a wonderfull thing to see howe ready it is to receiue helpe and comfort ▪ any way else ▪ sauing onely of God. This is then the praise and commendation of faith that it looketh onely towardes the healthfull and comfortable mountayne which is in Ierusalem refuseth the succour of all other mountaines Thus the prophet casteth his eyes aside as it were vpon the wicked who forsaking the helpe of the Lordes mercie and goodnes which was then in Ierusalem sought reliefe and succour in other mountaines In like maner in the kingdom of the Romish Antichrist there are infinite feets and swarmes of Monks and other supersticious votaries some holding of Augustine some of Benedict some of Francisce c. which by their vowes and monasticall life thinke to obtaine the kingdom of heauen hoping also by these comforts to ouercome the terrour of Gods wrath heale the woundes of conscience And this is alwayes the inclination of mans nature to follow his owne wayes and to forsake the wayes of the lord Therfore Dauid sayth Some forsake the temple abhorre the mount Syon but I abide in the simple way of faith true religion which is the healthfull hill that the Lorde him selfe hath appoynted In that he calleth it the healthfull hill or the hill from whence helpe and succour commeth he reiecteth and condemneth all other hills which haue a shewe of helpe and succour Such I meane as is visibly wrought in the seruice and honour done to the idols but true helpe they giue none So the Iewes sayd that Baall shewed more present help in the temple then god So they cry in Ieremy VVe will doe sacrifice to the Queene of heauen but thy commaundement we will not doe for since we left to doe sacrifice to the Queene of heauen the sworde and famine hath consumed vs And thus forsaking the temple and the true worship of God they ranne headlong to all impietie But you will say Why would God that Idolatry should haue such successe Euen to trye our fayth and whether we doe truely beleue and worship one God according to that commaundement Thou shalt haue none other Godds c. True it is in deede that Idolatry hath great successe yet is it but for a time So said King Achas The goddes of the Kings of the Syrians doe helpe them therefore will I also seeke their fauour and they shall helpe me But what sayth the Scripture The gods of Syria were the destruction both of them and of all Israell And this is the end of all such false trust So doth Mammon likewise helpe his worshippers For he is a great god and bringeth to them libertie ioy and comfort He lifteth them vp to wealth and dignitie he maketh them to swell with pride and glory But howe long For the time of this fraile brickle life but in death he doth not only forsake them but driueth them downe to the deepe pit of hell Therefore whatsoeuer worldly and visible comfortes and delightes the heart of man can here desire or enioy he findeth them vncertayne and shortly must forsake them and yet withall they bring vnspeakeable tormentes and afflictions of mind and lead men into such blindnes that they haue no regard of God at all who doth not delight his true worshippers with vayne pleasures of this worlde which endure but a moment but replenisheth them with euerlasting ioyes For thus he sayth I will see you againe and your heart shall reioyce and your ioy no man shall take from you Let vs learne therefore to cleaue fast to the Lord our God and those inuisible comforts and if trouble come as we can not looke to be without a crosse if we seeme to be desolate and distitute of all comfort yet God hath a time when he will shew him selfe to haue a care of vs and we shall finde that the afflictions of this life are not to be compared to the glory which shall be reueiled on vs as S. Paule comforteth vs. This is then the sense and meaning of this verse that fayth is a knowledge of thinges inuisible and yet to be looked for least we shoulde thinke it to be but a meere speculation as some doe make it There are thinges to be looked for of the which we haue experience in this life that is to say a good conscience a ioyfull heart an inuincible faith which is able to stande against all stormes of tentations against pouertie enuy reproche and sclaunder of the world against errours and false doctrine and euen against death it selfe Thus we must learne to know the nature of faith namely that it is a will or knowledge or an expectation resting vpon the word of God which word sheweth and setteth forth vnto vs inuisible helps and yet to be looked for as certaine and vnfallible and although we thinke it long before they come yet will they come when it shall be most to our ioy comfort And this is it that these words of the Prophet doe here expresse I lift vp mine eyes to the hils from whence my helpe commeth Here he sheweth him selfe to be destitute of helpe and succour and yet in sure hope and expectation thereof he looketh vp vnto those hills and hopeth for inuisible comfort In like maner must we doe also I am in distresse or affliction of body or mind I am in necessity and can see no meanes how to liue how to maintayne my family how to escape this daunger or that Here is the hart oftentimes oppressed with sorrow and miserably vexed as though there were no succour no comfort nor remedy to be founde But here must we be certainely perswaded that there is help and succour prepared for vs and the time therof also appoynted of God although we know not when it shall be But by this we may learne what a hard matter it is to beleeue when the hart must yeld and consent to any thing contrary to that which both we se heare feele I my self haue bene oftentimes in wonderful great daūgers when the whole world as it were conspired against me For the Pope my mortall enemy and the enemy of my Christ did not cease to stirre vp against me what power and terrour so euer he was able to deuise Here reason woulde rather perswade me to kepe silence and say nothing then to teach and bring my selfe thereby into trouble and daunger For reason can neuer see the Lordes maruelous help and deliuerance which is inuisible and hidden from the eies of the world therfore it thinketh onely of that which it seeth that is to say destruction In all these stormes how my mind was stablished in God what my faith and hope was I will here say nothing Albeit in these great daungers I graunt my minde was oftentimes troubled and yet at the length the inuisible help of God being hidden from myne eyes and from the eyes of the whole worlde appeared so that not onely my deadly and mightie
vpon vs Thus Dauid vnder these wordes The house of the Lord. comprehendeth God him selfe his name and his word wherevnto the Sabboth is dedicated in the which we should rest from other busines and harken vnto the Lord speaking vnto vs. This is to go into the house of the Lord and for this benefite to reioyce and giue thanks vnto him For this is an inestimable benefite and cannot be comprehended of the wicked But the godly onely doe know the word and what benefite they receiue thereby And this the Lord also requireth of his people when he so often commandeth in the law that they should come togither that they should reioyce before the Lord they should praise and magnifie his name for his benefites and greate mercies so plentifully poured vppon them And to this Dauid also prouoketh vs by his owne example that with reuerence and as it were with an admiration we should exult and reioyce before the Lord. Verse 2. Our feete shall stand in thy gates O Ierusalem The Prophete Dauid reciteth here the common voyce of the godly that they would now abide stedfastly perseuer in the house of the Lord which he had appointed in Ierusalem and would not wander any more from place to place as they had done because the Lord had there stablished his Sanctuary which before was often times remoued had no ceraine resting place This stablishing and continuing of the Sanctuary in one certaine place preuailed much for the confirmation of their faith For like as when the Arke was caried from place to place their faith was alwaies wauering and vnstedfast euen so after that God had chosen vnto him selfe a certaine habitation he gaue thereby vnto them a more sure manifest testimony that he would be their euerlasting defender and protector Whereby their faith was stablished and confirmed for euer It is no maruell then that the people with such great reioycing and thankfulnes vnto God do promise that their feete should now stand sure and stedfast in the gates of Ierusalem which were wont to runne hither thither Truth it is that the arke did long continue in Silo. But because the Lord had made no promise concerning that place there could be no stabilitie of faith in the harts of the people And againe because it was said of the Mount Sion This is my rest for euer here wil I dwel for I haue delight therin the faithfull being surely grounded vpon this word were bolde to say that their feete should neuer remoue againe but stand stedfast sure in the gates of Ierusalem and in the house of the Lord for this standing signifieth a constant a continuall abiding for euer But now for as much as Christ in whom dwelleth the fulnes of the goodhead and which is the true Immanuel dwelleth emongst vs we haue a farre greater cause to reioyce then the Israelites had Wherefore we maye seeme vnthankful yea blockish and senseles if this promise I am with you vnto the end of the worlde do not stirre vp our hearts to great ioy and gladnes especially if we see it thankfully and with publike consent receiued of the people For that which we rehearsed euen now concerning the rest of the Lord is altogether fulfilled in the person of Christ as it appeareth in the 2. chapter of Esay His rest saith he shal be glorious Where he speaketh not of the buriall of Christ as some doe fondly imagine but of the excellency and dignitie of the church which should afterwards follow The glory and bewtie whereof since by the great mercy of God we haue seene Let vs be thankfull therefore and besech him that he will make perfect that he hath begun in vs that our feete may alwayes be standing in the courts of the Lord in the Church and congregation of the faithfull where we may find God where we may heare him calling vs teaching vs comforting vs and succouring vs. Verse 2. Ierusalem is builded as a citie where the people may come togither to worship God. This verse is an exposition or amplication of the verse that goeth before As if he said our fete shall stand in thy gates I say O Ierusalem which flourishest and increasest in all felicitie For where the word of God flourisheth there shall the common welth prosper according to the saying of our sauiour Christ First seeke the kingdom of God all things shal be ministred vnto you and yet so notwithstanding that this saying also of our sauiour remaineth alwaies true answering vnto Paule My power is made perfect through weaknes For albeit the world doth dayly vexe trouble the church many waies yet notwithstanding the more the aduersaries go about to destroy pluck downe the more doth the word of God edifie build vp To pluck downe then to destroy and to ouerthrow the church is nothing else if you consider the counsel purpose of God and the end that followeth thereof but to build vp to plant to water and to encrease the Church The Decians Maximines and Domitians those bloody and mighty tyrannes howe cruelly went they about to abolish for euer the name of Christ But the word and the Church of God as a palme tree the more it was oppressed the more it flourished and encreased maugre their malice and tyranny as the figure of the people of Israell doth declare For so sayth Moises The more the Egyptians did vexe them the more they multiplied and grew To this agreeth also the saying of the olde Church that the Church is watered with the blood of Martyrs The cause of this miraculous building is that where so euer God is beleued and his word had in due reuerence and regard there must needes followe a victorie albeit the Sainctes be destroyed slayne and seeme vtterly to perish yea albeit God him selfe seeme to haue forsaken them and with them to be oppressed and ouercome For so it is with God that when he seemeth most weake then is he most strong when he is oppressed in his Saincts then specially he liueth triumpheth and is exalted in them and in diminishing he most mightely increaseth Of such a maner of building speaketh Dauid also in this place that albeit Ierusalem was compassed about with so many enemies and idolatrous religions notwithstanding there the word of God true religion flourished Who then can preuaile against vs when God is so with vs And this is the true building of Ierusalem To the which the Kings gathered them selues and conspired against it but they were suddenly driuen backe and could not preuaile We also in these our dayes by our owne experience haue proued that the more the aduersaries of the word doe rage the lesse they preuaile against it yea so much the more it flourisheth and encreaseth And what else doth Satan our perpetual aduersary bring to passe by his continuall tentations but driue vs to search the word to learne to pray to beleue
God that we shall suffer trouble and affliction yet in him we shall ouercome at length The 125. Psalme They that trust in the Lord c. The Psalme going before is a thankesgiuing or a sacrifice of praise because the godly see and by experience feele that the Lord is faithfull and helpeth them in the time of neede This Psalme following conteineth also in a maner the same matter For it perteyneth to the doctrine of faith and exhorteth the faithful likewise to a sure trust and affiance in the helpe of the Lorde in all their necessities Whereunto he stirreth them vp with great and excellent promises It may also be easily vnderstand by that which we haue sayd before For herein consisteth all this heauenly wisedom that we doe vtterly remoue out of our sight what so euer flesh can comprehend and beleue that which the word onely telleth vs euen against all that which either we know feele or see And therefore this wisedome is against all humane wisedom and reason For by reason and all that reason can comprehend we feele see and conceiue all things contrary to that which faith leadeth vs vnto He that lyeth sicke and at the poynt of death can by reason conceiue nothing els but y imagination of death But a christian man leauing that imagination knoweth that in death there is true life But thou wilt say he seeth and feeleth death in deede but life he can not feele I aunswere that because he resteth vpon the word and after it he iudgeth and not after his owne feeling therefore euen in death he seeth nothing but life and in the middes of darkenes most cleare light For like as God maketh all thinges of nothing and of darkenes light so he worketh by his word that in death there is nothing but life They then which sticke to the word and promise of God and follow the same doe finde it true which Dauid sayth He spake the worde and it was done c. But before we can come to this experience we must abide some trouble therefore haue neede of such exhortation as this psalme here setteth forth Verse 1. They that trust in the Lorde shall be as Mount Sion which can not be remoued but remaineth for euer The Prophet vseth here a similitude of Mount Sion because Ierusalem wherin Sion stood when the temple was builded had most ample notable promises of God as appeareth in very many places of the Prophetes that it should stand sure inuincible for euer against all troubles and calamities for that the Lord had his abiding and dwelling there according to that promise where he sayth here is my rest here will I dwel c. And therefore Dauid in an other Psalme glorieth on this wise Loe the Kinges were gathered and went togither when they saw it they marueled They were astonied and suddenly driuen backe As we may see it came to passe vnder Ezechias in that great destruction of the Assyrians and other Kings as the stories witnesse which shewe that Ierusalem remayned safe in all daungers not by the strength and pollicie of the inhabitants but by the miraculous worke of God dwelling in it and thus mightely preseruing and beautifying his owne common wealth Nowe therfore sayth he like as Mount Sion and our holy citie Ierusalem is neuer moued but remaineth sure and safe by the mighty protection of the Lord in all extremities so he that trusteth in the Lord shall be defended against the furious rage of the world and the gates of hell for euer Note howe he commaundeth no worke here to be done as in popery in the time of trouble men were taught to enter into some kind of religion to fast to goe on pilgrimage to doe such other foolish workes of deuotion which they deuised as an high seruice vnto God and thereby thought to make condigne satisfaction for sinne and merite eternal life but simply he leadeth vs the plaine way vnto God pronouncing this to be the chiefest anker of our saluation onely to hope and trust in the Lorde and that this is the greatest seruice that we can doe vnto god For this is the nature of God as I haue sayd to create all thinges of nothing Therefore he createth and bringeth forth in death life in darkenes light And this to beleue is the very nature and most speciall propertie of faith When God then seeth such a one as agreeth with his owne nature that is which beleueth to finde in daunger helpe in pouertie riches in sinne righteousnes and that for Gods owne mercies sake in Christ alone him can God neyther hate nor forsake For he serueth and worshippeth God truely which putteth his whole trust in the mercie of god With this seruice God is highly pleased because he deliteth of no thing to make some thing So he made the world of nothing so he rayseth vp the poore and oppressed so he iustifieth the sinner so he rayseth the dead and so he saueth the damned Who so then consenteth to Gods nature and obeyeth his will there hoping for some thing where nothing is he it is that pleaseth God and shall neuer be moued But thou must beware that thou imagine not to thy selfe a false hope contrarie to the word of God and thy vocation Whereof if thou be certayne and abide in the same if troubles rise trust in the Lord and if he helpe not in his good time take me and Dauid also for lyars Satan will trouble vexe and discomfort thee yea and peraduenture make thee to beleue that thou art vtterly forsaken but if thou trust in the Lord thou shalt feele his helpe with ioyfull victory So in the councell of Auspurge when the Princes were bent against vs with one consent our cause seemed to be vtterly ouerthrowne Notwithstanding yet we liue and enioy such peace and libertie as we would wish maugre the rage and malice of the Pope and all the aduersaries of the worlde With such conflictes we must be exercised lest we be discouraged when we see our cause begin to quale But the greater the daunger is the more stedfastly we must trust So shall it come to passe that when we are ouercome yet we shall ouercome and the conquerer shall yeeld vnto vs triumph and victory This is it that the Psalme here setteth forth They that trust in the Lorde shall be as Mount Sion which can not be remoued but remayneth for euer And here we haue a singular promise whereby we are assured that we shall stande and abyde for euer If then we doe not continue it is our owne fault because we abide not firme and stable in our fayth For this promise must needes remaine sure and infallible Yea as it is impossible that God should deny him selfe and not be God so is it impossible that he should forsake those that put their trust in him But we may not thinke the time longe but patiently abide the Lords leasure For Gods
this distinction is not so well knowne by practise as it is by speculation For if we had this practise in deede we shoulde rightly discerne betwene the law the Gospell also betwene the disciples of the law and of the Gospel beate backe Satan with this answere that like a lying spirite he seeketh nothing else but to blind and deceiue the hart with falshood and lyes For whereas hard and stony harts be those he doth not kill or terrifie but flattereth and filleth them with hope faire promises which doe not perteyne to such harts Contrariwise where as such tender and timorous heartes be as are to much terrified already and therefore should be confirmed reised vp with the promises of the Gospell those heartes Satan most of all not onely goeth about further to afflict and terrifie but to beate them downe also to vtter discomfort Wherefore the Christian man must learne and labour by feeling and practise to make this distinction in his heart and say vnto Satan Away from me Satan with thy lyes When I am void of the feare of God secure and hard harted then come and pleade the lawe against me then will I heare thee for then that is the tyme to teach the law But since thou commest nowe vnto me with the law whereas my heart is terrified already with sinne death I wil not heare thee For thy doctrine perteyneth not vnto me but laughter and ioy not terrour and death So should Satan be aunswered when he goeth about to terrifie vs But by experience we feele that when most neede is our heart is not able thus to aunswere although we haue heard these thinges before neuer so often The cause is this that albeit heauen be ours and wide open for vs yet such is our nature and such is our infirmitie that all this can not make vs so ioyfull as the gaping gulph and horrour of hell doth terrifie vs So that one cogitation of our sinnes doth more afflict vs then all the teaching and preaching of the merites of Christ can comfort vs Wherefore we must earnestly endeuour to learne this practise or at the least to atteyne to some knowledge thereof and reyse vp our selues with these wordes that the Gospell is nothing else but laughter and ioy which properly perteyneth to the captiues that is to those that feele the captiuitie of sinne and death to the fleshy and tender heartes terrified with the feeling of the wrath and iudgement of god These are the Disciples in whose hearts should be planted laughter and ioy and whiche onely should heare the voyce of ioy and gladnes in the tabernacles of the righteous and that by the authoritie of the holy Ghost which this verse setteth foorth For it signifieth that this people was in Sion and after the outward shew of the kingdom and priesthood did mightely flourish But if a man consider them according to the spirite he shall see them to be in miserable captiuitie and that their tongue is full of heauines and mourning because their heart is terrified with the sense of sinne and death This is Moises tongue or Moises mouth full of wormewoode and of the bitternes of death wherewith he ought to kill those onely which are to liuely and full of securitie But they which feele their captiuitie should haue their mouthes filled with laughter and ioy that is the redemption and deliueraunce from sinne and death purchased by the bloode of Christ should be preached vnto them This is the sense and meaning of the holy Ghost that the mouth of such should be filled with laughter that is their mouth should sound and shew forth nothing else but great gladnes and those inestimable consolations of the Gospell with voyces of triumph and victory by Christ ouercomming Satan destroying death and taking away our sinnes This was first spoken vnto the Iewes for this laughter was first offered to that people then hauing the promises Now he turneth to the Gentiles whome he calleth to the partaking of this laughter Then shall they say among the Gentiles c. The Gentiles naturally hated and disdayned the Iewes and coulde abide nothing lesse then their religion Yet these Gentiles saith he when this laughter this ioy shall be published and preached shall maruell thereat and shall praise the great workes as the Lorde Nowe the Gentiles would not thus doe or esteeme this worke of God as a benefite excepte they also should be partakers of the same Therefore when the holy Ghoste saith that the Gentiles should publish praise and magnifie this benefite of the Iewes deliuerance out of captiuitie he plainely signifieth withall that they shoulde be partakers of this deliuerance and that they likewise shoulde extoll and magnifie this greate mercy of God this deliuerance from sinne and death To this doe almost all the Prophets beare witnesse In the 8. of Zachary it is saide that out of all languages of the nations should take hold of the skirte of him that is a Iewe and say we will goe with you for we haue hearde that God is with you Which place of Zacharie seemeth to be taken out of this Psalme In the first of Esaie likewise All nations shall flow vnto the Lord and many people shall go and say Come and let vs goe vp to the mountaine of the Lord to the house of the God of Iacob and he will teach vs his wayes and we will walke in his pathes c. These things doe make for our comfort which are not of the seede of Abraham after the flesh For albeit the promise was not made vnto vs yet when it was accomplyshed we were made partakers thereof but by the Iewes notwithstanding according to the wordes of the promise In thy seede shall all nations be blessed And salâ—ation saith Christ commeth of the Iewes Thus doe we Gentiles pertaine to this redemption although it was not due vnto vs for to vs it was not promised but came by the free mercy of God through this laughter and this ioy whiche the Prophet speaketh of published and preached not onely in Simon but emongst the Gentiles also which doe enioy all the good blessings and benefites of God togither with his holy people as it followeth Verse 3. The Lord hath done great things for vs therefore we reioyce Here you see one Church gathered togither of the Iewes and of the Gentiles and with one voyce magnifying the workes of the Lorde that as Paule saith with one minde and with one mouth God euen the father of our Lord Iesus Christ might be glorified For as the Church of the Iewes singeth The Lord hath done greate thinges for vs so singeth the Church of the Gentiles also being both partakers of one fruite both knowne by one true signe to be the people of the Gospell namely because they are the people of ioy and gladnes as these wordes declare Therefore we reioyce Consider now the kingdom of the Pope and the horrible abomination thereof
become as it were inuisible and by faith in pouertie to beholde riches in heauines and sorrowe ioy and comfort in desolation and destruction helpe and succour and when we seeme to be cut of and to be cast away from God euen then to beleue and by faith to lay sure handfast on Gods eternall mercie and grace in Christ As Dauid here did who was afflicted and felt no comfort and yet he sayth I lift vp myne eyes to the hilles from whence commeth my helpe Thou must lift vp thine eyes therfore and in no wise fixe them vpon the present troubles calamities or afflictions whatsoeuer the fleshe seeth feeleth or suffereth for that is to obey and consent to the eyes and the eares that is to say to harken to the flesh which is alwaies ready to perswade thee that God is angry with thee that he hath forsaken thee that thy daunger is such and so terrible that thou canst neuer escape it Here therefore thou must lift vp thine eyes to the hills of the Lord and harken to the voice of God who sayth and promiseth that helpe shall surely come from those hills which albeit for the tyme it be inuisible and can neither be seene nor felt yet is it most certayne and infallble They that are in wealth glorie and dignitie lift not vp their eyes to these inuisible thinges and therefore they are puffed vp with pride and caried away with all noysom lustes But such as are in pouerty contempt of the worlde afflicted in body or minde are forced to lift vp their eyes that the helpe which is inuisible may be made to them visible by fayth according to the promise of God made vnto them in his word These are the words therefore of a man that felt the same that we feele that is to say our hearts to be oppressed with sorrow and heauines when we thinking our selues to be desolate and forsaken can see no succour when we see not riches but pouertie not glory but ignominy shame and confusion In these calamities the heart is an heauie burden weying downe to the grounde the eyes and the head that they can see or thinke vpon nothing else but terrene and earthly thinges Therefore he exhorteth vs by his owne example to lift vp our eyes and looke to inuisible thinges which the word promiseth we shall certainly enioy Thus we see the nature of faith liuely set out in this Psalme Nowe followeth as it were an explication what hills he speaketh of Verse 2. My helpe commeth of the Lord which hath made heauen and earth He speaketh here of such hills as the eyes of the flesh could not see For who was so quicke of sight to see or so wise to perceiue and vnderstande that the hill Moria was a holy hill A heape of earth the bodily eyes might see but the holynes the power and the Maiestie of God there present they could not see nor that the word of the Lord was there that the Lord had promised there to dwell and abide that he had put a memoriall of his name in that place and that there he would be sought there he would be found For he that sought not God in this place coulde not finde him in heauen Like as since God hath reueiled him self in that man Christ we truly say and also beleue that whosoeuer doe not imbrace and by faith lay hold on this man which was borne of the virgin they can neuer beleue in God but although they say they beleue in the maker of heauen and earth yet doe they in deede beleue in the Idoll of their owne heart for without Christ there is no true god Therefore Dauid beholdeth these hills in Ierusalem not with bodily eyes as the oxe doth his stall but with the eyes of the spirite he seeth that God dwelleth there by his word Therfore these hils are nowe no more earth and molde but they are the hilles of the Lorde and the fulnes of his godhead so that with out these hills concerning God there can nothing be found Therefore it is truly sayd of the Prophet that from these hilles commeth help and succour that is to say from God dwelling and abiding there by his word Like as we beleue that Christ is the throne of grace in the which is the treasure of all good thinges and heauenly blessinges to be found and without the which there is nothing Now in that he doth not onely say My helpe commeth from the Lord but addeth moreouer which made heauen earth he reproueth condēneth all other helps which men seeke procure vnto them selues besides God with false trust affiāce in the same as Idols of their owne imagination So is Mammon a god also that is to say is worshipped of men as a god helpeth them also sometimes But in penury of food vittells what succour can he bring no man can satisfie his hungrie belly with gold and siluer Likewise in drowth and barennes of the earth what can he help What good can he do in diseases infirmities of the body If then in these corporall maladies he can not help what can he doe when the conscience is troubled with sinne the horrour of death It is therefore but a false pleasure and delite that Mammon bringeth which is but only to satisfie please the eyes as a picture or painted table Against these helps therfore such like which the world seeketh after the prophet setteth the Lord him self who made not only gold siluer not only foode sustenance heauen and earth that is to say angels men and the whole world but besides these giueth remissiō of sinnes faith righteousnes ioy peace of hart with euerlasting life He is sayth the Prophet my almighty and sure help of whom I can not doubt that he will euer fayle me the twinckling of an eye To this Lord I flye for aide succour who not onely in this life can and doth giue health welfare for a fewe yeres with securitie of cōscience cōtempt of death all the furies of the world but also after this life eternal felicity life euerlasting Thus the Prophet inflameth him selfe stirreth vp his faith for our example that we likewise should magnifie the blessings good gifts of God in vs also our hope trust in him For if the riche men of the world doe glory in their money if they vaunt of their wealth and riches why should not we also glory in the trust confidence we haue in God which hath made heauen and earth which hath also in his hand all thinges necessary both for this life for the life to come But because these things are inuisible can not be seene but with spirituall eyes therefore we commonly neglect thē And albeit the Lord do somtimes hide these helps from vs let vs feele the lacke therof for a time as he doth in deede to make vs the more desirous of thē
thy wife thy children Thou fallest into sicknes and infirmitie of body Thou losest thy goodes thine estimation the peace and tranquillitie of conscience yea and some time according to thine owne sense and feeling Christ him selfe also These are great matters in deede But beware that whilest thou iudgest these thinges after thine owne sense thou make not of a droppe an infinite sea and of a sparcle a flaming fire Though it be neuer so great which thou feelest and sufferest yet God is greater If God and Christ then perish not if they still liue and reigne what if thou lose thy wife thy children thy goodes yea and thy life also For what are all these if thou compare them to the inestimable grace of God and the riches which he hath promised in his word but mere nothing Therefore let vs lift vp our mindes to these heauenly riches and let vs learne rightly to discerne betwene the crosse in respect of it selfe that is of the flesh and the sense of our owne heart and in respect of God and his rich promise Which if we consider as it is in it selfe and without Christ what trouble is so small that shall not vtterly ouerthrowe vs and so shall euery trouble be vnto vs intolerable But if we behold the same in respect of God with the eyes of faith though our afflictions and calamities seeme neuer so great and greeuous yet the super abundant mercy of God in Christ swalloweth them vppe all Who albeit he suffereth vs to be afflicted for a litle season yet shall the entâ—e be full of ioy and comfort So sayth the Prophet Esay For a litle while haue I forsaken thee This momentane and short time to the flesh seemeth an eternitie But as I said our carnall eyes doe but deceiue vs Therefore we must iudge according to Gods promises concerning inuisible things and see what God hath said in his word This is the exercise of faith whereof Dauid speaketh in this place admonishing vs to looke to the word and promise and to lift vp our eyes to inuisible things and thereafter to iudge and not according to thinges present And here experience teacheth vs what an infinite wisedom true diuinitie is which in this life we can neuer fully and perfectly attaine vnto For to what sudden mutations this life is subiect we see To day aliue and in good health to morrow dead and gone Yea how infinite are the troubles calamities tentations and daungers wherewith our life is tossed as a shippe on the sea which so terrifie vs that heauen and earth are to little for vs yea the whole creature is to vs a very hell This is the nature of flesh which Satan moreouer so inspireth and bewitcheth that it seeth not God but rather as it iudgeth some great and horrible mischiefe not life but death and destruction But this is no iudgement but rather a delusion of the flesh and the deuil against the which we must fight yea and beleue that euen in our destruction as to vs it seemeth God is present with vs and in our death Christ our King liueth in whose sight our tribulations and afflictions yea and death it selfe are altogither as you would say but one nothing and if we compare them vnto God by the iudgement of faith we shall feele them so to be in deede But who hath sufficiently learned thus to doe Somewhat we may say and teach other after a sort but vse and experience with inward practise and feling is that which maketh a right diuine and a true Christian in deede so that he may be able boldely to affirme and say with Dauid He will not suffer thy foote to styppe that is to say he will not suffer thee to be vtterly ouerthrowne and perish But the flesh saith the contrary because it feeleth not onely thy foote to slyppe but it selfe also to be troden vnder foote Beholde the sonne of God what he suffered Behold Iohn Baptist the virgin Mary the Apostles the Prophets what they suffered Behold the church at this day what danger it is in what troubles and afflictions it continually suffereth And this is the state of the godly Upon the experience whereof ariseth this prouerbe The more wicked the more happy And therefore the worlde fearing and shunning these daungers can neuer abide the Gospell And thus it appeareth to them not to be true that Dauid sayth here The Lord wil not suffer thy foote to slippe but rather the contrary that he causeth thy foote to slyppe Albeit it doth but seeme so for he doth not so in deede and that to the flesh onely but contrariwise to the spirit and faith it is exaltation and glory before god They iudge that death which is suffered for the confession of the Gospell to be a beginning of a better and eternall life Ignominy shame and contempt of the worlde they count inestimable glory in the sight of God. This is the iudgement of faith albeit the flesh thinketh otherwise But we may not iudge after the flesh for if we do what needeth then the doctrine of the word what neede exhortations what neede the promises Therefore we must turne the euill into good and where the fleshe concludeth that it is continually troden vnder foote there faith must confesse and say that by the crosse and by these afflictions we are made like to the sonne of God fashioned like vnto Christ For these things are to be beleued as inuisible and also insensible and not as things to be seene and felt But such as will not beleue but follow their owne sense and feling doe rather choose the glory pleasures of this worlde which so litle while endure and so suddenly vanish away But how miserable shall their condition be when after these transitory momentane and vaine pleasures they shall find and feele nothing but anguish torments with weeping wailing for euer without end How much better had it bene for them to haue suffered for a while with Lazarus both sicknes and pouerty then for a little season to flourish with the rich glutton in welth and prosperitie with him to be tormented in euerlasting fire This doctrine therfore pertaineth to those which desire to beleue not to fele that they may discerne betwene God their afflictions not fixing their eyes vpon the present calamities but looking vp to the inuisible help promised in the word For those troubles daungers where unto the faithfull are subiect do in deede cause the foote to slippe but yet so that faith wil not suffer them to fall but maketh them able to passe ouer those rockes be they neuer so daungerous to compare their momentane afflictions with those things which are infinite and euerlasting as to God him selfe his power his grace and finally eternall life which God hath promised in Christ to them that beleue in him To know these things it is necessary that we may be able to comfort both our selues
this is the difference betweene those that are infected with this poyson the comtempt of the word I meane and the children of God that as they are wholy bent to seeke and aduance the glory of the euerliuing God so are these either inflamed with a diuilish desire to maintaine set forth damnable doctrine wicked opinions and false worship being wholy giuen ouer to serue the god of this world and their god Mammon seeking with greedines and pleasure their owne perdition damnation and so albeit they are already wholy possessed in the kingdom of the deuill yet are they merry and ioyfull but the end shall be such as for their horrible example is set forth in the story of the Sodomites Let vs pray vnto God therefore that he will preserue vs from this impietie and let vs learne to sing this Psalme with gladnes and thankes giuing vnto him for this inestimable benefite of his word and the pure knowledge thereof whereby Christ the onely sacrifice for our sinnes and the sure hope of eternall life is reueiled vnto vs Let vs continually exercise our selues in reading hearing and meditating of this word and let vs neuer think that we haue attayned sufficient knowledge and tast thereof In deede this word is so plenteously set forth in these our dayes that it may seeme to bring with it a lothing and contempt in many but it is not enough an hundred times to haue read it and a thousand times to haue heard it as in the daungerous time of tentations by experience we feele Wherefore let vs abhorre the damnable impietie of lothing and contemning the word of life and let vs embrace that most soueraigne vertue which is called the Reuerence of the word For Satan sleepeth not and in deede he is neuer so strongly armed against vs as when he seeth that we loth and contemne the word or presume of our owne knowledge Verse 1. I reioyced when they sayd vnto me we will goe into the house of the Lorde The like saying he hath in the 60. Psalme God hath spoken in his Sanctuary therefore I will reioyce Wherein is conteyned a comparison betwene his kingdom and other mighty and welthy kingdoms of the worlde As if he should say My kingdom is but a small and a weake kingdom if you compare it with the power of other kingdoms of the world But this haue I that all Kings and kingdoms haue not namely that in my kingdom the Lord him selfe the King of all Kings speaketh out of his holy Sanctuary therefore my kingdom is the kingdom of God and therein I reioyce Euen so here sayth he I reioyced And why Because it was sayd vnto me we will goe into the house of the Lord. That is God hath promised that we shall be that people which shal enter into the house of the lord And should not this cause my heart to reioyce For when I behold all other nations I see them goe into the house of the deuill and the temples of Idols I see they know not the true God neither doe they worship him Great cause haue I therefore to reioyce because I haue the promise of God that I shall goe with my people into the house of the Lorde Dauid sheweth him selfe here to reioyce and be glad for 2. causes not onely that the Lord had appoynted a place wherein he would be worshipped euen the holy hill of Sion but also because he had the consent of his people so obediently to ioyne with him in the true seruice worship of the lord Often times the Lord had before promised by Moises that he would appoynt such a place for his Sanctuary as should be certaine and stable for euer and yet aboue a thousand yeares togither the Arke of the Lord was caryed hither and thither from tent to tent from habitation to habitation hauing no certaine place to rest in But afterwardes it was shewed vnto Dauid that the Lord would haue it remaine in the hil Sion and that he would haue there a temple builded wherein he would be worshipped By this example we are admonished that we haue double cause to reioyce when so euer the Lord doth not onely incline our hearts by his holy spirite to the obedience of his word but also doth draw other vnto the same with vs that we may be al ioyned togither in the fellowship of faith We see the stubburnes of mans heart to be such that the greater number alwaies murmureth when so euer the Lord speaketh and therefore no small cause haue we to reioyce when we all consent togither in one spirite and and one mind in the true seruice and worship of the Lord. These wordes I reioyced when they sayd c. seeme to be very simple and to conteine in them no great matter But if you loke into the same with spirituall eyes there appeareth a wonderfull great maiestie in them Which because our Papistes can not see they do so coldly and negligently pray reade and sing this psalme and other that a man would thinke there were no tale so foolish or vaine which they would not either recite or heare with more courage delight These wordes therefore must be vnfolded layd before the eyes of the faythful For when he sayth we will goe into the house of the Lord what notable thing can we see in these words if we doe but onely beholde the stones tymber gold and other ornaments of the materiall temple But to goe into the house of the Lord signifieth another maner of thing namely to come togither where we may haue God present with vs heare his word cal vpon his holy name and receiue helpe and succour in our necessitie Therefore it is a false definition of the temple which the Papists make that it is a house built with stones tymber to the honour of god What this temple is they them selues know not For the temple of Salomon was not therefore beautifull because it was adorned with gold and siluer and other precious ornaments but the true beautie of that temple was because in that place the people heard the word of the Lord called vpon his name found him mercifull giuing peace and remission of sinnes c. This is rightly to behold the temple and not as the visured Bishops behold their idolatrous temple when they consecrate it These are then great causes of ioy and gladnes to haue access vnto the Lord to heare this consolation that he is our God which will heare vs which will deliuer vs in the time of trouble which will forgiue vs our sinnes and at the last will giue vs euerlasting life For these great benefites sayth Dauid we giue thanks vnto God and we reioyce that we may come togither into that place wherein God worketh all these things by the power of his word For it is the word alone whereby we knowe God whereby we come vnto God and whereby he bestoweth these great benefites of his fauour and loue
vs in this Psalme with thankefulnes to acknowledge this singular benefite of the word and to beware of the horrible contempt thereof Howe much better is it to suffer pestilence famine and the sword howe much more tolerable for Dauid to become both an adulterer and a murtherer so that there remaine a reuerence to the word which repentaunce necessarily bringeth with it then to fall so farre as to contemne the word For this is to heape wrath vpon wrath like as it is to heape grace vpon grace with Dauid to hold fast the word and withall to acknowledge the great benefite thereof To be briefe like as there is no greater ioy and felicitie to the godly then to heare and to know the voyce of God speaking vnto them offering grace peace remission of sinnes and life euerlasting so can there be to them no greater crosse then the contempt of the worde For what doest thou else but contemne God him selfe yea crucifie againe the sonne of God and treade thy Sauiour vnder thy feete when thou contemnest the word of God which for thy saluation is reueiled offered vnto thee No mortal man can abide such intolerable contempt as the Lord our God continually suffereth For he is patient and would that we should conuert and repent but he payeth home at the length as we may see by the fall of the Synagoge and the destruccion of Ierusalem For Christ plainly sheweth that the cause of such horrible calamities was for that they did not knowe the time of their visitation Let vs learne then by these examples what a great blessing it is to heare the Lorde our God speaking vnto vs and as a tender mother with her children most louingly talking with vs For this is it which Dauid meaneth when he speaketh of the ascending vppe of the tribes to Ierusalem and to the house of the Lord to testifie vnto Israel that is there to teache and to heare the word of the Lord and to giue thankes vnto him for his benefites This is that citie therfore that is worthy to be decked with all precious ornaments This is the people of whom our Sauiour Christ sayth Blessed are they that heare the word of God keepe it with a good heart Here is the kingdom of heauen here is the true paradise here are the open gates to euerlasting life Verse 5. For there are the seates of iudgement euen the seates of the house of Dauid This may be vnderstand both of the ciuill gouernment and also of the Church but specially it is spoken of the church And here note that iudgement is taken for doctrine As if he sayd This is the glory of this people that in this place is stablished the chayre and seat in the which the word of the Lord is published taught weake consciences comforted and instructed and the way of saluation layd open vnto men Likewise in the first Psalme he sayth The wicked shall not stand in iudgement that is they doe not perseuer and abide in the doctrine of faith and therefore they are as chaffe which the winde scattereth from the face of the earth The Church of Rome wil now be called the seate of iudgement and euen there also the Lord had once his seate but nowe through wicked doctrine and damnable idolatrie it is the seate of Satan the chayre of pestilence and a denne of wicked spirites This is then the true sense and meaning of these words In this place the word of the Lord is fulfilled promising that he will leaue a memoriall of his name For here he is to be founde here he dwelleth Therefore here is life here is saluation here is remission of sinns here is the tyranny of Satan vanquished c. For all these he meaneth when he nameth the seates of iudgement that is the administration of truth the ministerie of faith the voyce of Gods maiestie speaking vnto his people For as I sayd iudgement signifieth here found sincere doctrine concerning grace faith works magistrates ciuill ordinances c. Where this doctrine is there are the seates of iudgement As we also may nowe glory of our Churches for the sincere doctrine wherby men are truely taught out of the word concerning grace sinne righteousnes faith works obedience to parents and magistrats This doctrin is as it weare a bright shining sunne from whence the Churches doe receiue their light And contrarywise where the word of God is not there are the seates of iniquitie and of Satan him selfe For the worde maketh the seate and not the seate the worde as the Antichristian Church of Rome most damnably teacheth Now whereas with a repetition he addeth Euen the seates of the house of Dauid this is the cause for that he looketh to the promise made vnto Dauid namely that the seate of the tabernacle or the temple should be builded by his sonne Salomon in Ierusalem where iudgement should be exercised that is to say mens consciences comforted terrified instructed by the word and also because the Lord would that Dauids posteritie should reigne after him vntill the eternitie of the heauenly Ierusalem should be reueiled Here is the image of the heauenly Ierusalem also to be consiâ—dered The earthly Ierusalem was builded on a hill so that there was no accesse vnto it but by ascending vpward The celestial Ierusalem is builded in heauen whereunto none can come but by mounting vp with alacritie of spirite out of this earthly mansion and corruptible life and therefore no earthly and carnall men can come there The earthly Ierusalem was builded as a citie for the people of God where they might meete together to serue worship god Likewise the celestial Ierusalem is builded for the tribes of the Lord the elect and faithfull people there to meete togither first in this life by faith and afterwardes by eternall societie both in soule body This Ierusalem Saint Paule meaneth when he saith If ye be risen againe with Christe seek for those thinges which are aboue And the author of the Epistle to the Hebrues admonisheth vs that by faith we are already come to this heauenly Ierusalem Ye are come saith he to the mount Sion and to the citie of the liuing God the celestiall Ierusalem and to the company of innumerable Angells and to the congregation of the first borne which are written in heauen to God the iudge of all and to the spirites of iust and perfect men and to Iesus the Mediatour of the newe testament c. The earthly Ierusalem celebrated the name of the Lord with praise and thankes giuing in the congregation In the heauenly Ierusalem the Angells and company of holy spirites doe praise and shall praise the Lord for euer more The earthly Ierusalem had in it the seate of Dauid The heauenly Ierusalem hath the throne of Christ the sonne of God the King of Kings the Lord of Lords of whom Dauid was a figure The earthly Ierusalem had tribunall seates where all things
were iudged with equitie The celestiall Ierusalem hath the tribunall seate where iudgement is shall be most iustly pronounced vpon the vniuersall world and vppon all men that either haue beene be or shall be The Lord graunt that with an inuincible faith we may mount vp to this celestiall Ierusalem the citie of God where are such ioyes felicitie as neither eye hath seene nor eare hath heard nor tongue can tel nor yet heart can think Verse 6. Pray for the peace of Ierusalem let them prosper that loue thee To pray for the peace of Ierusalem is to pray for the safetie prosperitie and welfare of the Church of God that Satan haue no power to hinder the course and fruite of the word Dauid sawe first in spirit this horrible contempt of the word and ministery moreouer he saw that this glorious gift could not be preserued by mans diligence Therefore he goeth about here to stirre vppe the harts of men to pray for the preseruation of this gift As if he said Here is the Lords owne seate and throne of iudgement notwithstanding how few doe reuerence and regard it as they should doe Yea the greatest part of the world hateth it and wisheth the subuersion therof Wherfore I exhort you ▪ O ye litle flock to honour and reuerence this seate to pray for the peace thereof louingly to salute it and to say The Lord out of Sion blesse thee c. So long as this citie flourisheth ye haue the Lord him self speaking saying giuing victory against all the assaults of Satan against sinne the terrour of conscience c. What cause haue ye then to pray for the prosperitie of this citie wherby ye inioy such heauenly benefites When the church of God doth not prosper it cannot go wel with any perticular member thereof No maruell then why Dauid so earnestly exhorteth all the faithfull to pray for the peace and prosperitie of the Church Wherefore if we will pray as we ought to do we must first and principally commend vnto God the common state of the church For he that seeketh his owne welfare and neglecteth the state and prosperitie of the Church doth not only shew him selfe to be voyd of all sense and zeale of true piety but also the prayers which he maketh for him selfe are in vaine profite him nothing Let them prosper that loue thee He wisheth vnto them which loue the word and reuerence this seat that God would blesse them with all maner of blessing felicitie And this prayer is very necessary For we see dayly howe the true professors of the Gospell are in daunger by the ministers of Satan the enemies of God his truth on euery side which could be content rather to haue the Turke to reigne ouer them yea the deuill him selfe and all the furies of hell then to see vs prosper and the Gospel to flourish least their cursed workes of darknes and infidelitie should appeare vnto the world Verse 7. Peace be within thy walls and prosperitie within thy pallaces Nowe that the Prophet hath exhorted all men to pray for the peace and prosperitie of Ierusalem he turneth vnto the citie and doth not onely wish wel vnto it but also he sheweth vnto other how they should pray for it The summe whereof is that true religion may flourish the ministerie and ministers of the word may be defended against the false prophets that concord may be maintained emongst the pastors and preachers of the word and that the ciuil gouernment may prosper Howe necessary this prayer is experience daily teacheth vs For where these 2. things are namely concord in the Church and peace in the ciuill state there can no good thing be lacking therfore the deuil so busily laboureth to trouble the peace of them both This was the cause why there was such a multitude of false prophets rebells seditious persons emongst this people as the stories do testify Wherfore Dauid being taught by his owne experience prayeth for these 2. thinges without the which the world is nothing els but a wild desert Example hereof may be vnto vs the late times wherein we liued vnder the Pope before this light of the Gospel beganne to shyne For then when the sound doctrine of the word was lacking what could the Pope all his shauelings doe What one verse did they rightly vnderstand throughout the whole psalter Wherby it came to passe that they were not able to resist most manifest impieties which by the strong mighty delusions of the deuil ouerflowed the world as in pilgrimages where they maintained most damnable idolatries and caused the people to adore the works of their owne handes and if any man spake against them he was vp and by taken and burnt as an heretike So true is it that when the word is once lost the world remaineth in most horrible darkenes and can doe nothing else but abuse the giftes of God and so falleth to most detestable impietie or else to desperation This Dauid foreseeth and therefore he prayeth so earnestly for the prosperitie of Ierusalem for faithfull pastors in the Church and godly Princes in the politike state Verse 8. For my brethren and neighbours sakes I will wish thee now prosperitie Here Dauid sheweth the cause as he doth also in the verse following why he prayeth thus for Ierusalem As if he sayd In that I wish that peace may be in thee o Ierusalem in that I desire thy prosperity and welfare I doe it for my brethren and neighbours sakes that is for my fellowes and companions in faith and religion And here in his owne person he sheweth the commō complaint of all those that rule either in the church or in the common weale or in families which is that the greater part of men is euer peruerse and wicked The godly pastour when he goeth about with great care diligence to reforme the corrupt life and wickednes of the people seeth notwithstanding that the more part stil remaineth peruerse intractable The Magistrate traueling with like care and diligence in his calling findeth the people disobedient incorrigible Likewise is it in houshold gouernment What vnfaithfull seruice shalt thou finde euen amongst those whom thou thoughtest to haue found most true and faithfull Hereof it commeth that many are discomforted and vtterly discouraged seeing so litle fruite and successe to ensue of their godly trauels Notwithstanding we see it can not otherwise be For Satan our perpetuall enemy ceaseth neither night nor day to stirre vppe discord and peruerse opinions in the Church in the ciuil state stubborne and disobedient persons in houshold gouernment negligent and vnfaithfull families Here we must looke with Dauid not to the greater part which is euer wicked but to our brethren and neighbours So doth Paule in the 2. Timoth. 3. For the elects sake I susteyne and suffer all things sayth he For if it were not for their sakes who would willingly take vpon him the office of
fleshe although they be compassed about with such high and mightie mountaynes as touching the spirite as Satan can neuer surmount yet touching the flesh and the olde man they lye open on euery side to the dartes of Satan and of the worlde For God by these meanes will afflict and exercise the flesh that sinne the foolishnes of the flesh may be mortified in them and that spirituall wisedome and the inward man may encrease This is the cause why we are according to the flesh as a broken hedge and as a citie whose wals are cast downe and so lyeth open to the enemy on euerie side Wherefore there is no sort of men so vile and abiect which do not thinke that they may doe what they list against the true professors of the Gospell Hereof come such intollerable iniuries horrible blasphemies cruel torments and bloody slaughters of the Saincts of god For the flesh hath no walls no munitions to defend it but the spirite Therfore the flesh is in daunger to al stormes and tempests broken troden downe of the wicked as Esay sayth chap. 51. VVhich haue sayd vnto thy soule Bow downe that we may go ouer Thou hast layed thy body as the ground and as the streete to them that went ouer These afflictions we must needes suffer and by patience ouercome them withall we must beware that by these outward afflictions the inward man be not weakened or ouercome resting in this assured hope and trust that the Lord will neuer forsake vs but that we are in the bosome of the father and are closed within most sure and strong holds So that now although our goodes our wiues our children yea and our liues also be taken from vs yet we shall neuer be spoyled of our Christ by whome we are so surely defended that in the middes of all our tentations he will make away for vs to escape or else geue vs strength to beare them Thus we see what consolations the holy Ghost setteth forth vnto them which beleue the word For vnto such as looke for a better life then this all thinges are here full of calamities and miseries Death followeth death as Paule sayth and we continually dye One tentation followeth an other vntill at the length by the death of the flesh all miseries shall cease and haue an ende This verse therefore maketh much for our comfort admonishing vs that we must suffer many troubles yet so that at the length we shall be safe and sette at libertie from them all though not in this life yet in the life to come and in eternall life And why should we not thus boldely promise vnto our selues remayning vnder this diligent custody of the Angells yea of the Lord him selfe which is alwayes round about his people But here as before I sayd we haue neede of fayth that we may iudge herein not according to our present troubles and tentations but according to the word of promise And what should we neede any promises if there were no tentations which tentations whether they be within in the spirit or without in the fleshe the time shall come when we through Christ shall haue full victory hereof as this verse full of sweete consolation doth promise vnto vs. Notwithstanding this promise seemeth incredible both to vs which suffer and also to them which persecute and afflict vs For if we behold the same with our outward eyes what can be more false yea the contrary seemeth to be most true Behold our Sauiour Christ was he not so forsaken hanging vpon the crosse that the rod or scepter of the wicked rested vpon him Did it not rest likewise vpon the Prophets the Apostles and other holy Martyrs This matter then if we consider it with our outward eyes hath an other meaning then the wordes doe import For they promise that the scepter of the wicked shall haue no power ouer the godly and yet all stories and examples doe testifie the contrary Therefore the holy Ghost calleth vs backe to the purpose counsell of God reueiled in his word and commaundeth vs to wey and consider not what we suffer and with our outward eyes behold but what is decreed with the Lord in heauen And he that can so sequestre him selfe from the beholding of his afflictions and tentations and yeld him selfe wholy ouer to the will of God there rest is a right diuine yea he that is ignorant hereof in true diuinitie knoweth nothing at al. For what knoweth he which is ignorant that God is such a God as will not suffer the godly to be oppressed of the wicked For seeing he hath sayd I am the Lorde thy God he will neuer suffer that which is his owne to be wrested either by the world or by the gates of hell out of his hands If he then abide and continue they shall also continue for euer which are his Thus to beleeue and thus to lay hold on thinges inuisible is true diuinitie and true spirituall wisedom in deede whereupon we may ground this proposition out of the inuisible counsell of God God hateth the wicked loueth the iust ergo he will damne and destroy the wicked and wil deliuer and saue the iust And here we see that which is the chiefest thing in all the Psalmes and Prophets to spring out of the first precept I am the Lorde thy God. Now haue we to learne how we may apply this verse rightly and to our comforte For true diuinitie consisteth in vse and practise We are vexed on euery side with cruell Bishops wicked Princes and others which hate the word of God and the doctrine which we professe But these are very trifles if ye compare them with those vexations which Satan sinne and our owne infirmitie raise vppe in our consciences We must learne therefore thus to iudge of all these thinges that they are the rodde or scepter of the wicked and to set the Lorde against them reueiling his will here in his word and pronouncing that he will not suffer the scepter of the wicked to rest vpon the godly Seeing then the same Prince promiseth thus much vnto vs which hath all thinges in his hand what can we require more For the will of God is certaine that though he suffer vs to be afflicted yet will he not see vs troden vnder foote or perish Thus must we apply these sweete consolations What the rodde signifieth in the scripture it is wel knowne Children when they are yong are corrected with a rodde when they waxe bigger with a wand or a cudgell and if they will not so amende then followeth the yron rodde Hereof it commeth that the rodde signifieth all power and rule whiche is for the amendement and correction of such as doe offende So is it taken in the 110. Psalme The Lord shall send forth the rodd of thy power out of Sion That is to say thy kingdome For there he signifieth such a rodde wherby kingdoms and people are gouerned On this wise the
the rodde of the wicked greeueth you but be of good comfort my people and patiently endure it for I wil not suffer the tentation so farre to preuaile ouer you that your confidence and trust in me shall vtterly faile you Stormes and tempestes shall arise and your daungers shall seeme so great as though the waues should presently swallowe you vp But I will not suffer you to perish I wil bridle their rage and make an ende of the rodde of the wicked If Satan your owne conscience doe accuse you as most wicked and vnrighteous yet will I not leaue you destitute of my righteousnes Thus doe tentations teach vs the true vse and meaning of the first commaundement the which none without afflictions and tentations shall rightly knowe or vnderstand Moreouer we are here admonished of the great daunger that followeth these afflictions tentations which they that through impatiencie forsake the word and faith doe fall into Therefore the Lorde here sheweth him selfe so carefull for his people leste they should fall into this danger For their state which haue once forsaken the word is much more perilous then it was before and into such as our Sauiour Christ pronounceth in the Gospel doe enter seuen spirites much more wicked then the first We must therefore patiently suffer and perseuere in all tentations and rather abide all extremities then once shrinke from the word of life lest we be possessed with seuen spirites more wicked then the first And moreouer we must assuredly trust as we are taught in this verse that so long as we haue a desire and a purpose so to doe the Lord will neuer forsake vs or suffer vs to fall into this impietie For here haue we a manifest promise and a liuely description of the Lordes singular care and prouidence ouer vs namely that he is mindful of the end of our tentations and afflictions â–ª so that we onely continue constant and patient vnto the ende â–ª And if the heathen Poet sayd Endure and reserue yourselues for more happy thinges how much more should Christians diligently stirre vppe them selues with mutuall exhortations to patience and perseuerance whether they outwardly suffer in things perteyning to the body and to this present life or inwardly in conscience For we haue a God which euen in death in hell and in the middes of all our sinnes can saue and deliuer vs. Verse 4. Do wel O Lord vnto them that be good true of hart The Prophet sayth not here doe well Lord to the perfect and such as offend in nothing but to the good true of hart The good and true of heart are they which are of a single sincere and vpright hart For these are they which are most accepted of God although they also through infirmitie doe sometimes offend Now where he prayeth that God will doe wel to the good and godly he meaneth also and secretly complayneth that the godly are in miserie and affliction and that the vngodly do abound with all worldly felicitie As we see at this day the enemies of the Gospel to enioy great riches and dignities whereby they vexe oppresse the godly This is a great offence and stumbling blocke to the godly and therefore the Church hath neede of this prayer that God would doe well vnto the godly which trust in him seeke his glory with their whole hart that they by stumbling at this offence do 〈◊〉 fal away to impietie This prayer conteineth in it a prophecie with a promise that like as he prayeth for the blessing welfare prosperitie of the iust so at the length it shall also come to passe Verse 5. But those that turne aside by their crooked waies the Lord shall leade with the workers of iniquitie but peace shall be vpon Israell He sayth not simply Such as turne aside but such as turne aside by their owne wickednes For to giue place to tentations by infirmitie of the flesh or weakenes of mind or else of faith and so to decline from the right way which commeth to passe sometimes euen in the Sainctes as the example of Peter teacheth is one thing and to fall away through wickednes and peruersenes of heart is another which can not be in the children of God but properly belongeth to the wicked and godles This sort of men hath euer corrupted the Church from the Apostles time and with a shewe of holines hath deceiued the simple which because God punisheth them not but spareth them and suffreth them to prosper in this world become so proud that they will be counted amongest the holiest and of the world are so commonly taken We see that not onely the godly are mixed with the wicked in this world but in the Lords floore also the wheate lyeth hidden vnder the chaffe We must pray therefore that God would bring these hypocrites to light giue vnto them their iust punishment with the workers of iniquitie Then shall peace ensue to the Church of god For whiles the Lord poureth forth his iust vengeance vppon the wicked which vexe and persecute his true members he gathereth togither the good and vpright of heare and openly declareth his fatherly good will and tender loue towards them The .126 Psalme VVhen the Lord brought agayne c. Touching the captiuitie whereof the Prophet speaketh in this Psalme the interpreters doe not agree Some vnderstand it to be means of the captiuities of Babylon some of the captiuitie vnder the Romanes other some doeth take that the Prophete meaneth here all the captiuitie and deliuerances of this people according to that promise Deut. 40. That if they should at any time be ledde into captiuitie for their transgressions and by repentance shoulde returne vnto the Lord he would shew mercy vnto them and bring them home into their land againe But in myne opinion they goe neare to the true sense and meaning of the Psalme which doe referre it to that great general captiuitie of mankind â—nder sinne death and the deuill to the redemption purchased by the death and bloodsheding of Christ and published in the Gospel For this kind of speech which the Prophet vseth here is of greater importance then that it may be applyed onely to these particular captiuities For what great matter was it for this people of the Iewes being as it were but a litle handfull to be deliuered out of temporall captiuitie in comparison of the exceeding and incomparable deliuerance whereby mankinde was sâ—e at libertie from the power of their enemies not temporall but eternall euen from death Satan and hell it selfe Wherefore we take this Psalme to be a prophecy of the redemption that should come by Iesus Christ the publishing of the Gospell whereby the kingdom of Christ is aduaunced death and the deuill with all the powers of darkenes are vanquished This Psalme being thus generally vnderstand may afterward be applyed to euery particular deliuerance Verse 1. VVhen the Lorde bringeth againe the
they will not goe talke eate or drink togither This is a deuilish life Wherefore this exhortation must be diligently learned and exercised that through patience we may endure and ouercome all labours sorowes and vexations beeing contented with this benefite that we knowe this kinde of life to be acceptable vnto the Lord and that in it and by it he will blesse vs Thus with a merry and a cherefull conscience we shall ouercome all troubles and tentations whatsoeuer Verse 3. Thy wife shall be as the fruitefull vine on the sides of thy house thy children like the oliue plantes round about thy table We haue hearde two singular commendations of holy matrimony where the husband the wife doe liue togither in the feare of the Lord walke in his wayes namely that this life is acceptable vnto God and that he will blesse the same Therefore we are here exhorted and encouraged patiently to endure the cares and troubles which God hath allotted to this kind of life to the ende that whiles we are beaten downe humbled and kepte vnder by these troubles the corruption of the fleshe may be mortified and the infirmitie of nature may be healed For where as the idle bellied Monks taught men to sequestre them selues from all labours and trauells and from all worldly busines and to seeke a solitary life where they might liue in all ease and quietnes the Prophet here teacheth that this pleaseth not god But this is it that pleaseth God that we should be tossed with troubles and shaken with tentations knowing that God hath appoynted vs here to suffer labours sorrowes and vexations both actiue and passiue which matrimony bringeth with it He sayth not that we must liue in idlenes and eate the labour of other mens handes as the Popes holy Sainctes those Epicures and delicate Martyrs doe Moreouer I somewhat touched before that Hierome and some other also after him did dispute as touching this Psalme why Dauid commendeth the life of a godly man to be so happy if he haue a wife since that in the holy Scripture there are so many holy men which liued a single life as peraduenture Helias and Helizeus did with other like albeit of these men he can not thus certeynly affirme but Ieremy he may To this I aunswere that the Prophet here meaneth nothing els but to enstruct the godly as touching this kind of life instituted of God and goeth not about to compell all men to marry but teacheth those which are married or entend to marry to know and vnderstand what they haue when they haue wiues so that both the single life and also matrimony may haue their libertie The meaning therfore of the Prophet here is nothing else but to commend and set forth the gift of God and not to compell any man to marry For one and the same spirite hath distributed his gifts to some after one maner and to some after an other We are all in one body and we are all bewtified with one and the same spirite but not after one maner Let them therefore to whome it is giuen to receaue this abyde still in their single life and let them glory in the Lorde On the other side let those that are not so strong but knowe and feele their infirmitie that they can not liue both chast and out of matrimony let these I say consider more their owne infirmitie then the discommodities and troubles that belong vnto matrimony and let them knowe that they haue an excellent remedy created of God for their infirmitie and therefore the Scripture calleth the woman a helper vnto the man Wherefore although we be vnlike in giftes yet let euery one of vs serue God in our gift and calling shewe our selues in all godlines to be the true and faythfull familie of that great and heauenly housholder This is then as I sayde the purpose of the holy Ghost to extoll and magnifie this gift of matrimony since it is so despised in the world and the true prayses thereof are so hid and darkned partly by the corruption of the flesh which can feele nothing but present troubles and partly by the suggestions of the Deuill and sclaunders of the world and yet so notwithstanding that other giftes lose not their commendation Let widowes let virgins abide in their calling The holy Ghost here speaketh nothing of our virgins but of matrimony onely to the ende that they which liue in that state should knowe and acknowledge their gift Now whereas Hierome both vngodly and without all iudgement obiecteth that Abraham Isaac and other Patriarkes married wiues when they were of great yeares and liued many yeres also in matrimony without children and therefore were not blessed according to this Psalme I deny the consequence For Abraham Isaac others were blessed euen before they married wiues or had any children Like as also widowes and virgines which do beleue are baptised are blessed And as touching the Psalme it speaketh of the gift onely compelleth none thereunto but adorneth bewtifieth it with this singular commendation because it is so miserably defaced and contemned in the world The Pope and his Cleargie doe pretend that they eschewe mariage for the loue of chastity But that is false We must beleue S. Paule rather who foretold that they should contemne matrimony being ledde with the spirit of error and not with the loue of chastitie especially seeing they haue made a lawe whereby they forbid matrimony Therefore they speake a lye through hypocrisie when they say that the loue of chastitie is the cause why they abhorre matrimony For neither are they chast neither can they be chast as their abominable life and wicked practises do declare But this doe they that they may liue in ease and securitie and be free from all the cares and troubles of matrimony And againe that through hypocrisie they may winne vnto them selues an opinion of great holines amongst the people and be reuerenced in the worlde as spectacles and very Angells rather then men and so be counted worthy to eate the labour of other mens hands This is the holy that is to say the execrable chastitie of our Papists Munkes Frears Priestes and Nunnes They that after this maner absteyne from matrimony are very Antichristes according to the saying of Daniel who foresheweth that this is a most euident marke of Antichrist that he shall not care for the desire of women The same place doth the ordinary glose also apply vnto Antichrist with these wordes that he shal make a great shewe of chastitie to the ende he may the more easily deceaue We also adde this cause moreouer that they make this glorious pretence of chastity and holines because they would liue in ease and idlenes eschewe the cares and troubles that matrimony bringeth with it which are meete necessary for a godly man if it please God to lay them vpon him Thus ye see that matrimony is a good an
man be blessed that feareth the Lord. For the true seruice of God is to feare God to trust in God and to haue thy whole affiance fixed in him Upon these godly motions of the mind afterwards followeth obedience in our vocation and other thinges which are commaunded of god For all these thinges the feare of God doth comprehend They that feare not God vnderstand nothing hereof neither doeth the holy ghost here speake any thing of them Verse 5. The Lord out of Sion blesse thee that thou maiest see the wealth of Ierusalem all the dayes of thy life Now after these high commendations of matrimony the holy ghoste addeth an excellent prayer wherein he desireth that God would blesse more more this kind of life and that for such married persons he would giue peace and tranquilitie to the common weale Nowe all such prayers haue a promise included that all things shall come to passe as they doe pray Moreouer where he addeth The Lord out of Sion c. he doth it because the worship of God was at that time in Sion Therfore not onely in hart they looked towards that place as before we haue declared but they turned their faces also that way when they prayed because God had promised that he would there dwell and there would receaue the prayers and sacryfices of the people Hereof come these sayinges To pray before the Lord To offer before the Lorde To appeare before the Lord that is to say in the tabernacle wherin was the Arke and the mercy seate to the which God had bounde him self that he would there be found Wherefore they called this place the fortitude the kingdom the Maiestie the glory the bewty and the rest of the Lorde as in the Psalmes and the rest of the Prophets is to be seene After the comming of Christ and the publishing of the Gospel this place had an ende Wherefore we say not now God blesse thee out of Sion or out of his holy temple but through Christ our lord For he is our true mercieseat whereof the mercie-seate of the olde Testament was but a shadowe or a figure For in Christ dwelleth the godhead corporally Therefore when we pray vnto God we desire to be heard in the name of Christe and for Christes sake like as by the example of the olde primatiue Churche publike prayers are all finished with this clause Through Christ our lord But hereof somewhat we haue saide before notwithstanding these thinges can not be spoken of enough For this is true Christian knowledge and wisedome that our cogitations shoulde not be wandring and scattered but gathered to one obiect that is to say vnto Christ For like as in the olde Testament the people was gathered togither vnto the Arke or tabernacle and was not suffered to sacrifice in Dan Bethel Gilgal and other places whiche the wicked Idolaters did choose vnto them selues so now to come vnto the Lorde there is no way to be sought by inuocation of Sainetes or any other kind of worship or workes but by Christ and in Christe alone according to that saying VVhatsoeuer ye shall aske the father in my name he will giue it you For God will no where else be founde or worshipped no not in Heauen but onely in this one person which was borne of the virgine Mary that is in Christe iesu He is the true mercieseate and the certaine throne of the Godhead where the godhead dwelleth and is founde corporally as these sentences of the Gospell doe teach No man commeth vnto the father but by me I am the way the trueth and the life Whoso haue not this obiect their mindes doe wander in infinite errours and opinions as in the example of the religious rable of Munkes Frears and such like it appeareth One order chooseth Frances an other Dominicke an other Benedict and others likewise finde out diuerse other for their Patrones by whose rule as a certaine and vnfallible way they might come vnto life And what did all these Examine their heart and they will all say with one concent that they sought god Nowe they thought God to be such a one in Heauen that if they were couered with a Munkes cowle if they abstayned from fleshe if they lyued without wiues if they touched no money c. then God would heare them and be mercifull vnto them Thus forsaking the true and onely way which is Christe they wandered euery man after his owne way no otherwise then did the Iewes who when they had one certaine way sette before them whereby they might finde God namely if they would goe into the Tabernacle and there worship God there offer sacrifice vnto him they forsooke the onely and true way and ranne to woodes valleyes riuers c. Thus whilest they thought to pacifie and please God they more greeuously offended him as in the Prophetes we may plainely see in diuerse places where God saith that he detested the wayes which they did choose vnto them selues and that he would not be founde of them For why did they not keepe the true and infallible way so plainly set forth and taught by the word of God This haue I spoken to the end we may reade with knowledge that which the Prophet saith here The Lorde out of Sion For he is constrained to make mention of this place for the auoyding of Idolatrie For God did reueale vnto them that in this only place he would be worshipped Wherfore vnder the veile and shadowe of the promise they worshipped Christ also who was included in the promise But now that Sion is destroyed and gone the treasure is opened that is to say Christ who then was hidde in the promise as vnder a veile Wherefore let vs remember that all such places must be applyed vnto Christe Like as also we are taught by experience that in tentations there is no consolation whereby afflicted mindes may be comforted and reysed vp no not in God but that onely which is in christ For it is not onely perilous but also horrible to thinke of God without christ For besides that Satan is then able most easily to oppresse vs with the brightnes of Gods Maiestie there is also great daunger euen in this that God will not so be comprehended or found We must therefore rest and dwell in this only obiect in the which God sheweth vnto vs his will euen Christ. But they which seeke any thing without Christ in their tentations shall feele by their owne perill how daungerous a thing that is But you will say howe doth God now blesse out of Sion any more Euen so that thou shalt see the wealth or prosperitie of Ierusalem that is to say God for the loue he beareth to godly married persons and such as feare God wil giue politiâ—e peace which is a thing most necessary not onely that they may be able the better to prouide for their liuing but also and especially to bring vp their children honestly and in the feare of god And this was
vnderstanding thereof into a fantasie of their owne imagination For the Prophets did know that the true God although he be of him selfe and of his owne nature infinite and incomprehensible was included notwithstanding in the Mercieseat whereunto he had bound him selfe by his word and promise Wherefore although they called him the God of heauen maker of all thinges yet this had they as a more neere proper token of the true God that they knewe him to haue his dwelling in Sion When they prayed therfore vnto God or talked of God they did it according to that forme and maner wherby God had reueiled him self in his word and promises Albeit therefore the Prophet maketh no mention in this place of that tabernacle or promises but semeth to speak vnto God simply and without all respect thereof yet we must vnderstand that he speaketh no otherwise to God then as he is setts forth in his word worship Like as we ought now no otherwise to thinke or speake of God then as he is in our true Mercieseate christ For so Christ himselfe saith vnto Philip He that seeth me seeth my father No man commeth vnto my father but by me When we haue attained this knowledge then may we safely worship God and call vpon him as he is the maker of heauen and earth and so shall we vndoubtedly find him For although of him selfe and when he is not thus reueiled he is vnsearchable and not to be found yet in his word and promises wherein he wrappeth him selfe he will both be found knowne of them that will there seke after him The Iewes therfore praying before the arke worshipped the true God of heauen and earth For God by his worde had promised that he would be there present there would heare the praiers of his people Euen so we likewise loking vnto Christ worshipping him doe worship the true God for he hath reueiled him selfe in christ Therefore Christ saith VVhat so euer yee shall aske the father in my name he will giue it you They therefore that pray vnto God and fasten not their eyes and minds vpon Christ come not vnto God but worship the imaginations of their owne harts in steed of the true God are plaine idolaters For neither wil god be sought nor found nor heare our praiers but in our mercieseat Christ. Wherfore if we wil find God in deede knowe him as we should do with boldnes come vnto him let vs loke vnto Christ according to y saying of S. Iohn He that seeth me seeth my father Thus y word gathereth togither y wandring cogitations of our harts vnto this only person Christ God man to the end we should know that there is or can be found no God without Christ Dost thou not beleue saith he that the father is in me I in him In like maner did the holy Iewes pray vnto God dwelling in Sion That place who so euer neglected although they vsed one and the same kind of worship the same wordes in prayer which they did notwithstanding they committed idolatrie because they did contrary to this commaundement namely that he would be worshipped in Ierusalem This is then a general rule to be obserued in all the Psalmes in the whole Scriptures that in the olde Testament there was no God but in Sion or in the place of the tabernacle and that all prayers were made vnto God sitting betwene the Cherubins Nowe when this temple was destroyed God set vp an other temple in the which he would be sought serued and worshipped Without this temple there is no God but the deuill in steede of God is there both sought and founde and therefore men fall either into desperation if they haue an euil conscience or else through hypocrisie into presumption as did the Idolatrous Iewes and as our Papistes now doe most arrogantly presuming of their owne righteousnes Hereunto doe these and such like sentences of the Psalmes the Prophets apperteine I lift vp mine eyes vnto the mountaines Again The Lorde out of Sion blesse thee In like maner are all such other sentences also to be vnderstand wherin is added no manifest signification of the place or of the temple as in this place Out of the depth haue I called vnto thee O Lord. He doth not here cal the Lord absolutely the maker of heauen earth as the Turks also do but the same God which dwelleth in Sion whose word promises they had amongs them that he would there receaue heare their prayes The Prophet resteth therefore wholy onely in the assured confidence of y free mercy grace of God but of that God which was in Sion which said vnto Satan I will put enmitie betwene thee and the seede of the woman For God will not be sought by our deuises Which if we shoulde doe what should we need then the word To what end was the law why was Christ reueiled Behold our aduersaries the papists wherunto they are come They pray much They recite Psalmes often They say Pater noster qui es in caelis c. But becaâ—se they contemne the worde yea and persecute it also with might and maine therefore vnder these good wordes they mainteine plaine idolatrie So hapneth it also to the Turkes euen then when they say they worship the liuing God the maker of heauen and earth For this cause I do so often admonish you that without Christ ye should shut your eyes and stoppe your eares and say ye knowe no God besides him which was in the lappe of the virgine Marie and suckt her breastes Where this God Christ Iesus is there is God wholy there is the whole diuinitie there is the father and the holy Ghost Without this Christ there is no god I haue known many in the kingdom of Antichrist which seeking to comprehend God by mans speculations haue horribly perished and if God through his inestimable mercie had not deliuered me from this tentation I had also fallen headlong into destruction Albeit the Prophet as I sayd maketh here no expresse mention of the temple yet shal ye see how in this psalme he wrappeth the promise concerning christ For this is the whole argument of this Psalme that there is no saluation no grace no iustification but in that God which forgiueth sinnes And is this God any other then the same which sayd vnto the Serpent The seede of the woman shall bruse thy head Therefore he taketh God here as a promise maker and sheweth that Christ was promised of the father to be a sacrifice for the sinnes of the world And here the Prophete setteth foorth vnto vs a principall poynt of doctrine touching Christian righteousnes Christian wisedom and the glory of christ These thinges Dauid treateth of euen then when the law was in his full strength and leapeth ouer the boundes of the law into Paradise or rather into the very heauen of grace mercie For why should I not
extremitie of his tentation The minde oppressed with terrour and desperation can not pray so long as such desperate assaultes doe endure but bursteth out rather into blasphemy murmuring against God and can not thinke wel or reuerently of god But when the extremitie of the conflict is past theÌ„ beginneth this crying vnto God and this vehement desire which the mind before oppressed with anguish and sorrowe could scarsely once feele It helpeth an afflicted conscience also very much as I haue said to heare some faithfull brother with comfortable exhortation counsel out of the word of God saying on this wise Brother why art thou so heauy harted Doest thou not heare that God will not the death of a sinner hast thou forgotten that God commaundeth thee to beleeue in him to trust in him Looke vpon the first commaundement What is it what requireth it else but that we shoulde worship God in faith and hope Why then shouldest thou not trust in his gooâ—nes and mercie Why shouldest thou despaire This is to heape sinne vpon sinne and whereas thou wast a sinner before in the second table and in the inferior degre of the commaundements of God now thou settest thy selfe in the firste table also and in the highest degree adding to thy other sinnes desperation and incredulitie c. When the heauy and troubled conscience is thus earnestly stirred vp to a stedfast hope and trust in God and to the consideration of Gods great mercie and goodnes towardes the penitent and afflicted then beginneth to arise some sparke of faith and groning of the harte bursting out into these or the like wordes Oh that I could These vnspeakeable gronings the spirite helpeth and at the length there followeth some feeling of relese comfort For God can not reiect or neglect these gronings Of these gronings we see a shadowe as it were in the first verses But why doest thou grone why art thou heauie Harken what followeth Verse 3. If thou Lorde wilt streitly marke what is done amisse O Lord who may abide it This verse in our diuinitie is well knowne neither doe I seee how either our aduersaries or Satan him selfe can auoyde it For what can they say or what haue we here that may moue vs any way to doubt As for Dauid it is witnessed of him that he was a man after Gods owne hart and in deede he is a singular example to all posteritie in all kind of godlines For although through the murther of Vrias and his adultery with Barsabe he is not with out reproch yet how great was his humilitie when the Prophete reproued him and how feruent was his faith when he raysed him vp againe Beholde moreouer his singular patience in affliction his carefull and continuall trauell for the amplifying and adnauncing of the kingdome of God of the true seruice and worship of god What should I say more Dauid hath not many fellowes whether ye consider his life and his faith or the witnes pronounced of him by the Lorde him selfe and yet he notwithstanding so excellent and so holy a man is compelled plainely to confesse his imperfection saying If thou Lorde wilte straitly marke what is done amisse O Lord who may abide it Is not this then absolutely to deny all the righteousnes puritie holines of men what so euer they be Likewise in the 31. Psalme thus he speaketh euen of those whom he calleth godly and holy For this shal euery one that is godly pray vnto thee that is for pardon and forgiuenes of their sinnes Where are they then that so highly extoll the righteousnes of workes seeing that Dauid him selfe in the sight of God simply renounceth and reiecteth his workes and all manner of righteousnes and onely desireth that the Lord would not streitly marke his iniquities But in deede our aduersaryes talke now somwhat more moderately in this matter then heretofore they haue done For they doe not now deny that faith iustifieth but yet they say that that faith which iustifieth must be furnished with charitie Thus like pies parrets they chatter and prate that they them selues doe not vnderstand But furnish faith how so euer ye list yet is this a general sentence If thou Lord wilt straitly mark what is done amisse O Lord who who may abide it Surely no man liuing For if any man had bene able to abide it then Dauid no doubt had bene able being so holy a man so perfect in the word of the Lorde so often and so many wayes exercised and tryed with afflictions to confirme and stablish him in faith and in the feare of the Lorde For I doe not thinke that emongest all the Papistes there is any one so impudent that will not thinke him selfe farre inferiour to Dauid and yet Dauid saith that righteousnes commeth not by workes For sayth he If thou wilt marke what is done amisse no man shall bee able to abide it or to stande in thy sight O Lorde Wherefore let no man trust that by his owne merites or righteousnes he shall be able to stande against the terror of death and the iudgement of god Neither doe I suppose that emongest our aduersaries there is any suche as dare presume to enter into the iudgement of God trusting vpon his owne righteousnes and yet they teach commaund and exhort other so to doe But we teach a contrary doctrine leading the Church from this false trust to a trust and confidence in the merite and death of Christ and for this cause they condemne vs as heretikes Is not this extreme malice They will not doe them selues that they teach other to doe For when death coÌ„meth they dare not trust to their owne merits and yet will they force other so to doe or most cruelly condemne them for heretikes Thus we are taught by the experience of all such as are not vtterly voyd of vnderstanding that no man liuing ouercommeth by his owne works or righteousnes in Gods sight and yet the whole nature of man when it is not vnder tentation still looketh vnto workes and seeketh meanes how it may by them please god But here is set forth vnto vs a simple and a plaine doctrine If thou Lord will marke what is done amisse none shall be able to abide it Who would then desire to enter into iudgement that he may be ouercome condemned cast away for euer This is therefore the summe and effect of all togither that we all Dauid Peter Paule c. were borne that we are that we liue and we die sinners But this is our glory our health and safetie that when by the Gospel we be instructed of the mercie of God and merite of Christ we leape ouer the boundes of the lawe and out of our owne workes as it were into an other world and into a newe light and comming vnto God with boldnes we say O Lorde we can not contend with thee in iudgement we can not dispute with thee as touching our
Forsoth to set forth vnto vs what they are against whome he fighteth and to giue a further light to the former sentence by setting forth the contrary As if he should say I haue learned by experience O Lord why there is mercie with thee why of right thou mayst chalenge this title vnto thy selfe that thou art merciful and forgiuest sinnes For in that thou shuttest all vnder mercy and leauest nothing to the merites and workes of men therefore thou art feared But if all things were not shut vp vnder thy mercy or that we coulde take away sinnes by our owne power no man woulde feare thee but the whole world would proudly cōtemne thee For daily experience doth witnesse that wheresoeuer this knowledge of the free mercie of God is not there men walke in the presumption of their owne merites Behold the religious man but especially the Minorite which kind of men I haue alwayes abhorred aboue others for their intolerable pride He because he hath a rule and a lawe wherunto he must frame his life liueth without all true feare of God walketh in great securitie Uery fewe there be which come to the true knowledge of sinne or haue any feeling of desperation For they that feele desperation are glad to heare that there is mercie with the lord But these men doe persecute this doctrine of mercy free grace and forgiuenes of sinnes with fire and sword For the nature of the law is this that it maketh men proud presumptuous and contemners of grace as Paule notably setteth foorth in the Iewes Rom. 2. Thou art called a Iewe and restest in the lawe and gloriest in God c. They that are such are not moued with the authoritie of the Apostles nor with the miracles of Christ raising vp the dead to life but are as vnsensible as stones For in this securitie they are not onely ignorant what this propitiation and this mercie is but also they persecute the same Such therefore do commit a double sinne more greeuous then the Publicanes and our Sauiour Christ sayth well of them Harlots and Publicanes shall enter before you into the kingdom of heauen For they are easily perswaded that they are sinners and that they haue need of the free mercie of God forgiuenes of sinnes But contrariwise Annas Caiphas the other Pharises whē they heare these things doe laugh and girne thereat can not abide to be taught of any Now for as much as perteineth vnto them both the Lord hath decreed that righteousnes should not be estemed according to our workes but simply according to mercie the remission of sinnes For if righteousnes should come of workes or of the law then eyther desperation must needes follow if the law be not perfectly obserued or else presumption if it be obserued In desperation there is greater feare then should be in presumption there is no feare at all Therefore the meane betwene them both is this that God shutteth vp al vnder mercy Notwithstanding he taketh not away the law For without the law this life can not continue In what a miserable state should the common wealth be if murthers adulteries and robberies should be committed permitted without punishment or execution of law Moreouer the workes and exercises of the godly must be guided ordered by the word of god For this purpose God will haue the law to continue and accounteth it for an holy obedience in those that doe beleue But as touching sinne he commaundeth that we should cast away all trust and confidence in the law and put our trust onely in the mercie of God set foorth vnto vs in Christ Iesus crucified for our sinnes By this meanes presumption is taken away and feare remaineth not such a feare as is in the desperate but such as we see in good and well nurtered children towardes their parents No Monke therefore shall be saued because of his order or strait life I likewise shal not be saued because I preach Christ with carefull diligence faithfull endeuour The Prince is not saued because he faithfully gouerneth and defendeth his subiectes But as touching the Monke you may easily proue this to be true For that kind of life is altogither contrary to the word of god But to teach and instruct the Churches to gouerne the common wealth are in deede most holy and excellent works and yet are they the works of the law which of them selues bring either desperation or presumption Wherefore though these works be neuer so perfect and holy yet is there no saluation but in this alone that there is mercie with the Lord that he may be feared Wherefore God hath iustly shut vp al vnder sinne that he may haue mercie vpon all For if you leaue any thing to the nature of man wherby he may deserue the fauour of God no man will feare or worship God but all men will come vnto God as the Monkes doe with their abstinence prayer obedience and such like But by this meanes God is lost and the idoll of mans hart is worshipped in steede of God. For whiles the Monke thinketh to please God with his hempten girdle wherwith he ought rather to be hanged vp vpon a tree then girded whiles he thinketh by the obseruation of other traditions to please God doth he not depart from the true God set his owne imaginations in the stede of God whiles he is perswaded that God thinketh the same that he imagineth Of the righteousnes of the lawe therefore followeth plaine idolatrie which imagineth a strange God and loseth the true god For the true God is propitiation and mercie through christ But such as glory in their works would make their works propitiatory and auaileable to deserue grace Wherfore God reiecteth all workes and setteth forth his naked and bare mercy that he may be feared and not contemned of the presumptuous hereby taking away all cause of presumption Let vs learne then out of this verse or this general proposition that when the doctrine of the remission of sinnes of grace or propitiation is lost it followeth that in steede thereof Idolatrie must needes reigne For take away grace the feare of God also as the Prophet saith must needes followe And what is it else to feare God but to reuerence to worship God also to acknowledge that he is ful of mercy goodnes therefore to obey him This God did I lose when I was a Monke and walked in the confidence of mine owne righteousnes For by experience I am able to proue that of the most perfect righteousnes of the law there can nothing else followe but either desperation which is more seldom or presumption which is more common For the nature of man and the deuill can not beware but they must needes presume Thou wilt say then Shall we not keep the law shall we not doe good workes yes verily we are bound to doe them For God therfore hath a church
in the world therfore hath he ordained common wealths societies families that in no place there should be wanting occasion of wel doing But who is he that when he hath done these things to the vttermost of his power seeth not how much impuritie vncleānes remaineth especially if he should bring his workes forth into the sight presence of god Wherfore our redēption consisteth wholy and alonely in the mercie of God which we apprehend by faith in christ And we which through workes are vnprofitable seruauntes through grace which is giuen by Iesus Christ are made children Ioh. 1. So the true feare true worship true reuerence yea and the true knowledge of God resteth onely in mercie in that we assuredly trust that God through Christe is mercifull vnto vs To this seruice of God desperation and presumption are more contrary then fire and water But because the law bringeth either desperation or presumption therefore it followeth that by the law there is neither righteousnes nor true worship of god Notwithstanding the law conteined in the x. commaundements must be kept For he that ruleth must rule with diligence and he that is a subiect must obey There is emongst men a difference of degrees and persons Notwithstanding all do owe a reuerence and obedience vnto God and with faithfull diligence must doe what in them lyeth But because these are workes of the law we are by them no better then seruaunts and for them we receiue a reward of promise couenant But by grace we are made children heires of the kingdom The works then that follow do not make vs heires and children but are doone of heires and children as a witnes of thanks giuing and obedience Wherfore I cōmend vnto you these consequences that where no mercie is there is no God Also where no God is there is no mercie Likewise where is no mercie there is no feare or worship of God Yea there remaineth nothing but idolatrie and the righteousnes of workes These things whiles the law and nature doe rule and reigne can not otherwise be Wherefore all Poperie all Mahomatisme Iudaisme and Monkery with such like what so euer which doth not know and vnderstand and this propitiation this mercy is nothing before God but plaine Idolatrie albeit in shew it seemeth neuer so glorious For without the mercyseate there can be no feare of God but mere presumption Christian doctrine therefore doth not deny good works as our aduersaryes falsly and maliciously report of vs but it teacheth that God wil not straitly marke our iniquities but this he requireth that we beleeue and trust in his mercye because there is mercie with him that he may be feared and continue our god Who so euer then doe beleeue that God is mercifull and forgiueth sinnes for Christes sake doe yeelde a reasonable seruice vnto God they strive not with God about the law workes and righteousnes but casting away all trust and confidence in them selues do feare him because of his mercie and so are made children which doe receiue the holy Ghost and beginne to doe the lawe Of this doctrine the practises and exhortations doe now follow Verse 5. I waite on the Lord my soule waiteth and I put my trust in his word Here is plenty of words and yet nothing superfluous for they helpe to amplifie and set forth the matter more liuely First he setteth forth him selfe in this Psalme for an example of that doctrine which he desireth to be preserued and reteyned in the Church and he prayeth that he may be heard After this obteyning mercie he perceaueth that he was heard Nowe therefore he addeth moreouer an exhortation whereby he stirreth vp him selfe constantly to perseuere in this knowledge of grace and not to suffer him selfe by any meanes to be ledde away from the same As if he sayd I know that there is mercie with the lord This principall article I haue in some part now learned and some experience I haue had thereof in my selfe Now this remaineth for me to doe euen to waite vpon the Lord that is to trust in the Lord constantly to continue in this knowledge that I may find comfort consolation in that mercie which by experience I haue proued to be with the Lord and that I may hold fast this hope of mercie for euer The Prophet sheweth moreouer in this place how easily men are caried away from this knowledge to contentions and disputations either publikely or priuately When we tooke vpon vs the defence of true and sincere doctrine and were in a goodly forwardnes thereof at the first we were much troubled with seditious persons with Anabaptistes and other sectaries With these spirites whiles we contended our former exercise and diligence in setting forth this doctrine was almost forgotten For the truth is not lost by teaching but by disputing and contending And this euil commeth by disputations and contentions that the mindes of men are thereby as it were profaned and being caried away with the heat thereof they neglect those thinges which most of all they ought to regard So Eue in Paradise as long as she stoocke to the commaundement of God endured constantly But when she was moued by the Serpent to reason and doubt of the counsel of God concerning the forbidden fruite she was ledde away from the word and fell from god Moreouer Satan knoweth that the gates of hell are not able to ouerthrow this doctrine Therefore he laboureth by subtile and indirect meanes to bring that to passe which directly and plainly he dare not attempt He stirreth vp troubles and contentions in the Church which when with godly zeale we goe about to represse he wrappeth vs also in troubles before we beware and by litle and litle he leadeth vs from the care and consideration of this doctrine We must fight against heresies and heretikes I graunt but yet so that we be not wholy occupied therein and so forget or neglect this doctrine This daunger Dauid expresseth in setting forth his owne example so effectually As if he sayd It is a hard matter to abide stedfastly in this doctrine This shall be therefore my onely care and endeuour euen to wait vpon the Lord and to beware that this doctrine be not taken from me by any meanes Where he sayth My soule waiteth it is a proper speech of the Hebrewes and is as much to say as with my whole hearte I wayte or will wayte vppon the Lorde for it is an amplification of the former wordes He sayth not onely that he will wayte on the Lorde but he addeth moreouer with my whole hart I will wayte to signifie the vehement desire he hath that this doctrine might be preserued and mainteyned But this specially is to be marked which followeth I put my trust in his word The Iewes the Pope and other heretikes say that they also doe trust But they leaue the worde and followe their owne imaginations This may be
coÌ„strained to confesse that we haue many waies offeÌ„ded against that law it can not be but that certaine desperation must needs follow except Christ as a tender â—ouing mother giue vnto vs that dugge of grace reise vp our oppressed afflicted soules So Iudas was driuen to the halter by the sight of his sinne For there is no remedy wherby the seely conscience tormented with sinne can be healed but this alone to beleue as the former Psalme teacheth that with the Lord there is mercy plentifull redemption This is the voice of the Gospel which must follow the law wherunto also there is a way prepared by the law For like as our sinnes must be reproued accused so the terror which this accusation bringeth hath need of consolation Wherefore the true consolation and the true propitiation which is sette forth in the Gospell perteineth to true sinnes which driue a man downe to hell vnlesse they be cured by the mercie of God set forth vnto vs in christ For mercie pertaineth not to fained sinnes but to true sinnes which kill and condemne the soule This order therefore is to be obserued that when we glorie or presume of our selues and become secure then should the lawe and Moises come with his bright shining face which our weaknes can not abide yet notwithstanding it can not auoyd the same Now after that the lawe and Moises haue done their office in this sort by accusing the conscience and threatening the iudgemence of God for sinne and punishment for the same then is there place and opportunitie for Christ to come with the dugge of grace to comfort and refresh the wayned child crying for sucke and seeking the mothers breast Wherefore this is an excellent similitude which setteth forth vnto vs first our owne weakenes namely that there is in vs no strength at all whereby we may be able to withstande Satan and to heale our wounded conscience then also the mercie of God and power of his word whereby he susteyneth and nourisheth vs as a mother nourisheth her childe with milke stilleth it and kepeth it from crying So the Gospell is both the wombe of God in the which we are caried formed and fashioned by the spirit of Christ and also it is the dugge wherby we are nourished fed Wherfore if we once lose this dugge we are as children wayned from the mothers brest Some thinke them selues highly learned in these matters and that they know them wel enough But take ye heede and beware of this presumption Recken your selues in the number of scholers and learners For Satan is so craftie that he can easily take away this distinction and force vppon vs in steede of the Gospell the law and againe in steede of the lawe the Gospel For how often commeth it to passe that poore and miserable consciences in the agony of death lay hold vpon certain sentences of the Gospel which doe in deede pertaine vnto the lawe and thereby lose the sweete comfort and consolation of the Gospell As for example If thou wilt enter into life keepe the commaundements Again Not euery one that sayth Lord Lord shall enter into the kingdom of heauen With such sentences poore and seely consciences are so brused and broken that they can see nothing but what they haue done and what they ought to haue done Also what God requireth and what he forbiddeth These things whiles troubled afflicted consciences doe beholde they forget what so euer Christ hath done or God by Christ hath promised to do for our comfort Wherfore let no man presume of the fulnes and perfection of his knowledge in these matters In wordes this distinction is easie to be made but in death and daungers we finde how vnable we are to play the good Logicians when we must dispute of the thinges which we haue done or ought to haue done when the lawe obiecteth in this maner against vs This hath God commaunded thee to do and thou hast not done it but hast done the contrary Wherfore thou shalt be damned according to the sentence of the lawmaker Here he that is a good Logician putteth a difference betwene the law and the Gospel and graunteth that in deede he hath not kept the law Notwithstanding saith he vppon this antecedent or former proposition doth not followe this consequence that I should therefore despaire and be damned For the Gospel commaundeth me to beleue in Christ and to trust vnto the workes the merites and the righteousnes of christ He that vnderstandeth this and taketh holde on this brest or dugge of the Gospel is safe and is sure of the victory but he that apprehendeth it not muste needes perish and despaire In this doctrine therefore touching our righteousnes before God there is great daunger We must not presume therefore but walke in feare humilitie For if presumption in politike worldly matters when men are proude of their riches power or wisedom is not without daunger in diuine matters it is much more dangerous yea most daungerous and damnable and yet notwithstanding there it reigneth most of all For Satan commeth to the children of God and laboureth with all might and subtiltie to bring them to presumption and securitie Wherefore they must fight continually against this hidde and lurking poyson and aboue all thinges they muste beware that they flatter not them selues as though they knew well enough the distinction of the lawe and the Gospell In deede thou mayst knowe it but consider wel whether thou hast sure hold thereof so that it cannot be wrested from thee by Satan thine owne conscience Paule plainely confesseth that he hath not yet attained to this knowledge but followeth it as one running in the race and pressing towards the marke So it goeth with vs all We turne our face vnto the marke and this is the race wee runne that we may attaine vnto the marke But that will not be vntill this flesh be put of and layed in the earth Wherefore in the meane season let vs walke in feare and humblenes of harte with hartie prayer that the light which he hath opened vnto vs he will not suffer to be put out but that he will dayly lighten our mindes and make perfecte the worke which he hath begunne in vs Thus who so doe not shall be ouerwhelmed and oppressed with desperation and shall be like vnto children that are wayned and put a parte from their mothers breastes Verse 3. Let Israell wait on the Lord or trust in the Lord from henceforth and for euer This verse sheweth plainly that the Prophet speaketh here of that presumption which is contrary to faith and is called the presumption of mans owne righteousnes Therefore he exhorteth the faithfull to trust in the Lord and withall to abide in humilitie to mortifie that trust and confidence which man hath in the lawe and in his owne righteousnes This shall ye doe saith he if ye trust in the Lord not onely
against an other but there was one temple one Arke one altar and no more Like as we haue one Christ in whom God dwelleth and in whom he is found Therefore by an excellent name and title he calleth it the Arke of strength that is to say of the kingdom Likewise he sayth Psal. 110. The Lord shal send the scepter or rodde of thy power out of Sion Also Psal. 8. Out of the mouthes of babes and sucklings hast thou ordeyned strength So is that called the Arke of strength where God mightely reigneth where he helpeth and defendeth his people where he exerciseth his power for their succour and safety in hearing them in forgiuing their sinnes in comforting them against Satan death and hell it selfe This diuine power sayth he is bound to this Arke and therefore it is truely called the Arke of strength This strength and this power was also bound to the Altars of the fathers but now it is bound to the man borne of the virgine Marie To this man who so euer commeth shall feele a diuine power If he dye he shall find life If his conscience be oppressed with sinne he shall finde remission of sinnes If he be tormented of Satan he shall find peace If he be vexed of the world he shall find securitie and victorie For Christ whose kingdom it is doth not therefore reigne that he may enrich vs with worldly goods landes and possessions for these are promised vnto vs in the first of Genesis but that he may set forth his diuine power and rich mercie and set vs free from those calamities out of the which we are not able to redeme our selues Like as he deliuered the faithfull in those dayes from all daungers For the Arke was vnto them as an heauen where they found deliuerance from all miseries as the people was the kingdom and the faithfull were the â—tarres of heauen Therefore Daniel sayth of Antiochus that he should cast downe starres to the ground For whereso euer the word of God is there is the kingdom of God of heauen of life of victorie ouer death sinne and all miseries Thus ought the word which of the world is contemned and despised to be exalted and magnified Verse 9. Let thy Priestes be clothed with righteousnes and lee thy Sainctes reioyce This petition is the same which we vse in our preachings when we desire that the Lorde would giue vnto vs godly faythfull ministers of the worde and suffer no euill teachers to haue place among vs For God in his kingdome is like vnto an Emperour Wherefore as the noble men and chiefe Magistrates are Ministers vnto the Emperour and are the principall part of his kingdom so in the kingdom of Christ are the Angells of peace or the ministers of the Gospel They therefore which pray for the kingdom of God must needes pray that the Lord would giue faithfull Pastours and Ministers as he him selfe commaundeth saying The haruest is great Pray the Lord of the haruest that he would send forth laborers into his haruest The labour and trauell of these workmen is to communicate doctrine consolation threatnings c. and to minister the Sacramentes That these thinges may be rightly done the labourers must needes be clothed with righteousnes and not onely with that righteousnes which belongeth to euery man and is not without corruption but specially with that righteousnes which belongeth to the ministery and to the word which is pure and without all corruption This is that righteousnes whereby the kingdome of Christ is gouerned that is to say the word and the Sacraments Moreouer the Pastors and Ministers of the word are then clothed with righteousnes when they execute a righteous office that is when they teach the word sincerely as Peter sayth If any man speake let him speake as the wordes of God. Also when they minister the Sacraments purely and without corruption so that whatsoeuer they doe or speake be either the word or the work of god So he that baptiseth doth no worke of his owne but he baptiseth in the power of god Likewise he that comforteth the afflicted conscience doth it not of him selfe but by the direction of the worde and will of god Wherefore he also that heareth this worde must not take it as the worde of a man but as a voyâ—s sounding from heauen So the ministery is righteous which is truely executed in the power of God and this is true righteousnes Contrariwise they which teach men to trust to their owne merites works and worthines and prescribe a certaine forme of apparell of eating of fasting and such like wherein all the righteousnes of the Papistes and the Turkes doth consist such Priests I say are clothed with iniquitie For they haue lost the chiefe ornament and the true apparell of their ministery because they doe not teach rightly nor gouerne truely but seduce men rather with a false shew of their gouernment ministery and that by the malice motion of Satan which hateth this heauenly ministery and peruerteth the ministers The summe and effect therefore of this prayer is that they which attend vpon the Arke of strength may gouern righteously that religion may continue and flourish that the word may be effectuall and bring forth frute that terrified and afflicted consciences may be raysed vp and comforted that secure profane and presumptuous persons may be beaten downe with threatnings and the terrour of Gods wrath that the weake may be strengthened that the simple and ignorant may be instructed Which thinges by the grace of Christe are diligently and faithfully done in our Church And let thy Sainctes reioyce Here we see that God is not delited with the heauines vnquietnes and vexation of conscience which sinne and the feare which naturally followeth sinne is wont to bring but with a chereful hart Seeing therefore that there be two kingdoms namely the kingdome of death and the kingdome of life or the kingdom of hell and of heauen he desireth here that the faithfull may be kept in the kingdom of life enioy the peace and comfort of conscience which the righteous ministery of the Pastors and Preachers of the word bringeth With this prayer agreeth that prayer of the Apostles wherewith they begin their Epistles Grace be with you and peace from God the father c. Grace is the remission of sinnes After this grace followeth peace or a good conscience which here he calleth a reioycing Let thy Sainctes reioyce saith he that is let thy people togither with the Pastors and Ministers hearing the word of the righteous ministery be ioyfull triumph in that word He calleth them Sainctes or holy because of the vse of the word and the ministery which are holy So the Iewes are called holy because as before I haue said there were emonges that people which had the arke and the word of God which were holy thinges in deede and did sanctifie
was accomplished it was so stablished by the word that notwithstanding it had a certeyne condition annexed vnto it Therefore many wicked Kinges with all their families neglecting this condition were vtterly destroyed and others succeeded them so that the temporall kingdom endured after a sort vntill the most holy one the King of Kings came who hath continued this kingdom vntill this day and shall doe for euer This condition therefore is added to beate downe proud and presumptuous spirites And if he sayd This promise as touching Christ will I accomplish and will vndoutedly establish the throne vnto my seruant Dauid but doe not ye whiche in the meane time sit in this throne and gouerne this kingdome presume of the promise and thinke that ye can not erre or that God will winke at your errors and not rather condemne and seuerely punish them Therefore either gouerne your kingdome according to my word or else I wil roote you out and destroy you for euer This promise he now amplifieth and setteth forth more at large Verse 13. For the Lord hath chosen Sion and loueth to dwell in it saying This is an amplyfication of the promise As if he saide Ye haue that promise But doe your indeuour that ye may become righteous and keepe my couenant shewing your selues obedient vnto my voice Then shall this kingdome endure and I will dwel with you and wil replenish you with all maner of blessinges both corporall and spirituall Here of a singular purpose he vseth the same word which Moses vsed Deut. 16.26 In the place which the Lord thy God shall choose to place his name there For at the beginning there was no certaine place appointed wherin the tabernacle should remain but it wandred not onely from place to place but also from tribe to tribe as Ephraim Manasses Dan c. Moreouer by this word hath chosen he ouerthroweth all kindes of worship and religion of mans owne deuising and choosing whereof there was an infinite number among the Iewes For thus they thought If it be lawful for the Priests to cary the tabernacle from one place to an other why may not we also do sacrifice in moe places then one This was plaine and grosse idolatrie For seeing that God did bind him selfe to the Mercieseate by his worde namely that there he would be and there he would be found therefore it was idolatrie to beleue that he was any where else or to seeke him in any other place Therefore when the people did deuise or choose any kind of worship which God had not chosen we see howe sharpely the Prophets did reproue them For there is nothing which God so much detesteth as to admitte or appointe for the seruice of God that which he hath not commaunded Wherefore election or choise belongeth not vnto vs but we must yeelde obedience to the voice of the Lorde Else shall that happen vnto vs which Ieremy threateneth That they haue chosen will I reiect These thinges destroy and confound the inuentions the deuises and deuotions the false and counterfet religions which we haue seene in the Papacie For whereas some gaue them selues to this order of religion some to that whereas they had certaine daies of abstinence certaine meates certaine Sainctes to call vppon and such other like if ye aske who commanded all these thinges their owne conscience will constraine them to aunswere that they were in deede of their owne choosing and their own deuising But this is to serue not God but Satan For God is not serued but when that is done which he hath commaunded Wherefore election or choise as I said pertaineth not to vs but to God alone but obedience belongeth to vs so that what God hath commaunded that must we doe Moreouer the word of Choosing beateth downe all confidence and presumption of workes For if he should say I giue vnto you Sion for a reward or this doe I to requite or to recompence you it were as much as if he said this doe I in respect of your desert But when he saith I haue chosen Sion according to myne owne will he sheweth that he doth it without all respect of merites so that he both condemneth all counterfet religion and all coÌ„fidence of merite For voluntary worshippings and chosen religions perteine to the deuils diuinitie And it helpeth vs nothing that they are chosen of a good intent For there is no good intent which is grounded vppon our owne iudgement and not vpon the word of God which ought to be the groundworke of all good intents For he onely intendeth well which knoweth that he is constrained to do this thing or that by the word of god This word who so hath not although he seeme in all things as holy as an Angel beware of him and auoid him as a deadly poyson This is a most certaine and infallible rule for vs to follow which if we doe we shall neuer be deceiued if we demaund whether God hath required of vs or commauÌ„ded this thing or that For he approueth nothing as good in his sight which he hath not chosen And this briefly as touching the word of Choosing I thought good to note Verse 14. This is my rest for euer here will I dwell for I haue a delite therein This is a singular promise and such as God neuer made in any other place Hereof Esay and the other Prophets seeme to gather that Ierusalem should endure for euer that is vntil the Messias should come who should make of a temporall an eternall Ierusalem As also the Angell sayth vnto Marie that Christ should sitte vpon the throne of his father Dauid for euer And here marke the sequele of this promise Ierusalem at this day is destroyed and gone and yet this promise doth plainly shew that this shall be the seate of the Lord for euer Wherefore it followeth as an infallible consequence that he is come which hath established this kingdom for euer For whereas it was destroyed in the captiuitie of Babylon yet notwithstanding there were certaine remnants reserued The time also was appoynted howe long the captiuitie should continue And moreouer there were yet both Kinges and Priestes remaining emongst them But now there is none of all these thinges as before we haue declared This is therefore a notable promise that this Ierusalem shall be the seate and throne of the Lorde for euer and shall neuer be abolished The Iewes presuming of this promise did crucifie Christ and committed all iniquitie For they thougâ—t it not possible that Ierusalem should be destroyed because of the promise which it had that it should remaine for euer But we haue heard that these thinges were promised conditionally to witte If they should keepe the couenant of the Lord and his testimonies Ierusalem therfore continued vnto the comming of Christ. Afterward it was plagued for sinne as other wicked cities and kingdomes were In like maner the Prophets doe certainly promise that the Gospel should come
holy place must offer vp pure and holy prayers So saith S. Paule also lifting vp pure hands c. for else ye shall pray in vaine Pure hands signifie innocencie from blood extortion spoile robbery The Prophet therfore setteth forth here two sortes of men comming to the temple praying Some there be that come and pray in innocencie and holines Some againe pray in hipocrisie hauing their hands defiled with blood The prayer of such is sinne as the Psalme sayth Paul teacheth in like maner concerning prayer Pray saith he without wrath or doubting Also our Sauiour Christ saith If thou bring thy gift to the altar and there remembrest that thy brother hath ought against thee goe thy way and first be reconciled to thy brother and then come and offer thy gift For this is a common thing that hypocrites when they haue done all the iniury they can against their brethren are not only without all remorse of coÌ„science but also they make a great shew of religion and holines bragge of the Gospell more then the true Christians doe Against these the psalme speaketh warneth them that when they pray in the holy place they ought to be pure holy For who so euer praieth is possessed with the sinne of couetousnes fleshly lust or any other deuil to him the Lord sayth VVhat hast thou to do to declare mine ordinances that thou shouldest take my couenant in thy mouth seeing thou hatest to be reformed and hast cast my words behinde thee For when thou seest a theefe thou runnest with him thou art partaker with the adulterers c. Such was the prayer of the Pharisey which departed out of the temple vniustified For this is a common euil among men that they which are most impure wicked doe glory more of God his word then such as are godly feare God in deede Wherfore the Scripture expresly declareth that such there be as take the name of God in their mouths and yet in hart life are polluted and wicked And in this place the prophet inueyeth against hipocriets whiche thinke that when they pray God seeth not the vncleannes of their hart This is therfore a necessary prayer the first God would giue vnto vs his word defend the same against all vaine spirits heresies and secondly that he would preserue vs in innoceÌ„cie keepe vs from hipocrisie Verse 3. The Lord that hath made heauen earth blesse thee out of Sion As touching Sion we haue sayd before that God would haue not only certeine ceremonies certeine persons but also a certein place for his seruice worship lest the people should wander vncerteinly and choose vnto them selues peculiar places to worship God in Now for as much as this thing was not without offence for what can be more absurd and contrary to reason then that the God of heauen and earth should be shut vppe in that darkenes therefore to confirme their mindes herein he sayth that the Lord which dwelleth in Sion is the maker of heauen and earth This haue we often declared and necessary it is that it should be often repeted lest we should chose vnto our selues straunge and peculiar kindes of worship For as in the olde Testament there was a certaine place certeine persons and certeine times to the which God had bound as you would say his seruice so we in the newe Testament do find the father in christ In Christ the father is worshipped but without Christ he can neither be worshipped nor found but what so euer is deuised for the seruice of God without Christ is damnable and accursed The summe and effect therefore of all togither is this O ye Priestes ye Pastors and Ministers of the word to you I speake you I do admonish that ye follow the word faithfully and do your office purely For whiles the word and the ministery are sound vncorrupt there is nothing that can hurt vs For although Satan the world do assaile vs what then If God be with vs who can be against vs Let this be therefore your speciall care and endeuour that the word may remaine pure and vncorrupt and pray that the Lord would assist you herein and blesse your labours for of all the blessinges of God this is the greatest Which might be sayd in moe wordes but let this suffice Now it is our duetie likewise in this light of the worde to endeuour by all meanes to doe the same lest that through our vnthankfulnes the worde be taken from vs againe and to pray for the Churches that God would blesse them for Iesus Christ his sonnes sake our Lord our Redemer Amen THE ENDE The word must be continually exercised because of the continuall tentations whereof we are in daunger The lothiÌ„g and fulnes of Gods worde After the lothing of the word commeth contempt and then Gods plague The argumeÌ„t of the Psalm The Psalmes pray in two respctes agaynst Satan Satan how he is a murtherer How he is a lyer Our first parents deceiued by lying The authors of wicked doctrine are incorrigible Arius Proteus was one that could chauÌ„ge him selfe into diuers formes as nowe into a beast nowe into a tree and now into some other thing else Against heresies we must fight especially with prayer Inward tribulation and affliction of the soule The vse and practise of faith Howe the mindes of men must be stirred vp to prayer Tribulation stirreth men vp to prayer Luther writeth that which he hath proued by experieÌ„ce The necessitie of prayer set forth vnto vs in the Lords prayer Prayer is a seruice of God. How poore afflicted consciences are to be comforted which dare not call vnto the Lord. The prayers of the Papistes Nothing more hard then to pray God the hearer of praiers The saying of Bernard God giueth not alwayes that we pray for The prayer of yong children The godly youth in that reformed church being brought vp in the nâ—rture of the lord coÌ„tinuall catechising may shame al our reformation where the youth is so godles for lacke therof Howe God heareth our prayers Wicked doctrine A liuely picture of the Deuill The commoÌ„ people are the framehowse or workehowse of the deuill Deut. 29. Coles Iuniper The fire of the heretikes is more swift then the fire of the holy Ghost Luther prophecieth Kedar and Mesech signifie the enemies of the church Luke 11. The argument of the Psalme This Psalme containeth the doctrine of faith A coÌ„paring of contraries The commendation of faith Idolatry prospereth and flourisheth for a time Humane helps and comforts The help of the Lord. Why he sayth to the hills and not to the Lord. Our mountayne Trust affiance in the helpe succour of the Lord. Remedies in afflictions The iudgement of the word in afflictions must onely be followed The history of Iulian and Athanasius The exercise of faith Experience and practise maketh a right Christian The
captiuitie or captiues of Syon we shall be like them that dreame By Syon is signified that people which had the promise of the comming of christ For redemption and saluation was first promised to the people of Syon and to the children of Abraham after the flesh This people was in bondage vnder the lawe and by the lawe vnder the captiuitie of death and sinne Now if this people complaine of their captiuitie and sigh for their deliuerance what â—â—all we thinke of the Gentiles which liued in idolatry in their owne lustes without any law without god He could not therefore haue signified a more generall and more greeuous captiuitie then when he saith that his owne people of Syon did long for this deliuerance which in outward appearance was moste holy vnder Dauid and Saul did mightely flourish But beholde how liuely â—e setteth foorth that ioy which should followe this deliuerance We shall be saith he like them that dreame By this kinde of speech he expresseth the greatnes of their ioy meaning that this ioy and gladnes should be so great that the hart of man should not be able to conceiue it As if he should say when we shall heare of yea when we shall in deede feele and enioy this deliuerance from sinne death so farre passing all that we could hope or looke for the ioy therof shall be so great that it shall seeme to vs but vs a â—reame For so we see it come to passe also euen in particular deliuerances when God suddenly deliuereth his seruaunts out of anâ— great trouble or affliction So it hapned to Peter when he was deliuered by the Angell out of prison Likewise when it was said to Iacob Ioseph thy sonne liueth and ruleth ouer all the land of Egypt he was as one reysed out of a dreame and could not beleue it vntill it was shewed vnto him by certaine tokens to be true in deede Here then is set foorth vnto vs the inestimable grace whereby we are redemed through the blood of the sonne of God who did not spare him selfe and his owne life that he might set vs free from the power of the deuill the wrath of God death and eternall damnation But mans hart is not able as is said to comprehende these thinges The more feeling and â—ast he hath therof the greater alacritie courage hath he to goe through all daungers The lesse feeling he hath the more he is shaken with terrours and at the length looking backe to Egypt with the Israelites seeketh other helpes â–ª Our heart therfore must wholly rest in this redemption we must labour to haue some part of this tast and feling which the Prophet rightly compareth to a most ioyful pleasant dreame They that further list to inlarge this inestimable benefite of Christ or this deliueraÌ„ce haue here occasion to amplyfie the same first by the person of the redemer then by the person of the redemed by their former state and misery of the power of the deuill of the hugenes and horrour of death of the force of sinne c. For these things had wholly deuoured all mankind could not be ouercome but by the sonne of god This is that vnspeakeable most glorious redemption which rauisheth astonisheth the mind with ioy They therefore that feele not this ioy haue not truely receiued nor felte this benefit but the word is as a â—ome or a froth in their mouthes Verse 2. Then shall our mouth be filled with laughter and our tongue with ioy Then will they say emong the heathen The Lord hath done great things for them This Psalme hath in it a singular maiesty therfore the Prophet vseth here many figuratiue or borrowed speeches By laughter he signifieth the voice of the Gospell For y Gospel should be to vs nothing else but ioy gladnes especially if we compare it with the law For the law terrifieth killeth whose vse â— office is to brâ—â—â— to mollifie the hard stony harts of the impenitent as Ezechiel saith For they must be broken with this yron scepter as it were and beaten downe to hell as the Psalme prayeth Let the wicked be turned into hell and all nations that forget God. For seeing they haue a heart of yron and as the Prophet sayth a brasen forehead they must be terrified with the thundrings of the lawe that is they must be brought to the feare of Gods iudgement and filled with the terrour of death as it hapned to the people of Israell at the mount Sina when the law was published by the voyce of the lord But they that haue a fleshy heart that is to say a soft and a tender heart may not be killed with the law but reuiued and raysed vp with an other kinde of doctrine which the holy Ghost here calleth laughter and ioy that is to say the Gospell This is the right diuiding of the word which S. Paule speaketh of to preach set forth to the impenitent and hard harted the threatnings of the law the wrath of God against sinne the terrours of Gods iudgement but to the weake and broken harted the sweete comforts of the Gospell that they which are secure without feare may nowe learne to feare the Lord and they that are to much oppressed with feare may be of good comfort and now begin to trust in the lord This difference betwene the law and the Gospel is wel knowne but by experience and practise it is not so well knowne For our infirmitie is such that we are rather touched with the sense of sinne and death then with the laughter and ioy that is the sweete comfortes and ioyfull promises of the Gospell For to speake of my selfe and of mine owne feeling the redemption and life giuen by Christ doth not so much pearce my hart as it is terrified with one word or one cogitation of sinne and of the iudgement of god The cause whereof is for that we can not sufficiently learne this difference betwene the lawe and the Gospell For although it be both written and taught yet is it not so effectually felt in the heart Els should it follow that terrified heartes should cast away all heauines for to them as is sayd perteyneth the voyce of laughter and ioy and not the voyce of terrour and heauines And here also we find Satan to be our deadly aduersary which most subtilly disputeth with vs touching the lawe and vseth such arguments as we can not deny For when he layeth vnto vs our sinnes we are constreyned to confesse and to acknowledge them which albeit we couer them some times before men our conscience as a thousand witnesses pronounceth against vs and wil not suffer vs to forget them or hide them Whereof sometimes ariseth also a doubting or mistrust euen of holy workes I speake nothing of those which are manifestly wicked With these dartes Satan pearceth and greeuously woundeth the soft and tender hart onely because
out of Sion and a newe kingdome of Christe out of Ierusalem Notwithstanding they say that this Ierusalem should be greater then the whole earth and the walles thereof should be the endes of the earth These thinges can not be vnderstand of the corporall Ierusalem which notwithstanding was the first occasion of the beginning of the kingdom of Christ but after wardes it was horribly destroyed like as also the wicked sorte of Dauids posteritie were rooted out but the godly remained vntill Christ was borne Moreouer it is euident that this election and choosing began vnder Dauid For before that time the citie of Ierusalem belonged to the Iebusites but vnder Dauid it was chosen by the promise of God to be a citie for the Kinges and Priestes in such sort that like as before the persons of the Priests did not wander from tribe to tribe but were alwayes certaine so the persons and successions of the Kings should not nowe vncertainly wander as the Iudges and the Princes did which continued not in any certaine tribe and here againe he vseth the worde of choosing to confound the presumption confidence of merite which was so groūded in their hartes to the ende they might vnderstand that this citie was appointed by the good pleasure of God to be a seate and harborowe for religion and policie For this deuilish vice was peculiar vnto the Iewes that they gloried in their merites their seruice and ceremonies For this cause Moses also sharply reproueth them and warneth them that they should not thinke they had obteyned these great benefites through their owne righteousnes Not for thy righteousnes saith he hath the Lorde brought thee into this land This deuilish presumption we see also to be in the Papacie but much worse then it was emongest the people of god For they vsed that worship seruice which was commaunded of god But in Popery there is nothing but mans inuentions which are the worshipping of idolls Nowe whereas the Lord promiseth that he will dwell in Ierusalem this seemeth to be but a small matter But we must loke to the Maiestie of the inhabitour and then the place be it neuer so base and contemptible shall become glorious For this did the word promise that he whom the heauens could not comprehend should be found in Ierusalem This is therefore a singular promise when men may knowe and enioy a certaine place wherein God may be founde that they wander not in the imaginations of their owne harts euery man choosing vnto him selfe a God or a place where he may serue God according to his owne fantasie as Ieroboam did which is horrible idolatrie Wherefore it is the great mercie of God that he hath appoynted a certaine place for his word and his whole seruice to the which place the Scripture attributeth this excellent name and title that it is called the holy citie not for the holines of the people inhabiting the same but for the holines of the Lord sanctifying all things by his word This glory hath the Church of the newe Testament also in that she hath for her head not the Pope as the wicked Papists doe most wickedly affirme but Christ sitting at the right hande of the father who is present with his word Sacraments This is an inestimable glory which dependeth not vpon our righteousnes but vpon the great mercie of God accepting approuing and commending all thinges that we doe for Christ his sonnes sake our head But the citie of Ierusalem found Satan her deadly and cruel enemie in this respect also because it was as it were the worke-house of God in the which he dayly exercised and wrought all maner of holy workes blessings benefites for his people Yet was it of God notwithstanding meruelously preserued to this end that his people should not be vncerteine where he would be found worshipped and heard And here agayne we are admonished that all these thinges come of gift and not of merite of mercie and not of workes For he hath chosen vnto him selfe this rest it hath pleased him to dwell in this place So it commeth not of our desert that we enioy the Gospell and other great blessings of god All these are the giftes of God through his great mercie and goodnes bestowed vpon vs for Christes sake Verse 15. Her vitailes I will blesse and will satisfie her poore with bread This word vitailes signifieth properly a pray But why doth the Scripture so call the sustenance whereby we liue Euen for the same cause for the which Christ calleth it our dayly breade So that like as beastes doe dayly followe their pray and finde it they sowe not they labour not but by pray they atteyne all that they haue Euen so shoulde we not heape vppe that through couetousnes and incredulitie which may serue vs for many yeres but shoulde daily looke for and receiue at the handes of the Lord that which is dayly offered vnto vs employing our labour notwithstanding as a meane to atteine the same therewith be content as the beast is when he hath obteined his pray For couetousnes incredulitie is not content with present benefits although the Lorde doe neuer so faythfully promise to feede vs and giue vs all things necessary for this life Thus the Scripture properly very aptly calleth our foode and sustenance a pray which commeth vnto vs taking no care but labouring leauing the care vnto God as our Sauiour Christ teacheth vs Matt. 6. who commaundeth vs to labour and diligently endeuour to doe that belongeth to our vocation for of the Hebrewes that is counted labour which euery day hath and bringeth with it But withall he commaundeth vs to take no thought for worldly thinges but to leaue all carefulnes vnto the Lorde who promiseth that we shall no more lacke then the birdes and other beastes doe which haue that is sufficient and yet labour not nor make prouision for the same For this is not the ende of our labour that in this life we should still seeke to enrich our selues and neuer be satisfied For although we haue the treasures of this world yet with this life we must forsake them And like as this life is not certeine but is as a pray which we so long enioy as it pleaseth the Lorde euen so is the portion of our sustenance but as you would say a snatch wherewith we must be content to liue and not be carefull for the time to come So doth this word condemne all faithlesse carefulnes and carefull incredulitie wherewith notwithstanding we can nothing preuaile Cyprian hath a goodly saying to this effect and worthie to be remembred Christians saith he which haue forsaken this world doe so litle care for earthly thinges that they aske no more but foode and rayment For their hartes are fixed vppon the eternall treasures of the world to come They seeke to liue but from day to day as straungers hauing here no