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
to hope c. Yea the crosse and oppression of the Christians is the exaltation and triumph of the Church Let the aduersaries then doe what they liâ—t certaine it is that the more we are cast downe the more we are raised vp For there is no power against the Lorde Christ our captaine and our head hath a power aboue all power whereby he lifteth vp those that are cast downe whereby he raiseth the dead to life and those that are oppressed and ouercome he maketh able with ioyfull victory to ouercome For in that he is God it is his proper office to make all things of nothing and likewise of those thinges which be to make nothing Thus Dauid setteth forth the praise and commendation of Ierusalem For what a great benefite and blessing of God is it not onely to leaue a certain place where the people may come togither to serue and worship God but also a certaine sound of the presence of God by the publishing of his word When he saith This is my rest here will I dwel here will I speake here shall be my word my spirite then all is safe then what worke so euer it be though in outward appearance it seeme neuer so smal it is better then all the treasures of the world then the cutting away of the foreskin of the priuy meÌ„bers is an acceptable worship vnto god To take vp a strawe from the earth if God so commaunded is a greater a more excellent worke and also a worship more pleasing God then all the glittering works of the whole papacy which haue no ground of the word of god This the heathen understood not and therefore they contemned Ierusalem and marueled why the people should resort thether certaine times of the yeare rather then to other cities Like as Naaman Cirus thought at the beginning that the waters of Damascus were no worse then the waters of Iordane but he had no commaundement of the Lord that he shoulde wash him selfe in those waters for the clensing of his leprosie It is the word alone therefore that maketh a difference betwene the Church of God and the Gentiles Papistes and all the Antichristian rable By this word it iudgeth it teacheth it baptiseth it distributeth the Lords supper it comforteth it reproueth it excommunicateth c. Thus I say Dauid extolleth and magnifieth his Ierusalem first in respect of the spirituall building therof because there is the kingdom and priesthood there is the word worship of the Lord then also in respect as wel of the material building as also of those things which pertaine to the good gouernment of a city as peace and vnitie lawes and iudgement but principally he speaketh not of that building and therfore he saith It is edified as a city where all may participate togither that is may come togither to worship the lord For there was no other place in al the world where the people might come togither to celebrate the name of the Lord but Ierusalem alone So that this verse is as an exposition of that place in Exod. VVhere I shall leaue a memoriall of my name there will I come vnto thee c. As if he said that place is Ierusalem in the which the people of God must congregate togither to heare his word to celebrate his name where also the Lord him selfe hath promised to dwell whether the people do flie in all their necessities to call vpon God for help and succoure c. This is the glory of Ierusalem to the which all the glory of the worlde was not able to be compared Therfore in S. Matthew it is called holy is so magnified here of the Prophet Albeit it was afterward horribly prophaned of the Gentiles But why doe the people gather togither in this place Verse 4. VVhereunto the tribes euen the tribes of the Lorde goe vp for a testimony or to testifie to Ierusalem and to praise the name of the Lord. This verse also conteineth in 〈◊〉 the words afore recited out of Exod VVhere I shall put a mâ—moriall of my name c. For this memoriall signifieth the wholâ— worship of God togither with the word that is the preaching of the promises and the law with the ministery of the priestes not â—â—â—ly in the sacrifices of the law but specially in the chiefest sacrifiâ—es of all that is of the celebrating praysing the name of the lord In the which were set forth spirituall consolations of victory against sinne and death and also temporall concerning the kingdom and political order These benefits he setteth forth when he speaketh of ascending vp and maketh a comparison betwene Ierusalem and other cities As if he said Other cities may flourish with riches and power more then this citie but this is it to the which the tribes doe ascend not as they doe in other nations but the tribes of the Lord which the Lorde him selfe hath chosen to be his people aboue all other nations of the earth and he to be their god And here he doth not exclude the Proselytes which were of the Gentiles and did associate them selues vnto this people for he speaketh simply of those that did ascend vp to heare the word and to inuocate the name of the Lord as the words that followe do declare For a testimony vnto Israel to praise the name of the Lord. Whereby he signifieth no other thing but that there was a place in Ierusalem appointed of the Lord for the preaching of the word and prayer And this is worthy to be noted that Dauid speaketh of no moe kindes of sacrifice but of these two onely He saith not that the temple was appoynted of God that sacrifices should there be slaine incence offered oblations made and euery man shewe him selfe thankfull vnto God with his gifts Of these things he maketh no mention at all albeit they were commaunded to be done no where else but in the temple Onely he speaketh of preaching the word and thanks giuing or prayer And albeit he reproueth not these sacrifices yet he plainly declareth that the summe of true religion is to heare the Lorde when he speaketh vnto vs and to inuocate and praise his holy name This is it for the which Dauid so highly praiseth his temple which we also ought specially to beholde in our temples that the tribes doe ascend vp thether to testifie vnto Ierusalem that is to teach and to heare the worde of god For so he meaneth by this word testifie as the Hebrewes haue many words to signifie the ministery of the word and doctrine To vtter to promise to confesse to sitte to iudge to testifie to teach all these words in effect doe signifie as much as to preach or publish the word The preachers are witnesses to the people of that they knowe whiche is not sene nor felt but beleued They are also witnesses which he are the word For when they heare it they testifie or beare witnesse against the
are spoken Verse 2. Behold as the eyes of seruaunts looke vnto the hande of their maisters and as the eyes of a mayden vnto the hand of her mistres so our eyes waite vpon the Lord our God vntill he haue mercy vpon vs. Here the prophet setteth forth by similitude the nature of true pietie As if he sayd Great is our affliction and yet the Lord prolongeth his helpe neither easing our miserie nor reuenging our wrong He suffereth the cruel the proude and the scornful to treaâ— vs vnder foote and to prosper in our sight This delay is tedious greuous vnto vs Notwithstanding we will not murmure or become vnpatient in these our afflictions but as good seruaunts in their distresse looke to the hand that is for help and succour at the hand of their masters mistresses so will we attend vpon y Lord our God vntill he haue pitie vpon vs. Thus we see that the Lorde sometimes deferreth his helpe neither shewing how nor when he will help but leauing his Saints in such perplexitie as though he had no regard either of the time or of the maner of their deliuerance so that they seme to hang as it were in the middes betwene heauen and earth These things are greuous and excedingly encrease the tentation Therefore we must lay sure hold on this consolation which the Prophet here setteth forth that our tentation shal haue an end but not as we would lest we seeme to appoint the time and maner of our deliuerance which the lord reserueth to him self alone And here is an example set forth vnto vs patiently to wait vpon the Lord in the time of trouble to be instant in prayer and neuer to let our hands fall or turne our eyes from the Lord but constantly to perseuere in sure hope expectation of his gracious deliuerance and of his helping hand to be present with vs in our necessitie whereof our Sauiour Christ also warneth vs in the Gospell of the woman and the vnrighteous iudge who although he neither feared God nor man yet because this woman neuer ceased to call vpon him he was compelled to heare her cause For if the worst man be not yet so wicked but he may be ouercome with instant and continuall prayer what shall we not hope to obteine at Gods hand which willingly offereth him selfe to heare our prayers and also commaundeth vs to pray yea and is more ready to graunt our petitions then we are to aske For in that he differreth his help he doth it not because he will not heare vs but to exercise and stirre vp our faith and to teach vs that the wayes whereby he can and doth deliuer vs are so manifold miraculous that we are neuer able to conceiue them Therfore let vs thinke that the thing which we aske is not denied but differred assure our selues that we are not neglected because of this delay The patient abiding of the afflicted saith Dauid in an other Psalme shall not perish yea the Lord will not lose the glory of his name which Dauid in the same Psalme attributeth vnto him namely that he is a helper in time conuenient And here is to be noted by the way that the holy Ghost commendeth the gouernment of housholds and families in this place and signifieth that to serue is a vocation which pleaseth him if it be done in faith For seruauntes are here mentioned for the comfort of all good seruauntes and in them is commended not onely their patience but also the confidence and trust which they haue in the goodnes of their maisters assuredly trusting with patient tarying to finde mercie and fauour in their sight in time conuenient But in deede Dauid speaketh here of better seruauntes then are commonly seene at this day for there is no kinde of people more deceitful negligent and stubborne euen when there is great cause of sharpe and seuere correction Wherefore let all such as will be counted good seruaunts remember the example and rule set forth here by the holy Ghost and obserued of all good seruaunts which is that they are not froward and stubborne but patiently endure all things and do the duety of true and faithfull seruaunts hauing alwayes a watchfull eye to the hand of their maisters And further note how humbly the faithful think of them selues in the sight of god They are called and chosen to this dignitie to be the heyres and children of God and are exalted aboue the Angels and yet notwithstanding they count them selues no better in Gods sight then seruauntes They say not here beholde like as children loke to the hand of their fathers but as seruaunts to the hand of their masters This is the humilitie and modestie of the godly it is so farre of that hereby they lose the dignitie of Gods children to the which they are called that by this meanes it is made to them more sure and certaine Moreouer here is to be obserued that Dauid sayth not simply VVe lift vp our eyes to the Lord but he addeth moreouer to the Lord our God that is to say that God which hath reuealed him selfe to vs in his word for otherwise he were not our god The gods of the Gentiles idolls which men deuise vnto them selues are called gods but he is the true God and none but he which hath declared him selfe to vs in his word and promised in the same that he will be our God c. The Papistes haue deuised vnto them selues a seruice and worship of God contrarie to the word of God and therefore they worship not the true God in deede but an idoll of their owne heart yea they worship a creaâ—â—â— made and fashioned with mans handes for the almightie creaâ—â—â— of heauen earth But our God is he not whom we haue deuised but which hath paynted and set out him selfe in his Scriptures how and by what meanes he wil be serued and worshipped This our God because he seemeth oftentimes to estraunge him selfe from vs and to haue no care of vs the wicked doe shunne and forsake and seeke helpe of Peter and Paule and many times of Satan through sorcery and witchcraft and other deuilish meanes thinking because God prolongeth his helpe to finde thereby more speedye succour But thus our God is wont to deale with vs first as is sayd to proue and exercise vs and so to bring vs to the knowledge of our selues that we may see our owne weakenes and frailty which are so readie to be ledde away from him then also to bring vs to the knowledge of him whereby we may see both how willing he is and also howe able by farre better meanes to helpe vs then mans heart can conceiue Verse 3. Haue mercy vpon vs O Lord haue mercy vpon vs for we haue suffered too much contempt Here may we see that the godly doe not onely feele their owne crosse but the affliction of other also is to them a great crosse and as
liuely testimony against the gods Yea the godly are so vehemently tempted through this long continuance fall so farre that they thincke God hath no regard of them Wherfore we must so arme our selues with Christian patience that albeit we feele the tedious long continuance of these furrowes we be not therfore offended but when one tentation is ouercome we must prepare our selues to an other For our backes must be alwayes ready to beare the long continuance of these sorrowes This is the first part of the Psalme in the which he confesseth the diuine miracles and miraculous power of God whereby he preserueth his children not only against the world but also against sinne death and the deuill and praiseth God for that he giueth victory to those that are ouercome and putteth those to flight which doe ouercome This ioyful ende and this successe he willeth vs to looke and waite for and exhorteth vs to patience Now he turneth him selfe to prayer and not onely prayeth but also promiseth to the enemies of the Gospel that although they obstinatly continue in afflicting the faithful without checke or punishment yet shall their ruine ouerthrow be such that they shall neuer rise againe as experience doth shewe For I pray you what kingdom from the beginning of the world hath alwaies continued and prospered The places and spaces of the earth doe remaine void and desolate the kingdoms are gone as though they had neuer bene Againe the crueltie tyranny of the kingdomes of the world was neuer so great that it was able to oppresse the church For the Church stil continueth shall continue to the ende of the world as followeth Verse 4. The righteous Lord hath cut the cordes of the wicked These wordes are so full of consolation that to the children of God in their calamities and afflictions nothing can be more comfortable For they knowe that no munitions no furniture of war can be so strong Firste of all therefore wey and consider why he calleth the Lord Righteous and you shall see that he so doeth because that when a man considereth according to the iudgement of the fleshe the thinges which are here done and how God gouerneth and ruleth the same it seemeth no otherwise but that he is vnrighteous and vniust in supporting the tyranny of the wicked with great riches power dignitie c. When reason seeth this it can iudge nothing else but that if there be a God he is vniust For first of all thus doth reason gather If there be a God he is able to resist the wicked and vtterly to destroy them For to be a God is to be almighty Againe thus carnall reason argueth If there be a God he must needes knowe those thinges which are done in the world For it can not be said of God that he is ignorant of any thing Now what else followeth heereof but that if God knowe these thinges to be cruelly and vniustly done and is able to resist them he ought also to be no lesse willing to doe the same For if we thinke that he wil not doe that whiche he knoweth and is able to doe it must follow that he is not good but euil not iust but vniust Nowe lay these thinges togither If God haue power wisedom and goodnes in him if he be able to helpe if he knowe how and also be willing to help why are all these things done and gouerned in the world in such sort that the wicked haue power riches and dignitie as a rewarde of their impietie and contrariwise the godly for their pietie and godlines are many wayes and most cruelly afflicted All these thinges are a liuely testimony against God as before we said of Diogenes This argument of Epicurus and such like atheistes is to the flesh inuincible Wherefore reason beeing altogither blinded and wrapped in these snares inclyneth to this opinion that there is no God or else that he regardeth not the affaires of men Of this offence and stumbling blocke the holy Ghost warneth vs when he attributeth this name vnto God that he is righteous whom vnrighteousnes and impietie pleaseth not Therefore although he suffer the wicked to flourish for a time yet at the last he cutteth their cordes that is he destroyeth both their power and them according to that saying Thou art not a God that loueth wickednes Wherefore let Christians learne to iudge not by that which presently they fele but by that which the word of God promiseth and shall assuredly come to passe to witte that the wicked when they haue long plowed vppon the backs of the faithfull and many wayes afflicted them shal perish at the length For God is iust and his iustice wil not suffer the righteous to be oppressed Verse 5. Let them that hate Sion bee confounded and turned back This as before I haue said is a prayer But ye know that in euery prayer there is a promise included which promise this word Righteous doth expresse in the former verse with a singular vehemencie to the ende we shoulde not murmur or blaspheme God as though he were not mindfull of vs or had no regard of vs Now where he saith Let them be confounded turned backe it is an exposition of that which he saide before that their cordes should be cut that is to say their kingdoms their power their riches their lawes and finally their whole politike body and common weale should be brought to nought as it befell to Babylon Niniuie Ierusalem Athens Corinth Thebe Rome and briefly to all kingdoms and common weales which did not submit them selues vnto the Gospell For when they proudly stretched out their neckes and set them selues against Christ their Ring and by their power sought to oppresse him they were destroyed In like maner must we also pray and certainely looke for the executiō of Gods vengeance vpon those which at this day haue set them selues against the Gospell as the Pope and his Bishoppes with all their faction and with all the Kings and Princes of the earth which maintaine and defende their impietie for at the last they shall be confounded But the Gospell and the worde of the Lord shal endure for euer For the name of Christ shal neuer be oppressed but being faithfully called vpon shall alwaies be ready to help the afflicted and shall cut the cordes now of this wicked man and now of that Thus the holy Ghost comforteth vs sundry wayes For when we haue learned that Satan is such a spirite as neuer ceaseth to tempt and to vexe vs so that when he can not ouercome vs by the greatnes and the multitude of tentations he goeth about to doe it by the tediousnes and long continuance therof he would haue vs to comfort our selues herewith that albeit these tentations continue long yet notwithstanding they shall haue an ende And since we are forwarned both of the continuance and of the ende thereof it is the more easie for vs to beare them
protection of this good keper and watchman whom Dauid here speaketh of Thus doth our diuinitie teach and thus doe the godly beleue For by their owne experience they proue and by experience of the whole Church that Satan wil neuer rest vntill he destroy if he may either soule or body The destruction of the soule he seeketh by lying by corrupt doctrine by wicked false worshipping and seruing The destruction of the body he attempteth by infinite sleights practises wherof we haue experience daily in our selues and other For as much then as these things doe not come to passe either in such sort or so often as Satan would it is the benefite not of Satan but of this our vigilant keeper and watchman Thus we are taught euen by our owne experience taking this for a principle that the kingdom of the deuill is the kingdome of sinne and of death that we are continually and euery moment preserued from death and other daungers both corporally and spiritually by the singular goodnes and grace of Christe into whose kingdom through baptisme and faith we are translated And hereof come these heauenly sayings of the Prophets The earth is full of the mercy of the Lord his mercy endureth for euer c. In deede sometimes Satan so preuaileth and hath such successe in that he goeth aboute that by sudden plagues he bringeth men to horrible destruction Such examples ought to warne vs of those mischeuous practises which he continually goeth about and faine would bring to passe as he might easily doe if he were not letted by the vigilancy of our good watchman in heauen For as for the power of this our aduersary I doe beleeue that he is able in one hower to destroy all the people that are liuing vpon the earth Now if both he be able and also leaueth no practise vnattempted so to doe why then is it not done Because our good keeper watcheth ouer vs But these be matters of faith they muste be beleued and therefore he addeth this word beholde Whereby it may appeare that his purpose is earnestly to commend and set forth the great vigilancie and tender care of God towards vs whereby he keepeth and defendeth vs that we perish not And here note that this care and vigilancie for the safety and preseruation of our life countrey cities familyes peace and tranquillitie amongst vs c. is of the Prophet wholy attributed vnto God when as notwithstanding God vseth to worke the same by other meanes as first by the ministery of Angels and then also of men as of Princes and other inferiour magistrates c. Wherby we are admonished that these inferiour meanes which God vseth as his instrumentes for our preseruation are not able to doe vs any good at all except God him self take vpon him to be our chiefe watchman and defender God therfore vseth the ministery of these for our succour and reliefe euen as he doth bread drinke and other sustenaunce For as bread and drinke doe not preserue our life for then no man should dye and yet because of the ordinance of God and the fraile condition of our nature they are necessary for the sustentation of our life so doe these meane helpes nothing auayle vs except God the keeper of Israel doe watch for our succour and defence This watching this defence the â—orde of God doth reueile but the fleshe can not see it and therefore by a contrary sense thus it expoundeth these wordes The keeper of Israell that is to say the forsaker of Israell doth not sleepe that is he is not onely in a moste deade sleepe but also is without all sense and is in deede nothing For reason iudgeth according to euery pinch and pange that the flesh feeleth and according to the beginning of afflictions or first assaults and not according to the word and the end or deliuerance which God promiseth in the word Verse 5. The Lord is thy keper and he is thy shadowe or protection at thy right hand In this verse he setteth foorth more at large the certainty of Gods ready helpe and protection Wherin speaking to euery one priuatly he sayth The Lord is thy keeper that no man should doubt to apply that vnto him selfe for his owne comforte which pertaineth to al Israel He is called the shadow at thy right hand to teach thee that he is at hand and standeth euen by thy side ready to defend thee Or else the Lord is thy shadow at thy right hand That is he prospereth all thy affaires he giueth successe to all thou takest in hand If thou be a preacher a teacher in the Church of God if thou trauell in thy vocation vprightly and with a good conscience to prouide for thy selfe and thy family thou shalt not lack thy crosses But be of good comfort for the Lord hath promised to be on thy right hand he will ayde thee and succour thee in all things that thou shalt either doe or suffer But here againe we must remember as I said before that these things are spoken and taught in vaine except we first thinke our selues to be as it were vtterly forsaken and destitute of al help and succour Therefore when he speaketh of this tender care that the Lord hath ouer his in keping in shadowing in defeÌ„ding them that they perish not he meaneth therewithall that they are such as seeme to them selues so to be forsaken and neglected of God as if he had no care of them at all This is therefore a sweete doctrine and full of consolation that the Lord sheweth him selfe to knowe and to pittie our miseries and calamities and commaundeth vs to beleeue that he is our shadowe to couer defend vs against all perils daungers In him therefore let vs assuredly trust with comfortable expectation of most ioyfull deliuerance who hath promised to be with vs with a fatherly care to prouide for vs to defend vs to strengthen to succour and to comfort vs in all our troubles afflictions and calamities Verse 6. The sunne shall not hurt thee by day nor the moone by night The heate of the Sunne maketh mens bodyes weake feeble So doth the Moone also hurt not onely with colde but also with moysture By these speeches he meaneth all maner of tentations and perils and that God will be with vs in the middest of them to succour vs and to deliuer vs albeit we seeme for a litle while to beare all the heate and burden of the day alone that is to be vtterly forsaken and destitute of all helpe and succour But if we were alone then should the tentation haue no ende yea it should presently swallow vs vp for we are not able of our selues to endure the space of one moment Now the Lord suffreth Satan to vomet out his poyson and to practise against vs the beginning of his malice but he will not suffer him to hurt so much as he would doe Therefore because we haue the shadowe to couer vs
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
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
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
then swallowed vs vppe quicke when their wrath was kindled against vs. Here the Prophet Dauid exhorteth the people to consider how mercifully God had deliuered them from the handes of their enemies and how miraculously he had preserued that kingdom and also to praise God with him for the same Which words are not to be restreyned to Dauids time onely For the heathen people had oftentimes before warred against them with such force and power as was like to the rage of most huge and terrible floodes of wateâ— whereof he speaketh here ready to ouerflow them Therfore seeing he mencioneth here no one kind of deliuerance it seemeth that he meaneth in these wordes of thankes giuing to set foorth what so euer God had done for the succour and deliuerance of his people at any time before Wherin he sheweth as it were in a glasse the daungerous state of the church from the beginning that the faithfull may learne to knowe that it hath not bene preserued by the strength and pollicie of man but by the miraculous power hand of God and therefore in their troubles and afflictions should alwaies flie to God for helpe and succour Israell signifieth the people of god Let vs acknowledge then that there is no way for Gods people to escape the hands of their enemyes but by the help and power of God and that he wil haue the glory and praise thereof to be giuen to him alone This praise can none giue vnto God but the true Israell hauing experience both of their owne weakenes the force power of their enemyes the daungers past and of the mercifull helpe and protection of the Lord. Verse 2. If the Lorde had not bene on our side when men rose vp against vs. This repetition is not in vaine For whiles we are in daunger our feare is without measure but when it is once past we imagin it to haue bene lesse then it was in deede And this is the delusion of Satan to diminish and obscure the grace of god Dauid therfore with this repetition stirreth vp the people to a more thankfulnes vnto God for his gracious deliuerance amplifieth the daungers which they had passed Wherby we are taught how to think of our troubles and afflictions past least the sense and feeling of Gods grace vanish out of our mindes And here note howe God dealeth with his people in their distresse who suffereth their enemies so farre to preuaile ouer them differreth his help so long till it seeme vnpossible for them to escape so that they are compelled to confesse and acknowledge that they must needes haue perished if the mighty hand of God had not deliuered them These 2. thinges then we see the Israelites here to acknowledge firste that the Lorde was on their side that is succoured and deliuered them then also that it had not bene possible but they must vtterly haue perished if God had not preserued and defended them By men is here vnderstand what so euer is great and mightie in the world As if he said we are counted as abiects outcastes of the world The Princes the rulers the wise the rich of the world rise vp against vs to destroy vs and to roote vs out from the face of the earth If ye beholde with how great and how many kingdoms we are compassed about which beare a deadly hatred against vs we may seeme like to a seely sheepe compassed about with a multitude of cruell wolues euery moment ready to deuoure it That we liue in safetie therefore and that our enemyes preuaile not against vs acknowledge it to be the great mercy of God O Israell whiche so miraculously preserueth and defendeth so small a flocke In like maner we are compelled to say and confesse at this day that if God did not miraculously defend and preserue his church the power of Satan is so great that one of his Angells is able in one moment to destroy vs all that either teache or professe Christe and to fill the world with bloodshed and slaughter We see the Princes the Pope the Prelates the mightie and welthy of the world yea the whole worlde in a maner bent to destroy vs Against whom what haue we to defend vs but that the Lord of hostes hath stretched out his mightie arme ouer vs which as a brasen wall defendeth vs against all the cruell dartes whiche both Satan and the worlde doe dayly cast against as That we liue then that we teache and you heare the worde that we haue place and libertie in the Church so to doe these thinges Satan can not abide and therefore he rayseth the gates of hell against vs notwithstanding he is compelled to suffer all these thinges through the power of Christ our King who sitteth at the right hand of God for by mans strength and power these things could not be retained and defended If Satan then at any time haue his will in troubling the Church in murthering the people of God and such like therefore it is because God would shewe what Satan is able to doe euery moment if he were not resisted by the almightie power of God to the ende that we should walke in the feare of God and acknowledging this inestimable benefite continually pray vnto God for the same Let vs learne then to sing with Dauid If the Lord had not beene on our side c. whose mightie hand hath defended vs whose power alone hath preserued vs And although the worlde rage against vs though Satan vexe vs neuer so sore they can not hurt vs Be of good comfort saith Christ our Sauiour for I haue ouercome the worlde Againe I giue vnto them euerlasting life and none shall take them out of my hand Verse 3. They had then swallowed vs vppe quicke when their wrath was kindled against vs. In these words he expresseth not onely the strength rage and crueltie of the enemies but also how weake and vnable the Israelites were to withstand them And here he vseth a similitude taken of fierce and outragious beastes whose propertie is when they haue taken their prayes to swallow them vp aliue Likewise when we would expresse the crueltie or malice of any towardes vs we are wont to say he hateth me so deadly that he could finde in his heart to eate me or swallow me vppe quicke The Prophet meaneth then that their enemies were so many and so mighty that they neded no armour or weapons to destroy them but were able like fierce and cruell beastes to swallow them vp aliue being so weake and so litle a flocke Verse 4. Then the waters had drowned vs and the streame had gone ouer our soule Terrible is the rage of fire but much more terrible is the violence and rage of water for that no power can resist Nowe sayth Dauid like as huge and mighty floods of water caried with great power and violence doe suddenly ouerthrow beare downe what so euer they meete withall euen such is the rage of the
enemies of Gods Church which no power of man is able to withstande Therefore let vs learne to trust to the Lordes defence and succour For what else is the Church but as a litle boate tyed by a riuer side and by violence of the water soone caried away or as a reede which by force of the streame is easily plucked vppe and caried away Such was the people of Israell in Dauids time being compared to the Gentils round about them Such is the church likewise at this day compared to the aduersaries Such is euery one of vs in respect of the force and power of the malignant spirit We are like a reede which is easily plucked vppe and he like a raging floode which with great might and violence ouerthroweth and carieth away all thinges We are like a withered leafe soone blowne from the tree and he like a mighty winde or tempest not onely blowing downe leaues but plucking vppe and ouerthrowing trees and all What are we then pore wretches able to doe of our owne power and strength for our defence We must learne therefore by fayth wholy to rest vpon the word For what is our victorie but euen our fayth Albeit that armour and munitions haue their place yet can they nothing helpe at all vnlesse we haue a trust and affiance in the Lorde who hath promised to be our God our strength and our defence Whose power is such whose mighty arme also is so stretched out for the defence of his that albeit neuer so great a tempest or violent rage of water should inuade the poorest and simplest cottage that can be if forceth not Let this be then our assured trust let this be the rocke of our safetie helpe and succour that God will be our defender and keeper that the great floodes and mighty waters cary vs not away This sure defence and mighty protection of our God the wicked neither know nor beleue for they attribute all their successe wellfare to their owne strength wisedom and riches But Salomon albeit he was a King aboundantly indued with all these thinges yet sayth he Except the Lord buyld the house the builders labour in vayne Except the Lorde keepe the citie they watch in vayne that keepe it Verse 5. Then had the swelling waters gone ouer our soule He setteth out yet more liuely and as it were before their eyes the great daunger from the which God had deliuered them And this vehement kinde of speech which he vseth here hath as great force to make the faithfull to feele from what terrible destruction they were deliuered by the mightie hand of God as if their daunger had bene present before their eies so to become more thankfull to God for the same For he is thankfull to God in deede for his deliuerance and safetie which doeth acknowledge that before his deliuerance he sawe nothing else but vtter destruction Thus Dauid setteth out the afflictions and calamities of the Church and of the godly whom the world doth not onely hate but cruelly persecute Whereby we may see that it hath not onely a greedy desire but also power to hurt murder and destroy Satan likewise goeth about like a raging lyon seeking whom he may deuoure Besides these there are great and horrible sinnes sticking in our flesh That we fall not therefore euery moment into desperation or otherwise perish it is because he is greater which is in vs then he which is in the world or the whole world besides as Dauid saith If God had not bene with vs our enemies had swallowed vs vp aliue Now he addeth a notable similitude wherwith he amplifieth the daunger of the godly and power of the wicked Verse 6. Praised be the Lord which hath not giuen vs as a pray vnto their teeth He exhorteth the faithfull to be thankfull for their deliuerance and expresseth vnto them how and as it were with what wordes they should declare their thankefulnes Wherein he setteth forth yet further by an other similitude that it coulde not be but they must vtterly haue perished if God had not miraculously defended them For they were sayth he no otherwise preserued then if a man should violently take a pray out of the iawes of a raging and cruell beast As if he sayd We were in deede like seely sheepe and as a pray ready to be deuoured of cruell beasts but praised be the Lorde our God which woulde not suffer vs so to perish He sayth not which hath deliuered vs albeit he did in deede mightely deliuer them but which hath not giuen vs as a pray c. For this is it which specially y holy Ghost here setteth forth that the wicked can not hurt the godly be they neuer so many mightie furious cruell and terrible like to raging and violent waters like to cruell outragious beastes falling vpon them with open mouth except the Lord giue them into their hands Let vs therefore with Dauid sing praises vnto the Lord our God which keepeth and defendeth vs that the raging and cruell beasts which haue sharpned their teeth to deuour vs can not hurt vs Without this mercifull protection of our God there is no way to stande against Satan his cruell members the spare of one moment Verse 7. Our soule is escaped euen as a bird out of the snare of the fouler The snare is broken and we are deliuered He amplifieth yet further by a third similitude the great perils and daungers of the faithfull being in the handes of their enemies as a bird that is taken in the snare is in the handes of the fouler and yet notwithstāding they escaped by the mighty power of God no otherwise then the birde that is deliuered out of the snare of the fouler By the snare is here to be vnderstande as well the fraude and subteltie of the enemies whereby the Israelites were brought into thraldom and captiuitie as also the strength and power wherewith they were long oppressed So that they had not onely to do with bloody and cruell enemies but also were entrapped and snared by fraude and subteltie and with might and power miserably oppressed Thus being vnable both in strength and pollicie to withstand their enemies they were euery way in daunger of death and destruction whereby it appeareth that they were miraculously deliuered And here haue we an image of our spiritual thraldom and captiuitie vnder Satan in whose snares we were once most miserably wrapped Now therefore that we are deliuered by the inestimable benefice of Christ let vs acknowledge both our former calamitie and the libertie of this grace wherein we stand and let vs beware that we cast not our selues into the snares of seruile bondage any more For Satan sleepeth not but lyeth continually in waite for vs ready to draw vs into those snares agayne out of the which by the great mercy of God we were deliuered yea some times is suffred to hurt either our bodies or our soules not only to shew vs
that he is able likewise to destroy both body and soule if God did so permitte but also to stirre vs vp to faith and prayer that we should call vpon him for ayde and succour agaynst these perilous snares and being deliuered should giue him thankes and prayse for the same Moreouer euery tentation is a snare whether it be of the flesh or of the spirite Persecution torments imprisonment sclaunder diseases and infirmities of the body be snares which as they are permitted of God to exercise and strengthen our fayth so by the malice of Satan they are wrought to afflict and to vexe men that he may bring them to infidelitie and desperation and so into the snares of eternall death From the which snares but by the speciall grace of God there is no way to escape Thus our life lyeth alwayes open to the snares of Satan and we as sely birdes are like at euery moment to be caried away Notwithstanding the Lord maketh a way for vs to escape Yea when Satan seemeth to be most sure of vs by the mighty power of God the snares are broken we are deliuered Experience hereof we haue in those which are inwardly afflicted with heauines of spirit greeuously oppressed that when they seeme to be in vtter despaire ready as you would say now to perish yet euen at the last pinch in the vttermost extremitie commeth the sweete comfort of Gods holy spirite and raiseth them vp againe When we are most ready to perish then is God most ready to helpe Except the Lord had holpen me sayth Dauid my soule had almost dwelt in silence Verse 8. Our helpe is in the name of the Lord who hath made both heauen and earth This is the conclusion of thankesgiuing contayning a worthy sentence of great comfort that against sinne the horrour of death and other daungers there is no other helpe or safetie but onely the name of the lord If that were not sayth he we should fall into all maner of sinne blasphemy errours and into all kind of calamities But our helpe is in the name of the Lord which preserueth our faith and our life against the Deuill and the world And as ye heard in the other verses before so he sheweth in this verse also that God suffereth his Sainctes to be tempted and in their tentation to fall into great distresse as euen nowe readie to be drowned and swallowed vp presently with great floodes of water yet notwithstanding this comfort he sheweth them that he will not vtterly forsake them By the which examples we may learne to know the will of the Lord and to seeke our help and safety at his hands which suffereth his people to be exercised in the fornace of Egypt not to their vtter destruction but onely to kill the olde man with his vaine hope and confidence which he hath in his owne strength This is the cause why God suffereth his people so to be exercised For it is not hearing reading talking or teaching nor speculation onely which maketh a Christian man but practise is that which specially is required in a true Christian that is to say the crosse to plucke downe the fleshe and bring it to nothing that man despairing of his owne strength and seeing no succour in himselfe should resigne him selfe wholly vnto the Lord looking with patience and hope for helpe at his hande for this is the will of god Neither must we imagine to our selues any other God then such a one as will helpe the afflicted and oppressed with desperation and other calamities To knowe this doctrine is one peece of the victory For they that know it not when tentation assayleth them either doe dispayre or seeke other helpes Let vs learne then out of this Psalme that it is the will of God to exercise his Sainctes with troubles and afflictions Who suffereth great floodes of water to runne ouer their heades who also permitteth them to fall into the snares of the wicked and tryeth euery way not to destroy them but to shew them what they are of them selues so to teach them to trust in his sauing health But the flesh looketh to the power and multitude of the aduersaries and her owne infirmitie but to looke vnto God and to hope for his helpe and succour it is not able Wherefore this is a necessary conclusion Our helpe is in the name of the Lord. It is a short sentence but it setteth foorth most worthie doctrine and consolation whereof ▪ specially in these latter daies we haue great neede seeing the Pope togither with the greatest part of the Princes rulers of the world so cruelly doe persecute the doctrine of the Gospel In respect of these huge mountains what are we small molehills Yea though there were no force nor power of man for vs to feare how are we able to stand against not onely so many deuills but euen the very gates of hell also And yet this experience we haue of the great mercy and goodnes of the Lord our God that when we are euen in their handes and neuer so much oppressed yet are we not forsakē but are safe through our confidence and trust in his helpe But to this wisedom it is vnpossible for vs to attayne without continuall afflictions whereby it is necessary that the confidence of all worldly succours should be beaten downe For vexation and trouble bringeth vnderstanding as Esay sayth whereby we are compelled to cry Helpe Lorde for else we perish So in the last houre when death approcheth there is nothing wherein mans heart can repose it selfe or finde comfort but his trust and confidence in the helpe of the Lorde There is rest and quietnes there is perfect peace He that can then say My helpe is in the name of the Lord dyeth happely and is out of all daunger Thus we may learne what it is to haue and enioy God euen to rest in the sure trust of his mercifull helpe and succour in all daungers These are the wordes therefore of a victorious and triumphing fayth Our helpe is in the name of the Lord which made heauen and earth As if he sayd The maker of heauen and earth is my God and my helper Shew me a God O ye my aduersaries like vnto him What are your snares and your traynes then compared vnto this God What are your threatnings your power your pollicies c. Thus he setteth the eternall God the maker of heauen and earth against all terrours and daungers against the floodes and ouerflowings of al tentations and swalloweth vp as it were with one breath all the raging furies of the whole world and of hell it selfe euen as a litle droppe of water is swallowed vp of a mightie flaming fire And what is the world with all his force and power in respect of him which made heauen and earth Let the worlde fret then let it rage so that this succour neuer faile vs And if it be the will of
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
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
he findeth some fault in his wife or els some other trouble hapneth then either he becommeth a lion in his owne house as Salomon saith and is sory for that he hath done or else neglecting his familie he goeth one way and his wife an other and so he wasteth all that he hath For when he seeth that all thinges which he thought should haue had most happy successe fall out cleane contrary to his expectation he rageth and layeth all the fault in matrimonie but most wickedly For thy fauk and thy folly it is which so doest since thou wilt needes be the efficient cause of the gouerning and guyding of thy familie which thing God hath not giuen vnto thee For thou shouldest haue bene but onely the instrumentall thereof Wherfore submitte thy selfe rather to an other master and gouerner and say O Lord teach thou me that I may rightly gouerne my familie execute my office in the common wealth c. Rule thou and he thou my helper that I offend not for I will doe that in me lyeth If it take good successe I will acknowledge thy gift thanke thee and praise thy name If it succeede not yet will I beare it with patience For thou art the first cause and I am but the second cause thou art the creator thou art all in all and workest all and I am but the instrument If we with heart and minde thus prepared would seeke to gouerne all thinges would prosper and happily proceed But now whether ye behold the Magistrate or new maried persons ye shall see great presumption For they so beginne all thinges that they take in hande as though it were impossible they should come otherwise to passe then they themselues doe imagine They begin as though they were the first and the efficient cause and appoynt such an ende to their deuises and enterprises as serueth to their owne glory and pleasure But God sayth Thus shalt thou not doe for then shalt thou perish And worthely For they are rebells and blasphemers which will presume vpon that which belongeth to the first cause alone For when eyther the pen will teach the scribe how to write or the axe wil teach the carpenter how to square his timber nothing can be wel done And euen so is it in this case when we will take vpon vs such gouernment as belongeth to God alone It is expedient for you to consider the examples of this great folly which are to be seene euery where aboundantly in Princes Courts in cities and families For thus doe they think I am the author and master of this familie this policie this gouernment c. Moste worthely therefore are they troubled and vexed when there followeth no such successe as they looked for And herevpon followeth as I said eyther a miserable confusion both in houshold and politike gouernment or else playne tyranny So in matrimony if neither the husband will beare with his wife nor the wife will giue place to her husband not onely the mutuall loue and concord in matrimony is broken but also it so falleth out that the husband is chaunged into a tyranne or else he neglecteth and forsaketh all togither What must we here doe The Pope aunswereth and giueth this counsell that we should flie into some solitary place or into some monastery Not so saith the holy Ghost This is not the counsell of God but of the deuill But thus do thou Consider that thou art Gods instrument beleue that there is yet an other magistrate and principall gouernour of the house whose name is the lord Except he be the principall cause it shall followe as this Psalme saith that the house shall not be builded and that neither politike nor householde gouernment shall prosper So must we iudge also of the finall cause If thou wilte referre all things to that ende which thou hast imagined and thinkest that thou shalt not be deceiued thou errest as experience teacheth One man taketh vppon him an office in the common wealth to get estimation and dignitie and findeth the contrary An other by matrimony seeketh pleasure seeketh a bewtifull and obedient wife but he is deceiued and proueth also the contrary And well worthy For why doest thou presume to rule either in politike or houshold gouernment as a God and thinkest that thy wisedom aud thy policy are able to gouerne these thinges and that thou hast no neede to lift vp thine eyes to him which is aboue and to desire his helpe When thou seest therefore that afterwardes it falleth out otherwise then doest thou learne to sing this Psalme Except the Lord builde the citie they labour in vaine that builde it Before thou thoughtest that there was no other Lord or gouerner besides thy selfe of whose help thou shouldest haue need to gouerne thy house Others which are not come to this knowledge either are at continuall debate with their wiues or else they forsake both wiues families and flie away Worthely worthely iustly and by the iust iudgement of God thus commeth it to passe For why doest thou being but vile dunge presume as a God to take vppon thee that heauenly gouernment that I say which is aboue nature with a naturall affection and earthly minde Thy clyming and presumptuous spirite therefore God iustly confoundeth Why doest thou not rather say on this wise Lorde thou hast giuen me a wife children a familie assist me and helpe me Gouerne thou and guide them or else in vaine is all my trauell Nowe for as much as the holy Scripture teacheth vs and experience also agreeth thereunto that without Gods helpe all is in vaine that we take in hande therefore we ought not to be ignorant of these thinges They labour in vaine saith he which builde it The cause is this that either they become tyrannes or else desperate forsake all togither So commeth to ruine both politike and houshold gouernment Now what madnes is this so to rule that either thou or thy family must perish Why doe we not rather as the holy Ghost here teacheth vs that we may preserue both Whiche is if we learne to knowe the principall cause and the true master and gouerner of the house if we call vppon him trust in him and say Thou Lord hast created me to be a ruler of a familie and hast giuen me those things which pertaine thereunto But this burden is to heauy for me to beare Therfore take vpon thee my charge O Lorde gouerne thou in my steede be thou the maister of the house for I will humbly giue place vnto thee Then will God heare thee and he will say All this will I doe so that thou canst be content if any thing happen otherwise then thou doest desire willingly to beare it and with patience to ouercome it and not to despaire of the ende and good successe thereof forsaking thy vocation to the which I haue called thee For since thou doest call vpon me and doest thankfully acknowledge those
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
deserue Thus coÌ„meth it to passe that when the wicked haue once taken their course like vnto a wilde horse they neuer rest vntil they come to a miserable ende The same haâ—â—eth also to all those which seeke to be iustified by workes The Phariseis neuer ceased to persecute the Gospel and to trust in their own righteousnes vntill Ierusalem the kingdom the priesthood were vtterly destroyed This is the ende of presumption when it is not bridled and repressed by the worde True it is therefore that this enormitie can not be remedied but either by grace or by wrath Thus generally in a maner they vnderstand this Psalme to be written against pride and presumption But in my iudgement it may be more aptly applyed vnto the spirituall pride of mans own righteousnes For as before I haue sayd these three thinges make men proud wisedom power righteousnes You may therfore if you list make three kinds of pride according to these three obiects For they are giftes of God distributed vnto men and haue their measure and their meane appointed vnto them They therefore that are wise are wise according to their measure and can not be more wise They which are mightie are mightie according to their measure and can not be more mightie Likewise they which are righteous are righteous according to their measure and can not be more righteous But pride maketh them desirous to seeme more wise more mightie more righteous then they are in deede Hereupon it followeth that when the matter commeth to the triall and sinne striueth with righteousnes exceeding her owne gift and measure then is righteousnes ouercome and made desperation which oftentimes driueth hypocrites to the halter So it commeth often times to passe that impotency fighteth against power ouercommeth As it hapned to the Israelites fighting against the one onely tribe of Beniamin In like maner foolishnes many times ouercommeth confoundeth wisedom And of this strange successe what is the cause Forsoth euen this that men doe not trust in the Lord but presume of their owne wisedom power righteousnes contrary to the word and will of god For God will haue vs to trust onely in his power and mercie But thus will men haue it and thus they thinke that they are mighty righteous and wise to this ende that they should trust in these titles and presume therof Wherefore this they finde at length and that iustly that they are most miserable and vnhappy For why do they not that which they are able why enterprise they that which they are not able to doe Most worthy are they therefore to be punished and plagued according to the Dutch prouerbe because they attempt that which they are not able to accomplish Let vs therefore abide in humilitie and let vs thinke moderatly and modestly of our owne gift Let vs not iudge other let vs not oppresse other let vs not be wittie busie in other mens affaires but let vs doe that which pertaineth to our vocation and let euery one of vs so much the more diligently fight against this vice by how much we finde and fele the same to be fixed and rooted in our nature and in euery one of vs albeit it sheweth it selfe in one more and in an other lesse as also the historyes of the Gentiles and heathen men doe declare For Cicero was more ambitious then Demosthenes paraduenture because he lyued in a greater kingdom and a mightie Monarchie Likewise Iulius Caesar was more ambitious then Augustus So in spirituall matters Pharao had an obstinacie ioyned with pride To conclude all the examples both of the holy Scriptures and also of the Gentiles doe shewe this to be the ende and successe of proud and presumptuous persons that suddenly the wrath of God falling vppon them when they least of all feare it they are confounded and miserably perish But as I haue said we will leaue this generall interpretation and apply this Psalme to the spirituall pride which consisteth in the opinion of mans owne righteousnes Verse 1. Lord mine harte is not hawtie neither are mine eyes loftie neither haue I walked in great matters and hid from me In that Dauid thus glorieth reioiceth he doth it being taught by his owne experience As if he said I haue proued what an euill thing it is to be hautie and high minded and to rest securely in the opinion of righteousnes Wherefore I wil no more be now high minded I will not glory any longer in mine owne righteousnes For the proud Pharisey which braggeth that he is not as other men be when his conscience beginneth once to accuse him forthwith is cast down and stricken with terror and is not able to stand against the least sinne I speake not of the huge mountaines and seas of sinnes and iniquities which in a moment do swallow vp and consume the proude and secure It is good therefore saith he O Lord that thou hast humbled me and hast schooled me by afflictions that I should not be proude that I shoulde not seeme holy in myne owne conceite that I should not make my selfe as a Iudge and a Censour iudging and condemning al men For that is the propertie of all Iusticiaries and such as trust in their owne righteousnes holines and perfection As the example of the Pharisey in the Gospell doth declare whiche is not content to recken vp his owne vertues and good workes but with all he must needs condemne the poore Publicane This is the sinne of naturall and morall righteousnes or of the righteousnes of the lawe to condemne others to presume and to clyme euen to the iudgement seate of God and to pronounce sentence against those whom they thinke not to be so perfect as them selues He that is a ioly Citizen or alearned lawer thinketh highly of him self and maketh him selfe as it were a certaine idoll vnto him selfe but others he condemneth and in comparison of him self proudly coÌ„temneth The husbandman when he seeth any fault in the Magistrate thinketh as did that seruaunt in the Poet Oh why was not I made a King a Ruler a Magistrate These be but politike matters ful of vanities most fond follyes and folishnes and yet there is none of vs all which are able therein to bridle and moderate our selues except the holy Ghost doe guide and rule our hartes and teach vs that this righteousnes whether it be naturall or moral is but as a worke of mans hand which maketh vs no whit the better before god And in deede there is no man so foolish that will thinke him selfe the better Christian or more acceptable before God because he is a Tayler a Carpenter or a Shoomaker And yet although the case be all one there is no man which doth not presume of this righteousnes whether it be morall or natural except the holy Ghost bridle him and bring him into the right way For it hath a goodly shew of holynes and
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
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
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