to thē who loue to liue in the body for no other end but that they may enioy carnall pleasures in the body no tongue can expresse their miserie To a godly man sin makes his life bitter so the Apostle protested O miserable man who shal deliuer me from this body of death And if they loue to liue it is that they may mourn for sin break off the course of their sins by amēdement of life This straited godly Nazianzen that he knew not whether to make choise of death or life when he considered that death makes an end of sin he desired to die but when he remembred that after death there was no time to mourne for sin he desired to liue VER 18. Open mine eyes that I may see the wonders of thy law MAn by nature is blind in the matters of saluation He vnderstands not the things of God neither can he because they are spiritually discerned Satan promised man great knowledge both of good euill but experience may declare what a false deceiuer he is By nature we are all borne blind ignorant of things vvhich concerne the kingdom of God and by reason of our darkned mind so wicked is the hart of man that by looking to the best works of God miserable man contracts euill So euill doth hee see with the eyes which are left him that by looking to that which is good the hart of him is wakened vnto euill So traiterously hath this aduersarie dealt with mankind that where he promised thē more knowledge he spoiled them of that which they had and hath brought now vpon them all a greater shame then that vvhich Naash the Ammonite vvould haue done to Israel For hee hath put out their right eye that no light remaines in them vvherby they can see that which is good to saluation till the Lord restore it againe vnto them And heere if it be asked seeing Dauid was a regenerate man and so illuminated already How is it that hee prayes for the opening of his eyes the aunswere is easie That our regeneration is wrought by degrees The beginnings of light in his mind made him long for more for no man can account of sense but he who hath it The light vvhich he had let him see his owne darknes and therefore feeling his wants hee seekes to haue them supplied by the Lord. Neque enim medicū rogat nisi qui remedium agritudini suae poscit But the word which here Dauid vseth imports the taking of a vaile from his eyes detrahe velamen oculis meis So that the blame of his ignorance he layes not vpon the word which is cleer enough in it selfe as he confesseth ver 130. The entrance of thy vvord giues light to the simple but he blames himselfe and the vaile which couered the eyes of his mind Till this be remooued no reading no hearing no teaching can make a man vnderstand the wonders of the lavv of God This is it saith the Apostle which hinders the Iews that in reading the old Testament they cannot see Christ because of the vaile that couers their harts And this same is it that this day hinders many wise and learned men that albeit they read the most cleare prophecies of Antichrist whereas S. Paul and S. Iohn poynts him out as it were with the finger yet can they not perceiue him The doctrine of Christ is the mysterie of godliness the doctrine of Antichrist is the mysterie of iniquitie Who can learne it till God remoue the vaile that couers the mind Non omnes qui diuina eloquia legunt quae in illis admiranda sunt considerant nisi illi qui coelesti splendore potiuntur But whose worke is this to remoue the vaile Who is able to doe it Certainly neither Angel nor Power nor Dominion It is onely the vvorke of GOD who giues sight to the blind Hee sends forth his spirit and renewes the face of the earth He opened the disciples eyes made them to know him He made scales to fall from the eyes of the Apostle Paul when he conuerted him These two benefits hee giues together to his owne the opening of the eyes and conversion of the hart So long as a man abides vnder the seruitude of sin and earthly affections he can neuer haue eyes to see the secrets of Gods word Therefore saith the Apostle speaking of the blinded Iewes when their harts shall be turned to the Lord then the vaile shall be taken away The wonders of thy law The wonders of the works of God are many and great the wonders of his word are greater Euery article of our faith is a mysterie to be wondred at that a Virgine conceiues a child that GOD is manifested in the flesh If wee will be fruitfull scholars in the learning of these mysteries let vs pray for the opening of our eyes and for grace to belieue VER 19. I am a stranger on earth hide not thy commaundements from me THis petition in effect is one with the former hauing no more but an annexed reason vvhich is this I am a stranger on earth and knowe not the way may lead me to heauen vnlesse thou teach me therefore hide not thy cōmandements from me The like of this he hath Psa. 43. Send thy light thy truth let them lead me bring me to thy holy Mountaine This is not the voice of euery man I am a stranger on earth Sed eius qui terrenis renuntiauit voluptatibus mundanae cupiditatis exuerit affect us It is the voice of him who hath renounced pleasures of the earth is weary of this life desires to be dissolued not fearing when his dissolution approches but rather reioycing because he knows he shall be with Christ vtitur hac vita vt transitoria ad aliam nimirum vitam festinans He vseth this life as a transitory life because he makes hast to a better It is true in regard of time and continuance the wicked are also strangers on earth but in affection they are not so for neither know they of a better Cittie neither desire they a better But the Christian accounts himselfe a stranger not so much for his short continuance vpon earth as for that his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is aboue that Citie wherof he is Burges and freeman that countrey frō which he came that fellowship wherein he reioiceth is aboue therfore longs he to be where they are But as to the wicked they are called by Gods Spirit inhabitants or indwellers of the earth Men of this world who haue their portion in this life they haue receiued their cōsolation here their generation is of the earth they speak of the earth their whole disposition is earthly Higher then the earth in thoughts and desires they cannot go Praesentibus bonis quasi diuturnis inflati insolescunt The godly
watered by the earth For the teares of the godly fall not to the ground the Lord gathers them like most pretious pearles vnto him and puts them in his bottell and they bring still increase of comfort to such as shed them They are sowen like good seede on earth the first fruite whereof is reaped on earth but the fulness thereof in heauen according to that of the Psalmist They that sowe in teares shall reape in ioy ZADE. VER 137. Righteous art thou O Lord and iust are thy iudgements HEere Dauid sore troubled with griefe for the wickednesse of his enemies yea tempted greatly to impatience and distrust by looking to their prosperous estate notwithstanding their so grosse impiety doth now shew vnto vs a three-fold ground of comfort which in this dangerous tentation vpheld him The first is a consideration of that which God is in himselfe namely iust and righteous the second a consideration of the equity of his word thirdly of his constant truth declared in his working and doing according to his word When we find our selues tempted to distrust by looking to the prosperity of the wicked let vs looke vp to God consider his nature his word his workes and we shall finde comfort Righteous art thou There is the first a meditation of the righteousnes of Gods nature he alters not with times he changes not with persons he is alway and vnto all one and the same righteous and holy God Righteousnesse is essentiall to him it is himselfe and he can no more defraude the godly of their promised comforts nor let the wicked go vnpunished in their sinnes then hee can denie himselfe to be God which is impossible Iust are thy iudgements The second ground of Dauids comfort is heere and in the next verse VER 138. Thou hast commanded iustice by thy Testimonies and truth especially AS the tree is so is the fruit From so righteous a God nothing can proceede but righteousnesse God forbid that the Iudge of all the world should doe vnrighteously This meditation of the equity of Gods command flowing from his most righteous nature confirmes Dauid in this sure conclusion It cannot be but well with them who walke after his word and by the contrary such as goe a whooring from it cannot but make a miserable end how-euer they prosper for a time And out of this we may further learn how the law of God expresseth to vs the liuely linâ—…ments of his image for from his righteous nature flowe his commandements commanding righteousnesse This lets vs sâ—…e 〈◊〉 fearfull an euill sinne is sith it is a transgression of that holy law which flowes from Gods righteous nature it is a direct impugning violating of the diuine nature so farre as the creature may The lawes of Kings may be broken and their persons not touched farre lesse their nature violated yea oft-times their nature likes of that euill which their lawe forbids It is not so with the lawe of God it flowes from his righteous nature and God and his lawe are so straitly vnited that the breaking of his lawe is an impugning of his very nature so farre as the creature may as I haue said already By thy Testimonies The word of God is called his Testimony both because it testifies his will which he will haue vs to doe as also because it testifies vnto men truely what shall become of them whether good or euill Men by nature are curious to know their end rather then care full to mend their life and for this cause seeke answers where they neuer get good but if they would know let them goe to the word and testimony they need not to seeke any other Oracle If the word of God testifie good things vnto them they haue cause to reioyce if otherwise it witnesse euill vnto them let them hast to preuent it or else it shall assuredly ouertake them VER 139. My zeale hath euen consumed me because mine enemies haue forgotten thy word THroughout this Psalme we see that Dauid cannot satisfie himselfe in declaring the loue he had to Gods word for that comfort which hee had felt in it as likewise his insatiable affection crauing more comfort by it What he speakes of himself he speakes it not like that Pharise who boasted of his good not mourning for his euill nor yet longing for better Such presumption is farre from the godly If at any time they make mention of any good disposition in them they doe it to the glory of God from whom all good comes and to comfort themselues for the beginnings of Gods grace in them but still they know their wants and mourne for them Neuer contented in this life with the grace receiued with earnest affection they crie for more Three things haue we to consider in this his his protestation first the nature secondly the sorts thirdly the effects of zeale As for the nature of zeale It is a mixed affection of griefe and anger flowing from loue for what a man loues earnestly he is carefull to see it honoured and by the contrary grieued when it is dishonoured The sorts of it are many for according as our loue and griefe are so is our zeale If our loue be vpon the right obiects moderate in due measure it causes a zeale which is holy and spirituall otherwise if our loue be inordinate it begets a carnall or inordinate zeale Sometime the zeale is not vpon the right obiect and then it may be great but it cannot be good such is the zeale of Heretiques who compasse Sea and Land to make one of their owne profession Sometime againe the zeale is on the right obiect not in the due measure eyther too colde which is remission or too hote which is superstition Of these saith the Apostle It is a zeale but not according to knowledge Zelus ad mortem non ad vitam a zeale which tends to death not vnto life The effects of Dauids zeale he toucheth when he saith it had consumed him Affections of the soule are very forcible to moue the body A sorrowfull heart saith Salomon dryes vp the bones But men should carefully marke what spirit inflames their zeale and what zeale moueth their bodies There are som who vnder shew of zeale or at least because they thinke it zeale neglect the duetie which they owe to their bodies not remembring the seruice which God craues of the body is a reasonable seruice not vnreasonable Others with their zeale fight against the Gospell so did Paul before his conuersion Let vs try the Spirits and see that our zeale be according to knowledge For these two Knowledge Zeale are compared by Bernard to the two wings of a fowle the Bird that hath but one wing falleth the more that it mindeth to flie These are two excellent giftes Knowledge and Zeale but if the one be without the other it were better to want it And now sith zeale
men hate the precepts and commandements of Gods law they are so contrary to the disposition of his corrupt nature that as the Apostle affirmes sinne takes occasion by the commandement to worke in man all manner of concupiscence for without the law sinne is dead and man his corrupt nature is the more bent vnto euill the more it bee for biddē but grace comming in to renue nature it works a loue euen of the commandements of God as being most holy in themselues most profitable for vs and that our felicity stands in a conformity with them Quicken mee Of this petition See verse 25. 37. 40. And out of Dauid his earnest frequent repetition of this petition let vs learne how spirituall things are to bee sought with a feruent affection It is pitty to see that the things of this world are sought so incessantly as if they were hardly obtained or being obtained were able to fulfil all our necessities or yet could continue and abide stil with vs wheras things pertaining to the life to come are sought in so cold a manner as if it were nothing to get them or being gotten they could doe vs little good or at least were not to continue with vs. Oh that we could rectifie our desires in this point and learne to seeke most excellent things with our best and most excellent affections and that we could alway remember these three things first it is vncertaine if we shall obtaine worldly things when wee seeke them next granting we do it is most certain that they will not fulfill our necessities and thirdly albeit they were able so to doe yet can they not continue with vs. Let vs therefore make choise as Mary did of the best part and couet as the Apostle counsels vs those gifts which are most excellent VER 160. The beginning of thy word is truth and all the iudgements of thy righteousnes indure for euer HEere is a commendation of Gods word from the truth and righteousnes thereof Some reade the words so as if Dauid should say the word of God hath beene true à principio from the very beginning of the world Some reade this way Ab ipso limine veritas tua conspicua est in verbo tuo in the very entry of thy word thy truth is manifest and some Caput verbi tui veritas this is the excellencie and great prerogatiue of thy word the very head and garland of it is verity This perswasion is the mother of all obedience to the word of God and it begets also such a comfort in our souls as no trouble nor temptation is able to ouercome Saint Peter calles the word of God a most sure word And the Lord himselfe calles the promises therof The sure mercies of Dauids house Wee may say with the Apostle We know whom we haue beleeued The Lord will not faile his people according to his word so shall it be vnto vs. And all the iudgements Here Dauid shewes what sustained him against the delay of iudgement vpon wicked men to weet a meditation of the eternall righteousnes of Gods iudgements He considered with himselfe that the righteousnes of God was not for one age but for all neither yet for one sinne only but for all then looking to by-gone iudgements executed vpon the wicked he collects that albeit for the present they were spared yet at length they would be punished seeing Gods iudgements are euerlasting And this should serue for a warning to wicked men of this age that the Lord who hath punished the wickednes of other ages before wil not let the impiety of this age escape vnpunished When the iudgements of God are executed then all men acknowledge Verely There is a God that iudgeth righteously in the earth Yea faithlesse men are amazed when hee strikes and forced to confesse that it is his hand but before the iudgement come to belieue that it will come is an argument of true faith So Noah mooued with reuerence prepared the Arke And Salomon saith A prudent man sees the plague before it come and hides himselfe in time God giue vs this wisedome SHIN VER 161. Princes haue persecuted me without cause but mine heart stood in awe of thy words IT hath pleased the Lord to teach vs not only by his word but by the exāples of others his seruants who liued before vs. For this cause hath hee registred the obedience of Noah the faith of Abraham the patience of Iob the meekenes of Moses the zeale of Dauid that we also should be zealous of those graces for which they receiued so honourable a commendation of God It is a great patience to sustaine iniurie from any wicked man but the greater the person be that persecutes vs the greater is the temptation whereof see verse 23. Onely now it comes to be enquired How can Dauid say that he was persecuted without cause seeing in all troubles which can befall vs if wee rightly examine our consciences we shall still finde within our selues causes which haue deserued sharper corrections 1. The answere is that Dauid here is not comparing himselfe with God for hee knew that in Gods sight no man could be iustified and none can say vnto him thou hast striken me without a fault but here he compares himselfe with men to whom hee had giuen no iust cause of offence It is true Saul pretended great causes against Dauid that hee was an enemie both to his life and crowne but Dauid not only by his words doth purge himselfe but by his deeds declare the contrary For when hee might haue slaine him hee spared him both in the caue and in the campe Thus we must also distinguish betweene causes pretended by euill men and those which are indeede But mine heart stood in awe of thy word Dauid renders not euill for euill but ouercomes euill with good Though Princes who should bee fathers and protectors of people should degenerate into oppressors and persecuters Is it lawfull for that to shake off obedience to refuse their tribute or to murther their persons Shall we become godless Atheists because they are becom faithless tyrants No no we see men truely religious doe practise no such vnrighteousnes This may tell vs from what spirit proceeds the Romish doctrine which not only permits but commands the deposition of Kings the loosing of subiects from their obedience yea the murthering of their persons It cannot be from that good spirit wherewith Dauid vvas inspired Princes persecuted him and he might haue slaine them as his seruants counselled him to murther Saul God saide they haue closed thine enemy into thine hand but he would not for his heart stood in awe of Gods word which told him as there he answered his men that it was not lawfull for him to touch the Lords anointed Againe we see heere an example of the constancy of Gods children no winde of temptation can remoue
rest of his creatures Psal. 104. But this is intollerable That vnder pretence of a little time allowed vnto vs the halfe of our time should bee exacted from vs. Ethniques in this point may make vs ashamed It is written of Alexander and Caesar among many moe that they parted the night in three the first they tooke vnto rest the second to the workes of Nature the third to their studies for encrease of knowledge and learning and that because they were forced to spend the day time in gouernment of their Kingdomes and administration of their warlike affaires Yet we haue now such a number whom wee may call Monsters of Nature who are not content to spend all the night ouer in works of darknesse such as Drunkennesse and Gluttonie and Chambring and slumbring but they turne also the noon-tyde of the day into midnight Per diem illis fit media nox yea not sparing the holy Sabboths of the Lord they sleepe by themselues like Howlets in their holes when the Saints of God are assembled together to praise him but miserable are they for as they tooke no part of Gods seruice so shall they bee strangers from the recompence The third circumstance pointing out the cause or matter of his thankesgiuing is here because of Thy righteous iudgements Where by iudgements he vnderstands Gods iust working according to his word both in executing threatned plagues vpon the wicked and performing promised mercies to the godly And for this cause Dauid praiseth God because he found him alwayes as good as his word and what he promised with his mouth hee performed with his hand And this cause which moued Dauid to praise God should moue vs all for wee haue felt his promises kept to our selues and his iudgements executed on the wicked in so manifest a manner that men might say as in the Psalme Verely there is a God that iudgeth righteously on earth and there is fruit for the righteous There is no transgression of Gods law which in som wicked men we haue not seene punished If the Lord did only speake and neuer punish men would say There is not a God and if on the other hand all transgressions were punished here men might say we need not look for a iudgement to come Of such sinnes as we haue seene punished let vs learn that there is a Iudge and of such sinfull men as we see spared let vs also learne that there is a iudgement to come VER 63. I am companion of all them that feare thee and keepe thy precepts HE said in the first verse of this Section that God was his portioÌ„ now he saith All the Saints of God are his companions These two goe together the loue of God and the loue of his Saints He that loueth not his brother made to Gods image whom hee seeth how shall he say he loueth God whom hee hath not seen Seeing our goodnes extends not to the Lord if it be shewed to his Saints and excellenâ—… ones vpon earth for his sake it shall be no small argument of our louing affection toward him selfe Godly Dauid when Ionathan was dead made diligent inquisition Is there none of Ionathans posteritie to whom I may shew kindnes for Ionathans sake and at length he found a silly lame Mephiboseth So if we enquire diligently Is there none vpon earth to whom I may shew kindnesse for Christs sake who is in heauen wee shall euer find some to whom whatsoeuer wee doe shall be allowed as done to himselfe Euery mans company wherein hee delights tells what manner of man he is himselfe Qualiscunque quis fuerit cum tali se coniungit The fowles of heauen flocke together according to their kinds ye shal not see Doues assembling with Rauens Inter dispares mores quae potest esse amicitia What fellowship or friendship can be among men of inequall manners Non potest homini amicus esse qui Deo fuerit infidus he can neuer be friendly to man who is false vnto God But there is yet a greater argument the Lord IESVS hath honoured vs to be his companions so wee are called Psal. 44. God hath anointed thee aboue thy fellowes To worke this fellowship he assumed our nature he abased himselfe he was baptized as we are he died as vvee doe hee rose againe as we shall doe hee walked in all our waies that hee might traine vs vp to walke in his waies and might euery way make vs like himselfe and shal we thinke it a derogation to our honor to humble our selues for Christs sake to men of a rank inferior to vs and euen for the feare and loue of God that is in them to account them our companions Yet further his great modestie is to bee marked Non dixit imitantium te sed timentium he saith not I am companion to all that follow thee but to all that feare thee The feare of God is the beginning of wisedom Inter rudes se constituit humilitate cum veteranos superaret deuotione hee placeth himselfe among nouices in humilitie when he excelled antients in pietie That feare thee The godly are commonly described by this grace That they fear God but so that they also loue and obey him therefore Dauid ioynes these two together That fear thee and keepe thy precepts Apostat Angels saith S. Iames feare GOD but there-withall they hate him and rebell against him In the Godly feare prepares a way to loue when loue is perfected then feare shall cease but in the wicked fear prepares a way to despaire restlesse perturbation Abraham looked for no good in Gerar because he thought the fear of God was not there on the contrary Ioseph confirmed the timorous harts of his brethren that they should looke for none euil at his hands because said he I feare God Therby letting vs know that this is a sufficient reason to assure vs of all good duties from a man if truly it may be said of him He feareth God VER 64. The earth O Lord is full of thy mercies teach mee thy statutes HEere is a prayer with a reason Seeing ô Lord thou art good to all thy creatures shew thy goodnes also to mee in this that thou teach me thy statutes Gods generall benignitie is extended to all his creatures his speciall benignity is for his children and this is it that Dauid here craueth And indeed Gods generall goodness vnto all his creatures should serue to confirme his children in the assurance of his more speciall fauour toward them as heere Dauid vseth it If hee care for sparrowes if he feed the young Rauens when they cry if hee clothe the Lilies of the fielde are not his own children much more worth will he not much more care for them Seeing of his goodnesse he sends raine to the wicked makes his sunne to shine on the vniust will he not of his mercie lift vp the
to be iudge of his loue to the word Nec speciem sed plenitudinem charitatis tali conventione testatur Witnessing thereby that it was no counterfet loue but compleat and sincere loue which he bare vnto it The like protestation was vsed by S. Peter Thou knowest O Lord that I loue thee It were good that in things pertayning to godlinesse wee did declare our vpright hart by speaking as they spake Sith at the length wee must be presented before him and made manifest such as wee are let vs in time present our selues vnto him for many by custome speake that of themselues which in conscience they durst not speake beeing presented vnto God All that GOD craues of vs is loue Therefore saith the Apostle that the end or perfection of the law 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is loue and againe that loue is the fulfilling of the law Amari exigit qui omnes amat quia charitas est hee desires to bee loued of all who loues all because hee is loue it selfe This one commaundement containes all and it is most reasonable for what excuse can a man bring for this that he loues not God Yet many in word profess that they loue him who loue not indeed The triall of our loue to God is our loue to his word our care to keep his commaundements If any loue mee he will keepe my commaundements Qui enim diligit ex voluntate facit quae sibi sunt imperata This one triall conuinceth many to be lyers who say they loue God and yet delight not in his word nor are carefull to obey him It is my meditation continually Hee proues that which hee hath spoken The nature of loue is that it is euer thinking of the thing beloued and vseth all meanes to obtaine it Strong loue is like fire that cannot be quenched with much water So Dauid proues his loue to God by his loue to Gods word and his loue to Gods word by his continuall meditation in it no change of other exercises could make him forget it Marke againe the meanes by which after Dauids exāple we must grow in the knowledge of the word of God First meditation of that which wee haue heard or read Secondly prayer for grace to belieue and practice it Thirdly thanksgiuing for grace receiued Fourthly godly conference thereof one of vs with another All these shal a man find carefully practiced by Dauid And truly the greatest cause why now there being so much preaching there is so little profiting in godlinesse is that men before hearing prepare not in hearing pray not after hearing neither meditate thereof in themselues nor speak thereof vnto others VER 98. By thy cōmandements thou hast made me wiser thē my enemies for they are euer with me NOw he prayseth the word for the singular profit fruit which he reaped by it to weet that he learned wisedom by it And this he amplifies by cōparing himselfe with three sorts of men his enemies his teachers and the ancients And this he doth not of vaine glorie for bragging is farre from him who is gouerned by the Spirit of grace but to commend the word of the Lord and to allure others to loue it by declaring to them what manifold good hee found in it Wiser then mine enemies But how can this be seeing our Sauiour saith that The men of this world are wiser in their owne generation then the children of God The answer is Our Sauior doth not call worldlings wise men simply but wiser in their owne generation that is wise in things pertaining to this life Or as Ieremie calls them Wise to doe euill and when they haue so done wise to conceale and cloak it All which in very deed is but folly therfore Dauid who by the light of Gods word saw that it was so could not be moued to follow their course Well there is a great controuersie between the godly the wicked either of them in their iudgement account the other to be fooles but it is the light of Gods word which must decide it VER 99. I haue had more vnderstanding then my teachers for thy testimonies are my meditation HEere is the second amplification That the word of God had made him wiser then his teachers which might indeed seem to be Incongrua presumptio Where note stil hee is magnifying not himselfe but the grace of God toward him It is no new thing to see many teachers often pretending to learne others that which they haue not learned thēselues and who can tell how miserable these men are who will be Doctors but not disciples teaching others but not taught of God themselues because they are not carefull to learne from him To such saith Nazianz. Our Lord was 30. yeers old ere hee beganne to be a Preacher Et tu magister vis fieri antequam discipulus and thou wilt be a master of Christians before thou be a scholer of Christ. Vnus verus est Magister qui solus non didicit quod omnes doceret caeteri omnes discant prius quod doceant ab illo accipiant quod alijs tradant There is one true Master who teacheth all and learnes of none as for all others they must first learne what they should teach and receiue from him that which they should deliuer vnto others But alas Quam multi sunt qui sermone valent loquuntur non tamen sale coelesti conditi sunt recensent que multa de mensa regia quorum nullum adepti sunt gustum How many are powerfull in speech who are not seasoned with heauenly salt rehearsing many delicates which are on the table of the heauenly King whereof they neuer tasted themselues More wise was the holy Apostle who subdued his body by discipline least while as he preached to others he should haue beene a reprobat himselfe God grant that wee may follow his example And yet euen where the Preacher is godlie partaker of that grace himselfe whereof hee is an Embassadour to others it falls out oftentimes that greater measure of light and grace is communicated by his ministrie to another then is giuen to himselfe As Augustine first illuminated and conuerted by Ambrose did far excell both in knowledge and spirituall grace him that taught him And heerein God wonderfully shewes his glory That whosoeuer be the instrument he is the dispenser of light and glorle giuing more by the instrument then it hath in it selfe And this is so farre from beeing to a godly Teacher a matter of griefe that it is rather a matter of glory The wicked glory to make others more wicked then themselues as our Sauior said the Pharisees did with the Proselyts that they made them tenne times more the children of Satan then themselues and shall the godly grudge to see that they haue made others more godly then themselues Nay truely but rather such