with anguish or heauinesse for sinne immediately the tongue saith He was borne vnder an euill Planet or in an euill houre and so findeth fault with the worke of God which God made excellent good Thus may ye sée where as the soule of man wayteth not vppon God the impatient man accuseth God and all his workes both in heauen and in earth But the godly féeling the rodde of God for sinne and iniquitie as GOD neuer punisheth withoute iuste cause he firste accuseth him selfe and acknowledgeth his owne offences and then sayeth with the Prophete Micheas I will suffer the indignation of God for I haue deserued it To this wayting vpon the Lorde without quarelling and desperate lamenting exhorted Ieremie the prophete the children of Israel for the time of their being in seruitude and captiuitie of Babylon bidding them to plante and grafte trées and so to prouide for themselues vntil the time were expired of their affliction and captiuitie Men may mourne and lament their sinnes and troubles that they suffer for sinne as we may sée howe the Psalme of the Prophet conteineth the bewailing and wéeping of the people that sate heauily and lamentably by the riuer side in Babylon And the like may ye reade in the Lamentations of Ieremie But this mourning was without desperation and quarelling as the letters and bookes do recorde Besides these thinges the cause of their bewailing and lamenting whiles their soules waited vpon the Lorde differeth from the moste forte of mourners and bewaylers nowe a dayes For we may sée nowe a dayes if the wife bewaile the death of her husbande it is moste commonly because she hath taken from her a louing head and gouernour If the husbande lament the departure of his wife it is because he is bereaued of a faithfull healper If the sonne mourne for the death of his father it is because there is taken from him not onely his father but also his patrone and defender If the parentes be sorrie for the taking away of their children it is because they want their daliaunce sport and pastime with them or such other worldly affections If the prince take gréeuously the calling away of his subiecte from this worlde it is because he lacketh a trustie souldier a faithful capteine a wise counseller or profitable officer If the subiect lamente the death of his prince it is because he hath lost his aduauntage authoritie or estimation If the seruaunt wéepe for his maister it is because with his maister is departed his commoditie and trust of wordly riches and friendship If the maister mourne for his seruaunt it is because there is taken from him a skilfull a diligente or a faithfull doer of his businesse And such like causes as men gréeuously of euerie sort féele and lament If the Parson lament his parishioner it is most commonly because he séeth the breach of an honest housholde decayeth his tenthes and profite And if the parishioner mourne for his pastour most commonly it is because he loss a good companiō or profitable friend If the Bishoppe bewaile the death of suche as dy in his diocesse it is most commonly because he is destitute of suche a one as fauoured much affection to set fourth and doe suche thinges as he worldly desired shoulde goe forewardes or else perchaunce such manner of one as coulde excuse him what negligence or faulte so euer he shoulde perpetrate or committe for the time he were in office If the diocesse be sorrie for the death of the Bishoppe it is because the one parte which is the Clergie doth feare leaste there shall come another that wilbe more diligent and quicke in doing his office and sée that they shall do the same The other partie called the Temporaltie lamente because they haue loste such a one as peraduenture fedd well their belies with bread and béefe or else was so remisse that he woulde suffer all sinne vnpunished and rather be a bearer of the euill then a mainteiner of the good Nowe this is suche béewayling and mourning as Ethnickes Publicanes and Infidels may haue But wherefore the Christian soule that wayteth vppon the Lord without quarell or desperation doth wéep lament reade you the Psalme before named and the lamentations of Ieremie and there shall you finde in the Psalme these words We sate by the riuers of Babylon and wepte when wee remembred thee ô Sion The chiefest cause of their wéeping was because the worde of God was not preached the sacraments ministred nor the Almightie God lauded and praised in the temple of Hierusalem as God had commaunded by his worde This is a moste iust also a moste worthie cause to wéepe for whiles God punisheth vs that for our sinnes not onely our quietnesse wealth but also the worde of God whiche is greater is taken away and his due honour giuen vnto idols For the children of Israel perceiuing that Gods honor was defaced for their sinns they wepte as often as they remembred it as God giue vs grace to doe the same The like did Saint Peter He lamented not because he leafte all his goods for Christes sake but wept that by his deniall of Christe he felte him selfe not constant in the faith and loue of his Maister So did Marie Magdalene bewayle that she hadde offended Christ and not because the world knewe her to be a sinner Saint Iohn Chrysostome hath a notable saying He that feareth more hell then Christ is worthie of hell And that ment the prophet when he cryed out What is there in heauen or in earth that I preferre before thee O Lord. As though he had saide There is nothing can make me as gladde as thy loue towardes me nor any thing so sorrie as thy displeasure good Lorde Thus doth the soule of the verie Christian waite vpon the Lord in all troubles and aduersities and patiently doth beare the punishmentes of sinne and not only beare patiently the paine but also considereth what is the greatest losse that may happen vnto him by reason of troubles Not the losse of worldly richesse landes and promotions nor the losse of health of bodie by sicknesse neither the lesse of the bodie it selfe by death ne yet the losse of the soule into eternall paines But the greatest losse that he weigheth is the losse of the good will of him that made him and of greate mercie redéemed him and with much kindenesse alwayes nourished him That is to be séene in the prodigall sonne whiche when he had spent all his goodes lecherously and brought him selfe to moste miserable pouertie to such extreame famine that he would haue bene glad to haue eaten the meate prepared for the pigs besides the great heauines of hart that weighed the time of prosperitie and conferred it with his estate of so extreame miserie yet nothing made him so sorie and pensiue as the calling to his remembrance howe vnreuerently he had vsed his moste gentle louing
faith hope and charitie as they be qualities in vs we should surely perish Therefor this place of the Prophete Asaph where he demaundeth this question Whether Gods mercy be gone for euer doth teach vs that of all thinges we should be most assured of this that onely mercy is the help of mans troubles and damnation But as I saide before there were two maner of clarities and brightnesse in the word of God so nowe I say there is two manner of mercies of God mentioned in the scripture The outwarde mercy is in the letter which men reade and sing euery day and speake and talke of but the other is inward When that men can not féele Gods mercy in their conscience as they heare it spoken of and as they reade it in the booke they be troubled and full of anguish and paine and as long as they be in this case without Gods mercy they can do nothing that pleseth GOD or content them selues But as soone as the spirite is assured and féeleth that GOD for his mercy doth forgiue and forget the iniquitie that the spirite and body haue committed and done against God it reioyceth and is so glad that it will doe nothing but that which pleseth and is acceptable vnto God and in Christ shall content and quiet his owne conscience As for example Adam before he inwardly felt the mercy of God promised in Christe to forgiue and remit his sinne and offence in what heauinesse was the poore man He hid him selfe and could not abide the voyce of the liuing God for he felt that his doings pleased neyther GOD nor him selfe But when grace had assured him of Gods mercy he fell in the spirit to quietnesse For where the spirite of God testifieth and beareth record with the spirite of man that he is the childe of God there is ioy and consolation with this ioyfull song and melodie Abba pater Father father So that where so euer this song is felt in the spirite there are suche ioyes as no toung can expresse as all the booke of Solomons ballads meruellously doe declare And wheras the mercy of God is not there is eyther abhomination of sinne and continuance therein without any feare or grudge of conscience at all or else such heauinesse of spirite that desperation vtterly quaileth and oppresseth the spirite for euer Yet shal the spirite soule of man féele this for a time while God hideth his mercifull face Is his mercy cleane gone for euer Which cogitations of the minde be full bitter and sorrowfull as all men of GOD doe knowe that haue felt them and as the Prophete declareth in the processe of his Psalme in this sorte And is his promise come vtterly to an end for euermore Hath God forgotten to be gratious And wil he shut vp his louing kindnes in displeasure These demaundes and questions of his owne minde and spirite that was troubled be no more in effect then troubles that he named before But in this that he calleth the trouble by so many names it declareth that his spirite was for the time so disquieted that the paines in maner could not well be named and expressed As it is to be séene always when the minde of man is brought into an excellencie and profoundnesse of mirth or sorrowe then it is so rauished with the vehemencie of them both that the toung is not able to expresse the inward ioy nor the inwarde sorrowe as it is to be séene as well in prophane writers as in the holy word of God Reade ye the 18. Psalme of king Dauid which he soung to the Lorde when he was quit and deliuered from all his enimies ye shall sée what shift and copie of wordes he vsed to name God to expresse what he thought of God in his heart and with what Metaphors he expresseth the strength of God that ouercame al his enimies the Psalme is to be read and marked Againe reade ye these Psalmes 42. 43. where ye shall perceiue the prayer of Dauid wherein is described a vehement agonie and most bitter battel betwéene faith and desperation and there mark what words he hath found out to expresse the sorrowes of his heart that was so sore put in doubt by desperation and weaknesse of faith The Harte saith he being wounded was neuer more desirous to come to the water then my soul desireth to come to thee ô God And at length when he can finde no more wordes to vtter the pensiuenesse of his heart he turneth his wordes inward to his owne soule and asketh why she is so heauie and sad Ye may sée also the very same ioyfull and sorrowfull spirites in the ballads of Solomon and in the lamentations of Ieremie the Prophete In the one it séemeth that the soule annexed vnto Christ is in such ioy as the tong can not expresse it and in the other for sinne the soule is afflicted in such sort that it can not tell how to expresse the heauinesse thereof There is to be considered also in these demaunds of the Prophete that he made to him selfe in his spirite as the text saith he reuolued the matter with his owne spirite this doctrine howe easie a thing it is to teach and comfort other men and howe hard a thing it is for a man to teach and comfort him selfe in the promises of God S. Paule found fault therewithall and saide to the Iewe Thou teachest an other man teachest not thy selfe And Iudas went foorth with the eleuen other of his fellowes to teach Gods mercy in Christ vnto the lost shéep of the house of Israel but he neither followed his own doctrine nor yet tooke any comfort of remission of sinnes in the promises of God but hanged himselfe desperately Wherefore it is very expedient for eueryman and woman that hath learned and doth knowe the truth of God to pray that they them selues may folowe the truth and for such as knowe and teach others the consolations of the scriptures of God that they may with knowledge of them féele them in déede and with speaking of them to others for their learning they may speake them to them selues for their owne edifying But doubtlesse it is an easie matter for a man to speake of comfort and consolation to others but a hard thing to féele it him selfe Vertue is soone spoken of to other mens instructions but the putting thereof in practise and vre is very hard yea not only in the scholer that is taught but also in the maister that instructeth Beware of despaire can euery man say but to eschue despaire in great conflictes of the minde is an harde matter Reade the booke of the Psalmes well and ye shall sée the experience thereof to be most certeine and true In the 62. Psalme ye shall haue this commaundement to all men Trust ye alwayes in him ye people yet when it came to the triall in him selfe ye may sée with what heauines and great trouble of
his maister and teacher that shall giue him holesome and commodious doctrine meete for the state of the life he hath chosen to liue in this world For all that shall be saued in time to come followe not one kinde of life Some be Magistrates and Rulers appointed to sée both the laws of the realme and the goodes and commodities thereof to be vsed and applyed to the vse and profit of such as be vnder them Some giue them selues to studie and contemplation of heauenly and diuine things not busying them selues with trauels of the body but to knowe them selues the way of life and to be teachers of the same to others Some be giuen to apply the lawes of the Common wealth some to exercise the trade and course of merchandize some one kinde of liuing and some an other But of what art facultie science or kinde of liuing so euer he be that is not contrarie to Gods honour or honestie he may vse therein to serue God to obserue iustice to exercise truth kéepe temperance and be acceptable to God who hath giuen lawes méete and conuenient to Publicans and Souldiers seruants and maisters parentes children husbandes and wiues and so to all other but all these sortes of people must assuredly knowe that in euery of these vocations be more daungers then he that must liue in them is able to beare Therfore from the bottome of his heart he must be assured of this beginning of king Dauids Hymne The Lord feedeth me and I shal lacke nothing And in déede the Lorde hath not only saide He will féede and defende him from all daungers but also saith He wil teach him howe to liue vertuously reuerently towards God and honestly and quietly towardes man what state or vocation so euer he choose to liue in so it be not against Gods lawes and the lawe of nature So saith king Dauid God hath appointed a lawe to rule and teach the man that feareth him what soeuer kind of liuing he appointeth him selfe to liue in What treasure is there to be compared vnto this that man is not onely fed and mainteined by God but also taught and instructed in euery craft and science that he appointeth him selfe to liue in Blessed therefore is the man that in the entrailes and déepe cogitations of his hart can say beléeue féele this to be true that Dauid saith The Lorde ruleth me and careth for me and I shall lacke nothing But yet there is almost nothing spoken that this king would haue chiefly knowne Howbeit doubtlesse they be wonderfull things that preserue and teache all persons both men and women in what so euer kinde of liuing honestly they appoint themselues to liue in He him selfe knew this to be true right wel as it appeareth when he saith Blessed be the Lorde my strength that taught my handes to battel For if the Lord had not taught and ruled him he had bene ouerthrowne many times bycause there was not onely more strength then he had of him selfe against him but also more wit more policie more experience But what things can ouercom that man that is couered with this shielde Dominus regit me The Lord ruleth me Doubtlesse nothing at all whether it be in heauen aboue or in the earth beneath or in hell vnder the earth Notwithstanding this is not all that this doctrine The Lord ruleth me doth for the poore shéepe that is ruled But here must the reader and hearer of this Psalme followe king Dauid and desire to haue the eye of his minde purged and made cleane for if the scales of infidelitie and the loue and delight to sinne remaine or else the minde be otherwise occupied then vpon the vnderstanding of the Hymne he shall heare it or sing it as the vngodly Colleges of Priestes doe that daily bo-o and rore the holy Scriptures out of their mouthes and vnderstand no more the meaning thereof then the walles which they sing and speake vnto We must therfore do as king Dauid did lift vp the eyes of our mindes into heauen and fire our faith as he saith fast in the Lord and then shall we sée the vnspeakable treasures and wisedome that lyeth hid in this meruellous and comfortable head and beginning of this Psalme The Lord feedeth me c. Our Sauiour Christ openeth plainely in Saint Iohn what it is to be the shéepe of God and to be fed by him and saith They wil heare the shepheards voyce but no straungers voyce and bycause they heare the shepheards voyce the shepheard will giue them euerlasting life and no man shall take them out of the shepheards hands There is the greatest treasure and most necessarie riches for the shéepe of God vttered which is not the knowledge of God alone to be preserued in this life and to lacke nothing that is expedient and necessarie for the preseruation thereof but also to vnderstand which wayes the heauenly father teacheth and leadeth vs to the mansion and dwelling place of life euerlasting And if man were wise he might soone perceiue how much the life to come is better then the life present yea be it neuer so fauourably fed and preserued by the heauenly father our shepheard and gouernour For his tuition here of vs although it be sure and so strong that none can take vs out of his handes yet is our safegard and life troubled and mingled with aduersities subiect to persecution and also vnto death but in the life to come Gods tuition is all ioy all myrth all solace with all perpetuitie and endlesse felicitie And of this treasure Dauid chiefly meant in the forefront of the Psalme when he said And I shal lacke nothing For as we sée vntill this life be taken from vs most troubles and most care beginneth and tarrieth in the house of GOD amongest his shéepe whiche be as lambes among woolues Wherefore the voyce and teaching of the shepheard doth heale the mindes of the shéepe Gods deare elect and pulleth from them all vnprofitable feare and carefulnesse it quencheth all flames of lust and concupiscence it maketh and giueth a man a noble and valiant minde to contemne al worldly things it bringeth a man in loue with Gods true honour maketh him ioyfull in trouble quiet in aduersitie and sure that the end of Gods people shal be glorious and ioyfull and also that this fauour of the shephearde shall be his guide into the place of blisse whereas be crownes of euerlasting glorie for such as haue bene led by the Lorde and there they shall lacke nothing For there is neither eye can sée nor toung can speake nor minde can comprehend these ioyes and glorie And therefore the Prophete both constantly and chearefully saide The Lorde feedeth me and I shal lacke nothing for all thinges of this world be but trifles in comparison of things to come Although it be a singular fauour of God to vnderstand his goodnesse and mercie towards vs in things
so doeth sinne and death both appeare and be felt by the spirite of God shewed vnto vs in the lawe This order also fawe the holy Prophet when he saide The Lorde conuerteth my soule and leadeth me into the pathes of righteousnes This is a wonderfull sentence and much and déepely to be considered and weighed of the Christian man The Lorde conuerteth my foule saith Dauid He féeleth in him selfe that as long as the diuell and sinne haue the rule and kingdome in man the soule of man being Gods creature is deformed foule horrible and so troubled that it is like vnto all things more then vnto God and vertue whervnto it was created but when the wicked diuel deformed sinne be by the victorie of Christ ouercome expelled the soule waxeth faire amiable swéete louing pleasant like vnto God againe and cōmeth into order obeisance vnto his creatour so brought into y e pathes of righteousnes féedeth with the rest of Gods well ordered flocke vppon she pastures and foode of his holy worde to doe his blessed will Oh that we would in the glasse of Gods worde looke vpon our owne soules when they be in the tyrannie of the diuell vnder the kingdome of sinne as this king did we should more loathe and detest our owne soule and the companie that our soule is accompanied withall then if we should for all our life time be put into sties with hogges and alwayes be bound during our life to liue with them féede as they féede sléepe and wake as they do and be as they be in all things Looke in the Gospel of Saint Luke and there shall ye sée a man by sinne so foule so disordered so accompanied with swine so hungerbaned so rent and torne so beggerly so wretched so vile so loathsome and so stinking that the very swine were better for their condition then he was But sée howe the heauenly shepheard behelde from his heauenly throne the place of the euerlasting ioyes this poore strayed shéepe féeding not amongst shéepe but amongest swine and yet could not be satisfied therewith And no meruell for swine féede not vpon the meate of shéepe nor yet doe shéepe fill them selues with hogges draffe and swillinges but this shephearde vsed his olde wonted clemencie and strake the heart of his shéepe making him to wéepe and bewayle his condition a man to come to suche dishonour to be coupled and matched with swine to féede like swine eate like swine such meate as swine eate remembring that the worst in his fathers house was a Prince and noble King in comparison respect of him then also being persuaded of his fathers mercy he returned his father brought him into his pleasant swéete pastures gaue him his old fauor accustomed apparel againe as a man to kéepe companie with men no more with adulterous men and vncleane swine howbeit he came not to his old honour againe till the Lord had practised in him that he practised in this Prophete king Dauid Ammam meam conuertit He conuerted and turned my soule It is but a follie for a man to flatter himselfe as though he were a Christian man when his hart and soule is not turned vnto the Lord. He shal neuer féed in the pastures of life but be an hypocrite all the days of his life as the most part of the world be that professe Christes name at this present day They say they be conuerted from the world to God when there is nothing within the pastures of Gods word but that they wil contemne rather then to haue as much as an euil looke of the world for it They say they be conuerted to God when they be contented with the world to honour that for God that is but bread and wine in the matter and substance as the scripture of God and the holy Church of Christ haue taught and beléeued these thousand and fiue hundreth yeares and more Oh Lord be these men turned to thée Be these the men that shall dwell with thée in thy holy mount of Sion and stand in thy holy place Nay doubtlesse for they be not turned to thée but from thée be not with thée but against thée They speak with thée and yet their déedes dishonour thée they talke of trueth and practise lies What good Lord shall thy simple poore vnlearned shéepe do Where shall they séeke thy trueth For the shéepeheards say and sing this Psalme euery wéeke and at euery dirige for the dead and yet they be not conuerted in their spirits to thée that thou mightest lead them into the pathes of righteousnes But Lord there is no man nowe in manner that dare accuse them they destroy themselues and thy shéepe and no man can be suffered with Gods word to remedie it Notwithstanding good Lord although in this world none may accuse them yet they in the world to come shal haue king Dauid whose Psalmes they daily reade and in whom they most glorie to accuse them both of heresie and blasphemie as Moses shall accuse the wicked Iewes whome they most glorie of For as the Iewes read the scripture of Moses and yet were neuer the better so these priests of Antichrist reade the holy scripture yet neither the people nor they themselues are any thing the better And in this they passe y e abhomination of the Iewes Turkes for they were and yet be content that their bookes of religion shal be vsed in their churches in the vulgar and common tongue but these enimies of God and man would not haue the word that God hath appointed for all mens saluation to be vsed in any tongue but in the Latine The God therefore of peace that brought againe from death to life the great shéepheard of the shéepe by the bloud of the euerlasting testament our Lord Iesus Christ conuert the soules and heartes of all those that cause the shéepe of God thus to eate and féed vppon the carrine and infected pastures of mens traditions Amen Nowe as king Dauid in this text hath wonderfully set foorth y e miserable nature of al Gods shéepe and put himself for an example that the nature and condition of all men is corrupt wicked and damnable so that it cannot be partaker of Gods benediction and euerlasting grace except it be borne a newe amended restored and instructed so likewise he sheweth that none conuerteth the soule of man but the heauenly father the great shéepeheard that both séeth the loste state of his shéepe and willeth of his mercie the saluation and calling of the shéepe home againe and then he procéedeth further and sheweth what the heauenly shéepeheard will doe with his shéepe He saith Hee will lead them into the pathes of iustice Wherein the Prophete declareth that it is not onely God that conuerteth the man from euill but also he alone that kéepeth him in goodnes and vertue And therein is shewed a wonderfull miserie and wretchednesse in the soule and
and lead him into the pleasant pastures whereas vertue and iustice reigned for his names sake and not for any righteousnesse of his owne so saith he now That being brought into the pastures of trueth and into the fauour of the almightie and accounted and taken for one of his shéepe it is onely GOD that kéepeth and mainteineth him in the same state condition and grace For he could not passe through the troubles and shadowe of death as he al Gods elect people must do but only by the assistance of God and therefore he saith he passed through al peril bicause he was with him Of this part of the Psalme we learne that all the strength of man is vnable to resist the troubles and persecutions of Gods people and that the grace and presence of God is able to defend his people and nothing but it Therefore doth Saint Paule bid the Ephesians be strong through the Lord and through the might of his strength for he saith that Great and many be our aduersaries strong and mightie which goe about not onely to weaken vs but also to ouercome vs we of our selues haue no power to withstand Wherefore he willeth vs to depend and stay onely vpon Gods strength And Saint Peter also when he hath declared the force and malice of the diuell he willeth vs to resist him strongly in faith And Saint Iohn saith that This is the victorie that ouercommeth the world euen our faith And our sauiour Christ when the time was come that he shuld depart out of the world corporally and perceiued howe maliciously and strongly the diuell and the world were bent against his disciples that he should leaue in the world as shéepe amongest woolues and howe little strength his poore flocke had against such maruellous troubles he made his most holy and effectuall prayer for them present and them in trouble and likewise for vs that be nowe and also in trouble in this sorte Pater sancte serua eos per nomen tuum quos dedisti mihi c. That is to say Holy father keepe them for thy names sake whome thou hast giuen me Here hath euery one of Gods people suche learning as teacheth that our help is only in the name of the Lorde who made heauen and earth And in this learning we shall vnderstand two necessarie lessons The first that none can defende vs but God alone who is our protectour and none but he And by this learning he will beware to aske or séeke helpe any other where sauing of God as we be instructed by his holy word And herein we honour him to knowe and confesse that there is none that can preserue nor saue vs but he alone The other lesson is that our conscience vnderstanding that God can and will helpe vs shall cause vs in all trouble to commend our selues vnto him and so more strongly and patiently beare suffer all troubles and aduersities being assured that we shall ouercome them through him or else be taken by them from this world into a world whereas is no trouble at all So said this holy Prophet and King Dauid If I walke in the shadow of death I wil not feare for thou art with me Nowe in that he saith he will not feare he meaneth not that a man may sée and suffer these perils without all perils for then were a man rather a perfect spirite then a mortall creature but he meaneth that feare shall not ouercome him For Christe him selfe feared death neyther is there any man that shall suffer imprisonment for Christes sake but that he shall féele the paines neuerthelesse Gods spirit shall giue strength to beare them and also in Christe to ouercome them There is no man that can haue faith but sometimes and vpon some occasion it may be troubled and assaulted with mistrust no man such charitie but that it may be yea and is troubled with hatred no man such patience but y t it may at times féele impatience no man such veritie but that it may be troubled with falshoode howbeit in the people of God by Gods helpe the best ouercommeth the worst and the vertue the sinne But in case the worst preuaile and ouercome the man of God is neuer quiet vntill he be restored vnto God againe vnto the same vertues that he lost by sinne as ye may sée in this king by many of his Psalmes that he beléeued and found God to defend him howe so euer his state was and therefore attributeth vnto him the whole victorie prayse of his deliuerance saying Thou art with me and doest ouercome But nowe the Prophete declareth howe and by what means God is with him and doth deliuer him from all troubles And this means of Gods presence and defence he openeth by diuers Allegories and Translations wonderfull méete and apt to expresse the thing that he would shew to the world The first Translation or Allegorie he taketh of the nature of a rod the second of a staffe and saith They did comfort him and defend him the third he taketh of a table which he saith the great shepheard prepared before his face against as many as troubled him the fourth he taketh from the nature of oyle and of a cup that was alwayes full wherwith he was not onely satisfied but also ioyfully replenished in all times and all troubles whatsoeuer they were By the rod is many times in the scripture vnderstanded the punishment and correction that God vseth to cal home againe to amend his elect beloued people when they offend him He punisheth them and yet killeth them not he beateth them vntill they know their faults but casteth them not away as he saide to king Dauid that whē he dyed his kingdome should come vnto one of his own children in case he went astray from his lawe he would correct him with the rod of other Princes and with the plagues of the sonnes of men but my mercy saith God I will not take from him as I did from Saule This same manner of speache may ye reade also in his 89. Psalme and in the Prouerbes of his sonne king Solomon ye haue the same doctrine He that wanteth a heart must haue his backe beaten with a rod. And in the same booke he saith He that spareth the rod hateth the childe So doeth king Dauid here confesse that it is a very necessarie and requisite way to kéepe the shéepe of God from perishing to be chastened and corrected when they waxe wanton and will not heare the voyce of their shephearde And it is the part of euery wise godly man to loue this correction and chastisement of the Lord as Solomon saith He that loueth discipline and correction loueth knowledge he that hateth to be rebuked is a foole And king Dauid saith It is to my great good commoditie that the Lorde chasteneth me This rod of correction Dauid saith is one of the instruments and meanes
wherewithall God preserueth his shéepe from straying Nowe in the scripture somtimes the rod is taken not for a correction that amendeth a man but for the punishment and vtter destruction of man as Dauid saith of Christ Thou shalt breake them with an yron rod and in the Apocalypse ye may sée the same But I will speake of the Metaphors and Translations none otherwise then Dauid doeth vse them in this place for his purpose The staffe which he speaketh of in the scripture is taken for strength power and dominion which staffe is spoken of as ye may sée in the bookes of the Kinges howe the Embassadours and men of warre sent from the king of the Assyrians to Ezechias at Hierusalem called the strength power of the Aegyptians and also of the almightie God a staffe of réede and a broken weapon not able to withstande the king of the Assyrians and of suche manner of speach ye may reade many times in the Prophetes But in this place Dauid confesseth that the staffe of the Lorde that is to say Gods power is so strong that nothing is able to ouercome it his wisdome is such that no man can make it foolishnesse his trueth is so true that no man can make it false his promise is so certeine and sure that no man can cause him to breake or alter it his loue is so constant that no man can withdraw it his prouidence is so wise that no man can beguile him his care is so great for his flocke that they can want nothing his folde is so strong that no beast can breake it he letteth his shéepe so in and out that no man can deceiue him he hath suche a care of all as he neglecteth not one he so loueth the one that he hateth not the other he so teacheth all as none is left ignoraunt he so calleth one as all should be aduertised he so chasteneth one as all should beware he so receiueth one as all should take hope and consolation he so preserueth one as all the rest may be assured that he vseth his staffe and force to comfort one king Dauid as he saith Thy rod and thy staffe they comfort me as all other should assure them selues to be safe vnder his protection In this Metaphore and Translation vnder the name of a staffe king Dauid hath declared the power of God to be such that in case he should passe by and through thousandes of perilles he would not care for GOD is with him with his rodde and staffe Then he setteth foorth the thirde Allegorie and expresseth an other meanes which God vseth for the defence and consolation of his poore shéepe and saith that GOD hath prepared a table in his sight against all those that trouble him By the name of a table he setteth foorth the familiar and in manner fellowlike loue that the God omnipotent hath towardes his shéepe with whome he vseth not only friendship but also familiaritie and disdaineth not being the King of Kings to admit and receiue vnto his table vile and beggarly sinners scabbed rotten shéepe That friendship and familiaritie is meruellously set foorth in this that he made a table for Dauid as though Dauid had saide Who is he that can hurt me when the Lorde of Lordes doeth not onely loue me but admitteth me to be alwayes familiarly in his companie The same manner of speache is vsed of king Dauid towardes Miphiboseth Ionathas sonne when he saide he shoulde not only haue the fieldes againe of Saule his grandfather but also be enterteined at his owne table that is to say vsed friendly honourably and familiarly This worde Table is diuersly otherwayes taken many times in the Scripture but in this place it is néerest to the mind of king Dauid to take it in this signification that I haue noted And our Sauiour Christe taketh it in the same signification in Saint Lukes Gospell where he saith his disciples shall eate with him at his table in the kingdome of God The fourth meanes that the heauenly shepheard vseth in kéeping of his shéepe the Prophete setteth foorth vnder the name of oyle and a full cuppe In the worde of God these wordes haue also comfortable significations and meanings extending to Dauids purpose Isaac when he had giuen the blessing from Esau to Iacob sayde to Iacob God shall giue thee of the deaw frō heauen and from the fruitfull ground thou shalt haue aboundance of corne of wine and oyle c. By the which blessing he meaneth that Iacob should lacke nothing to serue his néedes and to make him merrie And if we take Dauid that he meaneth by Oyle as Isaac did that at the Lordes table was all plentie myrth and solace we take him not amisse for so many times oyle is taken for consolation and ioy in the Scriptures When Christe had purged the hurt mans woundes first with smarting wine he afterwardes put into them swéete oyle to ease the smarte and sharpnesse of the wine And so likewise saith our sauiour Christ to Simon the Pharisée that gaue him meat enough to his dinner but gaue him no myrth Since I came into thy house thou gauest me no water for my feete nor oyle for my heade this poore woman neuer ceassed to wash my feete with the tears of her eyes and to annoynt them with oyle But in many Psalmes king Dauid vseth this word Oyle to signifie the holy Ghoste as when he speaketh of our Sauiour Christe Thou hast loued iustice and hated iniquitie therefore hath God annoynted thee with the oyle of ioye aboue thy fellowes And this oyle is not the materiall oyle that kings and priests were annoynted withall in the old time of the lawe of whose confection we reade in the booke of the Leuites but this is the oyle by whose efficacie strength and power all things were made that is to say the holy Ghost And in his 89. Psalme he speaketh of the oyle in the same signification Therefore I take king Dauid here when he saith God hath annoynted his head with oyle that God hath illuminated his spirite with the holy Ghost And so is this place taken of godly men his head taken for his minde and oyle for the holy Ghost And as oyle nourisheth light mitigateth labours and paines and exhilerateth the countenaunce so doth the holy Ghost nourish the light and knowledge of the minde replenisheth it with Gods giftes and reioyceth the heart therefore the holy Ghoste is called the oyle of mirth and consolation And this consolation commeth vnto king Dauid and to all Gods liuely members by the meanes of Christ as Saint Peter saith We be people chosen and a princely priesthoode c. By the word Cup in this verse he meaneth that he is fully instructed in all godly knowledge to liue vertuously and godly for the time of this mortall life and so is the cup in the scripture taken for any thing that can
part of the Psalme that declareth why the troubled man trusteth in God 3 How long will ye imagine mischiefe against euerie man Ye shalbe slayne all the sorte of you yea as a tottering wall shall ye be and like a broken hedge 4 Their deuise is onely how to put him out whom God will exalte their delight is in lyes they giuâ— good wordes with their mouth but curse with theiâ— heart Selah The thirde parte of the Psalme wherein is shewed thâ— soudenly thy persequuters of the innocent shall perisâ— 5 Neuerthelesse my soule wayt thou stil vpon Goâ— for my hope is in him 6 He truely is my strength and my saluation he â— my defence so that I shall not fall 7 In God is my health and my glorie the rocke â—â— might and in God is my trust 8 O put your trust in him always ye people powâ— out your harts before him for God is our hope Selaâ— In these foure verses is conteyned the fourth part wheâ— in is mentioned the repetition of the two first verseâ— 9 As for the children of men they are but vaine thâ— children of men are deceiptfull vpon the weightes they are altogether lighter then vanitie it selfe 10 O trust not in wrong and robberie giue not youâ— selues to vanitie if riches increase sette not youâ— heartes vpon them Here is the fifte parte that teacheth no trust to be put 〈◊〉 man for he is not able to damne nor saue 11 God spake once and twise I haue also heard tâ—â— same that power belongeth vnto God 12 And that thou Lorde art mercifull for thou râ—â— wardest euerie man according to his worke In these two verses is comprehended the sixt parte whiâ—â— is that God hath promised to be mercifull in helpiâ—â— the afflicted and that he will performe his promises A briefe explanation of the Psalme generally MY soule doubtlesse wayteth still vpon God c. Be my troubles neuer so great and daungerous yet my soule shall trust continually and constantly in the Lorde that can and will remedie them For he is my strength and my saluation and he is my defence So shall I not greatly fall Although good Lorde by reason of mine infirmitie and sinne which is in all men my soule is weake and féeble that it wilbe oppressed with the lightest of all thy troubles whiche thou layest vpon man for his sinne yet when it taketh holde of thy mercie it waxeth strong And although it be weake and trembling by reason of infirmitie yet doth it not cleane fall from the trust of constancie and hope And let the wicked imagine their wicked imaginations against thy poore seruauntes O God yet at length shall they come to shame and destruction as the tottering wall doth fall and the rotten hedge is consumed with fire For that they go about they shal neuer bring to passe because they deuise to put him to shame that God hath purposed to exalt and magnifie And what so euer doublenesse they vse to speake faire with their mouthe and yet haue false and hollowe heartes it shall not bring their intent to their purposed end Sela. God be thanked of whom dependeth al the hope of my saluation And he is my strength my saluation and my defence so that I shal not fall Wherefore all Christian and afflicted persons saith the Prophet follow mine example and put al your hope and trust in the mercie of God who onely saue vs from euill and blesse vs with all goodnesse Powre out therefore before him all your cares and heauines and looke assuredly for help from him for doubtlesse the helpe of man is nothing worthe For If man and vanitie were bothe weighed in a paire of balance vanitie it selfe would be weightier then man How then can so light a thing as man is helpe in the time of trouble And as a man is but vanitie or else rather more vaine then vanitie so be al worldly riches that man possesseth and as little or lesse able to helpe an afflicted as man is vnable to helpe himselfe And this I knowe sayeth the Prophete not by mans wisdome but by the mouth of God that what so euer helpe man looketh for besides God he may be assured at all times to be both helpelesse and comfortlesse and trusting to God he shall be at all times both holpen and comforted For so saith the Lorde whose sayings no power is able to falsifie nor to resist ¶ What things are to be noted out of euerie particular part of this Psalme for the edifying and comfort of him that shall vse to say sing or meditate this Psalme THE FIRST PARTE My soule truely wayteth vpon God OVt of the first part wherein is conteyned what the Christian should doe in the time of trouble is to be noted what it is for a man to haue his soule wayting still vppon God or else to haue silence alwayes in his soule towardes God in the dayes of aduersitie As this Psalme speaketh When the Christian man or woman in the time of sorrowe and heauinesse without grudge or impatience looketh for the helpe of God and giueth not himselfe to quarelling or complayning of God as thoughe hée did him wrong and punished him too muche then doth the soule waite vpon the Lord or else hath silence towardes God As wee maye sée by Iob where his soule attended stil vpon the Lord. When his goodes cattell house and children were taken from him he said after this sorte The Lord gaue them the Lorde hath taken them away as the Lorde is pleased so is it done The name of the Lord be blessed All this while hee bore the crosse of God without murmur or grudge and had his soule still wayting vpon God as this Prophet here saith But when he was burdened further and from the sole of the foote to the top of the head was stricken with sores and botches he cursed the day that he was borne in and the night wherein he was conceiued with many more vnquiet and lamentable wordes as it appeareth in his Booke The like example we haue before of king Dauid in the Booke of the Psalmes where be these wordes In trouble and aduersitie I said I was cast away from the sight of thine eyes ô God And as Iob sometime saide If he should die yet he would trust in the Lord. So sayde Dauid a litle before If he should goe in the middest of the shadowe of death he would not feare In the whiche Psalme ye may sée how constantly his soule wayted vpon the Lorde yet in the 31 Psalme his troubles were so great that in them he saide I am cast from the sight of thee ô God So that these testimonies and examples of the Scriptures do declare that to haue the soule to wayte vppon the Lord is to be assured that God will helpe in trouble and patiently to beare the trouble without grudge vntill God sende remedie and helpe for it The second thing to be gathered of
men wonder at and vnder all these plagues tempestes and soule weather the young springing corne the swéete roote of hearbes the little withered grasse lye buried and couered vnder weather and stormes frost and snowe whilest GOD suffereth winter and maketh colde to continue Were it not now witchcraft and very abhomination to say and diuine of these stormie and winterly tempestes that sommer should not be gréene parched blades of graine should not come againe in the haruest to corne bitten and buried rootes should not at the spring bring foorth swéete and pleasant floures that shaken and wind torne trées by tempestes should not in the calme comming of the sommer bud foorth their leaues What witche and cursed man would thus iudge of earthly things that haue their times of vading and loosing of all beautie for the sinne of man If this be abhomination for the bitternesse and stormes of winter to condemne and curse the sommer to come bycause sommers fruites and the springes beautie be stayned and all defiled with winters barrennesse and dimme cloudes what is this but tenne times more abhomination for the bitternesse and stormes of persequution to condemne and curse the life to come of Gods people bicause truthes fruites and the resurrections glory be stained and all dishonoured with worldly scarsitie and dimme persequution But as Asaph the Prophete saith Al eyes see not these thinges but such as be of a cleane heart All men haue eyes for the most part and all men haue hearts but they be such as the wormes of the earth and birdes of the ayre can eate and deuour but he that will liue in GOD and sée these things must haue immortall eyes and an incorruptible heart which commeth by grace in Gods spirit to sée by faith and honour with reuerence Gods doings as well in the winter and colde stormes of persequution as in the summer of felicitie and pleasure and to remember that all men and women haue this life and this worlde appointed vnto them for their winter and season of stormes The summer draweth neare and then shall we be fresh orient swéete amiable pleasant acceptable immortall and blessed for euer and euer and no man shall take vs from it We must therefore in the meane time learne out of this verse to say vnto God whether it be winter or summer pleasure or paine libertie or imprisonment life or death Truely God is louing vnto Israel euen vnto such as be of a cleane heart ¶ Out of the second part are diuers things also to be noted 2 My feete were almost gone c. FIrst the Prophet noteth how wretched and miserable man is and how soone inclined to doe euill He saith that He was ready and prest to haue slipt from God euen with the beholding of Gods owne works when he sawe God giue vnto the wicked felicitie and prosperitie which things be onely Gods riches to giue to whome he will Although he bestowed none of his vpon the wicked yet was he offended that he should bestowe his owne where he lusted The same occasion tooke the workmen in the vineyard to murmur against God as it is in the Gospell of Saint Matthewe So that we be naturally giuen to this that God giueth alwayes too muche vnto other and too little vnto vs yea although he would giue vs all the world and yet kéepe any one thing for himselfe euen his very Godhed in case he wil not giue also that vnto vs we be ready to bid him farewell And in case he will not also giue vs as muche as is in him such is our nature that we will by some meanes or other séeke to haue it As we may sée when he had made Adam and giuen him both knowledge and power aboue all other creatures made for his vse bycause he was not made God altogether he fell most haynously from God and slipt not only in his féete but also in soule and body to his vtter ruine and destruction and of vs all that come of him For this is our condition Let God giue vs neuer so much we thinke it too litle except we haue a singular grace to consider it And let vs surrender vnto God neuer so little homage or seruice we thinke it all too much Such is our cursed nature and first birth to be ready to slip from God vpon the lighiest occasion of the world yea when GOD doth other men good and vs no harme But this nature we haue of the diuel our forefather to disdeine and maligne at other mens profite preferment as he did For when God made Adam and put him in Paradise the diuell neuer rested enuying Adams prosperitie vntil he had brought him to the lesse of altogether and to slip cleane from the Lorde This doctrine therefore touching the brittlenesse and frailenesse of mans nature is to be marked least that whereas the Prophete saide My feete were almost gone we slide and fall altogether from God There is also to be noted that the Prophet said He was almost gone and not altogether Here is the presence prouidence strength safegarde and kéeping of man by almightie God meruellously set foorth that although we be tempted and brought euen to the very point to perpetrate and doe all mischiefe yet he stayeth vs and kéepeth vs that the temptation shall not cleane ouercome vs. And so Saint Paule saith of Gods prouidence and present helpe that He will not suffer vs to be tempted further then we shall be able to beare And many times when we be brought into the greatest daunger and perill both of body and soule before we fall and be ouercome the Lorde preserueth vs and preuenteth the euill As when Abraham went into Egypt and perceiued that the Egyptians would put him in daunger for his wife Sara for she was a faire woman he desired her to say She was his sister and by that meanes thought to saue him selfe from danger and to winne fauour at the Egyptians handes The chastitie of this godly matrone Sara and wife of Abraham came into such extreme peril that neither Abraham nor she knewe how to stande fast in the state and chaste condition of matrimonie for she was coupled to the king as his wife But least the woman should haue falne and her féete slipt the Lorde rebuked the king and tolde him that Sara was an other mans wife and vnlawfull for him and so by his merciful defence and goodnesse kept al partes from falling in that respect The like may ye sée also in Iudith the godly woman that without a singular grace of God had falne with Dlofernes and abused womanhoode and widowhoode had not the Lord stayed in time the fall was imminent and in manner at hande And ye may reade the same likewise of the people that were within the citie of Bethulia at the same time howe neare they were falne when they appointed God a time to help them the space of fiue dayes in case he deferred
vnspeakable wisedome and iustice maketh them for their sinnes aliue and in securitie of conscience to goe to hell As Pharao whilest he followed the Israelites in persequution into the red sea soudenly was drewned Chore Dathan and Abiron whilest they were doing their sacrifices God killed them in opening the earth that swallowed them aliue downe into hell Nowe this inwarde discomfort although it eude not in ioye but onely in such as beléeue their sinnes to be forgiuen in the death and passion of Christ yet we sée by the examples of the scripture that both good and bad suffer and féele this that their spirite will take no comfort But nowe as concerning outward and externall discomfort which is felt as well of such as haue the word of God as such as haue not the word of God but only the lawe of nature As we may sée in the time of the lawe of nature how Noah shewed the discomfort of all men and the destruction of the world for sinne but this discomfort did not enter into the spirites of the hearers Christ complaineth of the same that the people had both discomfort and comfort preached vnto them and yet they receiued none of them both To whome saith Christ should I compare this generation It is like boyes that sit in the streates and cry vnto their fellowes and say We haue played vpon our tymbrels to you and you haue not daunsed we haue soung mourning songs vnto you and ye haue not wept God by his Prophete Esaie saith the same All the day long haue I extended foorth my hand vnto an vnfaithfull and intractable people Meaning that what so euer he threatened or gently offered vnto the Iewes it came no further then the outwarde eare Whereof both the Prophets and Christ him self gréeuously complaine in this sort They haue eares and heare not and they haue eyes and see not Saint Paule rebuketh men also that by the lawe of nature knewe good whereof they should haue reioyced and euill whereof they should haue lamented and yet did not And to leaue off the examples of our fathers mentioned in the scriptures we may sée the same by daily experience amongest our selues We reade in the booke of God we heare by preaching we knowe in our owne consciences the displeasure and anger of God against vs for our sinnes God outwardly sheweth vs the same with many horrible plagues as by sicknesse warre sedition scarsitie enimitie and hatred by the deliuerance and surrender of a whole realme to the vtter destruction thereof into the handes and rule of a straunger and by the deliuery and giuing ouer of Christian soules into the hands and rule of the Antichristian Pope and his wicked Cleargie and yet this discomfort commeth no further then our outward eare If Asaph the authour of this Psalme were amongest vs he would say His spirite would take no consolation And this is an horrible plague that wéekely this Psalme is read amongest the Popish Cleargie and yet it bringeth their spirites to no sorowe nor féeling of God displeasure Wherefore our owne experience teacheth that there is an inward and an outwarde discomfort in this Psalme and in the rest of Gods most holy word The one penitent sinners féele and by it amend their liues and the other some wicked men féele and yet despaire but of the most part of the world it is not felt at all Whereof commeth the contempt of God the loue of our selues and of the world and the losse of our sinfull soules in the world to come Let vs therefore marke the scripture that teacheth this discomfort and pray to God that as we sée it in the letter so we may féele it in the spirite Of the two maner of consolations it shall be saide in the next verse and of the brightnesse and darknesse also in the Psalme hereafter Nowe in the trouble of the spirite is an other thing to be considered whereof the text also maketh mention that is howe the discomfort of the spirite had continuaunce all the night Whereof is to be gathered the greatnesse of discomfort For as the night is a very image of death and the bed a very similitude of the sepulchre and graue euen so is the discomfort of the spirite in the night that will not suffer the body to take rest but to be vnquieted with it selfe The which vnquietnesse of the spirite is a very similitude and image of eternall discomfort in the world to come that both body and soule whiche were created first to inherite the heauenly blisse after the fall of Adam should rest by night as king Dauid saith and after this life for sinne vnforgiuen should for euer be disquieted in the vnquenchable fire of hell Here may we learne the circumstances and causes how the trouble of the Prophet Asaphes spirite was increased It was trouble ingendered by sinne the occasion onely of al mens miseries opened and reuealed vnto the conscience by the law condemned by iustice to eternall fire and it continued al night yea how much more the scripture declareth not In the which night the darknesse thereof represented vnto his eyes outwardly the horrour of hell prison and also his bed the graue and sepulchre wherein al flesh is clad after the spirite departeth The shéetes of mans flesh after this life be nothing but earth aboue and earth vnderneath as whilest it liueth it is clad with such vaine thinges as grow vpon the earth This whole night in discomfort of the spirit declareth two notable things First howe earnestly God is angrie in déede with sinne that putteth man to such long paine for it And the next howe gratious a God he is that will not yet suffer the discomforted spirite to despaire in his discomfort as it followeth meruellously in the next verse 3 When I am in heauinesse I wil thinke vpon God when my heart is vexed I will complaine Sela. Whilest Asaph was thus troubled in spirite he remembred the Lord and called vnto him for helpe First out of this verse it is to be considered that nothing can quiet the comfortlesse spirit but GOD alone But for as much as it séemeth by the partes of this Psalme that followeth that this verse came in by occasion rather then to shewe a full remedie for the Prophetes trouble I will not write what I thinke thereof but deferre the remedie against trouble to such other verses as follow bycause the Prophete saide before that his spirite could take no consolation and that a great many of troubles followe as the Psalme declareth It sheweth that he was not able to beare the troubles of the minde alone without the inuocation and helpe of God Wherefore before he expresseth by writing al his troubles he writeth also howe in the middest of them he did remember and put his trust in the Lord. Out of this we learne howe necessarie it is
in time at the beginning of troubles and temptations to remember the Lord and to cal vnto him for mercie For the more temptations doe growe without present assistance of Gods grace the greater is the damnation and the more is the daunger thereof as we may sée in the examples of the scripture Adam fell into anxietie and discomfort of spirite and God immediately tolde him of his fault and by Gods grace his discomforted spirite was quieted in the promises of God Caine by the murther of his brother Abel felt the discomfort of the spirit and by neglecting of Gods calling dyed in the same Dauid being admonished by Gods grace found rest for his vnquieted spirite Saule in deferring the remedie of Gods grace died comfortlesse Peter at the beginning through Gods grace with one looke of Christe put away discomfort Iudas with contemning Christes admonitions dyed in horrible despaire Whereof we learne to beware as much as may be that temptations growe not so farre that Gods admonition or the remembraunce of Gods name be forgotten but that we doe in the middest of discomforts as Asaph the Prophet did remember and cal vpon the Lord for help There is also by this remēbraunce of God in the discomfort of the spirite to be noted what a vanitie all the world and worldly things be for man in time of trouble when God shal shew and reueale vnto man his sinnes This Asaph as we reade in the scripture was a man whom for his vertues and good qualities king Dauid appointed to be a Musician for the comfort of many vntill the building of the temple of Hierusalem Yet nowe as we sée he is not able to solace him selfe with his Musicke nor yet with any worldly thing but this onely comfort is in the Lord. And here the Prophete declareth the truth of Christes sentence written in S. Luke What doth it profite a man to winne all the worlde and to loose his owne soule What externall riches can comfort the inward spirite troubled with sinne and transgression of Gods lawe None at all doubtlesse as the scripture sheweth examples euery where Al king Dauids kingdome was not able to appease his troubled and discomforted spirite when he said to his troubled soule Why art thou so heauie and sad my soule and why doest thou trouble me Nowe this one thing more I will marke in this verse and no more bycause it is more fully vsed by the Prophete for the comfort of discomforted spirits in the verses that followe I sayde there was two kindes of consolations in the word of God The one outward in the face and lesson of the letter and the other inward in the vnderstanding and féeling of the spirite And of this diuision must great héede be taken For it is not euery man that readeth and heareth that Christe dyed for the remission of sinne that shall haue the consolation of the redemption promised in Christes bloud For we sée and reade God giue vs grace to learne it that Adam caused his sonnes to heare of his owne fall in Paradise and the redemption of his fal in the bloud of Christe to come as Abel his yonger sonne right wel perceiued yet did Caine hearing the same consolation perish in his sinne There was consolation and rest promised vnto all them that came out of Egypt but none tooke the benefite thereof but Iosua and Caleb There was in the outward letter promised consolation vnto all Abrahams children but none receiued the commoditie thereof but suche as in spirite followed the fayth of Abraham The scripture saith in the letter that GOD would all men to be saued yet we sée such as followe not the spirite offered be damned God by his worde in the time of holy and blessed King Edward the sixt offered consolation vnto all this realme yet none shall inioy it but suche as in their spirites haue learned kept and do followe the word of consolation So our Sauiour Christ in S. Matthew doth say Not euery man that calleth me Lord Lorde shall enter into the kingdome of God but he that followeth in Christ Gods commaundements There be a great many at this day as there were before our time that knowe and speake of such consolation as is conteined in the letter vtter barke of Gods worde but in their consciences they féele not in déede the consolation thereof As Iudas preached abroad with the rest of his companions consolation to the lost shéepe of the house of Israel but he shewed vnto others that he felt not him selfe So did the Phariseis when the scripture was read euery Saturday in their Synagogues shew that Messiah should come to redéeme the worlde yet they them selues for the most part felt not the consolation in déede that the scripture did testifie of Christ. Euen so at this present many reade this Psalme and daily almost in the letter whereof if it be in Englishe he that vnderstandeth not but the English toung séeth great consolation in the letter and also in the Prophete Asaph that vsed the Psalme yet when néede should be the inward consolation of the Psalme of many is nothing felt The cause is that either they vnderstand it not or else marke it not eyther they thinke as the Papistes doe teach that to say or sing the Psalme without vnderstanding and féeling of it in the spirite is sufficient for the worke it selfe and that it pleseth God Ex opere operato as they terme it It is too euident and also too horrible if it pleased God that men be contented only with the externall consolation conteined in the word of God For if they heare that Gods commaundements be true and full of consolation they be contented to heare of them in the letter or by speach and neuer learne thē or féele them by heart The like is in the Articles of our Christian religion They be thought to be true and godly and yet the most part that so iudge neyther learne them nor féele them in their conscience Wherefore they doe outwardly and inwardly as much idolatrie contrarie to their Créed by the commaundement of men as can be deuised for their consolation of faith is no more but such an outward knowledge as the most men hold withall without any proper iudgement or singular féeling of their owne spirites The same is likewise in prayer For in the externall letter there is so much consolation as may be but in the heart of him that prayeth is there no vnderstanding nor féeling of the consolatiō that outwardly is spoken and talked of Therefore marke this order of the Prophete Asaph He sayde that His spirite could take no consolation in all the night time whilest he helde vp his handes And as there is not only discomfort and vnquietnes spoken of but also felt not onely noted and written in the letter of y ◠Psalme but also throughly felt inwardly in the
spirite with heauinesse and anguish without comforte and consolation so in this verse is there consolation in the letter in the voice in the mouth mentioned of inwardly the same consolation felt in the spirite And as outwardly Gods displeasure troubled him so inwardly Gods holy name promises comforted him And this is to be noted least we should heare of consolation outwardly or reade it in the booke of the holy Bible and yet inwardly neyther féele nor knowe any consolation at all In the end of this verse is put this worde Sela. And it doth note vnto the Reader or Hearer what a miserable and comfortlesse thing man is in trouble if God be not present with him to help him It is also put as a spurre pricke for euery Christian man and woman to remember and call vpon God in the days of their troubles For as the Iewes say where so euer this word Sela is if doth admonish and stirr vp the Reader or Hearer to marke what was saide before it for it is a worde alwayes put after very notable sentences Then followeth the rest of suche paines troubles as this Prophet suffered whilest the Lord laide his crosse vpon him after this sort 4 Thou holdest mine eyes waking I am so feeble I can not speake Before he saide his spirit could take no consolation which was a gréefe vnspeakable For no thought is able to comprehend the anguish of the mind much lesse is the toung able to expresse it But now he sheweth a further increase of discomfort and saith that The terrour of his mind was such that he was not only comfortlesse but the Lord also to the increase of sorrowe kept sléepe from him And as the greatnesse of Gods punishment suffered him not to sléepe so would it not permit him to speake but made him speachlesse such was the great punishment of God towardes him Here is the tyrannie and violence of sinne to be perceiued and séene which is first in this verse to be noted It taketh all mirthe from the spirite and bringeth in heauinesse and discomfort It taketh away sléep and placeth for it tediousnesse and sorowfull watch It taketh away also the speache of the tong and leaueth the man mute and speachlesse If sinne can do so painful things in the body and soule whilest they be yet conioyned together and there is hope of remission what can it doe when the one is in the earth and the other in hell separated or else both of them conioyned againe in the resurrection of the wicked where there is no hope of redemptiō but assuraunce of euerlasting paine Besides this it is to be noted in this verse conteyning the increase of the Prophetes heauinesse what a precious iewel man or woman hath that hath a quiet heart and peaceable conscience For where so euer they be there be all the members of man woman wholy bent vnto the seruice and honouring of God The eyes shall neuer be turned from their seruice neyther shall the toung ceasse if it be able to speake to sound foorth alwayes the glory of God As Dauid saith Mine eyes be alwayes towardes the Lord. Againe I lifted vp mine eyes vnto the Lord. As the eye of the handmaide attendeth vpon her Maistres so our eyes attend vpon the Lord. Againe Mine eyes Lord be not proud And in another Psalme he saith There should come neither sléepe ne slumber in his eyes vntil he had prouided a place for y e arke of God to rest in In case the spirite be troubled or in a contempt of Gods lawes not liking his holy deuises the eyes be eyther troubled with ouermuch watch as in this Psalme we sée or else bent to sée vanitie the lustes and concupiscence of the flesh and the world Wherefore Dauid prayed the Lord to turne his eyes that they looked not vpon vanitie For the eye of him that hath not a right spirit is insatiable And many times the eye wheras the spirit is without the fauour of God abhorreth Gods owne good giftes As the eyes of the Israelites lothed Manna in the desert saying Our eyes see nothing but Manna euen so the toung also of the godly spirited man will sound the glory of God as king Dauid vsed his toung and will not hinder it by naughtie speach If the spirite be voyde of Gods feare then doth it speake of malice falsly to slander the good as king Dauid doth declare or else for trēbling or quaking it can speake nothing at all as ye may perceiue by y e Prophet Asaph in this place He that will therfore consider accordingly the greatnesse of this feare in the spirite and howe it taketh away the office of euery member externall doubtlesse must labour to haue the spirite that Dauid prayeth in this sorte Cor mundum crea in me deus spiritum rectum innoua in visceribus meis Create in me a cleane hart O Lord and renue in me a right spirite In the which verse the Prophete prayeth first to haue such an heart as by faith in Christe may be cleane and purged from sinne and next to haue a certeine and sure spirite that doubteth nothing of Gods promises towardes him For such a spirite within the body of man or woman maketh the heart so ioyfull that no sorrow can molest it and it strengtheneth so euery member that they will be giuen to nothing so much as to the seruice of God But if the spirit be wicked doutlesse the outwarde members will serue nothing but iniquitie if it be troubled the outwarde members can not be quiet For as the soule giueth life to the body so doth the vertue of God in the soule drawe the outward partes of the body vnto the obedience of vertue And contrariwise the vice of the soule draweth the members of the body vnto the seruice of sinne and iniquitie And as the eares and eyes of man were made by God to be instruments to heare and sée Gods will and pleasure by them sith man fell in Paradise knowledge might come into the soule and spirit of man by hearing Gods word preached séeing his sacraments ministred so by them abused in hearing and seeing of sinne and abhomination there entreth into the soule much vile filthinesse and transgression The Prophete Asaph therefore doth admonish vs to beware that we bring not our spirites into discomfort by sinne and transgression of Gods lawes for if we do whether y e offence be done in the spirite by the euill that naturally is in it by originall sinne by the temptation of the diuell or by the meanes of any member of the body doubtlesse the trouble of the spirit shal not only take away the office of the members as ye sée in this place the speache of the toung and the closing of the eyes be taken away but at the length also God shall make the same body and the