denyed hym vnto a poore mayde sware y t he neuer knewe hym so impotente weake frayle ful of all imbecilite is man if he be lefte vnto hymselfe not endewed with strength from aboue Therfore our Mynstrel Da uid kynge Prophet not crakyng of his owne streÌ„gthes nor boasting of his owne free wyll withoute the healpe of Gods spirite saythe that he wyll call on the name of y â— Lord for strength valeaunce y t he maye manfully abyde in the tyme of persecucion confesse the trueth of God des worde publysshe his glory before all meÌ„ yea though a thousand deathes should followe It is very profitable for adflicte troubled coÌ„ sciences to caull on the name of the Lorde For as Salomon sayth the name of the LORDE is a myghtye toure very strong Bulwarke vn to that doth the ryghteous maÌ„ fly he shall be exalted fynd socoure Blissed is that man which putteth his truste iÌ„ the name of the LORDE regardeth not vanities false ymaginacions Call on me sayth God in the day of thy trouble and I wyll delyuer the and thou shalte honoure me Thus se we partely how Dauid goeth about to shewe hiÌ„selfe thaÌ„ke full agayne vnto God for the inesti mable benefites that he hath gyueÌ„ hym He wyll mortify his carnall af fectes paciently suffer what so euer crosse persecucioÌ„ trouble or affliccion be layde vpon his backe for Gods truethes sake And that he maye be the more able to do theyse thynges he wyll caull on the name of the LORDE All these be very acceptable thynges in y â— sight of god And God thyncketh his benefites wel bestowed where such gyftes be gyueÌ„ agayne vnto hym procedyng from a gentle thanckefull harte Nowe we beynge no lesse bound vnto God for his gentlenes thaÌ„ Da uid was ought to shewe our selues no lesse thankefull agayne to hym theÌ„ Dauid dyd or els are we muche vnworthy this inestimable beneficence of God We ought therfore to prouyde y â— no synne reygne in this oure mortal body but that we mor tifye our earthly members whoredome fornicacion vnclennes wan tonnes euell concupiscence couetousnes which is the worshypping of Idolles for the which the wrath of God is wonte to come vpon the chyldren of vnbeleue All wrath indignacion maiyce cursed speaking fylthy coÌ„municacion lying oughte we to laye asyde put vpon vs ten der mercye gentylnes honest behauour mekenes softenes goodnes charite peace ioy fayth teÌ„perauÌ„ce with all the other fruytes of y â— spirite For they y â— are of Christe haue crucified the flesh with the lustes concupiscenses therof yea they are dead to the world and theyr lyfe is hyd wyth Christ in God Moreouer we must be conteÌ„ted to take the cuppe of helth at y â— LORDES hande paciently suffer what soeuer crosse he layeth vpon vs yea prayse hym in the myddes of our trouble recountynge our selues so moche the more blyssed seynge that it is gyuen vnto vs not only to beleue in hym but also to suffer for y â— glory of his name beyng thorowly perswaded that yf we suffer wyths Christe we shall reygne with hym For many are the troubles of the ryghteous in this world but from theÌ„ all shall the LORDE delyuer theÌ„ yf none otherwyse yet at y â— least by death which is the nexte waye vnto the very true lyfe And because it is hard for y e flâ—…sh to awaye with the crosse which seketh glory wealth ease rytches ho nour not ignominy scasenes dis quietnes pouertie shame opprobry therfore must we flye with feruent and continuall prayers vnto God vnto his moost holy name y â— we maye haue strength sent vs froÌ„ aboue to do these thinges aforsayd that by no meanes we be found ingrate vnthanckefull vnworthy y e great vnmeasurable kyndenesse whiche God hath shewed vnto vs. So shall God not only not take away his giftes from vs but also en crease them dayly more more as the Scripture sayth to euery one that hath it shall be gyuen and he shall haue abundance But who so hath not from hym shall be taken a waye euen that he hath also But lette vs heare more of oure Mynstrelles songe ¶ The fyfte verse I wyl pay my vowes vn to the Lord before al his people ¶ The seuenth stryng DAuid goethe forthe to declare what he wyll reÌ„der vnto God for all those thynges that he hathe gyuen hym Before he sayd that he would take the cuppe of helth and caull vpon the name of the LORDE Nowe he addethe that he wyll also paye his vowes vnto the LORDE yea and that before all his people But what vowes are these Uerely not vnfaythfull folyshe vowes which displease god as y â— scripture say the but y â— earnest promises that he made vnto God for to fulfyl his moost holy Commaundementes These vowes wyll he paye These promises wyl he performe For they make vnto the glory of god the edifienge of his Chyrch the health of his owne soule Therfore wyll he stycke to them euen vnto the very death God gyueth a commaundement sayth heare Israel thy God is y â— one alone God Thou shalte haue no straunge Goddes in my syghte Thou shalte make the no grauen Image c. Dauid beynge one of the true israelites hath made a vow to kepe this moost holy precepte And as he hathe this vowe so wyll he laboure to pforme it For it is not vnfaythfull nor folyshe but agreable to the scripture neyther dothe it prouoke the keper of it vnto muche inconue niece absurdite but rather vnto great vertu holynes So that he is fully bent to performe his vowe Let the vnfaythful Idolaters wor shyp what Idoll or false God they lyste Dauid wyll surely cleaue to this one alone true God For in his hart shall none syt but this one God alone neyther wyll he admyt so moch as the shadow of ony other to be ioyned with hym to haue fe lowshyppe with his God This his God alone wyll he worship honour lerue This his God alone wyl he how do reuerence vnto This his God alone wyll he loue with all his harte mynde soule withe all hys powers This his God alone wyll he magnify prayse for euer euer And bicause he may not once be mo ued by ony vayne spectacle seduced from the honour worshyp and seruice of this god vnto ony image seruice Idolatry he hath made a sure vowe faythful promise that he wyll make no grauen Image ydoll or mawmet but he wyll onlye cleaue to this his one alone God serue hym not in external ceremo nies but in spirite trueth For coÌ„ founded be all they shame lyghteÌ„ on them sayth he that worship gra uen ymages glory in theyr mawe mettes
neth Christ do we offer the Sacrifice of prayse alwaye to god that is to saye the fruyte of y â— lyppes that gyue glory to his name Thus se we howe acceptable a thyng to god the sacrifice of praise â—…s But what is it to offer the Sacrifyce of prayse vnto god Uerely to confesse vnsaynedly to graunt that what so euer is noughte commeth of our selues agen y â— all that euer good is commeth of God only as he saythe by the Prophet O Israell thy destruccion commethe of thy selfe but thy health and saluacion commeth only of me For this is the greatest prayse y â— we can giue to God for to knowlege hym alone the author gyuer of all goodnes that all oure ryghteousnes wysdome holynes sanctificacion redeÌ„cion vertue deuocion and all that euer good is cometh of hym alone not of our selues This is that sa crifyce wherwith God is hyghly de lyghted This is that oblacioÌ„ that gyueth so godlye an odoure before god This is that offryng that ma keth God well pleased with hym y â— doth offer it in as muche as by the oblacion hereof he confessethe hym selfe to be able to do no thyng that of the owne dignite righteousnes therof maye seme worthy to be accepted in the syght of god and ther fore gyueth he al the glory honour encomy laud prayse magnificeÌ„ce to god alone as the Prophet sayth O Lorde all glory be vnto the and to vs shame confusion The sayntes theÌ„selues also praye on this maÌ„ ner Not to vs O Lorde not to vs but to thy name gyue all the glory for thy mercy and truethes sake God hymselfe also sayth I am the Lord this is my name I wyl giue my glory to no other nor my praise to grauen Images If God hym selfe wyll not gyue away hys glory prayse to other certes we do hym thaÌ„ much iniury yfwe steale it froÌ„ hym and gyue it to ony other crea ture eyther in heauen or in earthe If we depely consyder with our sel ues at al tymes the great kyndnes of God toward vs we shal vndoub tedly be moued to synge perpetual prayses to his moost blyssed name and continuallye to offer the sacrifice of thankes gyuyng vnto hym But in as much as I haue entre ted abundaÌ„tly of thankes gyuing and of the sacrifice of prayse in my Pathway vnto prayer I wyl now cease to speke ony more of it at this tyme. Reade from the liâ—… vnto the â—…v Chapter As towchynge the inuocacion of the Lordes name wherof Dauid agen maketh meÌ„cioÌ„ in this place I haue spoken sufficiently of it in the fourth verse of this Psalme Thou mayst therfore moost gentle Reader yf thou wylte resorte thyther for this matter I am lothe to be te dious vnto the. I wyl go forth and make an ende althogh that whiche followeth maye also seme abundaÌ„t ly to be entreated of heretofore ¶ The eyght verse I wyll pay my vowes vn to the Lorde in the syghte of all his people iÌ„ the courtes of the Lordes house yea euen in the myddes of the O Ierusalem DAuid is euer one man He had rather synge one song a thousand tymes than he woulde once at tempte ony thynge without the au thorite of Gods word He is at this poynte that he wyll do nothyng ex cepte Gods worde bearethe hym in it He wyll not cleaue to his owne good intentes myndes and zeles He wyl worshyp God accordyng to his worde He setteth before his eyes this commaundement That I commaund the do that only to the Lorde neyther put thou ony thing to it nor yet plucke ought therfroÌ„ Agayne I commaunde the to do y â— whiche is pleasaunt in the sight of the Lord thy God Also in another place Ye shall not do euerye one of you that which ye yourselfe think right good He can make no shyft to be diuers in the worshippyng of God He can inuente no newe and straunge honorynges of god as the olde Phareses dyd in tymes paste and the Papistes Monckes haue done syns y â— tyme but all in vayne as the Scriptures testifye He kepethe hym selfe wythin the bondes of Gods worde and as he sayde before that he would paye his vowes that is to saye do those thynges y â— he had promysed to his LORD God kepe his Commaundementes followe accomplysh his moost godly wyll in all poyntes vnto the vttermooste of hys power and do the offyce of a true kynge seake Goddes glory promote his holy worde tenderly loue his subiectes mayntayn vertue and suppresse vice euen so dothe he nowe agayne So that Dauid knoweth not howe to recoÌ„pense in ony parte the goodnes of GOD but only by kepynge hys moost holy commaundementes in gyuynge hym hattye and contiall thanckes whiche he also promisethe to do in this verse But seyng that I haue entreated of the whole matter that this verie contayneth in the fyfte verse and seuenhte strynge heretofore I wyll speke no more of it at this present but only note this one thinge that our Mynstrell sayth He wyll paye his vowes in the courtes of y â— Lordes house and in the middes of IerusaleÌ„ By the courtes of y â— Lordes house by Ierusalem is none other thyng signifyed thaÌ„ y â— chirch of Christ I meane the congregacioÌ„ of Sayncâ—…es that is to saye of the faythfull in whome God dwelleth by his holy Spirite as S. Paule sayth The Temple of God is holy which ye are His meanyng is this loke wher so euer the people of god is mooste gathered togyther euen there in the thyckest of them wyl he sette forthe the glory of God as we read of the good Kynge Iosias He wyll seake all meanes possible that all thynges in his Realme shalbe or dered accordyng to y â— law of God that no vice shal reygne among his people nether I dolatry nor swearynge nor disobedience nor whoredome nor manslaughter nor stealynge nor bearynge false wytnes nor ony other vice that is prohibited by the holy scripture And that thys thynge maye the more fortunately come to passe Dauid hym selfe in as muche as he is king and excelleth all other in dignite wyl al so farre excell passe all his subiectes in vertue godlynes He wyll be vnto them an example spectacle of all goodnes He wyll lyke vnto as great lyghte shyne before hys people in godly conuersacion The boke of the lawe of the Lorde shall neuer departe from hym He wyll read meditate in it daye nyght He wyll not steake to the corrupte iudgementes of other nor be led w t the dotyng fansys of those pestileÌ„t flatterers Trueth wyll we but he hymselfe wyll looke vpon the scriptures of God wythe all diligence euermore caull vnto God for the assistence of his moost holy spirite that that swete confortoure maye both assist conforte
Scripture bycause it quickeneth gyueth lyfe to them that be fore were dead laye buryed in the stynckynge donge hyll of synne Thus se we that what so euer the olde Poetes haue wrytten in ti mes past coÌ„cernyng y e excellency of y e musike of theyr Minstrelles it is altogither nothiÌ„g elles than a very type figure cloud shadow of this our Mynstrell Dauid which doth y â— very same thynge in dede which they fayned in wordes So that al the glory prayse of true Musyke ought of ryght only to redowne vn to oure moost excellente Musicion Dauid And althoughe he sheweth hymselfe a very perfecte Musicion connynge Mynstrell in all his other soÌ„ges Psalmes yet me thiÌ„ke in this our Psalme he farre excelleth almoste ouercoÌ„meth himself his Harpe soundeth so pleasauntly his songe is so ful of moost swete delectable armony Neither doth he entreate of vayne childish lyght tryflynge thiges but of serious graue earnest weyghty matters For he syngeth of fayth of the confession of his fayth of good workes of the crosse trouble affliccion of the vanitie noughtynes of man of the benefites of God of the inuo cacion callynge on the name of y â— LORDE of the vowes to be performed vnto the LORDE before his peo ple of the deathe of Saynctes and howe precious it is in the syght of God of the free delyueraunce from Satan synne death hell desperacion c. thorowe Christ of the Sacrifice of prayse and as I maye at the last make an ende of the ryghte institucion of a Christen mans life in this worlde What songe may be coÌ„pared vnto this our song What Harpe maketh so goodly plesauÌ„te melodye as this Harpe of Dauid doth Let all mynstrels gyue place to this our Mynstrel Let all Harpes other musicall instrumentes be silente holde theyr peace whan Dauids harpe entreth coÌ„meth in place Let all songes be banysshed whan Dauids Psalmes be songe For what so euer Dauid syngethe it is excellent incoÌ„parable He w t his songes exciteth prouoketh en flameth y e myndes of the faythefull diligent hearers vnto the loue desyre not of traÌ„sitory but of heaueÌ„ ly thynges He conforteth the conforteles He exhorteth the synnner vnto amendmeÌ„t of lyfe He lyfteth vp the desperate vnto the hoope of Goddes mercy He corroborateth maketh stronge the weake He healeth the diseased He rayseth vp the dead vnto lyfe He makethe the sad mery He exhilarateth reioycethe y â— merely disposed To coÌ„clude he is a Mynstrell fytte for all kynde of parsons so y â— they be bent vnto god lynes Ah woulde God y â— all Mynstrels in the world yea all sorte of parsons both olde yonge woulde ones leaue theyr lasciuious wantoÌ„ vnclene balades syng such god ly vertuous songes as Dauid te cheth them wherby they myght be auocated called away from synne excited stored vp vnto vertue goodnes For it is not vncomly for Christen men to synge ChristeÌ„ songes yea that in all places so that it be done reuerently w toute ony iestynge scoffynge raylynge or reproche of other persons Moreouer who can deny y â— there is much great vertue in Dauids Harpe seynge that the sounde ther of dyd chase dryue awaye the vncleane wycked spirite out of king Saul wherwith at other tymes he was miserably afflicted troubled Agayne must not Dauids songes be of great excellency seyng that y â— sonne of god came downe from the glorious throne of his heauenly fa ther to accoÌ„plish fulfyl theÌ„ Doth not Paule also saye be ye fylled w t the spirite speakynge among your selues in Psalmes Hymnes spirituall songes syngyng makyng melody in your hartes to y e LORDE euer gyuyng thanckes for all thinges in the name of our LORDE Iesu Christ Certes the Psalmody of Dauid maye well be called y â— Trea sure house of the holye Scripture For it contayne the what so euer is necessary for a christeÌ„ maÌ„ to know There is nothynge in the lawe no thynge in the Prophetes nothyng in y e prechyng of Christ of his apo stles y t this noble Mynstrell Kyng Prophet doth not decantate and synge w t moost goodly manifeste wordes He syngeth all the workes woÌ„derous miracles of God from the begynnynge of the worlde vntyll the redeÌ„pcion of mankynde by Christ. He syngeth Christes incarnacion preachinge workyng of miracles passion death resurreccion ascencion glory the blessynge of all nacions the conuersion of the GeÌ„tiles withe all other misteries that pertayne to our helth He syngethe the iudgement mercy of God He syngeth the discoÌ„mendacion of vice auauncement of vertue He syngeth the vanite vnryghteousnes of mens streÌ„gthes without y e helpe of God To be short he sigeth what so euer is expidiente for a Christen maÌ„s knowledge So that eueÌ„ this one boke alone of Dauids songes had ben sufficieÌ„t truly to instructe a man in the ryghteousnes of God but y t the goodnes of God would y â— our fragilite weakenes ignorancy shoulde be holpen w t mo scriptures O the wonderful meruelous strength of Dauids Harpe O the great excedyng vertu of Dauids songes Happy is that man that de lyghteth hath a pleasure in them for he shal neuer be vexed w tan euel spirite He shall alwaye abhore vice enbrase vertue He shall neuer be sadde but euer reioyce w t a godly spiritual myrth Would God that all men of honoure woulde noryshe such Mynstrelles in theyr houses as Dauid is that might syng vn to theÌ„ bothe at dyner supper yea and at all other tymes these moost swete delectable songes of Dauid So should both they all theyr family be desposed to lyue more vertuously than many be nowe a dayes be prouoked to leaue theyr poÌ„pous galaÌ„t wycked venereal fleshly beastlyke vncleane manner of lyuynge Would God also that all fathers mothers al masters and mastresses would brynge vp theyr chyldren and seruauÌ„tes in the syngynge of these moost godly songes Agayne woulde God y â— all Scholemasters teachers of youth would in stede of Uirgile Ouide Horas Catullus Tibullus Propertiê° c teach these verses of Dauid For so shoulde they not only obtayne eloquence but also diuine erudicion godlye knoweledge spirituall wisdome encrease in all kynde of ver tue vnto the great glory of God y â— saluacion of theyr owne soules the ryght institucioÌ„ of theyr owne lyfe the great ioye of theyr parentes y â— good reporte of theyr techers and to the hygh coÌ„modite of the ChristeÌ„ publique weale God grafit that it maye once thus come to passe But I wyll returne vnto our Psalme which I haue entiteled iÌ„ the forhed of my boke Dauids Harpe Some man wyll meruayle peradueÌ„ture whye I call this Psalme Dauids Harpe