45. Psalme and fift in the Nocturne Office VNto the end to the Sonnes of Chore A Psalme directing to the end which is Christ to the faithfull who shall imitate Christ crucified For secrets for hidden mysteries which shall bee reueiled in the later daies This Psalme is fitly placed next to the former for in the former was foretold the exaltation of the holie Church by the spirituall nuptialls with Christ our Lord in this is foreshewed the persecution which shall happen vnto her after the departure of her beloued spouse vnto his heauenly Kingdome her deliuery from those afflictions which shall principally come to passe towards the end of the world The exposition of this Psalme OVr Lord is à refuge vnto vs when we are inforced to fly persecution and strength when we tollerate it and in both flying and tollerating he is an helper and comforter in tribulations which haue found vs exeeedingly which haue happened vnto vs aboue measure Therefore will wee not feare when the earth shall bee troubled although the earth bee wonderfully shaken and mountaines transported into the heart or middest of the sea with great violence Or thus therefore we that hane placed our confidence in God will not feare when earthly men who haue had their affections wholly bent vpon terrene transitory things shall tremble with great horror in the daie of iudgement and the proud and mightie men of the world shall bee throwne into the very depth and middest of hell Or thus as being the words of the Primitiue Church hauing placed her hope in our Lord Iesus Christ Therefore we will not feare with à carnall humane and inordinate feare when the land of Iuda or the people of the Iewes shall bee troubled labouring in vaine to extirpate the young plants of Christ and blot out the memory of him in mens hearts neither will we then feare when the Apostles and disciples of Christ shall bee inforced to leaue Iewrie and passe to the Gentils inhabiting the middest of the earth Their waters haue sounded the clamours false accusations of the Iewes and Gentils haue sounded before the tribunalls of the Presidents Kings whither they haue conuented the disciples of Christ and were troubled to behold that they laboured in vaine to hinder the propagation of the Christian faith the mountaines were troubled the high Priests and the Princes and Potentates of the earth were moued some to impatience and persecution and others to Pennance and imitation in his strength beholding his diuine power in whose name the Apostles wrought wonderfull signes and miracles for confirmation of the doctrine which they promulgated The two following verses are expounded diues waies and first of the Militant Church The violence of the riuer the fountaine of sacred Baptisme maketh the militant Church the Citty of God ioyfull with spirituall gladnesse The highest God who alone can make cleane him that is conceiued of vncleane seed hath sanctified his tabernacle the Church of the elect or the elect themselues who according to the Apostle are the temple of the liuing God in whome he will dwell walke God is in the middest thereof of the foresaied temple as à strong pillar sustaining it on all sides who saieth of himself that VVhere there bee two or three gathered Math. 18. together in his name there he is in the middest of them It shall not bee moued the holie Church shall not faile in her faith nor bee suppressed or ouerwhelmed by tentation and tribulation because God will help it in the morning presently soe soone as she shall call vpon him for aide early in the spirituall Aurora to wit in the instant of infusion of grace or illumination of the holie Ghost Secondly they are
expounded of the Triumphant Church as followeth The fountaine of wisdome or the inundation of the holie Ghost maketh the triumphant Church ioyfull with the ioy of beatificall fruition the highest Hath sanctified the hearts of the blessed which is hâ—s tabernacle God is in the middest of the triumphant Church therefore it shall not bee moued from the state of beatitude In the instant that any of the blessed thall bee receiued into the Kingdome of glorie God will confirme them in grace Thirdly they are applyed to the Blessed Virgin as followeth The word of God Christ Iesus our Lord in whome is the originall source immense plenitude of all true delight hath filled his blessed Mother with ioy exultation assuming humane nature in her sacred wombe Christ hath sanctified her and preserued her from all impuritie He hath rested nine monthes in her wombe and euer since in the Center of her immaculate soule She shall not bee moued from good to euill but shall remaine stable and immoueable in God because he will sanctifie her and fortify her in perfection of grace euen in her Mothers wombe Nations are troubled by the preaching miracles of the disciples of our Sauiour some to Pennance admiration others to obstinacy and opposition and Kingdomes are inclined are humbled to faith and holie obedient conuersation learning of Christ who was mild and humble of heart He Christ gaue his voice by himselfe his disciples and their successors and the earth was moued The saied humiliation of Kingdomes was foretold bythe Prophet Isaie in these words He to wit Christ Isa 26. will how downe them that dwellon hight thé high cittie he will abase By the high cittie is vnderstood Rome which at that tyme was Lady of the world of which the same Prophet à litle after â—aieth The foote shall tread it downe the feete of the poore maiâ— the steps of the needy By the poore man is vnderstood S. Peter à poore fisher man and by the steps of the needy the preaching of S. Peter and Paul who liued in voluntary pouertie for by their preaching the vnbeleeuing glorie and magnificent ostentation of the Romans was brought to embrace Christian humilitie The Lord of hostes is with vs Christ the King of glorie the vertue and wisdome of the Father who is stiled Emanuel that is God with vs hath come vnto vs and dwelled with vs in his assumpted humane nature the God of the Patriarke Iacob is our defender Come ye that desire saluation come not soe much by corporall motion as by faith and affections of the heart and see the workes of our Lord and consider and ponder seriously in your mynds what wonders he hath put vpon the earth to wit the Incarnation of his onely sonne the making of à Virgin to conceiue bring forth à Sonne and yet remaine à Virgin innumerable other admirable workes farre transcending the ordinary course of nature taking away warres euen vnto the end of the earth causing an vniuersall peace ouer all the world at the tyme of the birth of Christ our Lord as à figure of the spirituall peace which our Sauiour brought vnto all mankind to wit peace betweene God and man according to that of the Apostle God was in Christ reconciling 2. Cor. 5. the world to himselfe peace alsoe betweene the Iewes and Gentils He is our Ephes 2. peace who hath made both one c. He shall destroy the bow and breake weapons and shields he shall burne with fire This peace which Christ shall bring shall bee soe vniuersall and endure for soe long à space that men shall conuert their weapons and warlike engins to other vses according to that of the Prophet The Isa 2. law shall come forth of Sion and the word of our Lord from Ierusalem and he shall iudge the Gentils and rebuke many peoples they shall turne their swords into coulters and their speares into sithes c. This verse maie bee expounded in à more spirituall sense as followeth He shall destroy the bow Christ shall laie open and destroy the hidden deceits of the wicked endeauoring by flatery and faire promises to seduce the good and breake the weapons to wit open persecutions manifest diabolicall inuasions And the shields to wit the fallacies wherewith peruerse men doe couer and defend their errors he shall burne with fire by condemning the peruerse to hell fire or illuminating and inflaming the hearts of the faithfull to discerne resist their machinations Bee quiet abstract your hearts from vaine euill and vnprofitable things adhere to me with your whole mind attend to me fixe your desires vpon me and simplify your actions and see by affectionate contemplation and experimentall gust that I am God your Creator prouisor Sauiour gouernour that neuer cease to haue care of you that am alwaies ready to helpe you and to infuse consolation in such sort that you maie euen by experience acknowledge that I am your God Whosoeuer hath à desire to tast and proue this experimentall gust of God must of necessitie keepe à diligent watch ouer his heart flie concupiscence contemne pleasures shunne dissolution or loosenes of life repell and quit himselfe from superfluous imployments of body and minde seeke and sigh incessantly after that one thing onely necessary Make vnto you new fallow Ierem. 4. ground saieth the Prophet and sow not vpon thornes bee circumcised to our Lord and take away the prepuces of your hearts I shall bee exalâ—ed among the Gentils I the onely sonne of God and Sauiour of the world by the preaching of my disciples shall bee ackowledged honoured and worshipped by the Gentils according to that of the Prophet From the rising of Malach. 1. the sunne euen to the going downe great is my name among the Gentils I shall bee exalted in the earth in the peoples of the Iewes neare the end of the world when the fulnes of the Gentils hath entred The Lord of Hostes is with vs c. This verse in regard of the sweetnes of the signification and dignitie thereof is iterated for to imprint it the better in the heart of the Chanter What I haue saied before maie suffice for explication thereof with this obseruation That whereas Exod. 3. in Exodus we read that God almightie stiled himselfe the God of Abraham the God of Isaac and the God of Iacob affirming that this is his name for euer the Prophet here expresseth onely the God of Iacob for this reasoÌ„ as it maie seeme because as Iacob supplanted his brother of the benediction and inheritance soe the sonne of God who alone assumed humane nature supplanted the disobedient Angels of the benediction inheritance which was as it were due to them by prioritie of Creation and obtained it for man kind Behold how full this Psalme is of diuine misteries in which faith is corroborated hope in God is established fortitude is excited the beginning of the new
borne Church is explicated the grace of Baptisme is commended the benefits of God recounted the Incarnation of Christ is designed the faithfull are inuited to the consideration of the diuine workes the diuine power is openly declared à most sweet and paternall admonition is contained the magnificence of our Sauiour is set forth and finally the most excellent benefit of his holie Incarnation is repeated to shew that it cannot bee to oft remembred Let vs therefore endeauour to sing this Psalme with all feruour of deuotion beseeching almightie God in our hearts to bee our refuge and comfort in all our necessities both corporall and spirituall The title and argument of the 86. Psalme and 6. in The Nocturne Office TO the children of Chore to the faithfull imitators of Christ à Psalme of Canticle à Psalme containing spirituall ioy In this Psalme is sung the praise of the Cittie of Ierusalem by which noe doubt the Christian Church ought to bee vnderstood For although that which is saied in the beginning of the Psalme to wit That the foundations thereof are in the holie mountaines maie bee applied to the terrene Cittie of Ierusalem yet the rest to wit That the Babylonians Aegiptians and Tyrians are in it doth not squarre therewith But to the Church militant or triumphant all that is saied doth fitly agree The exposition of the Psalme THe foundations thereof The Prophet expresseth not the name of the thing whereunto the word thereof hath relation for the same reason as it maie seeme which moued S. Marie Magdalene to saie vnto him whome she supposed to bee the gardiner Sir if thou hast taken him away tell me where thou hast layed him c. O excessiue loue She beleeued noe mans minde could bee ignorant of him with whose feruent loue hers was filled and wholly possessed In like manner the Prophet in regard of the ardent loue he bore towards the holie Church doth not expresse the name thereof and yet the words following doe shew that he had relatiō thereunto as being the thing he foretold in his heart His words are these The foundations thereof to wit of the holie Church which I contemplate in spirit are collected and established in the holie mountaines in Christ the mount of mountaines principally and secondarily in the Apostles and Prophets who doe sustaine the spirituall fabricke of the Church according to that of the Apostle Other 1. Cor. 3. foundation noe man can laye beside that which is layed which is Christ Iesus and in another place Build vpon the foundation of Ephe. 2. the Apostles and Prophets Our Lord loueth the gates of this spirituall Sion our Lord accepteth and approueth of the Sacramēts vertues Exorcisme Catechisme Baptisme of the holie Church which are as it were the gates entrances into à spirituall life aboue the tabernacles of Iacob before or rather then the rites and ceremonies obserued by the children of Israell whilst they liued in tents and Pauilions In the Prophecy of Malachias God almightie doth seeme to dislike and reiect the Synagogue and her manner of worship and to approue and gratefully accept of the Christian Church and the forme of seruice vsed therein I haue noe Malach. 1. will in you to wit the Synagogue saieth the Lord of hostes and gift I will not receiue of your hand But of the holie Church he saieth From the rising of the Sunne euen to the going downe great is my name among the Gentils and in euery place there is sacrificing there is offered to my name à cleane oblatiō Morally by Sion are vnderstood the speculators of celestiall things and by Iacob the supplanters of vices Our Lord therefore doth loue Sion to wit the vertues and good workes of contemplatiue men more or better then the tabernacles of Iacob to wit the inhabitants of the earth designed by Iacob who although they liue in the grace of God haue not as yet throughly mortified their coneupiscences and altogether subdued vice but haue need to combate daily against inordinate motions Nothwithstanding that these labour more then speculatiue perfect mē yet they merit à lesser guerdon or reward then they because their acts doe not proceede from such sincere perfect and feruent loue as the acts of contemplatiue persons neither doe they operate soe readily peaceably sweetly and delightfully as contemplatiues and speaking absolutely by how much the more readily quietly delightfully any man doth execute the worke of God by soe much the more doth he merit Glorious things are saied of thee ô Citty of God not onely of the triumphant Church but alsoe of the militant to wit that the Sonne of God shall visite her in person and that all nations tribes and peoples shall flocke vnto her from all parts of the earth and make suite to be admitted to inhabite within her walls which is insinuated by the words that follow I will bee mindfull of Raab and Babylon knowing me Raab in this place is not the proper name of that woman who hid the messengers of Iosue but according to S. Ierome it is here an apellatiue name designing as à propertie pride or proud whereby are designed the Pagans giuen to idolatrie and rebellious to God and Babylon is by interpretation confusion The sense therefore of these words seemeth to bee I will bee mindfull by shewing mercie of Raab and Babylon to wit of the proud Gentils and of those that liue in the confusion of sinnes knowing me by faith after I am soe mindfull of them This our Lord performed sending his Apostles to the whole world of whome S. Simon and Iude preached the Gospell to the Babylonians and conuerted the greatest part of them to the faith of Christ Behold the forreiners the Philisthians and Tyre and the people of the Aethiopians these were there to wit in the Citty of Christ These nations are here expressed by name because they bordered vpon the land of Iuda and did first embrace the Christian faith yet by them are designed all the infidels of the whole world which came o◠shall come to ioyne in vnion of faith with the holie Church Shall it not bee saied of Sion Man and man is borne in her and the highest himselfe founded her As if he should saie yes it shall bee saied of Sion that many men or almost euery man shall bee regenerated in her by the Sacrament of Baptisme and that God founded her These words are otherwaies deliuered by very many of the most learned and auncient Fathers as followeth Shall not man saie to Sion and man is borne in her and he the most high hath founded her As if the Prophet had saied Yes verily Man shall saie to Sion to wit to the holie Church as followeth and Man is borne in her Christ God and man is borne of the B. Virgin the most worthy member in the Church and he to wit Christ our Lord soe borne in the Church according to his humane nature being the most high according to his
materiall temple to wit in the house of Praier yet much rather in his immateriall temple to wit the mynd or spirit for our Sauiour saieth God is à spirit and they that adore Ioh. 4. him must adore in spirit and veritie and in another place VVhen thou shalt praie enter Math. 6. into thy chamber and hauing shut the dore praie to thy Father in secret to wit with à setled and recollected mynd Let all the earth bee moued before his face let all the inhabitants of the earth bee moued to chast loue admiration and obedience and bee auerted from their bad waies and conuerted to God attending the benigne presence and sweet Maiestie of Christ Saie ye ô ye Apostles and ye that shall succeed them vnto the Gentils to whose conuersion and information ye are sent that our Lord hath reigned in the whole vniuerse and especially in the hearts of the faithfull by faith and Charitie Concerning which you are to note that God hath raigned in heauen and earth by his omnipotency euen from the beginning but his spirituall Kingdome in the hearts of men where he raigneth by faith beganne not especially in the hearts of the Gentils vntill the coÌ„ming of our Sauiour who by his passion and death dispossessed and cast forth the diuell as maie bee gathered by these words of our Lord Now the Prince of the world Ioh. 12. shall bee cast forth and I if I bee exalted from the earth will draw all things to myselfe S. Augustine and diuers others of the auncient Fathers doe read the last part of this verse as followeth Our Lord hath reigned from the wood to wit from the holie Crosse whereon he redeemed the world Which words of the wood were aunciently in the interpretation of the 72. Interpreters and haue been raced out by the Hebrews as S. Iustine affirmeth which notwithstanding Fortunatus hath placed them in the Hymne which is sung by the holie Church in Passion weeke The Prophet sheweth here by the effect that our Lord hath raigned because he hath exercised his regall power For he hath corrected the round world which shall not bee moued he hath conuerted the vniuersall Church spread and diâ—ated through the whole world from Idolatry and vice by his owne increpation and reprehension according to that of the Prophet He stroke the earth with the rod of Isa 11. his mouth c. as alsoe by the preaching of his disciples and other seruants and hath established it soe firmely that notwithstanding it shall bee soie shaken by the tempests and whirlwinds of tribulation and tentation yet shall it not bee moued in whole whilst the world shall indure He will iudge peoples in equitie The iudgement here mentioned is the iudgement wherewith our Sauiour iudged in his first comming to wit the iudgement of discretion or seuering one from another mercifully calling some to faith and grace and iustly forsaking others which discretion was altogether most iust notwithstanding that our weake iudgements are not able to comprehend the reason thereof Let the heauens bee glad and the earth reioyce the Sea bee moued and the fulnesse thereof to wit all therein contained the fields shall bee glad and all things that are in them What is spiritually vnderstood by these hath been sufficiently declared in the precedent Psalmes Then shall the trees of the woods reioyce before the face of our Lord because he cometh because he cometh to iudge the earth By this repetition of be cometh is insinuated the two commings of Christ in both which the Prophet inuiteth all creatures to reioyce in his first comming because he came then in the forme and shape of à man and sought to winne all hearts vnto him by his sweet benigne conuersation consecrating and disposing all things towards their perfection and the end for which they were created and in his second comming alsoe because he will come to refine and renew and constitute them in such perfectioÌ„ that they shall remaine for eternitie He will iudge the round world in equitie to wit without respect of persons and peoples in his truth to wit in iustice rendring to euery one according to his workes Tha title and argument of the Psalme and 8. in the Nocturne Office TO this Dauid when his land was restored to him For that there is noe mention at all made in this Psalme of King Dauids recouery of his Kingdome which Absalon had taken from him the expositors thereof doe generally agree that King Dauid vpon occasion of the recouery of his land being inspired by the holie Ghost did sing the restoring of the Kingdome of Christ in the hearts of all maÌ„kind which the diuell had vsurped by fraudulently inducing our first parents to transgresse Gods commandement and had withheld from him vntill he by his painefull death vpon the Crosse vanquished that tyrant and obtained all power in heauen and vpon earth In the first verse the Prophet speaketh of this saied restoring of Christ our Sauiours Kingdome vnto him to wit al mankind or the Church of the elect according to that Aske of me and I will giue thee the Gentils Psal 2. for thy inheritance and thy possession the ends of the earth but in the rest of the Psalme he describeth the dreadfull comming of Christ to the generall Iudgement when his Kingdome shall bee established in such sort that it remaine for euer The exposition of the Psalme OVr Lord of whome it is saied in the Apoc. 19. Apocalipse That he hath in his garment and in his thigh written King of Kings and Lord of Lords from the tyme of his glorious Resurrection hath reigned in the militant Church or in the hearts of his elect wherefore let all the earth reioyce let all nations liuing vpon the continent or maine land congratulate him in this his regall dignitie and not onely they but alsoe let many Ilands bee glad let the inhabitants of great Britanie Ireland Cyprus Sicilie all other Ilands very many in number which shall bee conuerted make triumph and signes of ioy thereat for of these the Prophet Isaie saieth The Ilands shall expest his Isa 42. Ibidem law and againe They shall giue glorie to the Lord and shall declare his praise to the Ilands A cloud and mist shall appeare round about him when he shall come to iudge the world with much power and Maiestie that Infidels and reprobate Christians maie neither haue à cleare veiw of his glorified body with their externall eies nor of his diuinitie with their internall but onely some litle glimpse of his glorie to their greater confusion Iustice iudgement with mercy and iudgement seueritie of iustice shall bee the correction or supporters of his seate or the sentence of correction which shall proceed from his tribunall Iustice and iudgement according to S. Ierome is here saied to bee the correction of the seate of our Lord because the iudgements of God before he cometh to iudgement doe seeme somewhat imperfect in
respect that he permitteth wicked people to liue for the most part in great plentie ease pompe and delicacy and suffereth vertuous holie men to liue in want affliction contempt and misery but when he cometh to the generall iudgement that he maie render to euery one according to his workes his seate shall bee as it were corrected Fire which shall burne the whole world shall goe before him and inflame his enimies round about but shall not touch nor contristate his elected friends as is prefigured in the three children which the King of Babylon caused to bee throwne into â— furnace Daneil 3. of burning fire who were not touched by the flames but the Chaldeans burnt whoe were about the furnace The things that follow are denounced by the Prophet as though they were already done for the assured certaintie thereof His lightnings shined to the round world the earth sâ—w and was moued The inhabitants of the earth shall see his lightnings and the other terrible precedent signes of his dreadfull comming wither for feare and expectation of what shall come vpon the world The mountaines melted as wax before the face of our Lord before the face of our Lord all the earth Some expound these words literally of the materiall mountaines which shall bee dissolued the earth made plaine and perspicuous but others expound them morally of proud ambitious and vaine glorious men who shall bee confounded and dissolued in their hearts at the sight of our Lord and not onely they but alsoe terrene auaritious and sensuall men saying one to another VVhat hath pride profited vs Sap. 5. or what commoditie hath the vaunting riches brought vs all those things are passed away as à shadow and as à messenger running before and as à ship that passeth through the surging wanes whereof when it is past the trace cannot be found c. The heauens haue shewed forth his iustice the Sunne Moone and starres in which shall appeare great testimonies of the indignation of God shall as it were proclaime to the whole world with what seueritie rigour of iustice he will take reuenge of mankind for sinne and all peoples haue seene his glorie shall see his glorie in these all other his wonderfull workes And therefore since that our Lord is of such power and Majestie Let them bee confounded that adore sculptils statues and images as Gods framed by the hands of men which neither can hurt nor helpe them and let them blush for shame that glorie in their Idoles as though there were diuine power in them for they shall then behold that those things which they adored for Gods are mere painted blocks and engrauen stones and that our Lord whome they would not here acknowledge is the onely true God vnto whome all adoration and diuine worship is due Adore him all yee his Angels To the greater confusion of Idolaters doe ye ô ye his Angels adore Christ our Lord your Maker sitting vpon his tribunall This place is alleadged by the Apostle to the Hebrewes to proue Hebr. 1. our Sauiour to bee true God And when againe he bringeth in the first begotten into the world to wit at the daie of iudgement for he speaketh à litle before of his first comming he saieth And let all the Angels of God adore him Sion heard was glad The militaÌ„t Church shall heare all that hath been before mentioned concerning the Majestie of our Lord comming to iudgement the confusion of Idolaters the adoration of the Angels and shall exult with spirituall ioy And the daughters of Iuda reioyced because of thy iudgements ô Lord All particular Churches meÌ„bers of the vniuersall or all the soules confessing to our Lord in spirit and truth for Iuda is by interpretation confession shall reioyce being moued thereunto by the consideration of thy iust iudgements ô Lord who wilt leaue nothing neglected doe iniury to none nor let passe the oppression or violence vsed towards any vnreuenged but wilt exalt all those that haue been contemned afflicted and tormented for iustice sake and wilt condemne to eternall flames those that placed their felicitie in the pompes and delights of this world And they shall reioyce alsoe Because thou Lord art most high ouer all the earth thou art exalted exceedingly incoÌ„parably without measure aboue all Gods both aboue those that by participation of thy diuine power are called Gods and aboue those alsoe whome the Gentils falsly worship as Gods You that loue our Lord hate ye euill since that sinne is soe odious in the sight of our Lord that he will come with such furie and indignation to take reuenge thereof All you deuout soules that make profession to feare and loue him abhorre it in your hearts yet not in regard of the paine it induceth but because it is displeasing vnto him and contrary to his diuine will and then you maie bee confident that you shall not onely experience him à mild iudge towards you in that dreadfull daie but alsoe your protector and comforter in all your present dangers afflictioÌ„s For Our Lord keepeth the soules of his Saints in this present life by infusion of grace and the ministry of his Angels and in the daie of iudgement out of the hand of the sinner from the power of the first transgressor Lucifer and his complices he will deliuer them he will perfectly free them and wipe all teares from their eies for after that last sentence sinners shall noe more molest the iust with their malicious pretensions and false accusations Light is risen to the iust and ioy to the right of heart The light of iustice the Sunne of vnderstanding shall arise to iust men and direct them in the way of truth without errour teaching them to discerne betweene iust and iniust good and euill and exciting them to elect in all things what is most conforme to the diuine will whence will follow exceeding peace of conscience and vnspeakable ioy of heart to the righteous that shall walke simply and humbly therein or thus The light of glorie illuminating the vnderstanding or Christ our Lord the Sunne of Iustice shall then arise to the iust man directing him towards the cleare vision of God ineffable delight proceeding from the vision of God which he shall eternally enioy shall arise to the right of heart Wherefore Bee glad yee iust in our Lord your most pious Redeemer and most liberall benefactor who shall come to the last iudgement with such preparation and for soe great benefit vnto you and with confession of praise and thankfullnesse Confesse ye to the memory of his sanctification praise him that hath soe gratiously been mindfull of you that he might sanctify you and bring you to eternall felicitie for which his singular clemency and mercy shewed towards you without any merit on your part but meerely of his owne immeÌ„se goodnesse you are obliged by all the lawes of gratitude to glorify his name incessantly and neuer to forget
inhabite the sea coasts the round world and they that dwell therein The riuers to wit the faithful regenerated in the waters of baptisme and filled with the riuers of grace Shall clappe with hand shall praise God by one assent with exultation of heart and good workes And the mountaines to wit contemplatiues sublime in the practise of all vertues shall reioyce at the sight of our Lord because he cometh to iudge the earth He will iudge the round earth in iustice and the peoples in equitie By iustice is here vnderstood the rectitude and vprightnesse of his iudgements and by equitie his fauour clemency I doe here but lightly touch some points for that I haue already saied something of them in the former explications Of versicles and the vse of them AT the end of euery Nocturne after the Antiphone id added à Versicle Our holie Father S. Benedict maketh frequent mention of them in his Rule They are certaine short but sweet and efficacious sentences accommodated to the nature of the office and for the most part are desumed out of the holie scriptures The holie Church hath placed them in the diuine office as they are here in this office of the blessed Virgin that is to saie In the Nocturne office after the Psalmes in Laudes and Vespres after the Hymnes and in the rest of the Houres after the Chapters They are called Versicles Durand l. 5 Rational c. 2. n. 40. and interposed in the office after this manner for two reasons The first because they signify that if perchance we haue gone à straie been distracted bâ— vaine thoughts in regard of the prolixitie of the Psalmes that we ought to returne to God or at least to our owne hearts according to the diuers aduertissements and significations of the Versicles Amalar â—â—de ordine Antiph c. 1. The second is because by them the intention and affection of the mynd is turned from one thing to another that is to saie in the Nocturnes from singing or reciting of Psalmes vnto reading of Lessons from labour to rest from the praise of God to Praier They are vsually song by the shrillest voices that they maie the better reuiue the spirits of such as are performing the office and cause them to prosecute the rendue thereof with more alacritie Of Absolutions NExt in order followeth the Pater noster Or our Lords Praier after which is added à short praier to our Sauiour Christ which is called an Absolution that he will bee gratiously pleased to purify illuminate and prepare vs that we maie worthily reade the Lessons following The reason hereof is rendred l. 1. de diui no officio â— 11. by Rupertus to wit because we ought to aske the Lord of the haruest that he will bee pleased to send workmen to gather his fruits and open our hearts that we maie vnderstand his lawes and precepts least the seed of the word of God which we are about to heare bee deuoured by the birds of the aire choaked by thornes or frustrated of taking roote by the hardnesse of the rocks In this office of the blessed Virgin this is asked by her intercession and the rest of the Saints Of Benedictions THe Absolution being pronounced there is asked a Benediction and leaue to reade the Lessons because none are to vsurpe the office of preaching the word of God without the permission of their Superiours That the manner of asking and giuing these Benedictions maie l. Dominus vobiscuâ— c. 2. bee the better vnderstood I wâ—â— here set downe the forme â—â—ereof as I fynd it expressed by Peter Damian He that is about to reade the Lessons saieth he doth with à signe of great humiâ—itie â—owe his body and desire to bee blessed not by the Priest but rather by him whome the Priest shall appoint saying Iube Domne benedicere which in effect is as much as to saie Sir appoint some one to blesse me or maie it please you Sir to cause some one to blesse me The Priest therefore that he maie correspond on his part to soe great humiliation doth not delegate this office of blessing â—nto any his inferiour neither doth he presume by himselfe to giue the Benediction but rather doth begge of almighty God who is blessed aboue all that he will bee pleased to giue it Thus farre are the words of Peter Damian Which manner of asking and giuing the Benedictions by him here declared hath been and is generally practised when the office is performed in publike by any number but wâ—en one alone reciteth the office the custome is insteed of Domne to saie Domine because the Benedictions are then asked immediatly of almightie God â—â—e Benedâ—ctions in the Brâ—uiary are giuen in the name of the blessed â—rinitie but here in this office of the blessed Virgin the first Benediction is giuen in the name of our sweet Sauiour and his beloued Mother and the second and third are asked by her intercession Of Lessons and the profit that ariseth by them THe Benediction being giuen the Lector or Reader proceedetâ— to reade the Lessons which are here in this little office of the Blessed Virgin taken out of the foure and twentieth Chapter of Ecclesiasticus for all tymes of the yeare except Aduent when they are taken out of the Ghospel But in the other offices of the Breuiary the Lessons of the first Nocturne are taken out of the old or new Testament of the second out of the writings of the holie Fathers and Doctors of the holie Church and of the third out of the Homilies of the Fathers according to the nature of the office The institution of reading Lessons is verie auncient as maie appeare by the Acts of the Apostles where it is written That those that inhabited Ierusalem not knowing the voices of the Prophets that are Act. 13. read euery Sabbaoth iudging haue fulfilled them And it is cleare by the testimony of S. Paul that Lessons were vsed in the primitiue Church much after the manner as they are at this present VVhen you come 1. Cor. 14. together saieth he euery one of you hath à Psalme hath à doctrine hath à reuelation hath à tongue hath an interpretation c. It was ordained by the Councell of Laodicea Cap. 17. about twelue hundred yeares agone that Lessons out of the holie Scriptures should bee intermixed with the Psalmes and long before that Councell the saied custome was practised in the holie Church as Cassâ—an affirmeth It will not bee needfull l. 2. Instiâ—ut to insist much vpon the prouing of the antiquitie and vse of the Lessons for that it is manifest both by what hath been saied as alsoe by the Rule of our holie Father S. Benedict who liued aboue eleuen hundred yeares past and the authoritie of S. Augustine in his preface vpon the Epistles of S. Iohn and the generall practise of the holie Church in all ages The fruit that maie bee gathered thereby is manifold some of
alsoe very many from falling into sinne poureth forth a fragrant odour in so much that whosoeuer shall piously call her to mynd shall experience himselfe sprinkled there with Of the Canticle or Hymne Te Doum laudamus THe auncient custome of recyting this Canticle or Hymne in the diuine Office maie bee proued by the Rule of our holie Father S. Benedict where he appointeth that after the fouerth Responsory to wit of the third Nocturne the Abbot doe beginne the Hymne Te Deum laudamus Concerning the originall institution of this Hymne S. Darius Bishop of Milan who liued in the tyme of Iustine the elder about the yeare of our Lord. 540. as S. Gregory affirmeth in his 3. Booke of dialogues the 4. Chap. in his Chronicles writeth as followeth By l. 1. c. 10. Chronicâ— blessed Ambrose saieth he Augustine was baptised and confirmed in the name of the holie and vndiuided Trinitie all the faithfull of the Cittie being present and beholding it at which tyme according as the holie Ghost gaue them to speake they pronounced the Hymne Te Deum Laudamus all that were present hearing seeing and admiring which hath been generally receiued and religiously sung euer since by the vniuersall Church in all ages euen vnto these our daies The Title and argument of the 92. Psalme and first in the Laudes PRaise of Canticle to Dauid himselfe in the date before the Sabbaoth when the earth was founded It seemeth tâ—at he who appointed this title was desirous that the insuing Psalme should bee sung vpon the Sixt Feria or Fryday which is the daie before the Sabbaoth because therein is declared that the earth was founded or according to some bookes inhabited Which is fitly saied to haue been done on the Sixt Feria for on that daie maÌ„ was formed who should bee Lord of the earth and by this the earth was first established which was created for man On this daie not onely man but alsoe all liuing creatures were created which inhabite the earth and therefore on this daie the earth began first to bee inhabited On the same daie alsoe by the Passion and death of Christ Iesus our Lord and Sauiour the earth was renouated and the Kingdome of Christ established the Prince of the world being cast forth All which notwithstaÌ„ding the holie Church doth appoint this Psalme to bee sung at Laudes vpon Sunday about Sunne rising or daie breake because although our Sauiour purchased his Kingdome with the price of his most pretious bloud shed for mankind on the Sixt Feria and thereby layed the foundation of the new earth yet he receiued possession of his Kingdome at his glorious resurrection early in the morning vpon Sunday at which tyme he put on beauty and strength The words of this Psalme maie bee applied both to the Creation Reparation of the world as followeth The exposition of the Psalme OVr Lord hath reigned he hath put on beautie glorie and regall Majestie Our Lord hath alsoe put on strength power and fortitude which are equally requisite to support à Kingly diademe and hath girded prepared armed and setled himselfe to reigne If these words bee referred to the Creation of the world Christ as God is saied to haue begun to reigne when he had created the world for then he first of all began to haue subiects vpon the earth ouer whome he might exercise dominion But if they bee referred to the reparation of the world Christ as man at the tyme of his Resurrection did receiue the gouernment of the Vniuerse put on the beautie of à glorified body and put on fortitude all power being giuen him in heauen and vpon earth and girded or setled himselfe earnestly to ptopagatâ— his Kingdome to the vtmost confines of the earth It is manifest that our Lord hath reigned in this sort For he hath established firmely fixed the round world as the center of the vniuerse which shall not bee moued according to that of Ecclesiastes Generation passeth and generation Eccle. 1. cometh but the earth standeth for euer Christ likewise by his dolorous passion and glorious resurrection hath founded and established the Militant Church spred through all the regioÌ„s of the earth in one faith and religion which shall not bee moued but shall perseuer in the same faith and worship vnto the end of the world for Christ shall reigne in the house of Luc. 1. Iacob for euer and of his Kingdome there shall bee noe end Thy seat ô Lord is prepared from that tyme to wit from the Creation of the world or the resurrection of Christ Yet thou didst not theÌ„ beginne to haue à being for thou according to thy diuine nature art from euerlasting from eternitie Concerning which you are to note that the word art doth not here signify the simple existence of the diuine nature but the fulnesse of his being wherein all things are contained For God was not poore or had need of any thing before he created the world neither was he more wealthy or better stored after he had created it for he created not the world that himselfe might encrease thereby but that he might communicate his goodnesse to vs therefore he created not the world as being compelled by any necessitie but as being moued thereunto by his infinite charitie and mercy and with the same charitie and mercy he hath repaired it for Soe God loued the Ioh. 3. world that he gaue his onely begotten Sonne that euery one that beleeueth in him perish not but maie haue life euerlasting The riuers ô Lord haue lifted vp the riuers haue lifted vp their voices The riuers haue lifted vp their waues aboue the voices of many waters The surges of the Sea are maâ—uâ—lous maruelous is our Lord on high If the words of these verses bee referred to the first sense they signify the manner whereby God almightie made the earth habitable that it might bee à firme seate for all liuing creatures For iâ— the beginning of the Creation the waters couered the superficies of the Vniuerse and the inundations of the waters were eleuated with à terrible motion but God who is infinitely more high more excellent and powerfull repressed their furie closed part of them in the concauities of the earth and appointed limits to the rest which they shall not transcend In the Second sense by the riuers which lifted vp their voices is vnderstood the Apostles and other principall planters of the Christian faith who being filled with the waters of life did passe through the world like vnto soe many heauenly riuers and eleuate their voices preaching the Ghospell of Christ with great freedome By the riuers which lifted vp their waues is vnderstood the Iewes who euen in the very beginning contradicted the Ghospell in all places raised persecutioÌ„ against the disciples of Christ By the surges of the Sea which are farre greater theÌ„ the waues of the riuers is vnderstood the persecutions of the Infidels other aduersaries of the
holie Church For like as wheÌ„ the riuers enter into the Sea the salt waters doe rage swell at the entrance of the fresh waters soe the Infidels did beginne to rage and swell at the preaching of the Apostles as being contrary to their doctrine and manners But our Lord dwelling on high hath shewed himselfe farre more to bee admired since he hath gotten the victory ouer all the persecutors and tyrants and propagated his Kingdome through out the earth notwitstanding they impugned it to the vtmost of their power For the word in altis which here is interpreted on high some read in high things and expound it as followeth The persecutions of the Infidels are indeed maruelous but our Lord is farre more maruelous in high things to wit in the wonderfull miracles sublime signes and neuer before heard of prodigies which he hath effected by those that beleeued in him in soe much that the holie Church amidst the most cruell persecutions that euer were did not onely not feare nor faile but was exceedingly dilated augmented strengthened and sustained all sorts of torments with wonderfull alacritie and cheerefulnesse vntill at length the tyrants yeelded and the Roman empire it selfe submitted its stubborne necke to the yoake of Christ And therefore ô Christ Thy testimonies thy words where with thou hast testified and solemnely promised by the mouthes of thy holie Prophets and Apostles concerning thy saied Kingdome that thou wilt establish it and defend it in such sort that hell gates shall not preuaile against it are made credible exceedingly are confirmed with soe frequent and euident miracles that they cannot bee denied to bee most true but doe as it were inforce vs to beleeue that thou wilt performe in due tyme and order whatsoeuer thou hast saied as maie appeare alsoe by what thou hast already most faithfully brought to passe From henceforth therefore it is most meet that the holie Church which is thy house bee holie immaculaâ—e and adorned with all puritie for euermore in respect that she hath for her guardian and protector soe mighty and prouident à Lord from whome she hath alreaôy receiued such singular benefits and maie iustly hereafter expect farre greater relying on thy most faithfull promises for Holinesse becometh thy house ô Lord for length of daies Behold here à short Psalme but yet replete with mysteries wherein the soule hath à sweet confident and amorous conference with God Let it not therefore bee sung by vs in à cold and aride manner but with feruour of deuotion and holie desires And that we maie bee able to sing it in this sort let vs cleanse our selues from all staine or impuritie of our flesh and spirit that our body maie bee the temple of the holie Ghost and our soule the seat of the eternall wisdome The Title and argument of the 99. Psalme and Second in the Laudes A Psalme in Confession The Prophet doth here inuite the people of God often and attentiuely to confesse vnto him with confession of praise both for that he hath created nourished and conserued vs as alsoe because the memory of him is most sweet his fidelitie and mercy towards vs perpetuall The exposition of the Psalme MAke ye iubilation to God all yee who inhabite the earth saie yee an Hymne vnto him with such aboundant and ineffable ioy of heart that the ioyfulnesse of your deuotion maie endure noe limits but through the excesse and vehemency thereof maie breake forth by exteriour signes which yet are farre short of expressing what you feele interiourly It is most meet that yee reioyce to God in this manner because as his Majestie doth infinitely exceed our imbecillitie and vnworthinesse soe the ioyfulnesse which we conceiue touching him ought to transcend our proper infirmity elocution manner of declaring our mynd Serue yee our Lord obey yee his diuine precepts not out of a seruile feare but in gladnesse willingly promptly and with à filiall loue for God loueth à cheerefull giuer 2. Cor. 9. Serue him with gladnesse yet not dissolutely or irreuerently but in gladnesse accompanied with feare or respect according to that Serue our Lord in feare Psal â— and reioyce to him with trembling It cannot bee hard to serue him in this manner loue being the summarie of his coÌ„mandements Rom. 13. and the fulnesse of his law For what is more sweet easie then to loue Enter yee in before his sight enter yee into the materiall temple of God where he is present in an especiall manner most graciously giueth audience to deuouâ— people My eies saieth he shall bee opened 2. Paralip 7. and my eares erected to his praier that shall pray in this place Enter I saie in exultation of heart and with an attentiue and inflamed mynd that he maie behold that your affection towards him hath moued you to come into his presence and that you come not of necessitie or coÌ„pulsion Enter yee alsoe into the immateriall temple of God to wit into your soules place your selues there neare vnto his sacred image and discusse your interiour open your hearts vnto him with an humble confidence and treate with him coÌ„cerning the businesse of your saluatioÌ„ inuenting many pretty industries of loue to expresse your affectioÌ„s gaine his fauour for he alone caÌ„ satiate your desires Know yee not onely by faith but alsoe by naturall reason experimentall gust that our Lord into whose presence I inuite you to come and praise him he is God our Creator and conseruer then whome nothing can bee imagined more excellent He it is vnto whome we are indebted for our being and all that we are or enioy For he made us and not we ourselues Although our parents doe cooperate to the vnion of our soules to our bodies which are begot by them yet doe they in noe sort concurre to the production of the soule it selfe it being created by almighty God of nothing as the world it selfe was created by him without the influence of any other cause besides himselfe and therefore we Men must needs acknowledge à more singular dependance of our Creator then any other of these sublunary things amongst which we are conuersant in this life For they are produced by the immediate causes vpon which they depend not onely by meanes of disposing the body and rendring it fit to receiue the soule or forme with which it is to bee animated or informed but alsoe by immediate influence coÌ„currence to the production of the soule or forme it selfe whereas in vs Men this is proper to God alone to produce our soule without the least helpe of any secondary cause at all This the Mother of the holie Machabees 2. Ma chab 7. did confesse saving vnto her children I know not how you appeared in my wombe for neither did I give you spirit and soule and life and the members of euery one I framed not but in deed the Creator of the world that hath formed the natiuitie of man and
that inuented the origine of all c. O all yee His elected people and the sheepe of his pasture whome he feedeth with his Sacraments and sustaineth nourisheth in mynd and body with his guifts and graces enter yee not so much with corporall steps as with aduancement of your mynds into the practise of vertues which are his gates through which you are to passe into eternall life enter I saie in Confession of your sinnes For proceeding according to order this ought to precede our other workes of vertue for by such confession sinnes are remitted grace giuen and men are fitly disposed to praise God But if we omit to doe this it will bee in vaine for vs to seeke to enter into his saied gates neither will any thing we doe seeme gratefull vnto him as he affirmeth by the mouth of the Prophet Isaie saying VVhen you shall stretch forth Isaie 1. your hands I will turne away myne eies from you and when you shall multiply praier I will not heare for your hands are full of bloud VVash you bee cleane and take away the euill of your cogitations from myne eies c. Being therefore thus prepared enter yee alsoe with humble confidence into his courts in Hymnes for your praises will then be most delightfull vnto him By the courts of our Lord diuers of the holie Fathers doe vnderstand the latitude of Charitie and other principal vertues which à soule soe cleansed by Sacramentall confession practised in inferiour vertues ought to aspire vnto by which they maie attaine to perfection in this life and acquire an answerable place of glory in the next but some others doe suppose the Prophet to allude to the Three Courts of the Temple whereof one was for the Priests another for laye men and the third for women Amongst the diuine Attributes for all which he is most praise worthy Praise yee his name here for three of them cheefly First because our Lord is sweet mild benigne and soone moued to pittie and compassion Which if you desire to make tryall of Tast ye and see that our Psal 3â— 2. Cor. 1. Lord is sweet He is the Father of mercies and God of all comfort Secondly praise him because his mercy is for euer Our Psal 102. Lord is pittifull and mercifull long suffering and very mercifull As à Father hath compassion of his children soe hath our Lord compassion on them that feare him Thirdly and lastly praise him because his truth is euen vnto generation and generation As he is most mercifull promising benefits gratis soe he is most faithfull and true in constantly performing what he hath promised as he witnesseth of hymselfe saying Heauen and earth shall Luc. 21. passe but my words shall not passe Behold here à Psalme replete with Angelicall sweetnes which we ought to sing in the person of the holie Church with diligent attention rendering our selues efficaciously obedient to the pious exhortations therein contained by iubilating to our Lord seruing him with gladnesse attending to his presence incessantly and confessing him to bee our God by faith workes which we cannot by any meanes performe vnlesse we doe daily with intire hearts abhorre and detest the greater sort of vices and diligently to the vtmost of our power shunne correct deplore the lesser sort of sinnes by frequent confession firme purpose of amendement weighing carefully that saying of Salomon He that hideth Prouer. 28. v. 13. his wicked deeds shall not bee directed but he that shall confesse and shall forsake them shall obtaine mercie These things are requisite to the due performance of the acts where vnto we are inuited in this present Psalme for those acts are altogether deiforme celestiall Angelicall and of incomparable merit The title and argument of the 62. Psalme and third in the Laudes A Psalme of Dauid when he was in the deserâ— of Iuda called Ziph or of Idumea Holie Dauid when he was inforced to hide himselfe in the desert from the furious persecution of Saul and could not haue accesse to the Tabernacle of God nor to Ierusalem where he had à longing desire to bee in the inheritance of our Lord did take occasion by that his affliction to deplore his owne estate and the estate of all other iust men liuing in the exile of this present life and vale of teares whcih is repleate with vices and tribulations sterill of good things and true felicity and to expresse the exceeding great desire he had to passe out of this world vnto the celestiall countrey The exposiiion of the Psalme O God of all and in a speciall manner My God in regard of thy peculiar fauours graces aboundantly bestowed vpon me the vnworthiest of thy creatures protecting me from euill things promoting me in good things and directing me in à particular manner to my last end as alsoe in respect of the singular loue and reuerence wherewith I loue worship thee alone and aboue all things to thee â— watch from the morning light presently â—oâ— soone as the daie appeareth and the spendor of thy diuine grace doth illustrate mâ— soule I arise by erecting my mynd towards thee with à cordiall affection to contemplate loue and adore thee My soule hath thirsted after thee The appetite of my soule to wit my will hath coueted with an intellectuall and exceeding great desire to obtaine thee the fountaine of all goodnesse who alone canst satiate her and my flesh to wit my body or my sensuall appetite hath thirsted to thee very many waies by reason of diuers and manifold necessities Concerning these words of the Prophet you are to note that whether the Flesh bee taken for the body onely or for the sensitiue appetite it cannot fitly bee saied to thirst to God directly and immediatly for God being an immateriall and simple essence can onely bee attained with à sole immateriall appetite as he is onely comtemplated with a sole intellectuall eie neither can the flesh precisely taken according to it selfe desire properly speaking or thirst but for as much as it is informed with the soule for desire rather belongeth to the whole compound and to the soule then to the flesh Whereas therefore the flesh is here saied to thirst to God it maie bee vnderstood two waies First because it is an an occasion to the soule to tâ—irst to God For The body that is corrupted burdeneth the Sap. 9. soule and the soule by reason of her vnion with the body falleth into many necessities solicitudes afflictions and miseries and consequently tâ—ereby she hath soe many causes or motiues of sighing and longing after God as she experienceth in herselfe impediments which interpose themselues betweene her and Godâ— and doe retract remoue her à farre of from him Such impediments as these the Apostle felt when he saied Vnhappy man that I am who shall deliuer me from the body Rom. 7. of this death Secondly it maie bee vnderstood thus My flesh to wit
common onely to Angells and Men yet in as much as all creatures being the workes of God are good the diuine goodnesse doth shine in them each of them is as it were à certaine rave of its Creators perfection which thereby is knowne and made manifest for as the Apostle witnesseth The inuisible things of God are seene being vnderstood by those things which are made his power alsoe and diuinitie Consequently in this respect all creatures whatsoeuer are truely saied to blesse and praise their Creator All the workes of God therefore are here inuited to blesse praise and superexalt our Lord euery one according to its nature Angells mentally Men with their voice mynd and both Angells and Men as alsoe all other creatures the workes of God by exciting and stirring vp the minds of those that shall rightly consider their natures actions and proprieties to extoll the Creator and acknowledge his infinite glory and magnificence Blesse our Lord yee Angells of our Lord After the generall inuitation of all creatures they descend to particulars beginning with the Angells who are most immediate to God and most like vnto him as being pure immateriall substances By the name of Angells in this place are vnderstood all the celestiall and blessed spirits which as S. Gregorie sheweth out of the holye scriptures are diuided into nine quires or orders and although sometymes the name of Angells bee appropriated to those blessed spirits which are ranked in the lowest quire yet all the nine quires of them are alsoe truly and properly called by that name which as she saied S. Gregorie doth saie is imposed vpon them by reason of the functions and chardges wherein they are employed by almightie God concerning which the Apostle speaking of them in generall sayeth Are they not all ministring spirits sent to minister for them which shall recerue the ininheritance of saluation Yee Heauens blesse our Lord. By the Heauens are vnderstood the celestiall orbes of which by reason of their greatnesse beautie actiuitie motioÌ„s seueralâ— other properties the Prophet Dauid doth in particular and expressely assâ—uere That Psal 18. they shew forth the glorie of God All waters that are aboue the heauens blesse yee our Lord. Here it is câ—earely saied that there are waters aboue the heauens and it agreeth with that we read in Genesis Gen. 1. to wit that God made à firmament and diuided the waters that were vnder the firmament from those that were aboue the firmament and God called the firmament Heauen It agreeth alsoe with that of the Psalmist Praise him ye heauens of heauens Psal 148. Psal 103. and the waters that are aboue the heauenes and in another place Stretching out the heauen as à skin which couerest the highest parts theâ—eof with waters Which although it maie perhaps seeme at the first veiw contrary to naturall reason the sayings of the Philosophers yet as S. Augustine writeth vpon Genesis The authority of that part of holie writ is farre to bee preferred aboue the perspicacity or capacity of humane vnderstanding But what manner of waters they are it is not certaine The common opinion is that they are corporall waters and morally by them are vnderstood the eleuated and illuminated mynds of the Saints in which as in à mirrour diuine things are clearely represented Blesse our Lord all ye powers of our Lord. By these Powers some doe vnderstand the mouers of the celestiall orbes whome the Philosophers called Intelligences and S. Thomas in his Summe affirmeth to bee of the middle Hierarchy of Angels of the quire of Vertues of whome holie Dauid maketh mention saying Blesse our Lord Psal 148. all yee his vertues you his mynisters that doe his will Others by these powers of our Lord doe vnderstand the efficient vertues in the celestiall orbes which at their first Creation God almighty ingrafted in them or which are naturally in them whereby they gouerne and worke vpon the elements and mixt bodyes according to that of the Philosopher Man and the Sunne ingender man for the celestiall bodies by these vertues are generall causes of all motions and alterations generations and corruptions in these inferiour things Sunne Moone blesse yee our Lord These are the two great lights of which is made mention in Genesis the greater of them to wit the Sunne to gouerne the daie and the lesser to wit the Moone to gouerne the night In the diligent consideration of which lights especially of the Sunne the Majesty of God doth wonderfully appeare according to that of S. Denis This li. de diuinis nâ—minibus c. 4. visible Sunne saieth he is an euident representation of the diuine goodnesse who is the eternall intellectuall Sunne the Sunne of wisdome and iustice Yea in the greatnesse swiftnesse of motion brightnesse power and influence of the Sunne we cannot sufficiently admire the eminency of the diuine power and wisdome By the Sunne is spiritually signified the vnderstanding of truth and goodnesse and the splendor of Reason aboue the other powers all which are subiect to it illuminated and directed by it least erring in the lubricity of vice they fall violently to their owne destruction Bâ— the Moone is signified the inferiour portion of the soule as is is gouerned and ruled by the superiour portion thereof and obedient to its direction Starres of heauen blesse yee our Lord The starres doe manifold waies represent the magnificence of their Creator in their beautie motion vertue pluralitie situation order influence They seeme indeed vnto vs but small yet the least of them is affirmed to bee greater then the whole earth and the cause of their appearing soe small is onely in regard they are situated most remote from vs. The glory of the starres saieth Ecclesiasticus is the beautie of heauen our Lord illuminating the Eccles 43. world on high By them are designed vertuous men indued with wisdome who shine to others in words of edification example fame and good life according to that of the Apostle Doe yee all Philip. 2. things without murmurings that you maie bee without blame and the simple children of God without reprehension in the middest of à crooked and peruerse generation amongst whome you shine as lights of the world and Daniel 12. that of Daniel the Prophet They that instruct many to iustice shall shine as starres vnto perpetuall eternities Euery shower and dew blesse yee our Lord. These are produced in the aire and are very profitable for the making fertile all such things as spring out of the earth and the conseruation of the life of man A shower or raine is caused by heate reuerberating vpon à clowd and dissoluing it into drops of water The shower saieth the Prophet Isaie commeth downe from Isai 55. heauen and returneth noe more thither but inebriateth the earth and watereth it and maketh it to spring and giueth seed to the sower and bread to him that eateth In the manner of the descending whereof
drop after drop with à certaine coherence in forme of little streames or most subtile water channels we cannot sufficiently admire the wisdome and goodnesse of God almighties prouidence For as holie Iob saieth If he hold in the waters all things Iob. 1â— shall be dried and if he sende them forth they shall ouerthrow the earth to witt if they should fall together with violence but God almighty of his woÌ„derfull goodnesse preuenteht this VVho bindeth the waters in Iob. 26. the clowds that they breake not forth together downewards Dew is à subtile and slender vapour compacted together in the superficies of the earth or vpon herbes by à teÌ„perate coldnesse both to nourish them and refresh the aire By Dew is signified the consolation and vnction of the holie Ghost and by à shower is signified doctrine and preaching according to that of the Prophet Isaie I will commaund the Isa 5. clowds that they raine noe shower vpon it speaking of the Synagogue of the Iewes All spirits of God blesse yee our Lord. The spirits here mentioned are taken for the winds which proceed from sundry parts of the earth and conduce very much to the budding forth of the fruits of the earth to the consolation and refreshing of mankind By them are signified the inspiration and refrigeration oâ— the holie Ghost Fire and heate blesse yee our Lord. If wâ— will seriously consider the subtility actiuity and greatnesse of the elementarie Fire it will aboundantly store vs with matter of it's Creators praise S. Thomas affirmeth that the properties of diuine things maie fitly bee exprest by Fire for God himselfe is tearmed by the Apostle à consnming Fire charitie alsoe yea the Luc. 12. holie Ghost is for diuers reasons called Fire By Fire is signified Charity and by Luc. 24. heate which is an effect of Fire the feruour of charity of which our Sauiour saied I came to cast fire on the earth and what will I but that it bee kindled and the two Disciples saied VVas not out heart burning in vs whilest he spake in the way Cold and summer blesse yee our Lord Cold is either taken for the aire or for the sharpe quality of the winter season By it is mystically vnderstood the extinguishing of vices and concupiscence and by summer the perfection of vertues in which the elect doe magnificently praise almighty God most humbly ascribing to his diuine goodnesse aswell their â—ecesse from euill as their accesse to good Dewes and hoarie frost blesse yee our Lord. The Dewes here spoken of are most frequeÌ„t in the spring tyme but hoarie frost is most vsually in Autumne By Dewe is designed prosperitie by hoarie frost aduersitie in both which pious Vertuous men doe equally giue thankes to God Frost and Cold blesse ye our Lord. Frost is caused by cold and the most vehement frost is occasioned by the North wind according to that of Ecclesiasticus The cold North wind blewe and of the water Eccles 43. Psal 147. there froze Christâ—all vpon the gatering waters it shall rest and as à brest plate it shall put it selfe vpon waters and that of the Psalmist He casteth his Christall as morsells before the face of his cold who shall endure By frost and cold is vnderstood the constriction or obduration of the mynd caused by substraction or suspension of diuine coÌ„ olations or sensible deuotion into which estate whosoeuer commeth by the diulne dispensation let him praise God in the best manner that he can and in noe sort neglect to prosecute those pious exercises he hath accustomed himselfe to performe nor condeseend to solace himselfe in exteriour vaine delights but busie himselfe in some profitable imployment as reading writing or hand labour and expect with patience the reinfusion of those subtracted gifts acknowledging his vnworthinesse resigning himselfe to beare that affliction euen during his whole life if soe it shall seeme good to the will of God and noe doubt these aridities and coldnesses will turne to his aduancement in the way of perfection and the comforts he will receiue afterwards from the diuine goodnesse wlll bee farre more reall and solide then he euer formerly experienced Yee and snow blesse yee our Lord. Some by yee doe suppose haile to bee vnderstood Snow is the dissolution of à cloud which by reason of excessiue cold cannot melt into drops but is congealed in its descent and falleth downe in forme of lockes of wooll The whitenesse thereof is caused by reason that the subtile and light spirits thereof in their congealing doe striue to exhale but are stroken suddainly by force of the cold and kept in by which meanes they are turned into à froth and seeme white and cleare In yee Psal 147. Psal 148. and snow we maie behold the immense wisdome of God who as the Psalmist affirmeth giueth snow as wooll and againe Haile snow yee spirit of stormes which doe his word By these two are signified the scourges of God wherewith we are chastized in which we ought to praise God saying with holie Iob I haue sinned Iob. 33. and indeed I haue offended and as I was worthy I haue not receiued Nights and daies blesse yee our Lord. There are two sorts of daies The one is called an artificiall daie which continueth during the space of tyme that the Sunne is seene in our Hemisphere the other à naturall daie which contayneth all that space of tyme which an artificiall daie doth the night following and is vsually diuided into 24. howers Night is caused by the shaddow of the earth and designeth tribulation and daie prosperitie By Night is alsoe designed the obscuritie of the old TestameÌ„t or darkenesse of vices and by daie the grace of truth in the New testament and illustration of the mynd according to that of the Apostle The night is passed and the daie is at hand Rom. 13. Let vs therefore cast of the workes of darkenesse and doe on the armour of light Light and darkenesse blesse yee our Lord. S. Paul defineth Light by its effect Light Ephes 5. saieth he is that which maketh all things manifest It is à celesâ—iall qualitie created the first daie by which is designed the increate brightnesse of God In à mysticall sense it is takeÌ„ for the illuminatioÌ„ of the vnderstanding or for the consolation exhilaration of the heart as darknesse which is à priuation of light is taken for ignorance or desolations and heauinesse of the heart Lightnings and clowds blesse yee our Lord. Lightning is à wonderfull hot and drie exhalation which after it is drawne aloft is inuironed on euery side and constrained into straight limits by the force of cold out of which it striuing to gett passage in that conflict fire flasheth forth the clowd bursting and thunder is heard Clowds are caused partly by the celestiall waters before mentioned and partly by moist vapours exhaled and drawne vp by the Sunne By them are spiritually
signified the coÌ„duits of grace and the preachers of Gods holie word and by lightnings the corruscation of miracles and the commination or threatning of the terrible iudgements of God according to that of the Prophet Isaie I will command the Clowds that they rayne Je. 5. noe shower vpon it and that of the Psalmist His lightnings shined to the round Psâ—l 96. world c. Let the earth blesse our Lord. The earth is the lowest and least of the sower Elements and à greate part thereof is ouer flowne with waters neuerthelesse it doth afford aboundant matter of the Creators praise to all that shall rightly consider the quantity disposition fertility and other properties thereof as alsoe how it is as it were the center of the Vniuerse and remaineth firme and immoueable in its place notwithstanding its exceeding weight which is not supported by any thing but hangeth wonderfully in the middest of the world By the stability and fertility thereof is signified constant and vertuous men whome the holie Ghost doth make fruitfull with the celestiall seed of the word of God according to that of S. Luc. 8. Luke The seed is the word of God and that which fell vpon good ground are they who in à good and perfect heart hearing the word doe retayne it and yeeld fruit in patience Mountaines and little hills blesse yee our Lord. By them are designed those that are of great and of small power authority in the holie Church and especially Prelates and such as excell in the gifts of grace according to that of the Prophet Ioell Mountaines shall distill sweetnesse and Ioell 3. the hills shall flow with milke All things that spring in the earth blesse yee our Lord. If we attentiuely consider the value beautie sweetnesse delightfulnesse and other innumerable properties of the things that are produced within the earth and of those that spring out of it we cannot sufficiently admire in them the wisdome sweetnesse and beautie of the omnipotent Creator Blesse our Lord yee fountaines Fountaines are certaine euident representations of almightie God who by reason of his Munificence liberalitie and immense goodnesse towards mankind is often tearmed in holye Scriptures à Fountaine By theÌ„ are signified Doctors preachers and Priests vnto whome it belongeth Psal 67. to communicate and impart to others the streames of wisdome and knowledge to saluation and distribute the gifts of grace and the holie Sacraments and of whome it is written In Churches blesse yee God our Lord of the Isa 12. fountaines of Israell and in another place You shall draw waters in ioy out of the Sauiours fountaines Seas and Riuers blesse yee our Lord There is one great sea called the Ocean and diuers other particular seas as it were armes of the saied great sea From the sea ' as from the first fountaine or head all Riuers issue according to that of Ecclesiastes All riuers enter into the sea and the Eccl. 1. sea ouerfloweth not to the place whence riuers issue forth they doe returne that they muie flow againe By the sea is sometymes expressed the inquietude restlesnesse bitternesse and commotion of this world to witt of secular men according to that of the Prophet Isaie The impious are as it were Psa 57. the raging sea which cannot be quiet Sometimes alsoe by the sea are designed the hearts of penitents mouing themselues with bitternesse and the waues of internall compunction By the riuers are signified the copious gifts of grace according to that of our Sauiour He that Ioh. 7. beleeueth in me out of his belly shall flow riuers of liuing waters and sometymes the excesse of tribulations according to that of Psal 92. the Psalmist The riuers haue lifted vp their waues about the voices of many waters VVhales and all things that moue in the waters blesse yee our Lord. These are the principall ornaments of the element of water and what mortall man is able to explicate the variety profit strength and other properties of the fishes of the sea Verily if we attend to what is written by Philosophers concerning the Whale we shall find an ample subiect of the Creators praise By that our Sauiour speaking to S. Peter and S. Andrew Mat 4. saied Come yee after mee and I will make you to bee fishers of men it should seeme that by fishes are vnderstood men in such sort that by the VVhale are designed the great powerfull men and by the other creatures mouing in the waters are signified the lesser simpler sort of people all regenerated by the waters of Baptisme receiuing thereby infused vertues and life of grace Blesse our Lord all yee foules of heauen to witt of the aire where birds flie Who can worthily admire the wisdome perfection and Maiesty of God in the diuersity sweet modulation swift motion and other proprieties of birds By them are sometymes signified proud men raysing themselues vnto the height of vanity and diuells flying in the aire of whome our Sauiour saied The fowles of the aire did eate Luc. 8. it that is did take away the seed of the word of God Yet in this place by the fowles of the aire some doe vnderstand Contemplatiues eleuated aloft by the wings of Praier and Meditation vnto whome maie fitly be applied that of the Psalmist VVho will giue me the wings of Psal 54. à doue and I will fly and rest and that of the Prophet Isaie VVho are these that Isa 60. fly as clowds and as doues to their windowes and againe in another place They that hope in our Lord shall change their Isai 40 strength They shall take wings as Eagies they shall runne and labour they shall walke and not faint All beasts and cattell blesse yee our Lord. In these alsoe the magnificence of the most high artificer is vnspeakably commended who to declare his singular wisdome in these his effects doth speake many things of them to his seruant Iob. S. Augustine affirmeth that those creatures which haue the least of quantity haue the most admiration for we more admire the workes of the Ante and Bees theÌ„ the vast bodies of other beasts Hugh alsoe of S. Victor conformably speaking saieth That the creatures which we admire for their littlâ—nes are soe artificially and wisely formed that we can scarce discerne whether we ought rather to admire the tushes of the Bore or the wings of the Moath the wings of the Griffon or of the Gnat the head of à Horse or of à Locust the thigh of an Elephant or of an Eagle c. For in these small bodies God almighty hath soe fully distributed all manner of lineaments sutable to their seuerall natures that nothing seemeth to bee wanting to them which nature hath formed in the greatest By beasts and cattell are signified men following sensuality who are inuited to blesse our Lord in that he hath soe gratiously spared them and with such pacience expected their amendment These
of Israel à people approching vnto him According to the letter the Prophet calleth the Children of Israel to witt of the Patriarke Iacob the Saints of God because in those daies almost all the world was inclined to Idolatry excepting they whence it is that Moyses often saieth of them Thou art à holie people to the Lord Deut. 7 thy God The Lord thy God hath chosen thee to be his peculiar people of all peoples that are vpon earth Yet in a spirituall sense by the Children of Israel are vnderstood all the faithfull whether they be descended from the Patriarke Iacob according to the flesh or not for as the Apostle teacheth Not Rom. 9. all that are of Israel be Israelites nor they that are the seed of Abraham all bee children but in Isaac shall the seed be called vnto thee that is to saie not they that are the children of the flesh they are the children of God but they that are the children of the promise are esteemed for the seed and to all such the Apostle saieth Let the word of Christ dwell in you Colos 3. aboundantly teaching and admonishing your owne felues with Psalmes Hymnes and spirituall Canticles in grace singing in your hearts to God These are à People approaching to God For as wee goe backe from him by sinne soe wee approach neere vnto him by vertues and good workes Faith sheweth the true end for which Man was created and the way leading thereunto Hope beginneth to tend thitherwards Charitie vniteth vs to our end and all other vertues in as much as they are informed with Charitie doe knitt vs indissolubly vnto our end which is God himselfe Behold here à Psalme replete with the zeale of diuine loue wherein the Prophet expressing some few creatures by name doth exhort the whole machine of the vniuerse to praise the most high and holie Trinity that soe by them might be fulfilled what he piously desired but was vnable by himselfe to performe Whilst we sing it let vs recollect our minds from all extrauagances inkindle in them the zeale of diuine loue and conserue it with all vigilancy Let vs contemplate in all especially in the celestiall creatures the excellency of the Creator In this contemplation let vs feast our spirit delighting ourselues in his praise and congratulating his ineffable felicity most affectionately Finally let vs personally ourselues fulfill what we excite all other things vnto by praising and glorifying almighty God for whose praise and glory all things were created for truely it is more possible for heauen and earth to be annihilated then for à man not to be saued who glorieth in the diuine praise The title and argument of the 149. Psalme THe title prefixed to this Psalme is Alleluia and it agreeth well with the words of the Psalme which doe wholy tend to set forth the praise of our Lord and Sauiour principally for the benefit of the perfect victory and finall triumph which the faithfull shall obtaine in his second comming when all the aduersaries of the elect shall bee damned eternally and the elect bee freed from all euill reassuming glorified bodies These three last Psalmes haue such connection coherence one with another that they seeme to bee à continuation one of another and this peraduenture is the reason why the holie Church placeth them together at the end of Laudes and appointeth them to bee song as one Psalme with one Gloria in the end The exposition of the Psalme IN the last verse of the precedeÌ„t Psalme the Prophet hath these words An Hymne to all his Saints c. and now he beginneth this Psalme with Sing yee to our Lord à new song as if he had saied O yee Saints that are à people approaching to him Sing yee to our Lord à new song for his new benefits to witt for the benefits of our Redemption renouation iustification and glorification let his praise bee in the Church of Saints in the congregation of deuout people in the Militant and triumphant Church as the Prophet Isaie recounteth Isa 51. Ioy and gladnesse shall bee found in it giuing of thankes and voice of praise Let Israel to witt all such of the Iewes that shall bee conuerted and all other Christian people who by faith good life are reputed to bee of the seed of the Patriarkes much rather then the children of the flesh according to that of the Apostle Know yee therefore that they who Gal. 3. are of faith the same are the children of Israel Let this true Israel bee ioyfull in him that made him to witt in his Creator and redeemer and let the Children of Sion to witt particular Churches members of the vniuersall Church or deuout soules who are the children of the holie Church designed by Sion reioyce in their King to witt the celestiall Spouse our Sauiour Christ of whome it is saied in the Canticles Cant. 1. The King hath brought me into his Cellars we will reioyce and bee glad in thee Let them praise his name in quire on timbrell and Psalter let them sing to him Let them not onely sing à new song vnto him with ioy and exultation but let them alsoe adioyne musicall instruments to their voices that his praise maie bee more solemnely set forth By the Timbrel is vnderstood the mortification of the flesh because à skin is extended vpon that instrument and by the Psalter vpon which many strings are stretched at length are designed good workes The children therefore of Sion ought to sing to our Lord on Timbrell to witt in chastisement of their flesh and refraining their inordinate concupiscences and on Psalter to witt in goodnesse of life and manners free from reprehension that their life and manners maie bee consonant to the words they pronounce which manner of quire is most delightfull to the eares of almighty God Let them doe this Because our Lord is well pleased in his people Prouerb 8. Ioh. 15. to witt in his elect whome he hath loued from all eternitie of his meere benignitie and of whome he saieth My delights to bee with the sonnes of men And he will exalt in the daie of iudgement Luc. 12. the meeke to witt those that are true Christians in faith conuersation and haue practised that lesson which our Sauiour proposed to all sorts of people saying Learne of me because I am meeke and Math. 11. humble of heart These he will exalt vnto Saluation of body and mynd giuing them à double stole compleat beatitude and life euerlasting The Saints shall reioyce in glory to witt in the celestiall Kingdome when as their weâ—ping and lamenting in this world shall bee turned into ioy they shall bee ioyfull in their bedds to witt in the celestiall mansions in which they shall sweetly and happily rest in God by the delightfull sleepe of sincere contemplation Of these bedds our Sauiour saieth I goe to prepare you à place and againe Ioh. 14. In my fathers howse
Israel hath erected saluation to vs and deliuered vs from our enimies To worke mercie to our Fathers to witt to the end that he might procure impart compleat felicity to the Patriarks Prophets and other iust men long since departed this life transporting them out of Limbâ— and placing them in the celestiall pallace as it is saied of Christ Thou alâ—oâ— Zacha. 9. in the bloud of thy testament hast let forth the prisoners out of the lake wherein is not water Or To worke mercie to our Fathers to witt to the end that he might mercifully fulfill what he hath foretold he will performe vnto them For this reason alsoe these words are saied because Christ assumed humane nature not moued thereunto by our iustice but of his owne immenâ—e piety as the Apostle writeth to Titus The ad TituÌ„ 9. beuigâ—â—ty and kindnesse towards man of our Sauiour God appeared not by the workes of iustice which we did but according to his mercie he hath saued vs. And to remember his holie testament to witt that by this worke of our deliuery he might shew that he was mindfull of his holie couenant and firme league which he entred into with the Patriarkes and Prophets vnto whome Christ as God promised he would bee incarnated come into the world according to that of Isaie For this cause shall my people know my name in that daie because I Isaie 52. my selfe that spake loe I am present Of this testament therefore he shewed himselfe mindfull by assuming humane nature in the wombe of the blessed Virgin The oath which he sware to Abraham our Father Of this oath we read in Genesis By Gen. 22. my owne selfe haue I sworne saieth the Lord because thou â—ast done this thing and hast not spared thyne onâ—ly begotten sonne for my sake I will blesse thee and I will multiplie thy seed as the â—â—arres if heauen and in thy seed shall bee blessed all the nations of the earth Where by the seed of Abraham according to the Apostle Christ is vnderstood 〈◊〉 Abraham saieth he were the promiseâ— saied Galath 3. and to his seed He saieth noâ— And to seeds as in many but as in one And in thy seed which is Christ By this oath therefore the eternall Father promised that his onely Sonne should be incarnated of the seed of Abraham Who by giuing his Sonne vnto vs in the mistery of the Incarnation did alsoâ— bostoâ— himselfe vpon vs by â—â—â—â—â—â—ple 〈◊〉 hence it followeth in this place That he would giue â—onself 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Sonne hath giâ—â—◠〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to 〈◊〉 ting â—imselfe ouâ— brâ—ther our Sauiour c our aduocate 〈◊〉 â—is hath communicated himselfe vnto vs diuers waies for being borne â—oâ—mersing in the world he hath madeâ— himselfe à companion of men in his lâ—st sâ—â—â—â—â—s he gaue himselfe for our soâ—â—â—â—e dying â—e gaue himselfe for the price of our redemption aâ— râ—igning in the celestiall to 〈◊〉 for our bâ—atificall re◠〈◊〉 God a brighty â—s alsoe 〈◊〉 to giue himselfe 〈◊〉 into 〈◊〉 he infuseth charity and diuine grace beâ—â—â—â—â— such haue and possesse God as the obiect of the 〈◊〉 light and occupation â—nd which wonderfull â—dignation the aboundant liberality exceeding fauour and 〈◊〉 of God towards vs is clearely 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 because giuing vnto vs his gifts he imparteth himselfe withall to bee had possessed be held beloued enioyed to bee our conseruer helper and protector euer at hand Yet in this place Zachary speaketh literally of the donation wherein the onely begotten Sonne of God is giuen to vs by this that he hath assumpted our nature to worke and consummate our saluation whence is that of the Prophet A litle child is borne Isa 9. to vs and à Sonne is giuen to vs. That without feare to witt inordinate earnest secular or semile being deliuered by the intarnation and Passion of Christ from the hand of our enimies both visible and inuisible We maie serue him the true God with the seruice of diuine worship In holinesse in purity of body but much more of the mind all terrent and carnall affection being excluded that is to saie in à perfect conuersion of the heart all affections of the soule being reformed rectified and reduced towards God for in this sort God ought to bee serued according as he exacteth of vs its Leuitâ—â—us Doe not contaminate your soules 〈…〉 for I am the Lord your God bee holie because I am holie and our Sauiour Christ reacheth vs Bee you perfect as alsoe your heauenly Maâ— 5. father is perfect It is therefore requisite that wee doe not onely exhibite our selues reuerently purely towards God rendring what is due vnto him to â—itt all thankfulnesse and praise all honour and glory but alsoe that wee comport ourselues iustly towards our neighbours rendring to our Superiours equalls and inferiours respectiuely what belongeth to all and euery of them and giuing them good example and edification in all things according to that of the Apostle The things that are of peace let vs pursue and Roma 14. the things that are of edifying one towards another let vs keep Put not a stumbling block or à scandall to your Brother doe not destroy him for whome Christ died Whence it followeth here and iustice to witt that we maie not onely serue him in holinesse but alsoe in iustice rendring vnto him for his immense goodnesse and mercie shewed towards vs all obedience and loue praise and thankfulnesse and to our neighbours respectiuely what is due vnto each one before him to witt with à pure intention and internall attention placing our selues as in his presence considering him as the King and iudge beholding all things and soe desiring to please him alone seeking his honour and glory in all things and doing all things freuerently witâ— a filiall â—â—are and simple heart not like vnto hypocrites doing good workes before men for humane respects and to bee praised and rewarded by them that foe we maie truely saie with the Psalmist I haue kept thy commaundâ—â—neurs and thy testimonies Psal 118. because all my waies are in the fight All our daies to witt incessantly and perseuerantly There is noe greater folly then to spend this tyme not onely vnfruitfully but alsoe vitiously which is alotted vnto vs wherein to worke our saluation with feare and trembling for after this life there will be noe occasion offered of merit or demerit Let vs therefore now whilst we haue health ability of bodie and mynd and many other meanes to serue our Lord labour to performe our dutie towards him and our neighbour and to increase in perfection and his diuine loue Let vs doe this I saie not one daie or seldome or for à small tyme but continually perseuering therein to our last breath for He that shall â—ath 10. perseuer vnto the end he shall be saued and the Apostle saieth Doing good let vs not Gala. 6. faile for in due tyme we shall reape
or industrie doth flourish not being sowed or cultiuated soe the wombe of the Virgin did flourish soe the inuiolate chast intire bowells of Marie brought forth the flower of eternall viriditie whose beautie and glorie shall neuer fade Yet least it might seeme impossible to any that à Virgin should bring forth Christ the Prophet sheweth the manner of his generation to witt that it is not effected by humane but diuine power For our Lord certes will giue benignitie to witt supernaturall fecunditie to the preelected Virgin and plenitude of grace as the Angell declared vnto her saying Haile full of grace our Lord is with thee c. And our land the blessed Virgin Marie our saluatrix and aduocatrix shall giue her fruit bring forth Christ our Lord of which fruit S. Elisabeth prophesied saying Blessed Luc. 1. is the fruit of thy wombe But in a spirituall sense our Lord will giue benignitie when as he filleth our hearts with grace giueth mercifull audience to our praier iustifierh vs gratis preuenteth the impious conserueth the iust and perfecteth proficients and our land giueth her fruit when as our body becometh obedient to the spirit and imploieth it selfe in pious exercises for then we fulfill that of the Apostle I beseech you exhibite your bodies à Rom. 12. liuing host pleasing to God Iustice shall walke bâ—fâ—re him Christ our B. Sauiour shall teacâ— nothing of Christ but what is iust and holie and shall set his stepps in the waie he shall accomplish in worke whatsoeuer he shall soe teach for à Doctor is then saied to set his steps in the waie when by liuing well he sheweth the doctrine to be true which he proposeth to others and is the waie to eternall life S. Augustine expoundeth these three last verses in effect as followeth Truth is risen out of the earth truth of confession of sinnes and the praise of God begane to arise through Christ out of the mouthes of terrene men and then Iustice hath looked downe from heauen that it might iustify them soe confessing their sinnes and rendring praise Yet this truth of confession of sinnes shall not arise out of the saied earth through the proper forces thereof but through the aide of the preuenting grace of God for it is our Lord that will giue benignitie who will make iustice shine in the hearts of sinners and by this meanes Our earth will giue her fruit Moreouer man soe iustified by the grace of Christ will alwaies haue iustice before his eies that he maie performe all things according to the rule of iustice and soe Iustice shall walke before him bearing the law of God before him as a torch that he maie not walke in darknesse and soe secure and ioyfull â—e shall set his stepps in the waie that he maie happily attaine to the celestiall countrey in the end What vnderstanding is able to conceiue much lesse expresse the dignitie and praise of this present Psalme wherein first the diuine benefits are most deuoutly called to remembrance and afterwards this most efficacious praier is annexed Conuert vs ô God our Sauiour Which verse is with good reason appointed to be saied at Compline against the darkenesse of the night the deceits of deuills and infinite necessities of man to the end that daie light then departing our mynd being conuerted to God maie bee illustrated on all sides with the light of grace and being abstracted from all sensible things maie bee immerged in the intelligible immutable and cheifest good least soe singular à grace should bee denied vs in regard of our sinnes it is most fitly added And auert thy wrath from vs Let vs therefore recite this verse especially at Compline with feruent affection and firme confidence In the following verses hope of obtaining mercie is inflamed and all pusillanimitie and diffidence is eradicated To conclude the verse Shew vs ô Lord thy mercie and giue vs thy saluation doth farre exceed in sententious sweetnesse all the delights of carnall things The title and argument of the 116. Psalme and last in Prime THe title is Alleluia fitly agreeing with the Psalme for therein the Prophet doth inuite all men both Iewes and Gentils to praise our Lord for the singular benefitt of the Incarnation of Christ for the accomplishing of what was foretold of him and for the conuersion of the Gentils Christ is the Corner Eph. 2. stone in whome the Gentils and Iewes are ioyned together constituting one Church wherein there is noe distinction of à Iewe and à Grecian for as the Apostle saieth In Iesus Christ neither Circumcision Galath 6. auaileth ought nor prepuce but à new creature Yet because there are more of the Gentils conuerted then of the Iewes the Prophet foreseeing this doth in the first place inuite them saying The explication of the Psalme PRaise our Lord all yee Gentils called to the faith praise him all yee peoples conuerted from Iudaisme Because his mercie is confirmed vpon vs the sweet effect of his diuine clemencie or his grace is more copiously then formerly conferred and roborated vpon the whole race of men by the comming of Christ And the truth of our Lord to witt the fulfilling of his promisses and the mysteries of Christ remaineth for euer in as much as concerneth the fruit acquired thereby that is the freedome of mankind of which truth S. Iohn maketh Ioh. 1. mention saying Veritie was made by Iesus Christ who fulfilled all that was foretold of him and therefore hanging vpon the Crosse saied It is consummate Or thus Ioh. 19. The truth of our Lord to witt the doctrine of Christ remaineth for euer as he himselfe witnessed saying Heauen and Luc. 21. earth shall passe but my words shall not passe Or finally thus The truth of our Lord Christ the Sonne of God who saied I am the veritie remaineth for euer which Iob. 14. the Iewes confessed saving to our Sauiour we haue heard out of the law that Christ abideth for euer This Psalme little in words but great in sense is exceedingly commended by the holie Doctors for it containeth summarily what is treated of at lardge in the rest of the Psalmes To bee briefe what can bee saied more delightfull to the Gentils almost destitute of hope or to such as are in miserie blindnesse and the state of perdition then this That the mercie of God is confirmed vpon vs Let this Psalme therefore be pronounced by vs with à certaine flame of holie deuotion The explication of the Chapter at Prime VVhat is she that cometh forth as Auâ—ora Cant. 6. rising To witt from her infancy wherein she begane to haue the vse of reason making incomparable progresse in à very short space preceding producing Christ the true daie of holie soules Faire as the Moone as the Moone next to the Sunne doth shine most resplendently in heauen and gouerneth the night soe the most illustrious Lady next to Christ our Sauiour the Sunne of Iustice
and penetrate the most intime parts of the soule whence it is written He hath made my mouth as à sharpe sword and hath made me as à chosen arrow of his quiuer Moreouer the examples of the Saints are tearmed coales of desolation that is of the destroyed because they excite vs to loue and imitation and doe demolish and destroy the fabricke that the deuill hath erected in vs to witt vice and sinne Secondly they are expounded as being the words of the Prophet to à wicked man as thus O impious man what benefit doest thou acquire by seeking to circumnent mee or what shall bee giuen thee c. what how great punishment shall bee inflicted vpon thee for the sinnes of thy fraudulent speeches To which he answereth himselfe saying The sharpe arrowes of the mightie to witt the punishments of almightie God which are exceeding sharpe and greeuous These shall bee rendred vnto thee for thy demerits together with coales of desolation to witt with the vnextinguible flames of hell Finally they are expounded as if the word tibi were redoundant in the sense thus O Lord deliuer my soule from vniust lips and from à deceitfull tongue For what maie bee giuen or what maie bee added to à deceitfull tongue That is Verily it is soe great an euill that malice it selfe cannot deuise how to augment it which he sheweth in the following verse where he declareth by à most elegant similitude what manner of euill à deceitfull tongue is saying That the words of such an one are like arrowes which of their owne nature doe wound à farre of and with exceeding celeritie in such sort that they cannot easily bee auoided of the mightie sent forth by à strong arme with great force not by à child or some weake person sharpe well polished by the fleacher with coules of desolation fierie that they maie destroie what soeuer cometh in their waie Such arrowes as these are deceitfull words especially when they are instruments of the deuill to kill soules which are called by the Apostle The fierie â—â—hes 6 darts of the most wicked one The Prophet therefore hauing à liuely apprehension of these soe exceeding gteat and frequent euills taketh occasion to deplore his miserie and sigh after the celestiall countrey saying VVoe is me wretch that I am that my seiourning my habitation in this present exile is prolonged This voice of the Prophet is proper for such as are wearie of this present life and thirst after the celestiall countrey with à longing desire who can truly saie with the Apostle Our conuersation is in heauen and I desire to Phil. 3. Phil. 1. bee dissolued to bee with Christ and againe we haue not â—ere à permanent Cittie c. I haue dwelt with the inhabitants of Cedar with people obscured with the darkenesse of errors and impieties For Cedar is by interpretation darkenesse Cedar was the Sonne of Ismael of whome some doe hold that Mahomet is descended My soule hath been à long à seiourner in this region of dissimilitude prison of death tedious exile hastening towards my true inheritance hastening from many things wherein it straieth daily to that one thing onely necessary wherein it maie bee perpetually established VVith those that hated peace turbulent spirits murmurers violaters of vnitie loue and concord I was peaceable bearing all things patiently VVhen I spake vnto them louingly modestly and according as reason and good conscience required I should they impugned me without cause rendring me euill for good according to that of the Prophet Amos They haue hated Amos 5 him that rebuketh and him that speaketh perfectly they haue abhorred In this Psalme we are taught to beginne our spirituall progresse orderly by retiring from our former vices as the holie Scripture exhorteth saying Sonne Eccles 21. hast thou sinned doe soe noe more but for the old alsoe praie that they maie be forgiuen thee As from the face of a Serpent flee from sinnes Moreouer we are taught to haue recourse to God in all tribulation and to beseech him that we maie be freed in the manner aforesaied from the vniust lipps and deceitfull tongues of others and that we ourselues maie not be infected with those euills for as the Apostle saieth Euill communications corrupt good manners Finally we are taught to despise this present life together with all the pleasures and glorie thereof to desire from our heart the felicitie of the celestiall countrey and to conuerse peaceably with peruerse turbulent men that soe we maie attaine the benediction whereof our Sauiour spake saying Blessed are the peace makers for they shall be called the children of God The Argument of the 120. Psalme and Second at Tiercâ— IN this Psalme the Prophet by his owne example doth teach that aide is to be expected from God alone whome he assureth vs to haue à prouident care of such as repose their confidence in him and that he will conserue them at all tymes both that noe euill doe hurt them either in prosperitie or aduersitie and alsoe that all they vndertake maie succeed prosperously In this Psalme therefore is treated of the Second degree of à spirituall progresse to witt To implore the diuine assistance with confidence In the two first verses the Prophet speaketh in the person of à pilgrime of this world trauailing towards the supernall Ierusalem with à longing desire but in the rest of the Psalme he is thought to speake in his owne person one while wisâ—ing well to the saied pilgrime and another while comforting and confirming him The explication of the Psalme IN this my tedious peregrination I haue lifted vp myne eies with longing desire vnto tâ—e mountaâ—nes towards the terrestrial and the celestiall Ierusalem from whence I confide help shall come to me My help which I expect is from our Lord the Creator of all things who made heauen and earth and whatsoeuer is contaâ—ed in them He is present euery where by his omnipotencie and doth see heare and assist his people in all places yet vpon earth he is cheefly pleased to giue audience to his people in Ierusalem seated vpon mountaines and the celestiall Ierusalem is his place of residence To these mountaines therefore I haue raised myne eies Some by the mountaines doe vnderstand the holie Angels eminent in dignitie and farre transcending vs mortalls in excellencie of nature who as the Apostle teacheth are ministring spirits sent to minister Hebr. 1. for them which shall receiue the inheritance of saluation and by whose assistance God almighty is pleased to be serued for the aide of his afflicted seruants In which sense the Prophet expected not his aide as principally from them and therefore he added my help is from our Lord c. O deuout soule thou hast done wisely in that thou hast not reflected vpon the vanities occurring in the waie of thy peregrination but transcending them as not worth regarding hast erected thyne eies expecting aide and consolation from the
could in noe soâ—t haue withstood But God is faithfull who 1. Cor. 10 〈◊〉 will noâ— suffer vs to be tempted abouâ— that which we are able Yea he will make alsoe with tentation issue that we maie be able to sustaine 〈◊〉 Blessed praised and glorified be our Lord for euer who hath not giuen vs à preâ— to their teeth who hath not withdrawne his helping hand from vs nor left vs to the mercie lesse rage of our enimies who persecuted vs as it were with open mouthes pretending alreadie to teare vs in peeces with their venimous teeth In deed he hath giuen them power to afflict our bodies for our future reward but he hath not in any sort permitted them to hurt our soule for Our soule as à sparrow is deliuered from the snare of the fawlers By these fowlers or hunters are vnderstood wicked men instruments of the Deuill who seeke to deceiue soules according to that Euery Micheas 7. one hunteth his brother to death and by the snares are vnderstood all such things whereby the soule is induced to sinne 〈◊〉 made subiect to the power of the Deuill whence is that of the Apostle God giâ—e them repentance to know the truth and they 2. ad Tiâ—o 2. recouer themselues from the snares of the Diuell of whome they are held captiue at his will c. From these snares our soule is disâ—neangled by the grace of God and escapeth out of them as à sparrow out of the net making vonderfull expressions of ioy at the recouerie of her freedome The snare is broken God almightie giuing the light of his grace to discouer the sub 〈…〉 ties and suggestions of the euill enemie and fortitude to resist them and we are deliuered the Diuel being ouercome consent to sinne being denied aduersitie hauing noe power to hurt vs. This we cannot perfectly sing in this life by reason that tentations endure eucâ— to the expiration thereof yea they are sometimes most impetuous at the very houre of our departure At what tyme then maie we sing it perfectly but in the life to come when we maie pronounce with à ioyfull heart that of the Apostle Death is swallowed vp in victorie Death 1. Cor. 15 where is thy sting Yet we maie in some sort sing it in this life when we haue ouercome some tentation or escaped sinister occurrences by the assistance of the diuine goodnesse for the Apostle saieth Thankes be to God that hath giuen vs victorie by our Lord Iesus Christ Our help is in the name of our Lord to witt in his power not in our strength for it is written Lord thou wilt giue peace to vs onely in thee let vs remember thy name In him therefore our help is placed who made heauen and earth In this Psalme we are taught to ascribe to God with true humilitie all our triumph spirituall progresse and gifts of grace to recount his diuine benefits deuoutly rendring him the tribute of our thankfulnesse According to Hugh of S Victor The diuell doth inuade men by suggestion touch them by deliberation swallow them by consent transmisse them to the stomacke by operation concoct them by custome and digest them to death by damnation for by these degrees men descend into all The argument of the 124. Psalme and last in Sext. IN this Sixt graduall Psalme the Prophet treateth of the Sixt degree of internall ascension which is à certaine immoueable confidence in the goodnesse of almightie God drawne out of the consideration of manifold benefits already receiued For by how much the more frequently any doe experience his singular fauours by soe much the more their confidence in him is established in such sort that they are in à manner assured he will conuert all things sweetly to their eternall benefitt The explication of the Psalme THey that trust in our Lord as mount Sion Those that shall place all their confidence and entirely resigne themselues into the all powerfull hands of our Lord shall be noe more subiect to commotion then is that holie Mountaine of Sion by the shocke of the winds which is enuironed with diuers other hills He shall not be proued for euer that dwelleth in Ierusalem He that maketh his constant aboade in the militant Church and continueth therein shall not be moued for euer from the Catholique faith not that he is confirmed in goodnesse according to the ordinarie proceeding before he hath runne the course of his life but in as much as being à member of the Church and endeauouring to keepe the commaundements of almightie God he maie confidently hope to be defended and conserued in it through the merits of our blessed Sauiour Mountaines to witt the Angels of God who in respect of their excellencie of nature and grace are tearmed Mountaines are round about it the militant Church as being ordained and sent for the custodie of men Yet least any should thinke this to be sufficient or place their confidence finally in them the Prophet addeth and our Lord round about his people from hence forth now and foreuer Because our Lord will not leaue alwaies or finally the red of sinners the power persecution and tyramie of the reprobate vpon the lot part or portion of the iust or vpon iust men who are the portion and inheritance of almightie God that the iust reach not their hands to iniquitie least they be ouercome and sinne For although he doe for à time seeme to leaue the elect permitting them to be afflicted by peruerse men that soe they might be purified and meritt glorie yet he leaueth not them finally Doe well o Lord to the good in worke and right of heart in intention giuing vnto them encrease of grace in this life and beatitude in the next Those are saied to be right of heart whose affections are agreeable to the will of God to iustice whose eies are simple and intentions directed towards God But those that decline from the waie of iustice into obligations into sinnes which oblige to punishment our Lord will bring in the daie of iudgement on his left hand wards or after before into hell with them that worke iniquitie with the diuels whose prâ—de ascendeth alwaies who sinne from the beginning who when they had fallen did not adde to rise againe but remained obstinate in euill Peace vpon Israel In this Psalme we are taught how happie à thing it is to confide in our Lord and how exceeding potent the protectors of the holie Church are to witt the Angels of God who doe enuirone Christians on all sides passing hither and thither as it were soe many laborious Bees that they maie prouide for our soules health by restraining the diuels suggesting good things reioycing at our progresse praying for vs and bringing Isa 62. vs many graces Whence is that which our Lord saieth by the Prophet Isaie Vpon thy walls Ierusalem I haue appointed watchmen all the night for euer they shall not hold their peace Moreouer the
the old law was à figure of the holie Eucharist soe iâ— our euening sacrifice of praier a memoriall of the same Secondly it representeth our Blessed Sauiours buriall which must needs haue been before the sunne setting by reason that the Iewes Paschall Feast on which the were not permitted to burie the dead begane presently vpon sâ—â—ne setting The argument of the 109. Psalme and first in Vespres THe Psalme following hath this Title prefixed to witt A Psalme of Dauid for it belongeth to Dauid as the author thereof and to Christ as the person signified by Dauid In it the Prophet treateth literally of our Sauiour as maie be proued by our Sauiours words For when he demaunded of the Pharisees saying VVhat is your opinion of Christ VVhose sonne is he and they answering Dauids he added How then doth Dauid in Spirit call him Lord saying The Lord saied to my Lord sitt on my right hand c. The Apostle alsoe by this place doth shew that Christ is greater then the Angells and coequall with his eternall father saying To which of the Angels hath God almightie saied at any tyme Sitt at my right hand c. This Psalme therefore treateth of Christ according to both natures and of his magnificent Ascension of his coeternitie and consubstantiall identitie with the Father of his vniuersall dominion and eternall Priesthood and of the iudiciarie power which he shall exercise ouer all creatures in the last daie and the Prophet vnto whome God hath made manifest the vncertaine and hidden things of his wisdome saieth as followeth The exposition of the Psalme OVr Lord saied to my Lord God the Father omnipotent Lord and father of all creatures saied intellectually to Christ Iesus my Sauiour who according to his diuinitie is my Lord and according to his humane nature assumed of my seed is my sonne Sitt on my right hand that is After the labours of thy aboâ—de vpon earth and the consummation of that worke for which I haue sent thee into the world come and seate thy selfe on my right hand as being God and man and reigne in my throne with coequall power and authoritie with me Till I make thyne enemies incredulous and vniust people especially the Iewes the footestoole of thy feete subiect to thy power and dominion in à seruitude soe absolute that they shall be as footestooles and stepping blocks to be disposed of for euer at thy pleasure Our Lord God the Father will send forth by his seruants the holie Apostles the rod of thy strength the doctrine of the Euangelicall law or the power of thy regall dignitie o Christ from Sion from the place soe called in Ierusalem For Sion was a mountaine in Ierusalem where on the Temple was built and the Conclaue likewise stood wherein Christ celebrated his last supper and appeared to his Disciples after his resurrection and where the Apostles and the rest which were congregated with them receiued the holie Ghost From this conclaue therefore and the Temple situated on mount Sion our Lord sent forth the saied rod of thy strength ô Christ into the whole vniuerse for when the Apostles had receiued the holie Ghost they presently issued out of the saied conclaue where they remained inclosed for feare of the Iewes like to à swarme of bees entred the Temple and begane to preach the Ghospell of Christ which from thence was deriued through out the whole world as our Sauiour did foreshew saying You shall be witnesses vnto me in Ierusalem and Act. 1. in all Iewrie and Samaria and euen to the vtmost of the earth c. and alsoe was foretold by the Prophet Isaie saying The law Isa 2. shall come forth of Sion and the word of our Lord from Ierusalem At this sending forth of the rod of the streÌ„gth of Christ followed the conuersion of the world vnto him and therefore it is here added Rule thou ô Christ In the middest of thyne enemies in the heart or thickest of the infidels who during the time of their infidelitie are thyne enemies but being conuerted shall be constituted thy friends and thou rule in them by thy selfe and thy substitutes the Prelats and Pastors of the holie Church Of this dominion of Christ the Zach. 9. Prophet Zachary saieth His power from Sea euen to sea and from the riuers euen to the end of the earth There is noe want of power in thee to subdue thyne enemies and dilate thy dominion For VVith thee the beginning God the Father the fountaine of all being is one and the same beginning prime cause and author of all things iointly with thee Therefore to thee is attributed by nature absolute principalitie power and soueraignitie ouer them which although it appeared but in à very obscure manner to vs mortalls in the daie of thy infirmitie in the time of thy peregrination vpon earth vested with à seruile and humane forme yet In the daie of thy strength of thy victorious triumph when thou shalt be seene in the brightnes of the holie things vested with the raies of à holie Deitie the elect shining through participation of that beatificall light shall liuely and plainly see and acknowledge that thou art in the Father and the Father in thee From the wombe before the daie starre I begatte thee If these words be vnderstood as spoken by the Prophet of himselfe they import the generation of Christ as man and the sense seemeth to be as followeth I Dauid haue begotten thee yet not according to the ordinary course by coniugall embraces but from the sole wombe of the most pure Virgin and this before the daie starre arose for Christ was borne in the night This Dauid might well saie as venerable Bede affirmeth vpon this place for if Dauid saieth he begatte lesse lesse Marie and Maâ—â—e brought forth Christ Dauid alsoe begatte Christ But if these words be vnderstood as spoken by God the Father they import the eternall generation of Christ as God which is noe other then à begetting of light from light act from act God from God For in the Father Essence power and operation are one and the same and soe the Father by vnderstanding himselfe doth produce à word most like to himselfe distinct froÌ„ him in this one point that it proceedeth from him and as the Father by one veiw or reflecting vpon himselfe doth fully know himselfe and all things that haue already been created soe by one internall conception he begetteth eternally one word within himselfe wherein his whole nature and perfection is altogether most intirely contained and shineth and wherein all other things are comprehended and doe shine For this reason this Word is tearmed the Image of the Father and exemplar of euerie creature and proceedeth immediatly from the vnderstanding of the Father Christ therefore as God is begotten from eternitie like as if the sunne had been from eternitieâ— brightnesse had issued out of it from eternitie Whence it is Eccles 24. written I come forth from the mouth
of the highest the first begotten of all creatures Our Lord sware God the Father firmely promised and sealed it with an oath and it shall not repent him he shall not retract what he hath soe auerred for he hath well weighed all circumstances before he soe sware to witt that thou ô Christ as man art à Priest according to the order of Melchisedech The office of a Priest is to be à Mediator and aduocate betweene God and his people to offer their praiers vnto him to pacifie him and blesse them All which are found in Christ and therefore he is à Priest Of him it is written If any man shall sinne we 1. Ioh. 2. haue an aduocate with the Father Iesus Christ the iust and againe VVhen we were enemies Rom. 5. Ephes 2. we were reconciled to God by the death of his sonne who by the Crosse killed the eâ—mities in himselfe Moreouer he is à Priest for euer according to that of the Apostle Christ for that he continueth for euer hath an Heb. 7. euerlasting priesthood whereby he is able to saâ—e alsoe for euer going by himselfe to God alwaies liuing to make intercession for vs. Finally he is à Priest according to the order of Melchisedech First because as Melchisedech offered to almightie God bread and wine soe he did offer or giue to his disciples his body and bloud vnder the formes of bread and wine by conuerting the bread into his bodie and the wine into his bloud Secondly because as Melchisedech is affirmed to be with out Father Mother and genealogie not that he had none of these but because the holie Scriptures for some hidden reason doe passe them ouer in silence soe Christ is borne out of the naturall course of humane generation in heauen without à Mother and vpon earth without à Father and VVho shall declare his generation Isa 53. Hebr. 6. Whence the Apostle to Hebrewes saieth Iesus the precursor for vs is entred made à high Priest foreuer according to the order of Melchisedech Our Lord on thy right hand Christ our Lord sitting on thy right hand ô God the Father Hath broken kings in the daie of his wrath such as haue opposed his holie Doctrine and persecuted him in his members These he hath broken by depriuing some of the life of grace others of their corporall life alsoe and condemning many to hell fire He shall iudge in nations he shall iudge nations themselues in his first comming with the iudgement of discretion mercifully assisting some and iustly relinquishing others and in his Second comming with the iudgement of remuneration rendring to euerie one according to his workes as the Euangelist witnesseth saying The houre cometh wherein all that Ioh. 5. are in the graues shall heare his voice and they that haue done good things shall come forth into the resurrection of life but they that haue done euill into the resurrection of iudgement He shall fill ruines supplie humane defects in his first comming by infusion of grace into emptie hearts and enriching voide minds with spirituall benedictions and in his Second comming he shall fill ruines to witt of the Angels with them that are saued repairing the celestiall mansions made vacant by the fall of the rebellious spirits He shall crush the heads he shall humble the hearts in the land of many in many places and habitations of men For in euery land he hath humbled some hautie spirits and at the last iudgement he shall by the sentence of eternall death crush the heads in the land of many captaines and potent men reigning with much ambition in many lands according to that of the Prophet The Lord of hostes hath Isa 23. thought it that he might plucke downe the pride of all glorie and bring all the glorious of the earth to ignominie Of the torrent in the waie â—e shall drinke Christ in this world shall suffer paine tribulation and most bitter death of which torrent he spake to S. Iohn Iames saying Can you drinke of the cuppe that I shall drinke of Therefore he shall exalt the head he shall glorifie and erect himselfe by rising in à glorified bodie and ascending to the Father that he maie sitt with him as iudge and Lord of all for Christ as God raised exalted and glorified himselfe as man according to that I haue power to yeeld my life and I haue power Ioh. 10. to take it againe Behold here à Psalme short in words but infinite in sense In it the twofold nature and simple personalitie of Christ is shewed Moreouer in it the session of Christ on the right haÌ„d of his Father the deiection of his enemies the promulgation of the Christian faith and the coetermitie and consubstantialitie of the Father and the Sonne is described and finally in it is declared the Priesthood and iudiciarie power of Christ We ought therefore to sing this Psalme with much reuerence singular deuotion and profound contemplation in regard of the dignitie sweetnesse and sublimitie of the sense thereof The Title and Argument of the 112 Psalme and Second in Vespres THe title is Alleluia which fitly agreeth with the Psalme it being wholly composed in the praise of almightie God cheefly for that he being of such excellencie as therein is declared doth not despise poore abiect and simple soules but contrary to the proceeding of worldlie Potentates doth elect them for his peculiar friends aduance them to great honours and showre his singular benefits vpon them The explication of the Psalme PRaise our Lord yee children pure and innocent people of what age soeuer The Apostle doth exhort vs to become such children saying Bretheren be not made 1. Cor. 14 children in sense but in malice be children and in sense perfect and our Sauiour saieth Math. 18. vnlesse ye be conuerted and become as litle children you shall not enter into the Kingdome of heauen Praise the name of our Lord to witt his infinite power and gâ—orie or himselfe who is signified by his name Be the name of our Lord blessed from henceforth now for euer from this instant with out delay and for eternitie let his name be celebrated From the rising of the Sunne vnto the going downe From morning vntill euening or from the East to the West the name of our Lord is laudable is à subiect worthie of all praise Our Lord is high aboue all nations of greater dignitie and excellencie then all the generations of men according to that of the Prophet Isaie All nations as if Isa 40. they were not soe are they before him and they are reputed of him as nothing and à vaine thing c. And his glorie aboue the heauens aboue the celestiall cittizens VVho is as our Lord who maie be found of soe great Maiestie and sublime nature that he maie be paralelled with the Lord our God VVho dwelleth on high and beholdeth the low things in heauen and vpon earth the blessed Spirits who by the
not bee able to helpe themselues Lett them be made as grasse in the toppes of houses which is withered before it bee plucked vp VVhereof the Reaper hath not filled his hand and he that gathereth the sheaues his â—osome And they saied not that passed by The blessing of our Lord bee vpon you Wee haue blessed you in the name of our Lord. They are seated now in high places of authoritie sucking the bloud of innocents oppressing the poore or wallowing in Gluttony obscene delights They seeme to grow and florish but they want the roote of Charitie and dewe of grace being euen condemned before the daie of doome Of which contemptible stuffe the Angell will not gather into the barne of our Lord but to cast into vnquenchable flames nor to such à haruest gathering will the passengers of this life trauelling towards the celestiall countrey say God speed the worke The Title and Argument of the 129. Psalme and second in Compline THis is the eleueÌ„th Graduall Psalmes short but repleat with wholsome doctrine and vsed by the holy Church more frequently then the rest It is likewise one of the seuen Penitentian Psalmes teaching the way of true pennance It is recited alsoe frequently for the faithfull departed and properly because if it bee saied in the person of à Soule detained in Purgatorie the contents doe fitly square therewith such à Soule being in à certaine depth longing to ascend and expecting Gods mercie through the price of its Redeemer To be short it containeth à heartie praier to God an exhortation to the people and à predictioÌ„ of their then future redemption The explication of the Psalme FRom the depth I haue cried to thee ô Lord Lord heare my voice From this place of exile and vale of teares and from the low condition and abysse of miserie the weight of my sinnes haue sunke mee vnto all disconsolate I lowdly call to thee for help Lord heare my voice Let thyne eares bee intent to the voice of my Petition Doe not lissen vnto mee like such as mind not their suppliants plaint being before resolued to shew no fauour but lend à gratious eare vnto mee and graunt my request If thou shalt obserue iniquities ô Lord Lord who shall sustaine it If thou shalt take strict account of what offences are done and proceed to iudgement with rigour what man may be found with soe chast a heart that dares presume to iustifie himselfe in thy presence As for my part I am conscious of my insufficiencie in this point yeelding my seife conuicted and casting my selfe wholly vpon thy mercie Pardon mee for thy goodnesse sake and draw mee vp vnto thee Because with thee is propitiation and for thy law I haue expected thee ô Lord. I know thou art not delighted with seueritie but easily inclined to mercie for which reason and for thy law not of Iustice but of Charitie which thou hast of thy ineffable goodnesse prescribed to thy selfe That thou wilt first offer mercie and inuite sinners to doe workes worthie of Pennance afterwards proceed to iudgement if they perseuer impenitent I haue hoped in thee not doubting of performance My soule hath expected in his word my soule hath hoped in our Lord. My soule that was defiled by mee with enormious crimes and remaining long impenitent was deseruedly reduced to exceeding sad extremities did yet expect in his word That he would not remember the iniquities of such as repent from the bottome of the heart and was not frustrated of her expectation our Lord affirming by his Prophet vpon the expression of the intense sorrow I internally conceaued for myne offence That my sinne was traÌ„ferred My soule I say that after innumerable select fauours was most vngrate fully disloyall did yet hope in our Lord and found mercie Let no man then how greeuous à sinner soeuer despaire of pardon The mercies of our Lord are aboue all his workes From the morning watch euen vntill nightâ— let Israel hope in our Lord. From the beginning of the daie till the end of night let all men and the faithfull people of God especially hope in our Lord. There is no time during life wherein the couersion and pennance of à sinner will not be accepted whether it be in the morning at noone or at night that is to saie in youth at mans estate or old age or whether it be by daie or night that is to saie in prosperitie or aduersitie Because with our Lord there is mercie and with him plenteous redemption With our Lord is mercie it selfe Vpon earth indeed in many places persons may be found remedies for particular miseries being as it were little streames of his mercie but the oceaÌ„ that can redresse all is with him and in his eternall counsell and decree is the meanes and price to satisfie his Iustice to the full for our transgressions And he shall redeeme Israell from all his iniquities And this redemption which whilest I write this Psalme is thus with him I foresee shall in the fullnesse of time be made manifest to the whole world and he shall redeeme the people of God from the tyrannicall captiuitie of the infernall powers and shall satisfie for all their iniquities as we now behold happily performed our ransome being paied not with corruptible coine of siluer or gold but with the inestimable treasure of the dearest heart bloud of the immaculate Lambe Christ Iesus his onely Sonne our Lord. The Title and Argument of the 130. Psalme THis Psalme is à Graduall Psalme wherein Dauid doth modulate the vertue of Humilitie not before two or three but vpon the theather of the vniuerse and yet whereas in this he is the Trumpet of his owne praise doth he not transgresse that Precepâ—t Let another praise Prouer. 20. thee and not thy owne mouth For as it is vnseemely to praise ones selfe when necessitie doth not require it soe is it foolishnesse to bee silent when iust cause doth occurre WheÌ„ce S. Paul wheÌ„ he saied Not he that commends himselfe is approâ—ued but 2. Cor. 10. he whome God commends did highly commend himselfe finding it expedient to retort the calumnies of Pseudo Apostles Dauid doth then attribute to himselfe the 1. Reg. 22. vertue of Humilitie not for ostentation but for that he was often taxed of Pride ambitioÌ„ which vice he chiefly abhorred to vindicate himselfe dot â—inuoke God the searcher of all hearts to bee a witnesse of his singular modestie laying à heauie imprecation vpon himselfe if he write not truth This is one of the Graduall Psalmes it teaching wherein true humilitie doth coÌ„sist and indeed there is no securer way whereby to ascend then it our Lord himselfe affirming that euery one who humble the himselfe shall bee exalted Lord my heart is not exalted neither are myne eies losâ—ie O Lord to thee my heart lyes opeÌ„ Thou doest both see and know that what I write is not to praise my selfe but to cleare some sinister aspertions I call
pleasures and commodities which quickly vanish like to the passadges of the fishes in the sea The Prophet endeth with the same verse he beganne to shew that Christ is the beginning and the end and that we ought to beginne end all our workes with his praise S. Augustine vpon those words whaâ— is man that thou art mindfull of him or the sonne of man that thou visitest him distinguisheth man from the sonne of man in this sort Euery sonne of man saieth he is à man but euery man is not the sonne of man for Adam was à man but not the sonne of man Those that beare the image of the terrene man who was not the sonne of man are signified in this place by the name of man and are as it were disioyned à farre of from God and therefore he is saied to bee onely mindfull of them but those who beare the image of the heauenly man the new Adam who was the sonne of man are more properly called the sonnes of man with whome God is nearely present illustrating them with the light of his countenance and therefore he is saied to visite them The new man is borne of the old because spirituall regeneration beginneth by the change of the old secular life according to that of the Apostle That is not first which is spirituall but that 1. Cor. 15. which is naturall afterward that which is spirituall The first man of earth earthly the second man from heauen heauenly Such as is the earthly such alsoe are the earthly and such as the heauenly such alsoe are the heauenly Therefore as we haue borne the image of the earthly let vs beare alsoe the image of the heauenly By the birds of the aire which are borne aloft and sing continually maie bee vnderstood the Angells that inhabite the highest places and sing continually the praises of God And by the fishes of the sea which dwell in the lowest places and are mute maie bee vnderstood the deuills which inhabite the remotest places from the throne of God and are mute as to the praising of him The explication of the 18. Psalme and second in number in the Nocturne office THE ARGVMENT THis Psalme consisteth cheifly of two parts wherein the holie Prophet sheweth two waies whereby euery man maie come to the Knowledge of God and of diuine misteries The one by comtemplating the heauens which by their beautie greatnes exact motion doe expresse after à silent manner the Maiestie power and wisdome of their Creator according to that of the Isaiâ— 40. Prophet Isaie Lift vp your eies and see who hath created these things The other by the law of God whereby men are taught how to frame their liues conformable to the diuine will The holie Fathers grounding themselues vpon the authoritie of S. Paul in diuers places doe interpret the words of this Psalme to bee spoken by the holie Prophet of the Apostles Euangelists other preachers of the new law and of the sinceritie and excellencie of the same law wherefore I will first set downe the Propheticall or rather indeed the true literall sense of this Psalme and afterwards the plaine literall sense as the words seeme to import The heauens the Apostles and Euangelists who are tearmed heauens in respect of their celestiall conuersation and eminency of grace and for that God dwelleth in them in à sublime and vnspeakable manner in which sense likewise all perfect and spirituall men are called heauens in diuers places of holie writ Heare yee heauens what things I Deutero 32. Isa 1. speake and the earth heare the words of my mouth And the Prophet Isaie Heare yee heauens and giue eare ô earth These heauens declare the glorie of God to witt the Kingdome and excellencie of Christ and the firmament the holie Church established vpon the rocke which is Christ and perfect men who are firmely placed in her as starres in the firmament declareth vnto vs the workes of his hands to witt the vertues miraculous workes of Christ wrought by his diuine power principally which is as his right hand his humanitie instrumentally which is as his left hand Daie vnto daie vttereth the word wise holie and diuinely illuminated men doe impart vnto learned and spirituall men out of the fulnesse of their knowledge doctrine concerning the diuine nature of Christ according to that of the 1. Cor. 2. Apostle we speake wisedome among the perfect And night vnto night sheweth knowledge such contemplatiues from whom the sunne of Iustice they beinge now well grounded in à spirituall life for à long space withdraweth his rayes of sensible deuotion and comforts leauing them in aridity and darknesse of spirit and affordinge them only à glimpse of his beautie as through an obscure clowde leadinge them maruelously by à very painfull yet more secure and meritorious waye doe shew to others in this estate of desolatioÌ„ knowledge how to comport theÌ„selues in the like exigeÌ„ce to make right vse of such substraction of grace There are noe languages nor speeches whose voices are not heard vnderstood and spoaken by the Apostles for they spake with all toungs and euery one vnderstood them in his owne proper phrase of speech This verse according to the latin translation maie admitt this construction Non sunt loquelae neque sermones there are noe languages or speeches quorum non audiantur voces corum of which languageâ— and speeches the voices of them to witâ— of the Apostles are not heard and thâ—â— construction seemeth to agree with the verse following Their sound hath goone forth into all the earth for the Apostles did cast lots and diuide the nations of the earth amongst them and they in person visited the principall parts thereof and to the rest their sound hath gone forth videlicet their doctrine hath been published by their disciples Certes saietht he Apostle into all the earth hath the sound of them gone forth and vnto the ends of the whole world the words of them And vnto the ends of the round world the words of them this was foreshewed alsoe by the Prophet Isaie From the ends of the earth we haue heard praises the glorie of the iust one and Isa 24. in another place I will send of them that shall be saued to the Gentiles into the sea into Affrike and Lidia them that hold the arrow into Italie and Greece to the Ilands farre of to them that haue not heard of me and haue not seene my glorie c. The Apostle alleadgeth this verse to proue that faith is of hearing and of the preaching of the Apostles whence it followeth that this Psalme doth speake of Christ and his Apostles and of the preaching of the Euangelicall law He hath put his tabernacle in the sunne These words are expounded two waies The first is that he to wit Christ our Lord hath put his tabernacle his assumpted humane nature which is the temple of his inuisible deitie in the sunne to wit
Creator of heauen and earth Giue he not I beseech him thy feete to be moued let him not permitt thee to slippe and fall in the waie by yeelding to sinne or tentation but let him strengthen thy feete that they maie perseuer firme and stable in their course to the celestiall countrey Neither doe he slumber that keepeth thee I beseech him likewise vnto whome thou hast recommended thyselfe and who hath taken thee into his protection that he doe not depose the care of thee be it for nâ—uer soe short à time Courage thou holie pilgrime Loe he shall not slumber nor much lesse sleepe that keepeth Israel Although it seemeth sometimes as men then beleeue that in the time of affliction God doth dissemble the anguish of his elected and the tyranny of wicked men who persecuted them as if he did not see and obserue what passed much like to one à sleepe Yet credit me he is not capable of sleepe but is euer soe watchfull that he will alwaies be found vigilant for their defence Our Lord keepeth thee in particular conseruing thee in good and preseruing thee from euill in the waie of this present exile Our Lord is thy protection vpon thy right hand Some read aboue thy right hand and expound it That our Lord is thy protection of farre greater strength and assurance then thy right hand Others read it as it is here translated and expound it That our Lord is as it were à buckler vpon thy right hand or à Canopie borne on thy right hand couering thy head and body in such sort that By daie the Sunne shall not burne thee nor the moone by night For the grace of God shall keepe those that confide in him both in the time of prosperitie and aduersitie the Sunne or daie of prosperitie being vsually as dangerous and hurtfull in à spirituall course if not more preiudiciall then the Moone or night of aduersitie vnlesse it be vsed with due circumspection Our Lord doth keepe thee from all euill that it preuaile not against thee Indeed he sometimes permitteth tentations persecutions and afflictions to happen vnto thee yet he hath euer à vigilant eie towards thee that they take not effect against thee for he permitteth them either for his greater glorie or thy conuersion and amendment or some other reason which can be none other then the very best as thou wilt experience in due season according to that of the Apostle Rom. 8. To them that loue God all things cooperate vnto good To whome then can I more fitly recommend thee then into the armes of his immense goodnesse Our Lord therefore keepe thy soule that it be not depriued of his grace nor the flesh preuaile against it Our Lord keepe thy coming in and thy going out all thy actions both internall and externall Or thus Thy comming in to witt the beginning when thou attemptest any good worke and thy going out the consummation thereof that soe euery one of thy workes maie take beginning from him and being begun maie be perfected by him Or finally thus Our Lord Lord keepe thy comming in thy conuersation in this world whereby thou entrest into the place of this peregrination and thy going out thy departure out of this world when thy soule is separated from the body This thy coming in and going ouâ— I beseech our Lord to keepe and conserue thee to be lodged with him in eternitie of which comming in and going out our Sauiour saied I am the dore by me Ioh. 14. if any enter he shall be saued and he shall goe in and shall goe out and shall find pastures The argument of the 121. Psalme and third in Tierce IN this Psalme the Prophet describeth the beautie nobilitie and felicitie of the Cittie of Ierusalem whereunto the Hebrewes desired to returne from the captiuitie of Babilon But as that Cittie was à type of the celestiall Ierusalem soe the Hebrewes returning from that captiuitie to the terrene Ierusalem were à figure of our peregrination and ascension to that supernall Ierusalem and therefore the whole Psalme maie be vnderstood of each captiuitie of the pilgrimes of each of them Yet certainly the prime intention of the holie Ghost is directed to the principall end and indeed the words doe best agree therewith as I shall endeauour to shew in the insuing explication The Prophet hath placed this third Graduall Psalme very fitly after the two former For the first degree of internall ascension was to depart from vice the Second to implore the diuine assistance and the third which is here treated of is Hope to attaine the last end or life euerlasting Therefoâ—e speaking in the person of a man little regarding the delights of this world but most intensely attending the ioyes of the celestiall mansion he saieth The exposition of the Psalme I Reioyced with à spirituall ioy in the consideration of these thing which were saied to me by internall inspiration to witt that we shall goe after this life when we are cleansed from all guilt of sinne into the house of our Lord into the triumphant Church the countrey of the blessed the Kingdome of God VVe know saieth the Apostle that if our earthly house 2. Cor. 5. of this habitation be dissolued that we haue à building of God à house not made with hand eternall in heauen Concerning which you are to note that the celestiall countrey is tearmed à Kingdome à Cittie and à house in diuers respects for in regard of the multitude and varietie of the inhabitants it is called à Kingdome in regard of the Societie and familiaritie amongst the blessed it is called à Cittie for although the number of the elect be almost infinite yet they know and loue each other and are Cittizens of the fame Cittie and finally in respect that all the elect haue one and the same father one and the same inheritance it is called à house where all shall be brethren vnder one father God almightie In this house Cittie or Kingdome God is seene face to face and eternall securitie accompanied with compleat beatitude is found There men shall be as the Angels and haue their desires satiated to the full Notwithstanding when death approacheth which putteth à A period to our peregrination all men doe not reioyce with the Prophet in these things that were saied vnto him to witt that we shall goe into the house of our Lord but such alone as haue disposed ascensions in their hearts whilest they had health leasure abilitie and meanes to doe it and truely saie with him Our feete were standing in thy courts â— Ierusalem to witt our desires contemplations and affections of our hearts were fixt and established in thy mansions o celestiall Kingdome â—n such sort that our conuersation was in thee and all our actions were ordained by vs to attaine eternall life These maie reioyce vpon good ground when others that haue been wedded as it were to their senses and sensualitie shall be repleat with horror