profitable for vs and is of vs to be applied vnto our selues also for that we in like maner haue our Dauid and our Euphrata in the whiche we haue founde the Tabernacle or habitation of our God. For the selfe same thinges doe remaine and there is no more but the signification of the wordes to be chaunged Now like as they were in daunger as touching both the kingdom and the priesthood so is our daunger great also in them both Wherfore we may well sing with Dauid Remember c. Here I purpose simply to follow the sence and meaning of the letter declaring howe this Psalme was vsed and applyed of that people Afterwards it shall be easie for vs to apply the same to our owne time age Now like as that was a double kingdome that is to say corporall and spirituall so is the Psalme also diuided into two partes For first it prayeth for the Church and then for the politike state or the common wealth Verse 1. Lord remember Dauid with all his afflictions The history of the Kings doth declare that Dauid being persecuted of Saul suffered many and great afflictions But why did Saul thus persecute Dauid Because he was anoynted of Samuel to be king whiles Saul was yet liuing For hereof came the deadly persecutions the hatred sclaunders reproches all kindes of calamities which Dauid suffered Now whereas these troubles afflictions of Dauid were mentioned in prayer and in the presence of God either by his sonne Solomon or by the people it was not done as the Papistes thinke to the ende that Dauid should pray for them but they spake of Dauid in respect of the promises put God as it were in remembrance of those promises by speaking of Dauid as Paule also speaketh of Abraham Wherfore the name of Dauid is not here to be taken absolutely as though they spake of his person onely for as I said they spake of him as hauing the promises and clothed as it were with the promises of God so that here we must rather vnderstande the forme then the matter The promise I call the forme to teach set forth the thing more plainly and the matter I call Dauid him selfe to whome the promises were made This is then the sense and meaning of these wordes O Lorde God we pray vnto thee for the kingdom not counting our selues worthy or by any meanes to haue deserued that we shoulde be heard but as Daniel saith We present our supplications before thee trusting in thy great and tender mercies in that which thou hast promised to Dauid to witte that our kingdom shall endure for euer Thus he beginneth his prayer with a remembrance of Gods promises euen at the first entrance This is a singular example for vs that when we pray we should appeare in the presence of God as miserable wretched sinners not trusting vpon our owne merite or worthines but clothed as ye would say with his mercies and promises not as he that bragged I fast twise in a weeke but as he which said Remember Lorde thy promises For the promises of God are nothing else but mercies and compassions freely offered vnto vs in Christ. Thus we see that he speaketh not here of afflictions absolutely but in respect of an other thing for he vnderstandeth the afflictions which Dauid suffered for the promises in the which afflictions he helde fast the promises and suffered them not to be wrested from him The same promises did God likewise performe vnto Dauid Like as therefore saith he O lord thou diddest preserue Dauid suffering all calamities and afflictions for thy words sake and trusting in thy word so with like mercie preserue and saue vs trusting in thy promises and performe that thou hast begunne in vs For all thinges must be preferred to the promises like as Moses also doth which saith Remember Abraham Isaac c. For he doth not call vpon Abraham and Isaac as the vnlearned Papistes dreame but he alleageth the promises made vnto them as touching their seede and posteritie Nowe how could God be put in minde of these promises better then by reciting those persons to whom God had made the promises These promises the faithfull doe set against their sinnes and against their vnworthynes These thinges must be diligently taught that we fall not into the absurd and foolish opinions of the Papistes whose schoole diuinitie knoweth nothing of the promises of God but whereas the promises are the chiefest part of the Scripture they are vtterly ignorant thereof The other part of the Scripture which is the law they so maime and mangle that scarsely they set forth the one halfe thereof And hereof it commeth that they expound such sentences as this is so corruptly and peruersly as if the Psalme should speake after this maner Remember Dauid how good and howe holy a man he was and for his merites for his holines stablish vnto vs the kingdom But this sentence is plaine idolatrie for it looketh to the actiue or working person only As the Iewes thinke to obteyne their Messias by their owne merites So the religion of the Iewes the Turkes and the Papistes is all one for they all trust to their owne workes and worthines But we reiect the working person when we come into the presence of God and looke vnto that person which is altogither passiue clothed with the promises that is to say such a Dauid as bringeth and distributeth vnto vs not his owne merites but the promises giuen of God and by Dauid firmely reteyned in all afflictions Such a Dauid the Papistes doe not know and because they know but onely the actiue the working Dauid therefore they make of him nothing else but a plaine idol They know not that he is holy as the whole Church is holy not because it hath good workes and merites but because it hath the promise of grace which is the true bosome and wombe wherein the Church is caried and all the faithfull Verse 2. VVho sware vnto the Lord and vowed vnto the God of Iacob saying It seemeth that these wordes may not vnfitly be applyed vnto Salomon as the author of the Psalme For thus he sayth in effect Thou hast promised vnto Dauid the kingdom Dauid againe promised to build vnto thee a temple This vowe is now performed and accomplished Do thou also now O Lord performe thy promise and be thou present in this place and with this people Thus he offereth the temple and the Arke to the Lord in the faith of the promise made vnto Dauid concerning the light which should neuer be put out and desireth that this promise may be kept As touching this vowe of Dauid the Scripture speaketh nothing but maketh mention of that talke and consultation only which he had with the Prophet Nathan 2. Reg. 6. But the author of this Psalme goeth about to commend and set forth the good will of Dauid by the name of
vs in this Psalme with thankefulnes to acknowledge this singular benefite of the word and to beware of the horrible contempt thereof Howe much better is it to suffer pestilence famine and the sword howe much more tolerable for Dauid to become both an adulterer and a murtherer so that there remaine a reuerence to the word which repentaunce necessarily bringeth with it then to fall so farre as to contemne the word For this is to heape wrath vpon wrath like as it is to heape grace vpon grace with Dauid to hold fast the word and withall to acknowledge the great benefite thereof To be briefe like as there is no greater ioy and felicitie to the godly then to heare and to know the voyce of God speaking vnto them offering grace peace remission of sinnes and life euerlasting so can there be to them no greater crosse then the contempt of the worde For what doest thou else but contemne God him selfe yea crucifie againe the sonne of God and treade thy Sauiour vnder thy feete when thou contemnest the word of God which for thy saluation is reueiled offered vnto thee No mortal man can abide such intolerable contempt as the Lord our God continually suffereth For he is patient and would that we should conuert and repent but he payeth home at the length as we may see by the fall of the Synagoge and the destruccion of Ierusalem For Christ plainly sheweth that the cause of such horrible calamities was for that they did not knowe the time of their visitation Let vs learne then by these examples what a great blessing it is to heare the Lorde our God speaking vnto vs and as a tender mother with her children most louingly talking with vs For this is it which Dauid meaneth when he speaketh of the ascending vppe of the tribes to Ierusalem and to the house of the Lord to testifie vnto Israel that is there to teache and to heare the word of the Lord and to giue thankes vnto him for his benefites This is that citie therfore that is worthy to be decked with all precious ornaments This is the people of whom our Sauiour Christ sayth Blessed are they that heare the word of God keepe it with a good heart Here is the kingdom of heauen here is the true paradise here are the open gates to euerlasting life Verse 5. For there are the seates of iudgement euen the seates of the house of Dauid This may be vnderstand both of the ciuill gouernment and also of the Church but specially it is spoken of the church And here note that iudgement is taken for doctrine As if he sayd This is the glory of this people that in this place is stablished the chayre and seat in the which the word of the Lord is published taught weake consciences comforted and instructed and the way of saluation layd open vnto men Likewise in the first Psalme he sayth The wicked shall not stand in iudgement that is they doe not perseuer and abide in the doctrine of faith and therefore they are as chaffe which the winde scattereth from the face of the earth The Church of Rome wil now be called the seate of iudgement and euen there also the Lord had once his seate but nowe through wicked doctrine and damnable idolatrie it is the seate of Satan the chayre of pestilence and a denne of wicked spirites This is then the true sense and meaning of these words In this place the word of the Lord is fulfilled promising that he will leaue a memoriall of his name For here he is to be founde here he dwelleth Therefore here is life here is saluation here is remission of sinns here is the tyranny of Satan vanquished c. For all these he meaneth when he nameth the seates of iudgement that is the administration of truth the ministerie of faith the voyce of Gods maiestie speaking vnto his people For as I sayd iudgement signifieth here found sincere doctrine concerning grace faith works magistrates ciuill ordinances c. Where this doctrine is there are the seates of iudgement As we also may nowe glory of our Churches for the sincere doctrine wherby men are truely taught out of the word concerning grace sinne righteousnes faith works obedience to parents and magistrats This doctrin is as it weare a bright shining sunne from whence the Churches doe receiue their light And contrarywise where the word of God is not there are the seates of iniquitie and of Satan him selfe For the worde maketh the seate and not the seate the worde as the Antichristian Church of Rome most damnably teacheth Now whereas with a repetition he addeth Euen the seates of the house of Dauid this is the cause for that he looketh to the promise made vnto Dauid namely that the seate of the tabernacle or the temple should be builded by his sonne Salomon in Ierusalem where iudgement should be exercised that is to say mens consciences comforted terrified instructed by the word and also because the Lord would that Dauids posteritie should reigne after him vntill the eternitie of the heauenly Ierusalem should be reueiled Here is the image of the heauenly Ierusalem also to be consiâ—dered The earthly Ierusalem was builded on a hill so that there was no accesse vnto it but by ascending vpward The celestial Ierusalem is builded in heauen whereunto none can come but by mounting vp with alacritie of spirite out of this earthly mansion and corruptible life and therefore no earthly and carnall men can come there The earthly Ierusalem was builded as a citie for the people of God where they might meete together to serue worship god Likewise the celestial Ierusalem is builded for the tribes of the Lord the elect and faithfull people there to meete togither first in this life by faith and afterwardes by eternall societie both in soule body This Ierusalem Saint Paule meaneth when he saith If ye be risen againe with Christe seek for those thinges which are aboue And the author of the Epistle to the Hebrues admonisheth vs that by faith we are already come to this heauenly Ierusalem Ye are come saith he to the mount Sion and to the citie of the liuing God the celestiall Ierusalem and to the company of innumerable Angells and to the congregation of the first borne which are written in heauen to God the iudge of all and to the spirites of iust and perfect men and to Iesus the Mediatour of the newe testament c. The earthly Ierusalem celebrated the name of the Lord with praise and thankes giuing in the congregation In the heauenly Ierusalem the Angells and company of holy spirites doe praise and shall praise the Lord for euer more The earthly Ierusalem had in it the seate of Dauid The heauenly Ierusalem hath the throne of Christ the sonne of God the King of Kings the Lord of Lords of whom Dauid was a figure The earthly Ierusalem had tribunall seates where all things
a pastour or preacher in the Church These the elect I meane the Lorde hath here and there sparsed emong the wicked as precious stones in the middes of the earth Therfore thou must not think to preach to these only which were to be wished but that can not be because they are mixed with the vngodly multitude Likewise when thou art called to be a ciuill magistrate or a gouernour of a houshold thou shalt not finde all to be precious stones gold or siluer but let it suffice thee if in a whole multitude as it chaunceth in mynes thou find but one veine of siluer or emongst a great deale of earth but one precious stone For the greatest part in the Church is hereticall godles the least part in the ciuill state obedient louing of vertue Hereof it commeth then that al things are ful of trouble to the godly pastour the Magistrate the housholder because the wicked with such successe contemne and disobey all godly orders Notwithstanding thou man of God stand in thy calling do thy duetie pray for peace exhorte counsel reproue those whom thou hast charge ouer For since that now by the word of God the church is somewhat purged of false religion superstition and idolatrie the Magistrates better instructed of their duety and office Satan rageth as a strong armed man keping his house when a stronger commeth Be strong therefore in these tentations and think that as these things are not begun by the power of Satan so though he rage against the same neuer so much thou must not be discouraged or slacke the Lords busines but first serue the Lord and then thy brethren and neighbours For their sakes the Churches must be instructed the common wealth gouerned not for the worldes sake and the vngodly multitude for it is not worthie that a theefe should be hanged an adulterer or murderer put to death but the Lord in heauen and our brethren neighbours in earth are worthy of this seruice as he addeth in the verse following Thus I expounde this verse to be a consolation for pastours ciuill Magistrates and gouernours of families against the multitude of the wicked and the trobles which by them the godly doe sustayne Verse 9. Because of the house of the Lorde our God I will procure thy wealth This is an other cause why he prayeth for the peace and prosperitie of Ierusalem for that the Sanctuary of the Lord and the feate of true religion being stablished in that citie if it prospered not the worship and seruice of God could not there continue As if he sayd The Lord our God hath stablished his seate in thee O Ierusalem and in the middes of thee hath he set vp his worship For the which cause I loue thee and thinke thee worthy of all prosperitie But why doth hee adde hereunto Our God Because God had chosen this nation to be as his own peculiar people And this also was the cause why Dauid so loued them and was not discomforted with these troubles which he for their sakes susteyned both in the Church and in the ciuill gouernment but being chosen to be a King and a Prophet to this people he constantly endured all troubles and herewithall comforted him selfe that first he serued the Lord his God then his brethren and was not an vnprofitable seruaunt but fruitefull vnto God that he might be glorified and to his neighbour and brother that he might be saued Let vs likewise pray for the welfare of our brethren and for the house of the Lord with Dauid who as this Psalme sheweth did wel vnderstand the power and glory of the word and therefore he neither giueth thankes nor yet reioyceth for the abundance of gold and siluer which notwithstanding he lacked not but for the word and true worship of the lord Where these two are not lacking all other incommodities may easily be borne For if we haue the Lord abiding with vs if we maintaine his word and his true seruice and seeke the saluation of our brethren what can we desire more But where the word true worship of God is not regarded there is no God no mercy no saluation neither doth there any thing else remaine but the cursed multitude which shal be damned in hell Therefore Dauid exhorteth vs in this Psalme aboue all things to reuerence the word and by faithfull prayer to seeke the aduauncement thereof Also to giue thankes vnto God for peace and true preachers which gouerne the Church according to his word for where these things are not there must needes be trouble and vexation vnquietnes of conscience murder adultery such other horrible sinnes which the Lord turne away from our Churches preserue that poore remnant emonges the damnable multitude which serue and worship him according to his word By these two latter verses we are admonished first how euery Christian ought to regard him which is his fellow in faith and religion that is to say as his brother and neighbour Then also why he ought to haue a harty loue and zeale to the Church and congregation of the faithful For my brethren saith Dauid and for my neighbours And againe for the house of the Lord our god These two thinges ought to be considered in the Churche of christ In it are our brethren and neighbours in it is the house of God yea rather it is the house of God it selfe in the which are the children of God and true brethren O happy is he and a right Christian in deede which beeing indued with the true knowledge and faith of Christ and also with that brotherly loue which is according to the spirit of the children of God can vnfainedly and hartely say For my brethren and neighbours and for the house of the Lord our God I both seeke and I wish the prosperitie and welfare of the Church of God. The 123. Psalme I lift vp mine eyes vnto thee c. This Psalme as ye see is but short and therefore a very fitte example to shew the force of prayer not to consist in many words but in feruency of spirit For great and weighty matters may be comprised in few words if they proceede from the spirit the vnspeakeable gronings of the heart especially when our necessity is such as will not suffer any long prayer Euery prayer is long enough if it be feruent proceede from a heart that vnderstandeth the necessitie of the Sainets not in such small matters as y world counteth great and weightie as pouerty losse of goods and such other worldly incommodities but when the Church is oppressed with violence and tyranny when the name of God is prophaned with wicked doctrine or if there be any thing else that either hindreth the glory of God or the saluation of soules These perils can not well be vttered in prayer and therfore the prayer of the faithfull is then most effectuous when with griefe of heart and affliction of spirite they see
vnquiet for the troubles of matrimony are infinit he becommeth vnpatient beginneth to complayne saying that if he had knowen thus much before he would neuer haue married a wife Thus doth the foolish man bewayle his state and condition But what kind of life is there vnder heauen wherin thou shalt liue without troubles For where so euer thou liuest thou must needs be in some part either of the politike or housholde gouernment Wherefore thou must so arme thy selfe that thou maist ouercome these troubles and learne to apply these thinges to an other cause without thy selfe which is stronger then thou art Now the holy Ghost alone is that instructer which tea cheth vs to cast our selues into the bosome of the diuine maiestie to trust in him and so in his name to marry a wife to gouerne our family to rule the common weale c. Which thinges if they haue good successe it is wel If not yet is it also well notwithstanding For this is the will of God that when he hath once called vs eyther to any publike office in the common wealth or the gouerning of a familye we should with inuocation and prayer abide and constantly continue in the same And this is the principall doctrine of this Psalme whiche the Papists sing in all their temples and yet of all men they least vnderstand those things whereof it treateth For they flie both ciuill and housholde gouernment and yet are they drowned in both yea no man is there in more busy then they are For the Pope his religious rable haue taken vpon them most impudently to gouerne great monarkes and Princes and the cases and controuersies of matrimony haue beene iudged and determined by Officialls and Commissaries Also they haue ruled by their priuate auricular confession both families kingdoms and Empires Thus it came to passe that both kindes of life were in a maner vtterly abolished For they condemned all those that liued vnder the ciuil gouernment and in matrimony as secular or worldly kindes of life and counselled them to enter into monasteries to their monkish religion like vnto the heathen Philosophers whiche commended the priuate solitarie life aboue all other that is to say that kind of life which hath to do neither with matrimony nor any affaires of the cōmō weale This wicked life of the Papistes the heathen Philosophers God condemneth in the holy Scripture wherein we see to our great comfort that there was neuer yet any holy man which hath not bene exercised in the affaires either of politike or houshold gouernment For God did thrust into the courts of Princes most excellent holy personages as Helias Heliseus Esaias Daniel c. I say nothing of the holy Kings as Dauid Salomon Ezechias others God would also that Iohn the Baptist should be a Courtier and of the Kinges counsell as the text saith VVhen he hearde Iohn he did many thinges So the Lorde hath alwayes exercised his Sainctes and holy seruauntes with the affaires either of ciuill or houshold gouernment Christ onely excepted who was the wisedome of the father He neither married nor bare rule in common wealth For it behoued him to be a singular personage aboue all others and yet he honored both kinds of life that is both marriage and ciuill gouernment The life therefore of the Monkes and the whole rable of the popish religious orders is altogither deuilish in that they will haue nothing to doe with ciuill or housholde affaires And in deede they doe wisely which seke rather to liue in ease quietnes pleasure with the name and opinion of holynes then to be turmoyled and vexed with the miserable cares and calamities wherof the life of man is full They choose that which is most sweete and pleasaunt and leaue the dregges the great cares and troubles of bringing vp children of guiding a familie of gouerning the common wealth and such like vnto others Like as also with their hypocrisie they haue deceiued the whole world and so snared the consciences of those which liued either in matrimonye or in the politike state that they executed those functions and duties against their willes whereunto they were called of god For if a maried man or a Magistrate complayned vnto them of the troubles either of their houshold or ciuill affayres they did not onely not comfort or encourage them patiently to bear those burthens but perswaded them to forsake those godly kindes of life and to enter into Monasteries yea they went so farre that when they dyed they buryed them in a Friers coule They knew not that matrimony and ciuill gouernment are ordained and created of god They knewe not that such should rather haue bene exhorted to patience comforted and taught that God had appoynted them to liue in the state of matrimony and to serue the common wealth that their vocation was of God and pleased God and therfore they ought not to haue forsaken these kinds of life but if any troubles hapned they ought to haue borne them patiently for Gods cause to commend them selues and their affaires wholy vnto god Thus should mens consciences haue bene enstructed and comforted But this coulde the Papistes neuer doe The cause whereof is for that they haue no practise or experience of these matters they haue but onely an idle and a naked speculation thereof and moreouer they are destitute of the holy Ghost But Salomon hath both the one and the other that is to say experience both of politike and housholde gouernment and also the holy Ghoste By these scholemasters he learned that the affaires of men cannot be gouerned by their owne policie and wisedome but that all thinges are ruled and guided by the wisedom of God. Naaman Syrus brought vnto the common wealth not onely great wisedome but the text saith that he was giuen for the deliuerance of Syria that is to say his greate wisedom had bene vnprofitable if God had not geuen good successe thereunto So if any man become a good Prince or a good Magistrate he hath not this by the gift of nature by his good bringing vp or by learning but it is the singular gift of god And this doth experience afterwardes teach when thinges come oftentimes to passe contrary to mans expectation The same hapneth also to the marryed man For howe often doe his deuises and purposes come to nothing True it is therefore that is cōmonly said man purposeth but God disposeth and that which Salomon saith The hart of man purposeth his way but the Lorde guideth his steppes Thou art in distresse and deuisest with thy selfe by what meanes and policie thou maist bring thy self out of trouble but thy purpose is disapointed by the same deuises and policies wherunto thou didest trust thou hurtest thy selfe and ouerthrowest thine owne cause This bringeth great impatiencie Learne therefore that by thine owne wisedom policie thou art notable to rule thine owne
learne to beare For if they will be discouraged through the malice of the wicked if they seeke to please and feare to displease there must needes follow a confusion of all thinges As we may see in Princes Courtes where men seeke to please and to liue in fauour and therefore they will reproue nothing least thereby they shoulde purchase the displeasure of the Prince They will be in authoritie and liue in the Court for reward promotion and glory and not to serue the Prince and the coÌ„mon weale And hereof commeth it that there is no right forme of gouernment any where to be found Wherfore let such as feare to offend and can not beare the displeasure and hatred of men take no office no rule or authoritie vpon them Who euer gouerned a kingdome more holily then Dauid and yet when his seditious sonne Absolon spake euill of him to the people he easily founde those which did beleeue him And why so Because Dauid was a holy King and did not winke at the sinnes of his subiects but punished them sharply according to their desertes This thing procured vnto Dauid the hatred of the people Afterwards when his owne sonne tooke vpon him to be the captaine and author of sedition they were easily perswaded to forsake him their Lorde and King rebelled against him For it can not be but that he which wil doe his duety vprightly in his calling not omitting nor neglecting the fame either for feare or for fauour must needes stirre vp against him the hatred of the wicked Wherefore this clause to speake with the enemies in the gate must not be barely vnderstand as of a matter of light importance For it signifieth the great care and trauell the faithfull diligence and vigilancie of godly Magistrates in their vocation that is to say to make good lawes and to execute the same to constrayne the wicked to obey them with punishment with bondes and imprisonment to stirre vppe the fury of the malicious and spitefull c. So that he which ruleth must so rule that he shall neuer be without the feare of great daungers if he respect the outragious boldnes and presumption of the wicked For he shall finde that to rule is nothing else but to heape vpon him selfe dispite and malice and to cast him selfe into the iawes of a byting and a cruell beast As Aeschines when he gaue ouer the gouernment of the common weale of Athens sayd that he was deliuered from the common weale as from a madde and a raging dogge And Bias sayd that the office sheweth what the man is For howe many common weales how many Princes shall ye see at this day which keepe their people and their nobilitie in the reuerent and due obedience of their lawes For to rule of all the workes and affayres that belong vnto man in this worlde is the greatest and the hardest Moreouer like as he which entreth into matrimony and marrieth a wife to no other ende but to accomplish his owne lust and pleasure is deceiued and wrappeth him self in great and infinite troubles euen so he that taketh vppon him any office in the common weale for reward estimation and glory findeth all things cleane contrary to his expectation if he endeuour to rule and gouerne as he should doe Wherefore it followeth that they being oppressed with troubles and trauells become impatient and forsake all togither Wherefore the Magistrate must learne that in gouernment these vices are not lacking to witte hatred rebellion sedition discord ingratitude and a thousand daungers also troublers of the common peace and quietnes which are enemies to his life his goodes his name and estimation What shall the Magistrate here doe First let him know that power and authoritie is the ordinance of God perswading him selfe that he is appoynted to rule and gouerne by the will of god When he hath thus done let him arme and confirme his mind agaynst all troubles and daungers and let him boldly and cheerefully doe his duty in his calling though the people rage neuer so much Then will God adde his blessing vnto his labours he will helpe and assist him against his enemies as here he sayth He shall not be ashamed when he speaketh with his enemies that is to say disobedient rebellious seditious persons Againe Psal. 144. which doth subdue my people vnder me Also Ps. 7. The Lorde is iudge ouer the people As if he sayd It lyeth not in my power policie or wisedom to rule this people It is the Lord therefore that giueth obedient people which notwithstanding naturally hateth the Magistrate For euery man loueth libertie and wil not be subiect to lawes As at this day we may see in the nobilitie which would liue in all libertie to doe what they list without any punishment or regard of lawes If the higher powers go about to bridle them by lawes they fall away and become traitours and rebells Against such great enemies and daungers the holy Ghost comforteth the Magistrate in this place When thou makest lawes for the common weale sayth he and fâ—ithfully executest the same thou shalt not be ashamed For God will giue thee yong men which shall be able to helpe thee For often times we see that one or two good men by their wisedom grauity and seueritie do keepe a whole multitude in good order But coÌ„trariwise they that wink at all thinges because they will not displease are but paynted images and good for nothing Here haue ye a Psalme as touching both ciuill and houshold gouernment enstructing a godly man howe he shall behaue him selfe in both kindes of life to the ende that he neither fal into securitie by too much successe nor be discouraged by trouble aduersitie Both which things happen to the vngodly which rashly and without the feare of God either enter into matrimony or take vpoÌ„ them any office in the common weale For since they are ignorant that God is the gouerner of these things they will needes rule all togither by their owne wisedome and policie Hereof it followeth that they are miserably ouerthrown in their own deuises and practises or else they fall into such securitie that they rule and reigne with all crueltie and tyranny Wherfore as this doctrine is most necessary and profitable so we whom God either hath or hereafter will thrust into these kindes of life must labour to atteyne and to follow the same wherein we shall be profitable both to the common weale and to ourselues Then shall our seruice our labours and trauels please God he as he hath promised will giue good successe thereunto and will shewe that he hath pleasure in them that feare him and in all them that trust in his mercy The 128. Psalme Blessed is euery one c. In the former Psalme the Prophet intreated of both kindes of life that is both of policie and housholde gouernment The same thing in a manner he doth also in this Psalme but yet after an other
a vowe because he had determined with him self thus to declare his thankfulnes and to testifie his faith in the promise of God. Where the interpreters haue translated the God of Iacob it is in the hebrewe the mightie in Iacob Which name is sometimes attributed vnto the Angells and sometimes it is also applied to other thinges wherein is great strength and fortitude as to a lyon an oxe and such like But here it is a singular word of faith signifying that God is the power and strength of his people For onely faith ascribeth this vnto god Reason and the flesh doe attribute more to riches and such other worldly helpes as it seeth and knoweth But all such carnall helpes are very idolls which deceiue men and draw them to perdition But this is the strength and fortitude of the people to haue God present with them This strength and this power preserued the Iewish people as a litle handfull in the middes of all their enemies Moreouer this name is attributed vnto God to this end that we should vnderstand that it is he alone which giueth strength and victorie So the Scripture sayth in an other place Some trust in chariots and some in horses but we will remember the name of the Lorde Likewise Paule sayth Be strong in the Lord in the power of his might For this power is eternall and deceiueth not All other powers are not onely deceitfull but they are also transitorie and continue but a moment Verse 3. I will not enter into the Tabernacle of my house noâ— come vpon my pallet or bedde Verse 4. Nor suffer myne eyes to sleepe nor myne eye lidde to slumber Verse 5. Vntill I haue found out a place for the Lord an habitation for the God of Iacob This plenty of words is vsed of the Hebrewes when they would expresse any great or earnest desire Notwithstanding all that is herein conteyned we may briefty comprise in these few wordes I will not rest vntill I haue founde out an habitation for the Lorde And here we neede not to answere that childish question how this oth could stand since that Dauid did not him selfe build the temple And againe if he had builded it yet he must needes often times haue gone to his bedde slept before the worke could haue bene finished For he speaketh here of the good will and earnest desire which Dauid had to finish this worke and the good will or minde of the workeman comprehendeth all as if the worke were fully accomplished Therefore where as Dauid as it appeareth in the booke of the Kinges thought it a dishonor vnto the Lord that the Arke shoulde remayne in a Tabernacle couered with skinnes when he him selfe did dwell in a house builded with Cedar trees the maner of speech here vsed doth declare that great desire he had to take away this dishonor and reproche from God. Moreouer ye must here againe note that when he speaketh of the Tabernacle of the mightie in Iacob the holy fathers did not simply seeke or worship God dwelling in heauen but they sought him and worshipped him as he was to be comprehended founde in one certeine place and as ye would say clothed with a certeine person For God of his owne nature is infinite and therefore can not simply be comprehended by mans imaginations Dauid therefore looketh vnto the word whereby God did bind him selfe vnto the Arke when he went about to place the Arke in the temple he called the temple the tabernacle or habitation of the God of Iacob Reason can not see how God which is infinite and vnsearchable should be worshipped rather in this place then in any other But the spirituall eyes of Dauid Salomon and other holy men following the word did seeke and worship God in that place onely where by his word he had reueiled that he would be founde They which offered in that place were sayd to offer before the Lorde They which worshipped there were sayd to worship before the lord So Adam Abraham Iacob had their Altars where God did reueile him selfe and with a signe from heauen did testifie that he was there present with them For seeing that no man can auoyd the sinne of Idolatrie if God him selfe do not shew both the place where and the maner how he will be worshipped therefore there was a certeine place limited vnto the faithfull where God had promised that he woulde be present with them woulde heare them speake vnto them c. We nowe haue no corporall place but all thinges are in christ Vppon him onely must our eyes and hartes be fired He alone is the God of our worship So that we may truely say Without this man Iesus there is no god Who so apprehendeth him by fayth he it is that hath God in deede but he that apprehendeth him not hath no God. Verse 6. Loe we heard of it in Ephrata and founde it in the fieldes of the forest That is to say the vowe of Dauid is nowe accomplished For nowe God is sayd to dwell in this temple builded by Salomon which is such a one as shall not be caried into other places as it was afore Sometimes it was in Gilgal sometymes in Silo and at the last in Gabaa And where so euer the Arke was there was God also for the promise followed the Arke where so euer it was Nowe sayth he the place where the temple is builded and the Arke shall rest is stable and permanent which if it be not verified of this place it shall be verified of no place in the whole world But what meaneth it when he sayth in Ephrata For we doe not any where reade that the house of the Lord was in Ephrata that is in Bethleem Although therefore this figure and maner of speech seemeth to be somewhat hard yet certeyne it is that by Ephrata is vnderstand the kingdom of Iuda whereof Dauid being an Ephratite was King and gouerner So that it is all one to say in Ephrata and in Ierusalem to the which Dauid the Ephratite did translate the seate and throne of the king Of the King therefore which was an Ephratite by a figure called Metonomia Ierusalem is called Ephrata Which maner of speech we likewise in the Dutch tongue doe oftentimes vse As if I shoulâ— say Saxonie did boldly and freely confesse Christ at August before the Emperour and the whole empire Here by Saxonie is signified the noble Prince and worthy of perpetuall memorie in all Churches Iohn the Elector of Saxonie who was by birth a Saxon This figure the Prophet vseth in this place to the ende we should vnderstand that the temple is exalted magnified not because of Salomon which builded the temple nor because of the people which resorted thither but because of Dauid hauing the promise and to whom the promise was made For as I sayd before the promise is that which principally must be considered in all things This pomise alone therefore
it must needes fall euen of it self But we must more regard the promise of God then all outward shewes seeme they vnto vs neuer so likely For behold and consider the histories of all ages and you shall see that the Church hath bene alwayes oppressed hidden through the tyranny of Princes and through the lies and sclaunders of heretiks Moreouer the godly haue neuer bene without their tentations through the consideration of their sinnes and vexations of the deuill These things he that beholdeth and stil fixeth his eyes vpon these euills shal thinke that there is no church nor yet any God at all But of such shewes and outward appearances we must ground no iudgement For such a face the church ye shall neuer see in the which great offences infirmities and as it were great diseases are not to be found In deede it were to be wished that these thinges were not in the Church and that there were such a face and outward shew of the Church as is described here in other places where it is compared to a bewtifull spouse in whom appeareth neither spot nor wrincle But such a Church outwardly ye shall neuer see For it is alwayes oppressed of Tyrannes vexed of heretiks exercised with afflictions both inwardly and outwardly with disobedience contempt falshood dissimulation of false brethren c. In all these daungers we must holde fast this consolation that the gates of hell shall not preuayle against it and goe on forward with a valiant mind and Christian courage in teaching in exhorting in reprouing and in other duties perteyning to the ministerie If any be disobedient peruerse and obstinate let them goe let them perish in their owne sinnes and let this suffice that there are some vnto whom Christ and the ministery of the Gospell is appoynted for their rising againe and their saluation Thus did the holy Prophets which saw the captiuitie of Babylon to be euen at hand and that the temple and the citie shoulde be consumed with fire This was then the face of the kingdome which should afterwards be destroyed for euer There was nothing now therefore wherewith they might comfort them selues but this and such like promises made vnto Dauid that of that frute of his body God would set vp the royall throne that euen with an oth he had confirmed the same And this is in deede a singular promise in that he nameth and pointeth out a certeine person suffereth not the succession to wander in an vncerteine person Abraham Isaac and Iacob had also a promise concerning Christ but vnder an vncerteine person if ye respect the multitude of their posterity But in this promise is a certeine limitation because there is one certeine person named to the end that although the people should be all leede away captiue yet so long as the posteritie of Dauid did continue they should comfort them selues with this hope that the kingdom should neuer faile This I thinke to be the cause why the genealogies that is the line of the kinredes and progenies of this people were so diligently obserued and noted of the godly that through this hope of the promise to be accomplished the succession of the house of Dauid might be sure certeine For this familie was as a certeine starre emonges the people of whose posteritie so long as they sawe any remnant they continued in hope of their deliuerance by Christ yea euen in the captiuitie of Babylon although it were most horrible For euen in this captiuitie although they were without a kingdom yet had they emonges them certeine persons of the royall stocke as it were certeine sparkles of the kingdom and of the light of Dauid vnto whom the eyes of the godly did alwaies looke as vnto a pledge of the promise afterwards to be accomplished as touching christ Moreouer in this captiuitie they had the word the Prophets Daniel Ieremy Ezechiel and no doubt many other Now so long as such persons as were appoynted to the kingdom and the priesthood were yet remaining the kingdome was not cleane forsaken or destroyed Thirdly the number of the yeres was also limited which being expired their captiuitie shoulde haue an ende But the Iewes at this day haue none of all these thinges They haue no kingdome no persons appoynted to the kingdom no certeine number of yeares neither yet the word or the Prophets Therefore they are condemned with all their religion And this calamitie in the which the Iewes haue liued euer since Ierusalem was destroyed by the Romanes is no captiuitie but a generall destruction and desolation of that people for euer as Daniel also saith And after this shall be the ende Verse 12. If thy sonnes keepe my couenant and my testimonies that I shall teache them their sonnes also shall sit vpon thy throne for euer This promise is not generall for it hath a condition annexed vnto it There is a difference therefore betwene this promise and such as be without condition as are these The Lorde said vnto my Lord c. Againe Giue thy iudgements vnto the King O Lord. There the kingdom is promised vnto Christ absolutely but here it is not promised to the posteritie of Dauid but with this condition If they shall keepe the couenant of the Lorde So the kingdom was promised and giuen vnto Salomon but afterwards his stock was almost cleane cut of in Ahazia when onely Ioas remained all the rest of the Kinges seede were slaine by Athalia This was the practise of Satan to the ende be might hinder the promise concerning christ Afterwardes the kingdom came vnto Ioas who also was of the seede of Dauid was preserued by the meanes of his sister so that he was not slaine of Athalia Thus was the promise of the kingdome made vnto Dauid to endure for euer but yet so that God threatneth destruction if they keepe not his couenant So was the kingdom at the length also taken from the posteritie of Nathan and vsurped by Herode a straunger vntil the time came that Christ vnder the reigne of wicked gouerners was born of Mary the Bethlemite Thus for sinne one posteritie was destroyed after an other by the malice of Satan and yet the whole line and succession was preserued euen vnto Mary To consider these things it is very profitable namely how the kingdom promised vnto Dauid came vnto his sonne Salomon but yet for sinne it was taken from him againe The same hapned vnto Nathan yet notwithstanding God reserued a litle sparke out of the which this kingdom should afterwards shine mightely increase And these things were done to bridle our presumption Such is the promise also as touching the church I wil be with you vnto the ende of the world But here is a condition ioyned withal that is If ye walk in my waies For whoso neglect the word those doth God also neglect and reiect and reiseth vp others which shal be his Church So saith our
them to destruction And because the Church of God through lying and selaunderous congaâ—es suffereth now euery where the like tentation the cruell hatred of the worlâ— and all calamities for the confession of pure and sincere doctrine it is therefore necessary for vs to be feruent in prayer against y like pestileÌ„t tongues in those our dayes that they may haue no power to hurt so much as they would â–ª Verse .1 I called vnto the Lorde in my trouble and he hearde me This verse conteineth not onely an example but also doctrine whereby we may learne what we ought to doe in these tentations of the lying tongue namely when we haue to doe with such peruerse and obstinate heretiks as wil by no meanes be reduced from their false doctrine and errours into the way of truth For by long experience and after many and great conflictes haue we learned that as Paule sayeth they are condemned euen by theyr owne iudgement or the testimony of their owne conscience and therfore after they haue bene once or twise warned they ought to be geuen ouer and auoyded And this haue we found especially in the chiefe defenders and maintayners of wicked doctrine that for all that can be said or deuised they wil neuer be the better It may be that some times they will geue place to the trueth for by the power of Gods word they may be conuinced but they will neuer be conuerted For if you stop their blasphemous mouthes one way yet wil they not so geue ouer but seeke new occasions to fight against the truth This the histories not only of the Arians and other heretikes doe declare but also the examples of these our dayes geue witnes vnto the same It is impossible therefore for vs vtterly to stoppe the mouthes of heretiks To reproue them and to conuince them is all that we can doe Also to preserue others ouer whom God hath giuen vs a charge from their errours and pestilent doctrine For a minister of Gods word ought to be well armed and instructed that he may be able not onely to teache the simple but also to reproue and conuince the peruerse and obstinate Herewith let vs be content that such as are vnder out charge being thus forewarned may stand firme and stedfast But that we shall be able to conuert the peruerse and obstinate let vs neuer hope How often did Christ stoppe the mouthes of the Pharises not onely with manifest Scriptures but also with the finger of God and with miracles and yet remayned they still as obstinate in their impiety and infidelity as they were before Arius was vtterly conuinced and his heresie confounded and yet he set forth his heresie againe with greater audacity successe then he did before What shall we say of our Papistes Doe we not see euen the very same thing in them also Such therefore as wilfully striue against the trueth and will not be conuerted after oâ—ce or twise warning let vs geue ouer by the example of Dauid let vs with prayer fight against them Like as we must pray also for our brethren that with the deceitfull shew of trueth they be not seduced More then this we can doe nothing For the deuil the father of all heresies is such a Proteus so slippery and full of sleights that we shall neuer knowe howe or which way to lay hold on him For if we stoppe one crest he will finde twenty moe whereby he will wind him selfe out againe and as the winde enclosed by force will seeke and search euery way howe he may get out For against him chiefly we fight when we haue to doe with heretikes Wherefore by disputing and contending we shal not preuaile against him Notwithstanding we must doe herein what we may that the ministers of Satan may be reproued and conuinced for the behoofe of the Church But to the externall word we must ioyne prayer whereby specially the wicked spirit is repressed and bridled This prayer did beate downe Arius Manicheus Sabellius This confounded the Pharises and vnbeleuing Sinagoge This hath subdued the authors of sects in these our dayes And they that will not heare vs exhorting and reprouing them shall feele the force of our prayer crying out vnto God for the sanctifying of his name the coÌ„ming of his kingdom This is the only way to obtayne the victory So that these pestilenâ— tongues although they seeme to preuaile against vs for a time yet shall they at the length be vtterly rooted out We must therefore goe wisely and circumspectly to worke in this daungerous case and cast away all confidence of our owne wisedom yea although we haue the word of God neuer so much on our side For we fight not against flesh and blood but against spirituall wickednes If we had to doe with flesh and blood onely we would so defend and fortifie our cause with matter and force of argument sufficient that nothing shoulde be able to counterueile the same But now we haue experience that when they are with arguments and authority of Scripture vtterly confounded yet do they still with toth and nayle hold fast their errour and labour by all meanes possible to defend the same This sinne therefore I am wont to compare to the sinne of Iudas who coulde not excuse his deuelishe purpose that he went about in betraying of Christ and yet he neuer rested vntill he had brought the same to passe for Satan moued him so to doe Euen so when these authours and maintayners of hereticall doctrine are manifestly conuinced yet Satan will not so geue them ouer nor suffer them to rest Wherefore it is necessary that herewithall we adioyne prayer and with prayer specially we must fight according to the notable and most comfortable example of Dauid here in this place which sayth I called vpon the Lord in my trouble c. As if he shoulde say in this daunger of wicked doctrine whilest I sought the conuersion of the false prophetes and to bring them to the knowledge of their errour all that I did was but in vayne For Satan who had possessed their heartes is so slipperie that it is not possible to take any holde on him Moreouer if ye looke to the number they which set them selues agaynst me were both moe in number and more mightie in power What shoulde I miserable man doe in this distresse Euen thus doe I. After that I haue diligently taught and set forth the worde of the Lorde both warning my brethren of the daunger the other also of their errour I ascende vnto my God by prayer and shewe vnto him myne affliction being vndoubtedly perswaded that he will heare my prayer Thus Dauid setteth forth vnto vs his owne example and sheweth what he himselfe was wont to doe But to talke of these thinges and to teache them vnto others as it is an easie matter so by experience we finde and in our selues we feele howe hard it is to performe
the same in deede For first these euills which the father of lyes styrreth vppe by wicked doctrine the godly can not beholde without great griefe and sorrowe Besides this they are without all hope of remedie for that the rage of pestilent doctrine is more horrible then the force and violence of fire and water which suddenly consumeth and destroyeth all thinges The heart therefore is on ech side troubled and vexed both with feare of the calamitie that shall followe and also with the sense and feeling of the present euills Nowe if there be ioyned with all these thinges an inward crosse and affliction so that the hearte doe also feele the displeasure of God here it seemeth impossible for a man to pray And doubtlesse a man vnexpert and vnskilfull in these matters and presuming of the worde and his owne knowledge shall gayne nothing thereby but infinite troubles and vexation For to teache to reproue and to conuince is not sufficient but God withall must giue the encrease that not onely we with our brethren may be preserued in sound doctrine but also such as teach the contrary may be rooted out and brought to naught And this by prayer onely is obtayned But howe hard a thing this is we haue alreadie declared To read the word to heare the word and to teach the word are in deede excellent and heauenly works which require the help and aide of the holy Ghost but the inward practise of faith so to conuert vnto the Lord so to pray so to presume of Gods fauour that thy prayer shall please him and that he will heare the same that is a hard matter in deede For fearefull consciences many tymes feele not this certainty and assurance in them selues but are brought to such doubting and mistrust that they can conceaue no hope of helpe or comfort especially such as are touched with the remorse of conscience gilt of sinne and the feeling of their owne vnworthines For in this case it oftentimes commeth to passe that the minde beginneth first to doubt whether prayer will any thing auaile or not They that are brought to this poynt can not pray especially if they measure the same after the sense feeling of their owne vnworthines But here thou must not regard what thou art but rather looke to the promise of God the necessitie of prayer the daunger that followeth the neglecting thereof and the thing it selfe for the which thou oughtest to pray Setting these things before thine eyes albeit thine owne conscience and vnworthines call thee from prayer yet shalt thou be constrayned by prayer to flie to God for help and succour For if a man for examples sake haue committed theft murder or some other notorious crime and in flying away falleth into the water and so into daunger of drowning shall he not pray because his conscience accuseth him that he hath done wickedly Nay how much the more great and grieuous the sinne is and the necessity of praier more vrgent so much the more earnestly ought the mind to be stirred vp and more ready to prayer In like maner must we doe also in this tentation and daunger of wicked doctrine And whatsoeuer we be we must rather consider the great enormities that Satan raiseth vp by lying ministers then whether we be worthie to be heard or no. To this doth the promise also allure vs For we haue a promise in Christ that we shall be heard yea and Christ him selfe also hath prescribed vnto vs the very words syllables letters which we should vse in praier We haue also a commaundemēt to pray so that it is not in our choyse to pray or not to pray but it is a work cōmaunded of God. Now when we remember these thinges and then consider on the one side how necessary a thing it is for vs to pray and on the other side howe great the daunger is if we doe not pray then are our mindes quickned and the tentation or conscience of our owne vnworthines is as it were swallowed vp Like as it hapneth also in sudden daungers as when a man in his iorney falleth into the hands of theeues or is in great perill of drowning here before he can once think of his own vnworthines he bursteth out into these wordes or this cogitation O God be mercifull vnto me And here the saying of the Phisicians is found most true that sharpe sawces prouoke the appetite For there is no better scholemaster to teach vs to pray then necessity But whiles we walke in securitie and are not touched with any feeling of present daungers no maruell is it if our prayer be either no prayer at all or else in dede very faynt and cold For mine owne part I can say by experience that I neuer pray more hartely then in the time of trouble and affliction And this is that sharpe sawce which stirred vp also in Dauid a hunger as it were and an appetite to pray as he sayth I called vnto the Lord in my trouble c. We may learne therefore out of this verse that Dauid vsed this remedy against lying tongues that first by doctrine he stirred vp him selfe and others and then he prayed In like maner ought we to do euē in respect of the cause or necessity which the Lords praier also setteth forth vnto vs For in that the name of the Lord is polluted mens consciences peruerted and the profession of the Gospel hindred we haue in deede great cause to say hallowed be thy name that these abominations and blasphemies may haue an end Thy kingdom come which by the kingdom of Satan is in a manner oppressed He that prayeth after this sort shal fil heauen with his sighes and grones wheras if we liue at ease and feele no trouble our praier is so cold that scarcely our mouthes are filled therwith This cause and necessitie of prayer Dauid expresseth when he sayth I called vnto the Lord in my trouble c. For there must be some great necessitie to constrayne vs to pray as our owne saluation the saluation of our brethren death eternal our sinnes our troubles and afflictions the glory of God the kingdom of God c. all which are set forth in the Lordes prayer and if we consider them as we should doe they will constrayne vs to poure out true and harty prayer vnto God with sighes and grones Let vs consider well these thinges and with our prayer let vs burst through the cloudes which hide from vs the presence of our most gracious God and thinke that prayer is an acceptable sacrifice to God and such a seruice as he him selfe requireth of vs Some seeke a meane helpe and trust to other mens prayers which in deede are not to be neglected for the prayer of many hath a more force and power But thou also must pray as a member of the Church which with one voyce sayth Our Father c. For he will not be the father of
education First therfore we must beleue not doubt that our prayer is heard Secondly this hearing must be thus defined not that God geueth alway that which we pray for but that which is profitable for vs For God in that he is good can geue nothing but that which is good But we many times doctraue that thing which is not good in deede but seemeth so vnto vs. In such cases God euen then heareth our prayer when he graunteth not that which we desire In that prayer therefore which the Lord hath taught vs first we pray for the sanctifying of his name for the comming of his kingdom that his will may be done before we pray for the things which do pertayne to the vse and commoditie of this life so that in such things we desire that the Lord would do not that seemeth good vnto vs but that which is good in deede The difference therfore in asking those things which we pray for is here rightly set forth So that in those things which pertaine to the glory of God our saluatioÌ„ we must beleue our praiers to be heard without condition But in those things which pertayne to this life albeit we must hope that the Lord will graunt our petitions yet must we pray with condition resigning our wils to the Lords will to do therein as semeth good vnto him profitable for vs For he knoweth what is good for vs but we do not as aâ—so S. Paule sayth Thus must we restruâ— this title to our most faithfull gracious God that he is auditoâ— precum a hearer of prayers as Dauid here speaketh of him Verse 2. Deliuer my soule o Lord from lying lippes and from a deceitfull tongue This verse sheweth the matter or argument wherof Dauid entreateth in this psalme He prayeth for the prosperous successe of the holy word of God and pure doctrine against false and hereticall tongues I sayd in the beginning that this Psalme must not only be taken as an exaÌ„ple for vs to follow or a doctrine to teach vs what Dauid did in this daungerous case or what we ought to doe in the like but also is set forth to comfort and confirme vs against this great offence and stumbling blocke that wheresoeuer the Gospell beginneth to shine there Satan stirreth vp theeues and robbers enemies of true doctrine to hinder the course thereof and therefore when we see that the Anabaptistes and other Sectaries spring vppe at the preaching of the Gospell we should not thinke it straunge but rather it shoulde be to vs a meanes to stirre vs vp thereby the more diligently to watch and shake of all securitie forasmuch as we see that he which tempteth vs sleepeth not and to fight against spirituall wickednes against the which the children of God haue bene alwayes at continuall warre Abel was persecuted of Cain Isaac of Ismael Iacob of Esau. Of this enmitie Satan is the author which alwayes persecuteth God and his trueth not onely with slaughter but also with lying and falshoode To knowe these thinges it is a singuler consolation in such daungerous cases that we be not discouraged or dismayed but may be strengthened and confirmed thereby and moreouer it keepeth vs from securitie which lying tongues aud deceitfull lippes will not lightly suffer a man to fall into We must be ready therefore not onely with the word of God but also and especially with prayer to fight against false doctrine and deceitful tongues considering as Dauid here sayth that the Lord is our deliuerer who only in this daunger can deliuer vs and destroy our aduersaries For the continuall exercise of the word and prayer must goe togither Deliuer my soule that is deliuer me It is a phrase and kinde of speech proper to the Hebrewes Verse 3. VVhat doth thy deceitfull tongue bring vnto thee or what doth it auaile thee Verse 4. It is as the sharpe arrow of a mightie man and as the coles of Iuniper In demaunding this question he goeth about to stirre vppe him selfe and to finde occasion to accuse the deceitfull tongue as he doth in deede most liuely sette forth by two notable similitudes what a pestilent thing wicked doctrine is and what the godly and such as are spirituall doe iudge thereof First he compareth it to an arrowe that is not blunt but sharpe and moreouer which is cast not of him that is weake and feeble but that is stronge and mightie so that there is daunger on both sides as well of the arrowe that is sharpe and able to pearce as also of him which with great violence hurleth the same The Deuill therefore the father of all heresies is here plainly sette forth vnto vs as an olde exercised souldier strong and mightie who from the beginning hath made warre against the Church of God and albeit he hath bene often ouercome yet will he neuer geue ouer but returneth more fearce and subtill then before and the better armed the more holy and learned they be against whom he fighteth so much the more strongly fearcely he setteth vpon them Therfore the holy Ghost here speaketh according to the sense of man that is according to the cogitations which the godly haue in this daungerous case and he calleth a pestilent teacher an arrowe or dart in the hande of the strong and mighty For if ye beholde the multitude of the aduersaries their stoutnes proud bragges obstinacie and fearcenes with the subtill deceitfull sleights wherby they auoyd or wickedly peruert all thinges that make against them be they neuer so godly spoken it seemeth no otherwise but that they will vtterly oppresse and destroy the Church which appeareth to be in comparison of them but a small number and that also very weake and feeble It seemeth therefore that Satan as a dart which no armour is able to resist must needes preuayle and haue the victory But if you looke to the end you shall see the contrary As the Church when she compareth the multitude of her enemies with her poore litle flocke through her infirmity is troubled and feareth destruction euen so when Satan seeth his practises at the first to proceede as he would he is puffed vp and swelleth at the successe therof For wicked doctrine crepeth like a canker and mightely encreaseth euery hower so that if a teacher of erroneous and hereticall doctrine should be suffered in a reformed congregation he would soone ouerthrow altogither so violently perceth this dart And why because it is hurled of Satan and the common people are as it were the frame house of Satan because they loth and despise that which is dayly taught them Now because the heretikes doe not vse the accustomed and ordinary maner of teaching but fede the people with new strauÌ„ge thinges therefore as Moises sayth the drunken and the thirsty are mette togither and these arrowes perse through with greater violence Moreouer it is a figure vsed in the Scriptures to call the word of
God arrowes or darts as it appeareth Psal. 45. Thy arrowes are very sharpe c. And in our language by a prouerbial speech when a man vseth the wordes the counsell and iudgement of others and not his owne we say they be arrowes out of an other mans quiuer But properly this name doth agre to false doctrine which as I sayd perceth swiftly The other similitude likewise hath a notable signification of power and swiftnes By coles he meaneth here a hot burning fire and consuming flame As also he doth in the 17. Psalme He vseth the similitude of Iuniper because that tree besides the thicknes of the leaues hath a great fatnes withal therefore is lightly set on fire burneth vehemeÌ„tly The sense and meaning hereof is that heresie and false doctrine which is full of strong delusion hath a power to peruert and seduce men with no lesse celerity and swiftnes then fire hath to burne being kindled in a forest of Iuniper Likewise the Scripture in another place speaketh of a great fire like to the flame of thornes vnder a potte meaning such a fire as is suddenly kindled and swiftly encreaseth This description therefore is as it were a complaynt that the poysoned tongues of heretikes doe so suddenly preuaile and with such successe worke mischiefe in the Church of God as it came to passe after the preaching of S. Paule For when he with exceeding trauels had happily planted many Churches as soone as he had once turned his back all Asia was peruerted and turned from the Gospell This is the calamitie of all ages that whatsoeuer godly preachers haue builded with great trauells the teachers of wicked doctrine doe suddenly ouerthrowe Let vs therefore be thankfull vnto God for that litle poore remnant which as yet by his speciall grace remaineth in the sound doctrine of the Gospell and moreouer for this his gift that we are able to iudge such doctrines to be the dartes of Satan although they be neuer so glorious and agree neuer so much with the wisedom and righteousnes of the fleshe and further that they are like to a vehement fire euen suche as is the flame of Iuniper which we must labour to quench with all our power These be the spirituall battells which the world knoweth not farre passing all carnall conflictes for in those conflicts like are matched with like that is to say men with men but in these we fight not onely against the greater number mightely armed with malice and power but also against Satan him selfe and against spirituall wickednes Therfore in this warfare we haue neede of the helpe of the Lord and of the Angell Michael as it is the Apocalyps And for this cause the prayers and sighes of the godly in such a daungerous case are necessarie saying on this wise O Lord behold we will gladly teach and set forth thy word but what are we except thou helpe vs Stand for vs therefore against the enemies of thy truth defend thine owne cause This hope we haue in such great successe of wicked doctrine that that which is not of thy planting shall not endure and that which suddenly springeth vppe shall suddenly be cut downe There hath bene hitherto no heresie which hath not bene confounded and the word of God hath had alwayes the victory Cain Ismael Arius Manichee and such other haue perished for resisting the Gospell The Papacie also is now falling but the word of the Lord abideth for euer according to that sentence of the Psalme They haue fought against me eueÌ„ from my youth but they could neuer preuaile But here perhaps you will aske what were thefe heresies and deceitful tongues in the time of Dauid against the which he praieth in this place In his kingdom there was Achitophel Semeâ— and many others which spake cursedly of him with crafty couÌ„sell conspiracy stirred vp the hearts of his subiects against him But it appeareth that Dauid speaketh here of some great dauÌ„ger What is that you will say Albeit the holy histories do sufficiently declare what trouble the true Prophets of God alwayes had with false and lying teachers as the story of Ieremy doth declare yet Dauid him selfe expresseth in diuers places of the psalmes what was the cause of these his conflicts as in the fifty psalme it doth appeare in the which he speaketh of the merite and deseruing which the vnbeleuing Iewes did trust vnto because of their sacrifices For as it is now so hath it bene in all ages that many haue thought them selues righteous through their workes And this opinion did maruelously encrease and multiply the Iewish sacrifices for they thought that by their sacrifices their sinnes were forgeuen though their hartes were vnpure without faith Euen like to our aduersaries the Papistes which doe therefore so highly extoll and so mightely maintaine and defend their sacrifice in the Masse because as they say of it self by the work wrought it is auaileable for the remission of sinnes Against this heresie Dauid fought and taught that to offer vppe a bullocke it was no great seruice vnto God seeing he was both the creator and giuer of the same and being the Lord of al hath neede of nothing much lesse of a bullocke and therefore they that will offer a right sacrifice in deede must acknowledge their sinnes and also the great goodnes of the Lord promising vnto them a blessing by the blessed seede and giue him thankes for the same inuocate praise and magnifie his name c. Thus Dauid confuteth this heresie in that place But there were many other moe like vnto this For the Iewes were not onely fallen to the worshipping of the gods of the Gentiles as it is to be seene in Ieremy but forsaking the temple they resorted to those places wherin their forefathers were wont to offer sacrifice whereas the Lorde had appoynted the Tabernacle in Ierusalem for a place of sacrifice and prayer Some of their owne brayne did choose vnto them selues groues and hilles wherein they offered their sacrifice Because these thinges were contrarie to the will and worde of God and done of the Idolaters with great greedinesse it was necessarie that the people shoulde be warned and taught of the Prophetes of God not to choose to them selues any other way of seruing and worshipping God or to seeke any other righteousnes then that which shoulde come by the blood of the sonne of God whom S. Paule calleth the Lamb because he should be the sacrifice that should take away the sinnes of the world Thus we see that there hath alwaies bene for like matter like conflicts between the true Church and the false and also like daungers haue thereuppon ensued Wherefore we must vse like remedies also that is first by souÌ„d doctrine to defend the glory of Christ exhort men to the study loue of the worâ—d Secondly by prayer to fight against deceitful tongues and lying lippes Now the Prouphet after his prayer addeth
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
become as it were inuisible and by faith in pouertie to beholde riches in heauines and sorrowe ioy and comfort in desolation and destruction helpe and succour and when we seeme to be cut of and to be cast away from God euen then to beleue and by faith to lay sure handfast on Gods eternall mercie and grace in Christ As Dauid here did who was afflicted and felt no comfort and yet he sayth I lift vp myne eyes to the hilles from whence commeth my helpe Thou must lift vp thine eyes therfore and in no wise fixe them vpon the present troubles calamities or afflictions whatsoeuer the fleshe seeth feeleth or suffereth for that is to obey and consent to the eyes and the eares that is to say to harken to the flesh which is alwaies ready to perswade thee that God is angry with thee that he hath forsaken thee that thy daunger is such and so terrible that thou canst neuer escape it Here therefore thou must lift vp thine eyes to the hills of the Lord and harken to the voice of God who sayth and promiseth that helpe shall surely come from those hills which albeit for the tyme it be inuisible and can neither be seene nor felt yet is it most certayne and infallble They that are in wealth glorie and dignitie lift not vp their eyes to these inuisible thinges and therefore they are puffed vp with pride and caried away with all noysom lustes But such as are in pouerty contempt of the worlde afflicted in body or minde are forced to lift vp their eyes that the helpe which is inuisible may be made to them visible by fayth according to the promise of God made vnto them in his word These are the words therefore of a man that felt the same that we feele that is to say our hearts to be oppressed with sorrow and heauines when we thinking our selues to be desolate and forsaken can see no succour when we see not riches but pouertie not glory but ignominy shame and confusion In these calamities the heart is an heauie burden weying downe to the grounde the eyes and the head that they can see or thinke vpon nothing else but terrene and earthly thinges Therefore he exhorteth vs by his owne example to lift vp our eyes and looke to inuisible thinges which the word promiseth we shall certainly enioy Thus we see the nature of faith liuely set out in this Psalme Nowe followeth as it were an explication what hills he speaketh of Verse 2. My helpe commeth of the Lord which hath made heauen and earth He speaketh here of such hills as the eyes of the flesh could not see For who was so quicke of sight to see or so wise to perceiue and vnderstande that the hill Moria was a holy hill A heape of earth the bodily eyes might see but the holynes the power and the Maiestie of God there present they could not see nor that the word of the Lord was there that the Lord had promised there to dwell and abide that he had put a memoriall of his name in that place and that there he would be sought there he would be found For he that sought not God in this place coulde not finde him in heauen Like as since God hath reueiled him self in that man Christ we truly say and also beleue that whosoeuer doe not imbrace and by faith lay hold on this man which was borne of the virgin they can neuer beleue in God but although they say they beleue in the maker of heauen and earth yet doe they in deede beleue in the Idoll of their owne heart for without Christ there is no true god Therefore Dauid beholdeth these hills in Ierusalem not with bodily eyes as the oxe doth his stall but with the eyes of the spirite he seeth that God dwelleth there by his word Therfore these hils are nowe no more earth and molde but they are the hilles of the Lorde and the fulnes of his godhead so that with out these hills concerning God there can nothing be found Therefore it is truly sayd of the Prophet that from these hilles commeth help and succour that is to say from God dwelling and abiding there by his word Like as we beleue that Christ is the throne of grace in the which is the treasure of all good thinges and heauenly blessinges to be found and without the which there is nothing Now in that he doth not onely say My helpe commeth from the Lord but addeth moreouer which made heauen earth he reproueth condēneth all other helps which men seeke procure vnto them selues besides God with false trust affiāce in the same as Idols of their owne imagination So is Mammon a god also that is to say is worshipped of men as a god helpeth them also sometimes But in penury of food vittells what succour can he bring no man can satisfie his hungrie belly with gold and siluer Likewise in drowth and barennes of the earth what can he help What good can he do in diseases infirmities of the body If then in these corporall maladies he can not help what can he doe when the conscience is troubled with sinne the horrour of death It is therefore but a false pleasure and delite that Mammon bringeth which is but only to satisfie please the eyes as a picture or painted table Against these helps therfore such like which the world seeketh after the prophet setteth the Lord him self who made not only gold siluer not only foode sustenance heauen and earth that is to say angels men and the whole world but besides these giueth remissiō of sinnes faith righteousnes ioy peace of hart with euerlasting life He is sayth the Prophet my almighty and sure help of whom I can not doubt that he will euer fayle me the twinckling of an eye To this Lord I flye for aide succour who not onely in this life can and doth giue health welfare for a fewe yeres with securitie of cōscience cōtempt of death all the furies of the world but also after this life eternal felicity life euerlasting Thus the Prophet inflameth him selfe stirreth vp his faith for our example that we likewise should magnifie the blessings good gifts of God in vs also our hope trust in him For if the riche men of the world doe glory in their money if they vaunt of their wealth and riches why should not we also glory in the trust confidence we haue in God which hath made heauen and earth which hath also in his hand all thinges necessary both for this life for the life to come But because these things are inuisible can not be seene but with spirituall eyes therefore we commonly neglect thē And albeit the Lord do somtimes hide these helps from vs let vs feele the lacke therof for a time as he doth in deede to make vs the more desirous of thē
thy wife thy children Thou fallest into sicknes and infirmitie of body Thou losest thy goodes thine estimation the peace and tranquillitie of conscience yea and some time according to thine owne sense and feeling Christ him selfe also These are great matters in deede But beware that whilest thou iudgest these thinges after thine owne sense thou make not of a droppe an infinite sea and of a sparcle a flaming fire Though it be neuer so great which thou feelest and sufferest yet God is greater If God and Christ then perish not if they still liue and reigne what if thou lose thy wife thy children thy goodes yea and thy life also For what are all these if thou compare them to the inestimable grace of God and the riches which he hath promised in his word but mere nothing Therefore let vs lift vp our mindes to these heauenly riches and let vs learne rightly to discerne betwene the crosse in respect of it selfe that is of the flesh and the sense of our owne heart and in respect of God and his rich promise Which if we consider as it is in it selfe and without Christ what trouble is so small that shall not vtterly ouerthrowe vs and so shall euery trouble be vnto vs intolerable But if we behold the same in respect of God with the eyes of faith though our afflictions and calamities seeme neuer so great and greeuous yet the super abundant mercy of God in Christ swalloweth them vppe all Who albeit he suffereth vs to be afflicted for a litle season yet shall the entâ—e be full of ioy and comfort So sayth the Prophet Esay For a litle while haue I forsaken thee This momentane and short time to the flesh seemeth an eternitie But as I said our carnall eyes doe but deceiue vs Therefore we must iudge according to Gods promises concerning inuisible things and see what God hath said in his word This is the exercise of faith whereof Dauid speaketh in this place admonishing vs to looke to the word and promise and to lift vp our eyes to inuisible things and thereafter to iudge and not according to thinges present And here experience teacheth vs what an infinite wisedom true diuinitie is which in this life we can neuer fully and perfectly attaine vnto For to what sudden mutations this life is subiect we see To day aliue and in good health to morrow dead and gone Yea how infinite are the troubles calamities tentations and daungers wherewith our life is tossed as a shippe on the sea which so terrifie vs that heauen and earth are to little for vs yea the whole creature is to vs a very hell This is the nature of flesh which Satan moreouer so inspireth and bewitcheth that it seeth not God but rather as it iudgeth some great and horrible mischiefe not life but death and destruction But this is no iudgement but rather a delusion of the flesh and the deuil against the which we must fight yea and beleue that euen in our destruction as to vs it seemeth God is present with vs and in our death Christ our King liueth in whose sight our tribulations and afflictions yea and death it selfe are altogither as you would say but one nothing and if we compare them vnto God by the iudgement of faith we shall feele them so to be in deede But who hath sufficiently learned thus to doe Somewhat we may say and teach other after a sort but vse and experience with inward practise and feling is that which maketh a right diuine and a true Christian in deede so that he may be able boldely to affirme and say with Dauid He will not suffer thy foote to styppe that is to say he will not suffer thee to be vtterly ouerthrowne and perish But the flesh saith the contrary because it feeleth not onely thy foote to slyppe but it selfe also to be troden vnder foote Beholde the sonne of God what he suffered Behold Iohn Baptist the virgin Mary the Apostles the Prophets what they suffered Behold the church at this day what danger it is in what troubles and afflictions it continually suffereth And this is the state of the godly Upon the experience whereof ariseth this prouerbe The more wicked the more happy And therefore the worlde fearing and shunning these daungers can neuer abide the Gospell And thus it appeareth to them not to be true that Dauid sayth here The Lord wil not suffer thy foote to slippe but rather the contrary that he causeth thy foote to slyppe Albeit it doth but seeme so for he doth not so in deede and that to the flesh onely but contrariwise to the spirit and faith it is exaltation and glory before god They iudge that death which is suffered for the confession of the Gospell to be a beginning of a better and eternall life Ignominy shame and contempt of the worlde they count inestimable glory in the sight of God. This is the iudgement of faith albeit the flesh thinketh otherwise But we may not iudge after the flesh for if we do what needeth then the doctrine of the word what neede exhortations what neede the promises Therefore we must turne the euill into good and where the fleshe concludeth that it is continually troden vnder foote there faith must confesse and say that by the crosse and by these afflictions we are made like to the sonne of God fashioned like vnto Christ For these things are to be beleued as inuisible and also insensible and not as things to be seene and felt But such as will not beleue but follow their owne sense and feling doe rather choose the glory pleasures of this worlde which so litle while endure and so suddenly vanish away But how miserable shall their condition be when after these transitory momentane and vaine pleasures they shall find and feele nothing but anguish torments with weeping wailing for euer without end How much better had it bene for them to haue suffered for a while with Lazarus both sicknes and pouerty then for a little season to flourish with the rich glutton in welth and prosperitie with him to be tormented in euerlasting fire This doctrine therfore pertaineth to those which desire to beleue not to fele that they may discerne betwene God their afflictions not fixing their eyes vpon the present calamities but looking vp to the inuisible help promised in the word For those troubles daungers where unto the faithfull are subiect do in deede cause the foote to slippe but yet so that faith wil not suffer them to fall but maketh them able to passe ouer those rockes be they neuer so daungerous to compare their momentane afflictions with those things which are infinite and euerlasting as to God him selfe his power his grace and finally eternall life which God hath promised in Christ to them that beleue in him To know these things it is necessary that we may be able to comfort both our selues
euen the presence mightie protection of the Lord we should patiently endure the beginning of sorrowes that is to say the light short and momentane afflictions of this life beeing sure that euen in death our life is hidden and safely kept with Christ in God and we shall ouercome all the fiery darts and cruel assaults of Satan Verse 7. The Lord shall preserue thee from all euill he shall preserue thy soule That which the verse going before hath expressed by an allegory is here simply set forth and without figure The soule here signifieth the life Albeit therefore thou suffer neuer so greate and greuous afflictions yea euen death it self yet shalt thou not perish because God kepeth thy life In outward appearance and to the iudgement of the flesh thou seemest to dye but in deede it is not so because thy life euen the Lord thy God liueth c. So he saith in an other Psalme The Lorde preserueth the soules of his Sainctes Verse 8. The Lord shall preserue thy going out and thy comming in from hence forth and for euer That is to saye whether so euer thou goest the Lorde will be with thee he will preserue thee he will defende and keepe thee he will neuer forsake thee nor suffer thee to perishe To goe out is to goe to the woorkes of thy vocation To come in againe signifieth to returne from labour and trauell to rest and quietnes What so euer thou shalt goe aboute shall haue good successe and prosper vnder thy hand Thus the Prophet in this Psalme sheweth the nature of faith to be not as it were a deade affection or qualitie of the minde as the Papistes doe dreame but a singular worke and motion of the holy Ghoste whereby we iudge according to the worde contrary to that which we feele whiche we see and by experience doe proue whereby also we ouercome all kindes of tentations Of this faith the Papistes can no better iudge then a blinde man can iudge of colours The 122. Psalme I reioyced when they said vnto me c. This Psalme is a thanks giuing for the excellent gift of the worde of God. Which vertue is therefore the more rare to be found for that the worde is euery where so horribly contemned in the worlde not onely of the rude multitude but also of those that will be counted both learned and wise whose blasphemous tongues are sharpened against this most precious and incomparable benefite not onely in speaking contemptuously and spitefully of the Gospell but also imputing to the holsome worde of life what so euer mischiefe reigneth in the members of Satan as seditious sectes auarice filthy life and such like It is therefore the greate goodnes of the Lord that in this horrible infidelitie there are yet some which reuerence the word which gladly heare the word which delight to talke of the word and workes of the lord This Psalme therefore was not written to those dogges and swine the Papistes heretikes and persecutors of the worde but to the elect soules and holy mindes which exult and reioyce for this heauenly visitation wherby the day spring from on high through the tender mercie of our God hath visited vs lying in the shadowe of death as Zacharie saith For albeit that all men haue the word and all heare the sound of the Gospell yet herein they differ that some haue the word only some acknowledge and feele them selues to haue it and therefore doe reioyce and giue thankes vnto God for the same where as other delite rather in their riches and in the pleasures of this life then in that heauenly word which bringeth euerlasting life and saluation Therefore S. Paule counteth it for a speciall grace of God not onely to haue the giftes of God but also to acknowledge them to delight reioyce in them and to be thankful vnto God for them But amongst all the giftes of God the gift of his holy word is the moste excellent and if we take away the word what doe we else but take away the sunne out of the worlde For what is the world without the word but euen hel and the very kingdome of Satan although there be in it neuer so many wise men learned welthy and mighty For what can all these doe without the word which alone bringeth life and comfort to the soule peace and quietnes to the conscience which alone keepeth vs in the fauour of God without the which there is no religion so no God whereby also the world is preserued For without the word and Christ the world could not stand the twinckling of an eye Albeit therefore there be many and wonderful giftes of God in the world giuen for the vse of man yet the only gift which conteineth and preserueth all the other is the word of God which pronounceth and witnesseth to our consciences that God is our mercifull father which also promiseth vnto vs remission of sinnes and life euerlasting Now if we should lack these comforts what comfort were it I pray you for vs to liue yea this life to vs were no life at all But these thinges are spirituall and the knowledge thereof is so much the more hard for vs to attaine vnto because it springeth not out of our owne hearts but commeth from aboue But now to the Psalme When this Psalme was written the temple was not builded but the tabernacle of Moises yet still remained which allbeit it continued not in one place nor in one tribe for it was also in Silo and Gibion yet had it one certaine promise that where soeuer it were there would the Lord be present heare the prayers of his people accept their sacrifice and shewe him selfe mercifull as the text sheweth VVhere so euer I shall set a memorial of my name c. Therefore so long as it was in Ephraim in the city of Silo the name of God was there called vppon the word of God was there heard and the Lord was there worshipped with faith prayer and sacrifice c vntill at length when impietie and idolatrie began to encrease the arke was caried out of Silo into the host against the Philistines and of them was taken But when the Philistines for this prophanation were diuers wayes plaged the arke was translated to the Gabaonites When it had bene there a while Dauid brought it home into his owne citie as it is written 2. Reg. 6. and there it came into his minde to build a temple vnto the lord For it was not meete thought he that he should dwel in a house made with Cedar trees and that the Lord and King of heauen should dwell in a tabernacle couered with skinnes And this purpose at the first semed good to Nathan the prophet but afterward he was admonished of God by reuelation that Dauid should not build the temple for that was reserued for his sonne Salomon to doe which was a peaceable Prince and not giuen to warre as Dauid was
Herewithall was added that ioyfull promise of the eternall posteritie of Dauid and his true sonne Christ 2. Reg. 7. Dauid therefore in this Psalme as it seemeth to me intreateth of the first part of this promise wherein he reioyceth not onely for him selfe but also for the whole people of God for that God had appointed a place in Ierusalem both certaine permanent wherein he would be worshipped Albeit therefore that Dauid doth here partly signifie that house which Salomon afterwarde built yet specially he treateth of the fruite that should come of the building of that temple namely that the word of the Lord should there be published prayer made and sacrifice offered This is that ioy and gladnes which Dauid so notably setteth forth in this Psalme whiles he beholdeth the inestimable goodnes of God towards his people in giuing to them the knowledge of his worde in reuealing his face vnto them in perswading their hearts of his good will towards them The Papists dispute much of God but without the word the true knowledge of god They neither teach nor yet once thinke what that wil of God is towards vs or what he will do with vs for say they we know not whether god loue vs or hate vs And to this end they blasphemously allege this saying out of Ecclesiastes No maÌ„ knoweth whether he be worthy of loue or of hatred with other like For what is it to talke of God if thou knowe not what his will is towards thee to what end he hath ordained thee They that knowe not God thus knâ—w him not at all It is the word of God therfore that certifieth vs of the will of God towards vs what pleaseth or displeaseth him what he would haue vs to doe and what he wil do with vs The barbarous brutish ignorance wherof hath brought forth all those monstrous idolatries in the kingdom of Antichrist Theft which is forbidden by the law of God in the 7. commaundement is thought to be but a smal sinne in comparison of the rest as murther horedom c. NotwithstaÌ„ding suppose that this commaundement were not what great enormities what horrible impieties would ensue We should become like rauening wolues beares destroying and deuouring whatsoeuer they may come by yea-like vnto swine which when they come to their draffe swill if euery one could deuour so much as might suffice al they would leaue none for the rest Therefore that our goods are in safety yea rather all that we haue is not spoyled and taken from vs it is the benefite of the seuenth precept What a life would this be if our wiues were not in safety if our children were vncertaine if men might resist the Magistrate and do what they list would it not be a continuall hel That we inioy therfore true godly matrimony that the common welth and the lawes are preserued in which and by which we liue in safety rest and quietnes all these are the benefites of the second table But let vs ascend to higher matters â–ª What were this life if the first table were not if there were no Sabbots no Church no place wherein the word might be published taught if there were no knowledge of God no inuocation of God but euery man had his peculiar idoll to worship These are farre greater and more horrible euils then those that are committed against the second table and yet so much the lesse regarded because they are spiritual But if we had the eyes of the spirite and did see how many soules Mahomet the Pope do cary vnto hel it should be muche more greeuous vnto vs then if we were euery houre in daunger of losing both goods and life We ought first therfore to reioyce for these smal benefits which we inioy by the second table whereby both our goods and bodyes are in safety Small benefites I call them in comparison of those which we inioy by the first table wherby God so abundantly openeth the treasures riches of his mercy towardes vs in reueiling him self vnto vs in certifiyng vs what his wil is towards vs what he hath decreed to doe and how to deale with vs in giuing vs his word faith the holy Ghost in hearing our prayers increasing dayly the Church by his word These things are so great that no hart can conceiue them no tongue can expresse them wherby our soules are deliuered from the tyranny of the deuil whereby we inioy peace tranquillitie of mind a good conscience whereby also we attaine and retaine the true knowledge of God whereby many are instructed to eternal life These things Dauid beholdeth with the eye of faith these things he deepely wayeth considereth with him self therfore is stirred vp to thanks giuing which the inward ioy of hart coÌ„pelleth him vnto For such are thaÌ„kful in deed which doe embrace y graces gifts of God reioyce in the giuer But such as fele not this ioy albeit they set forth this psalm with piping singing with organs and mincing musicke neuer so much yet are they vnthankful because they do not vnderstand these benefits These things I doe therefore recite that all men may beware of that detestable impietie and headspring of all mischiefe in the Church of God the contempt or lothing of the word for that is an horrible apostacie and a falling away from god When men are once come to this lothing of y word it is not possible that any true or sincere cogitation of the spiritual life or remission of sinnes should enter into their heartes But alas we see that there is nothing at this day more common For how wickedly doe the nobility gentlemen rich welthy yea and all other inferiour sortes of men at this day contemne the word of life the gospel of saluation the ministery ministers more esteming their earthly possessions wealth and pleasures then all the sweete comfortes of the gospel These the children of God are compelled to behold as Loth did the Zodomites not onely despising molesting and spitefully intreating them but also liuing in all fleshly liberty and doing what they list It was an horrible thing for Dauid to fal into adultery murther but how much more horrible is it thus to offende against the first table as the Angels did and therefore were cast out of heauen But Dauid repenting returned vnto God found mercie And here the godly are so much the more in daunger of this euill by how much the fall is more easie For this venime so secretly infecteth the soule and so creepeth in by litle and litle that it can not almost be perceiued I call it a contempt of the word not onely when the word is despised derided persecuted but also when it is negligently and vnreuerently taught heard and learned according to the saying of the Prophet Esay This people honour me with their lippes but their heart is farre from me And
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
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
these things and earnestly thinke vpon them So this Psalme is a prayer against the mighty rich and welthy of the world which either cruelly molest and vexe or proudly deride and contemne the godly as the last verse doth declare And these are not onely such as preferre wicked doctrin superstition idolatrie before the vndefiled word of God but euen such also as glory in the word and sound doctrine and will be counted louers fauourers of the Gospell and partakers with vs of the name and glory of christ Of such there was a great number amongst the people of Israel For they had the lawe sacrifices and ceremonies instituted by Moises according to the word of god They had great plentie of Prophets and godly teachers yet how they vsed them the storyes doe declare When Elisha sent the sonne of a Prophet vnto Iehu the other said VVherefore commeth this madde fellow vnto thee The Psalmes also preachings of the Prophets concerning faith and true righteousnes before God doe shew that they were contemned and derided of the multitude yea condemned as heretikes because they seemed not to attribute so much to â— sacrifices ceremonies of y law as they should do Likewise Dauid was counted a seditious fellow a rebel a traitor and charged with ambition and greedy desire to reigne And afterwards when he went about to bring the arke of the Lord to Ierusalem with a good and a zealous mind expressed his ioy Michol his wife receiued him with these words Oh how glorious was the King of Israel this day which was vncouered in the eyes of the maidens of his seruants as a foole vncouereth him self Now we can not thinke that onely Michol did thus slanderously speake of that kings doings but there were no doubt other also in the court men both of wisedom dignitie which iudged the same For what so euer he be that professeth loueth the word vnfainedly zealously seketh the glory of God he shal be iudged and called of the cursed world worldlings both a foolish a mad man That it hath bene alwaies so the stories do declare also these our daies do witnes the same Wherfore this Psalme setteth before our eyes a goodly example that for as much as we are compelled to see suffer this contempt despite of the proude scornful we should pray with Dauid against al such that is first against the pope his whole kingdom of faces for they doe not onely proudly contemne vs but also coÌ„demne vs Then also against false brethren such as in our churches liue in al carnall godles securitie and albeit they will seme to be no enemies but frieÌ„ds vnto the gospel yet either deride or molest the true professors therof Against al such this Psalme is vnitteÌ„ for the troubled afflicted children of God which are counted of the world either heretical or sedicious or else fooles and abiectes But this consolation they haue that seeing the holy Ghost in this Psalme doth teach them how to pray in these distresses they shall be heard and though they be here contemned and counted the outswepings of the earth they shall be made glorious in the kingdom of God. Verse 1. I lift vppe myne eyes vnto thee which dwellest in the heauens This is a vehement groning of a troubled mind looking about and seeking euery way for comfort and succour but none could be found Whether then shall I miserable maâ—â—stie saith he in this distresse Strength to with stand mine enemies I haue none Of wisedom and counsell beeing compassed with such a multitude of aduersaries I am vtterly destitute To thee therefore I come O my God To thee I lift vp mine eyes which dwellest in the heauâ—â—â— â–ª Here note that the heauens are called the habitatioÌ„ of God not because he is there conteined for as the heauens are his seate so is the earth his footestoole but because he doth from thence more manifestly shew the maiestie of his diuinitie And what so euer he hath at any time done vppon the earth by reuelaâ—ions visions or oracles he seemed to doe it from heauen From whence also haue come the most notable and seuere punishments of the wicked as of the first worlde by the flood of the Sodomites by the rayning downe of fire with brimstone of the Egyptians by haâ—se mixed with fire of the Amorrâ—ans by the rayning of stones from heauen And hereof come these sayings He that dwelleth in the heauens shall laugh them to scorne The Lorde looked downe from heauen The Lord hath prepared his seate in heauen Our God is in heauen and doth what soeuer he will. VVhich dwelleth in the light that none can attaine vnto Therefore we reade that Christ commonly when he prayed or when he gaue thankes to his father looked vp to heauen And when he departed hence vnto his father he was seene to ascend vp into the heauens These things are spoken to this ende that we may knowe that God our father is not earthly â–ª infirme or corruptible but the Lord and inhabitour of heauen as a place without all corruption and therefore a most meete habitation for him almightie and ruling ouer all euerlasting incorruptible seing all things percing all things The prophet also calleth God here the inhabitour of heauen to signifie that the earth is full of the proude and scornefull and that the godly are troden vnder foote of those that dwel vpon the earth and are counted the ouâ—swepings of the world and therefore he seeth none besides the Lord and inhabitour of heauen of whom he may looke for helpe and succour The great daunger whereof the Prophete complayneth is herein expressed in that he looking about on euery side and seeking for succour could find none to helpe him but onely the inhabitour of heauen These thinges make the tentation much more greeuous and terrible and therfore he prayeth with such wordes in his tentation as perhaps he at that time did not perfectly vnderstand as Sainct Paule also sayth VVe vnderstand not what we pray The spirite knoweth and vnderstandeth what these wordes meane but man can not conceiue the power therof in the time of his tentation whiles faith is infirme and is yet in the conflict But when our petition is graunted prayer heard then faith hath her force and we haue more perfect vnderstanding both of the tentation and also of the prayer which we therein vsed The Prophet therefore in this verse setteth the inhabitour of heauen against the inhabitours of the earth and conceiueth comfort and courage that albeit the world is great and mighty yet God is more mighty This is the meaning of the Prophet in this verse And albeit the wordes bee but simple as ye see yet are they full of consolation to him that beleeueth The spirite which ministreth these wordes and stirreth vppe these groninges in the heartes of the afflicted knoweth with what maiestie and power they
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
they suffer togither so they cry vnto God for helpe and succour as well for other as for them selues Yea the common calamitie of their brethren is to them a greater crosse then their owne Haue mercy vpon vs c. This repetition as it doth declare a great vehemencie and feruentnes of spirite in the afflicted crying vnto God for helpe and deliuerance so it sheweth their affliction and calamitie to be exceeding greeuous For we haue suffered too much contempt He sayd before that the godly being brought to extreme miserie by the tyranny and oppression of the wicked did lift vp their eyes to God for helpe and succour Nowe he sheweth also what despite and reproch they suffred of the proud and scornfull Whereby it appeareth that the vngodly sought not only with crueltie and oppression but also with despite contempt and ignominy to tread as it were vnder foote the children of god He saith not onely we suffer contempt but we are filled with contempt and ignominie vsing a similitude taken of a vessell which is filled so full that it can conteine no more Thus the children of God do not burst out at the first into these gronings and grieuous complaints when so euer they are contemned and despised but patiently suffer in hope that God will at the length ease their miserye vntill they be filled with all maner of despite contempt and scorning of the wicked whereby they are compelled to cry vnto God doubling their complaint as followeth in the next verse Verse 4. Our soule is filled too ful of the mocking of the welthy and of the despitefulnes of the proude When the godly are not onely oppressed with iniuries hated and despised but also mocked and scorned of the wicked there can be to them no greater misery And this is it that they specially here complaine of as of all their calamities the moste greeuous The cause why he saith that the welthy and proud doe so spitefully sette them selues against the Church of God is for that they which are of power and authoritie in the world are alwaies wont to despise and contemne the godly which doe so much esteeme the glory wealth and prosperitie of this worlde that they regard nothing at all the spirituall kingdom of Christ yea the more they rise in wealth and dignitie the more their pride encreaseth This place teacheth then that it is no straunge or newe thing if the children of God be contemned of the children of this worlde which abound in wealth and riches And it is not without good cause that here the wealthy are also called proud for wealth and prosperity maketh men proude the children of this world and worldlinges I meane For Dauid and many other were also riche and yet they were so broken with afflictions and so exercised both within and without that they could haue no such pleasure or delight in their wealth and worldly prosperitie whereby they might waxe proude or fall into securitie But the case of the wicked is farre otherwise for their riches wealth and dignitie is as a rewarde of their securitie and vngodlines Contrariwise the godly are in misery and affliction despised of the world as abiects fooles and idiotes as the example of the auncient Prophets Christ him self and his apostles with all the deare Sainctes of God do teach we by daily experience doe proue For when we goe aboute to draw men from couetousnes blasphemy voluptuousnes and such other vices they laugh vs to scorne and when they heare of the iudgement of God the reward of sinne the punishment of the wicked they count 〈◊〉 this geare to be but a fable suche as Virgill imagineth of hell to make men afeard But if they were exercised with afflictions and calamities as the godly are and had a scholemaster to teach them that they are but men as Dauid prayeth in the ix Psalme they would learne another song The .124 Psalme If the Lord had not bene on our side c. This Psalme is a thankes giuing to God for his great mercy in preseruing his people placed as the stories doe shewe in the middes of the Gentiles and heathen people as a flock of sheepe in a wild forrest or in respect of the multitude as a citie compared to a mighty kingdom being compassed on euery side with the kings of the Assirians the Egyptians the Ammonites the Ismaelites the Moabites whom Satan had stirred vp with deadly hatred to vexe and persecute them seeking by all meanes to roote them out from the earth that thereby he might vtterly deface and abolish the word and worship of the lord This daunger Dauid sawe and thanked God which had preserued his people from the rage of so many lyons and dragons which notwithstanding that they neuer ceased to seeke their destruction yet all that they went about was in vaine And what a miracle was this that this people could so long continue notwithstanding the malice and rage of so many deuils Dauid therefore in this Psalme exhorteth his people to be thankfull to the Lorde their God so mightely preseruing defending and deliuering them from the violence of so many nations and kingdoms hating and persecuting them on euery side Which Psalme we also doe sing not onely against our aduersaries which hate and persecute the word but also against spirituall wickednes For we are taught by the Gospell that there are nowe seuen Deuills which lye in wayte for vs where as we were before in daunger but of one which cease not to styrre vppe the whole worlde against vs Yea our case were more tolerable if we had but onely the worlde and not Satan also with all his angells and the gates of hell wholy bent against vs But yet further to molest and vexe vs besides all these we haue also the third enemie which we cary alwayes about with vs which we nourish also and foster at home with vs and euen with in vs the flesh I meane which giueth vs no rest but continually tempteth vs to sinne fighteth against faith and striueth in our members against the spirite For as much then as the Church of God is neuer free from these daungers let vs also sing to the praise of Christ this psalme that he preserueth vs his members from all these enemies For it were extreme ingratitude not to acknowledge this miracle that notwithstanding all these the Church doth yet continue and that there be some which truely teach and confesse Christ beleue in Christ though Satan rage the world and false brethren conspire against vs and the flesh as an vntamed beast fight against the word and faith neuer so much This is the benefit then that Dauid so highly extolleth and wisheth that his people would vnderstand and giue thankes to God for the same Verse 1. If the Lord had not bene on our side may Israel now say Verse 2. If the Lord had not bene on our side when men rose vp against vs Verse 3. They had
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
power taketh no place in vs vntill we be vtterly to speake after the maner of the Scripture exinanited that is stript naked of all worldly hope and helpes that man hath in him selfe and brought to nothing like as when he saueth a ship from drowning now ready to perish and past all remedy As the two storyes of the Gospell one of the shippe the other of the daunger of Peter doe testifie Verse 2. As the mountaines are about Ierusalem so is the Lord about his people from henceforth and for euer Where many hundred thousands of men are there are scarsely 7. thousand which knowe God or beleue in God and yet for their sakes the whole multitude is called Gods people .. Euen so was it in Ierusalem Albeit the greater part was wicked and godles yet was Ierusalem called holy not onely in respect of a small number of the godly but also because God had his abiding there So when there was not one iust person in Sodome but Loth with his two daughters yet could not the angell destroy Sodome with fire so long as Loth was in it Likewise where 4 or 5. or 10. godly persons are to be found for their sakes the whole citie is called holy For these are the elect corner stones these are the precious pearles which God so highly estemeth and for whose sakes he spareth the wicked Therefore saith Dauid As Ierusalem is compassed about with mountaines so doth the Lord compasse his people and mightely defend them on euery side In like maner Zachary prophecieth of a citie whose wall is of fire These similitudes doe set forth vnto vs the safetie of Gods people that weake and litle porâ— flocke against all daungers Upon this promise if we also doe rest which at this day enioy the inestimable benefite of Gods holye word we shall be defended against the rage of Satan the whole worlde not by fiery and brasen walls but by the Lord him selfe These thinges albeit we cannot comprehend yet should we beleue them so certainly as if we did see them with our bodily eyes If we should see our selues compassed about with brasen and fiery walls we would be without all feare and triumph against Satan But it is a matter of faith not to trust vnto that which the eyes see but which the worde offereth and promiseth This one thing therefore is lacking in vs that we haue not the eyes of the spirite but we iudge according to the eyes and sense of the fleshe For else we should be no more afraide then they which beeing closed within the walls of an inuincible castle feare not the force and power of their enemyes be they neuer so terrible We must not doubt therefore but if we beleue we are compassed about with fiery and brasen mountaines that is to say we abide for euer inuincible against the rage of Satan and all the powers of darkenes Blessed therefore is he that beleueth These mountaines are the Angells which compasse vs on euery side that Satan with his angells and ministers can not hurt vs as he would Whose malice and power is such that if they did not continually beholde vs continually defend vs and watch ouer vs he would destroy vs euery moment This can all they testifie which knowe that Satan is a murtherer and a lyer which can not abide to see the godly prosper therefore he seketh by all meanes to roote them out from the face of the earth That we are not then vtterly consumed it is the benefite of these mountaines by whom we are so compassed and defended Some times Satan hurleth his dartes at vs as it were through the window to destroy vs and worketh vs in deede some sorrow but he can not moue vs. This similitude seemeth to be taken out of the story of Helizeus in the 2. boke of the Kinges where the seruaunt of Helizeus saw the hilles about him full of fiery chariotes and horsemen compassing Helizeus round about and mightely defending him This succour which the seruant of Helizeus sawe and the Prophet beleued when he saw nothing is saith the Prophet round about all them which trust in the Lord as also the 34. Psalme witnesseth The Angell of the Lorde pitcheth round aboute them that feare him But our eyes are shut vp and see not these miracles whereof notwithstanding we haue dayly experience This promise then will neuer deceiue vs onely let vs not deceiue our selues If therefore we did beleue no doubt we shoulde sleepe we should liue we should dye yea that more is we should suffer what so euer Satan and the world can doe against vs without all feare For thus should we thinke If I suffer any thing it is not without the will of God nor without good cause well knowne though not â—nto me yet vnto god Therefore although Satan breake through the wall in one place yet shall he neuer be able vtterly to ouerthrowe it altogither Thus should we think in our troubles and afflictions and comfort our selues with the good will of god But we are afraid when any trouble commeth and neuer feele that securitie which faith bringeth Thus doe we worthely suffer the punishment of our incredulitie which we nurrishe within vs although we be called away from it by so many notable places of the Scripture Besides all this it is not enough that we are compassed about with fiery walles that is with the sure custody the continuall watch and warde of the Angells but the Lorde him selfe is our wall so that euery way we are defended by the Lorde against all daungers Aboue vs he is a heauen on both sides he is as a wall vnder vs he is as a strong rocke whereuppon we stand so are we euery way sure and safe Nowe if Satan through these munitions cast his dartes at vs it must needs be that the Lorde him selfe shall be hurt before we take harme But great is our incredulitie which heare all these thinges in vaine Yet must they be taught and learned lest the time come that we be destitute of all counsell and comfort in these matters For certain it is that the hower shal come when we must haue experience of these thinges or else vtterly perish Where he addeth From henceforth for euer By these words he sheweth that this vigilancie of the Lorde our God euer vs is not temporall but eternall according to that which he said before in the first verse of this Psalme They shall remaine for euer Let vs learne therfore out of this Psalme that our constancy and perseuerance consisteth in this that we are defended by the power and prouidence of the Lord on euery side Verse 3. For the rodde of the wicked shall not rest on the lotte of the righteous lest the righteous put forth their hand vnto wickednes Here the Prophet plainly declareth that the people which rest vnder this defence and protection are afflicted and subiecte to all miseryes and calamities as touching the
call grace heauen it selfe by the which we haue an open passage vnto heauen and the which we can neuer atteyne vnto by the law by workes or by our owne endeuour but rather as a most large heauen it receaueth vs beleuing that by adoption we are made righteous before God through Christ. Hereby we may see what the entent and purpose of the Prâ—phet is in this Psalme namely to teach vs the true way to righteousnes life and saluation Againe to shew vs the way how to escape death sinne and the wrath of God that out of this life we may passe to life euerlasting And in teaching of these things he sheweth his owne experience and layeth open vnto vs his owne hart which the holy Ghost had exercised and scholed with many tentations that so he might atteyne to this doctrine wherein he goeth about here to enstruct vs also The summe whereof is that he resteth wholy in the hope of Gods mercie and in the sure trust of the forgiuenes of his sinnes But these thinges shall more clearely appeare hereafter in expounding of the Psalme Verse 1. Out of the depth haue I called vnto thee O Lorde It may seeme that the Prophet vseth here moe wordes then needeth But he that considereth well the cause which forceth him to burst out into these wordes shall see that no plentie of wordes could expresse the sorrow and anguish of his wofull hart nor sufficiently declare his daunger For it was no light or common tentation that vexed him He complained not of the perills that he was in by the rage of Saul by his sonne Absolon by the false Prophets and others nor of any other tentations which proceede of malice and hatred wherewith the world persecuteth the godly but he setteth forth here the griefe of a vexed and wounded conscience the very sorrowes of death when a man feeling his hart as it were oppressed with desperation thinketh him selfe forsaken of God when he seeth his owne vnworthines and desertes accused before God as a terrible iudge yea when it seemeth vnto him that God hath not onely forsaken him but cast him away for euer hateth abhorreth him for his sinnes These teÌ„tations are much more terrible then those which men commonly fall into for they are not without daunger of soule eternall saluation Therefore he vseth here this maner of speech saying Out of the depth I call vnto thee c. As if he should say great are the troubles wherewith I am oppressed For I feele mine owne sinnes and the iust wrath of God vpon me for the same neither can I find reliefe or comfort to my restles afflicted soule Against the malice of men wherewith they molest and vexe vs there are remedyes to be found but this wound is vncurable except the Lord send helpe and succour from aboue And in dede such troubles as the godly are commonly exercised withall as the losse of goods wife children such other may yet be ouercome or borne with patience Moreouer in those which are counted inferior sinnes as the offences of youth the deiect broken herted may more easily be raised vp againe But these afflictions seeme to them and are in deed vntollerable when they feele them selues oppressed with such horrible and hellish cogitations that they can see nothing else but that they are caste away from God for euer They therfore that feele such bitter tentations haue here an example that Dauid in him selfe felt and had experience of the like For it maketh the tentation much more greuous when they which are thus afflicted feele that as to them it seemeth which none else doe feele but they alone We must learne therefore that euen the godly haue euer suffered the same afflictions and haue bene beaten downe euen to death with the terrors of the law and sinne as we may see here by the example of Dauid crying euen as it were out of hell and saying Out of the depth doe I cry vnto thee O Lord c. But it is not inough for vs to knowe that we sustaine not these troubles and tentations alone but we muste also learne the way whereby such as haue suffered the like tentations haue beene raysed vp againe And here ye se Dauid what he doth Ye see whither he flyeth in his great distresse He despaireth not but cryeth vnto the Lord as one yet hoping assuredly to find reliefe and comforte Rest thou also in this hope and do as he did Dauid was not tempted to the end he should despaire Thinke not thou therefore that thy tentations are sent vnto thee that thou shouldest be swallowed vp with sorrowe and desperation If thou be brought downe euen to the gates of hell beleue that the Lord will surely raise thee vp againe If thou be brused and broken knowe that it is the Lorde which will heale thee againe If thy hart be ful of sorrow and heauines looke for comfort from him who hath saide that a troubled spirite is a sacrifice vnto him It is expedient also to haue some faithfull brother at hande which may comfort vs in these bitter conflictes For God would that in his Church one should help to comfort an other as meÌ„bers knitte togither in one body and he hath promised that when two are gathered togither in his name he will be the thirde amongest them And doubtles nothing comforteth an afflicted conscience so much as to heare some godly brother declaring out of the word of God that such terrours and afflictions are sent of God not to destroy vs but to humble vs therby to make vs to acknowledge the great mercy of God offred vnto vs and to receiue the same with thankful harts But if in this distresse we be destitute of the helpe of such faithfull brethren we must then doe as Dauid â—id in this place that is we must cry vnto the Lord pray as this Psalme teacheth vs Wherein ye see such sorrowfull and bitter sighes as liuely expresse in Dauid the great anguish of spirite from whence floweth such plentifull matter and yet nothing superfluous as compelleth him not onely to say that out of the deepe depth he cryeth and calleth vnto the Lord but he putteth the Lorde also in minde of his promise thereby to moue him the rather to giue eare vnto his prayer Verse 2. Lorde heare my voice let thine eares attende to the voyce of my prayers He speaketh as I haue saide before to the same God whose seate was in Ierusalem like as we now speake vnto that God and call him father whom we knowe and worship in Christ alone On this God with deepe sighes he calleth that he would with the eye of mercie looke vpon him and gratiously harken vnto his prayer But if we thinke that we can not pray with such a minde or with such feruencie of spirit as these words doe expresse we must consider that Dauid him selfe did not thus pray in his anguish and in the
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
righteousnes or vnrighteousnes but if thou wilt marke our iniquities if thou in iudgement wilt demaunde whether we be righteous then must we needes perish Wherfore we appeale from thy iudgement vnto the throne of thy mercie If we haue done any thing well it was thy free gift alone Looke vpon vs therefore with the eyes of thy mercie and not with the eyes of the iustice of thy iudgement For if thou doe not pardon our iniquities and close thine eyes that thou behold them not we shall not be saued c. This light of doctrine we see that Dauid followed euen in the darkenes of the lawe But our case is nowe much better for as much as we see these thinges clearely sette before our eyes in the newe Testament For what teach we else at this day but that we are saued by fayth alone in the death and blood of Christ that by the merite of Christ onely our sinnes are couered and taken away according to that saying Blessed are they whose sinnes are forgiuen Forgiuenes of sinnes then is that heauen vnder the which we dwell through our trust and confidence in the merite of christ For he that beleueth shall not be condemned but shall passe from death to eternall life Dauid addeth here no expresse mention of Christ and yet because he hopeth for mercie therefore he loketh straight to this mercie seat that afterwards should more clearely be reueiled in the new Testament For ye see that he signifieth no lesse but if God should marke his iniquities he must needes dispayre For without remission of sinnes or knowledge of grace what haue we to rest vppon What safetie may we finde They therefore that put not their trust herein alone that by the death of Christ their sinnes are taken away and Gods eyes closed that he wil not see their sinnes must needes perish For this onely do the Scriptures set forth that our life resteth wholy and alonely in the remission of sinnes and in that the Lord will not see our sinnes but in mercie couereth them and will not remember them or lay them to our charge So that we must acknowledge confesse that we know nothing but the righteousnes of Christ Not that we should not now worke and bring forth the fruites of a holy life not that there is no sinne in vs or that God doth not hate the same but because God sayth and promiseth that he wil not marke our transgressions because we beleue in Christ and put our trust in him This shield whosoeuer holdeth out for his defence and hideth him selfe vnder it them God accepteth as his children because they haue a Sauiour but they that haue not are driuen to despaire For what can all their workes their merites their righteousnes doe seeing Dauid sayth If thou marke our iniquities O Lorde who shall be able to stand in thy sight In this verse therefore consisteth altogither which hereafter followeth Verse 4. But mercy is with thee that thou mayst be feared This mercie thou shalt not find in Moises in the lawe or in the works of the law not in Monkery not in a strait and painful life not in almes deedes c. Briefly this mercie thou shalt finde no where because it is no where but with the lord Mercie therefore is not our merite or our righteousnes but it is the free pardon of our sinnes by Christ alone Which mercy although thou shouldest afflict and punish thy selfe in a Monastery a thousand yeares or doe neuer so many so perfect or so holy workes thou shalt neuer find as the conscience which euen in a most streit and holy life feelleth desperation doth sufficiently witnesse But herein alone the conscience findeth rest and comfort when altogither naked without any addition of her owne worthynes it committeth it self to the naked and bare mercie of God and saith O Lord I haue thy promise that righteousnes commeth of mercie alone whiche righteousnes is nothing else but thy free pardon that is to saye that thou wilt not marke our iniquities I commend therefore vnto you this definition of righteousnes which Dauid here setteth forth that to marke sinne is to condēne Againe not to marke sinne is to iustifie or pronounce a man righteous And this is true righteousnes in deede when sinnes are not marked but pardoned not imputed Likewise in an other place also he defineth a blessed man and Paule allegeth the same defini-nition very aptly Blessed is the man saith he to whom God imputeth not his sinne He saith not blessed is the man which hath no sinne but vnto whom the Lorde doth not impute that sinne which he hath as here also he saith When sinnes are not marked These testimonies must be diligently collected and noted that we may see how that this doctrine is founded vppon the holy Scriptures and that all the confidence and trust that man can haue in the righteousnes of works or of the law is vtterly cut of in the iudgement of God. For this doctrine maketh all men alike and before God leaueth no difference For if by imputation onely we be righteous it followeth that not onely we be all sinners but that also there is no differenee betwene the learned vnlearned the wise and the simple the married and vnmarried the Prince and the plowman c. For this difference of degrees in the iudgement of God auayleth nothing but this onely auaileth before God that our sinnes bee forgiuen Wherfore if this doctriue had bene heretofore diligently taught all Monkry such other mōstrous kinds of life had not bene brought into the Church which the foolish people hath beleued to be more holy then others For what soeuer kinde of life a man be in this is the condition of vs all that we haue neede of forgiuenes of sinnes as Paule teacheth in the Actes where he sheweth that God suffered the manners of our fathers like as a good husband suffereth and beareth with the manners of his wife the maister of his scholers the Prince of his subiects Now if this eiuill life haue neede of such discretion and moderation that men should not be alwayes extreme and rigorous in dealing one towards an other how much more neede haue we that God should beare with vs in this our great weakenes and corruption If God should deale sharply with vs then should our transgressions dayly and continually moue him to marke straitly and sharply to punish vs But he will not marke our iniquityes This he requireth that we beleue in christ Then will he beare with vs then will he winke at our weakenes and pardon our transgressions yea in respect of our faith in Christ he will accept vs as righteous Thus Dauid turned him selfe from desperation to an assured hope and trust in Gods mercie For when we looke to our sinnes it can not be but we must needes be vexed and fall to desperation ▪ But we must not fasten our eyes vppon our sinnes onely
in the world therfore hath he ordained common wealths societies families that in no place there should be wanting occasion of wel doing But who is he that when he hath done these things to the vttermost of his power seeth not how much impuritie vncleānes remaineth especially if he should bring his workes forth into the sight presence of god Wherfore our redēption consisteth wholy and alonely in the mercie of God which we apprehend by faith in christ And we which through workes are vnprofitable seruauntes through grace which is giuen by Iesus Christ are made children Ioh. 1. So the true feare true worship true reuerence yea and the true knowledge of God resteth onely in mercie in that we assuredly trust that God through Christe is mercifull vnto vs To this seruice of God desperation and presumption are more contrary then fire and water But because the law bringeth either desperation or presumption therefore it followeth that by the law there is neither righteousnes nor true worship of god Notwithstanding the law conteined in the x. commaundements must be kept For he that ruleth must rule with diligence and he that is a subiect must obey There is emongst men a difference of degrees and persons Notwithstanding all do owe a reuerence and obedience vnto God and with faithfull diligence must doe what in them lyeth But because these are workes of the law we are by them no better then seruaunts and for them we receiue a reward of promise couenant But by grace we are made children heires of the kingdom The works then that follow do not make vs heires and children but are doone of heires and children as a witnes of thanks giuing and obedience Wherfore I cōmend vnto you these consequences that where no mercie is there is no God Also where no God is there is no mercie Likewise where is no mercie there is no feare or worship of God Yea there remaineth nothing but idolatrie and the righteousnes of workes These things whiles the law and nature doe rule and reigne can not otherwise be Wherefore all Poperie all Mahomatisme Iudaisme and Monkery with such like what so euer which doth not know and vnderstand and this propitiation this mercy is nothing before God but plaine Idolatrie albeit in shew it seemeth neuer so glorious For without the mercyseate there can be no feare of God but mere presumption Christian doctrine therefore doth not deny good works as our aduersaryes falsly and maliciously report of vs but it teacheth that God wil not straitly marke our iniquities but this he requireth that we beleeue and trust in his mercye because there is mercie with him that he may be feared and continue our god Who so euer then doe beleeue that God is mercifull and forgiueth sinnes for Christes sake doe yeelde a reasonable seruice vnto God they strive not with God about the law workes and righteousnes but casting away all trust and confidence in them selues do feare him because of his mercie and so are made children which doe receiue the holy Ghost and beginne to doe the lawe Of this doctrine the practises and exhortations doe now follow Verse 5. I waite on the Lord my soule waiteth and I put my trust in his word Here is plenty of words and yet nothing superfluous for they helpe to amplifie and set forth the matter more liuely First he setteth forth him selfe in this Psalme for an example of that doctrine which he desireth to be preserued and reteyned in the Church and he prayeth that he may be heard After this obteyning mercie he perceaueth that he was heard Nowe therefore he addeth moreouer an exhortation whereby he stirreth vp him selfe constantly to perseuere in this knowledge of grace and not to suffer him selfe by any meanes to be ledde away from the same As if he sayd I know that there is mercie with the lord This principall article I haue in some part now learned and some experience I haue had thereof in my selfe Now this remaineth for me to doe euen to waite vpon the Lord that is to trust in the Lord constantly to continue in this knowledge that I may find comfort consolation in that mercie which by experience I haue proued to be with the Lord and that I may hold fast this hope of mercie for euer The Prophet sheweth moreouer in this place how easily men are caried away from this knowledge to contentions and disputations either publikely or priuately When we tooke vpon vs the defence of true and sincere doctrine and were in a goodly forwardnes thereof at the first we were much troubled with seditious persons with Anabaptistes and other sectaries With these spirites whiles we contended our former exercise and diligence in setting forth this doctrine was almost forgotten For the truth is not lost by teaching but by disputing and contending And this euil commeth by disputations and contentions that the mindes of men are thereby as it were profaned and being caried away with the heat thereof they neglect those thinges which most of all they ought to regard So Eue in Paradise as long as she stoocke to the commaundement of God endured constantly But when she was moued by the Serpent to reason and doubt of the counsel of God concerning the forbidden fruite she was ledde away from the word and fell from god Moreouer Satan knoweth that the gates of hell are not able to ouerthrow this doctrine Therefore he laboureth by subtile and indirect meanes to bring that to passe which directly and plainly he dare not attempt He stirreth vp troubles and contentions in the Church which when with godly zeale we goe about to represse he wrappeth vs also in troubles before we beware and by litle and litle he leadeth vs from the care and consideration of this doctrine We must fight against heresies and heretikes I graunt but yet so that we be not wholy occupied therein and so forget or neglect this doctrine This daunger Dauid expresseth in setting forth his owne example so effectually As if he sayd It is a hard matter to abide stedfastly in this doctrine This shall be therefore my onely care and endeuour euen to wait vpon the Lord and to beware that this doctrine be not taken from me by any meanes Where he sayth My soule waiteth it is a proper speech of the Hebrewes and is as much to say as with my whole hearte I wayte or will wayte vppon the Lorde for it is an amplification of the former wordes He sayth not onely that he will wayte on the Lorde but he addeth moreouer with my whole hart I will wayte to signifie the vehement desire he hath that this doctrine might be preserued and mainteyned But this specially is to be marked which followeth I put my trust in his word The Iewes the Pope and other heretikes say that they also doe trust But they leaue the worde and followe their owne imaginations This may be
called trust but in deede it is nothing for we may not depart from the vocall worde For if we so doe what certeintie can we haue of God especially seeing that God hath giuen his worde ordeyned Ministers of his worde Magistrates Parentes c. to this ende that we should followe their voyce speaking to vs out of his holy worde and commaunding vs to obey their authoritie The prophet signifieth here also an other tentation which all they doe fall into that are not diligent in holding fast this knowledge of mercie For this Satan seeketh and busily goeth about either publikely to take away the word or priuately to hinder this hope in those that haue the word So the Pope had the word and Sacramentes and yet notwithstanding he suffered him selfe to be ledde away to pilgrimages rules vowes superstition idolatrie c. What trouble we haue had with sectes we haue before declared And who is able to recite the tentations wherewith men are priuately assailed tempted to depart from the word to straunge opinions which reason deuiseth and imagineth So great a matter is it to auoyde these subtile sleightes of Satan Dauid sayth therefore I will not suffer my selfe to be ledde from the word but in the word I will trust for remission of sinnes and wil not frame my faith after mine own imaginations but after the word There is then a double tentation against the which the Prophete by his owne example armeth vs The first taketh hold of those which do imagine vnto them selues a faith and take away the word as the prophane and godles spirits doe The seconde followeth those which haue the word and lay no holde on it but are ledde away to idolatries and such are the Papistes But there is yet a third tentation which is the forest of all against the which Dauid speaketh as followeth Verse 6. My soule wayteth on the Lorde from the morninge watch euen vnto night When Satan cannot preuaile by plaine and direct meanes in tempting vs to forsake the word and followe our owne imaginations as the heretikes doe or retaining the word to turne to Idolatrie as the Papistes doe then he goeth aboute to make vs weery of all togither and vtterly to giue ouer Wherefore we must not onely haue a good courage that we may obtaine the victorie but we must also continually withstand his force endure his assaults neuer suffer our selues to be ouercome by his importunitie For oftentimes we see that by long continuance they are ouercome whom no troubles were they neuer so great could ouercome And in warfare we se that nothing is so much commended as to presse still vpon the enemie So the Turke although he hath had many ouerthrowes yet because he still goeth on and neuer giueth ouer therefore he preuaileth In this continuance diligence trauel al they must constantly perseuere which wil hold this doctrine of iustification righteousnes And here Dauid setteth forth his owne example that like as the enemie hath his continuall assaultes and neuer giueth ouer so he also neuer ceaseth to wait vpon the Lorde to trust in the Lord that not only with a strong a valiant but also with a constant faith inuincible hope he may gaine the victory Wherefore we must learne by the policie of our enemie to play the good souldiers For he is neuer weery in deuising and practising all the meanes possible whereby he may trouble and molest the Church So at the first the ende of one heresie was the beginning of an other and one persecution followed an other We also at the beginning had many conflicts with the Pope and his monsters When they were repressed by and by new errours ensued which notwithstanding did not then first begin to spring vppe but the olde enemie who as he is neuer weery so lacketh he no subteltie and policie to doe mischiefe raysed vp againe such errours and heresies as had beene conuicted and confounded long agoe to the end that the poore afflicted church might haue no breathing time For we see what swarmes of Epicures be now euery where And there is no small number also of such as seeke to reuiue the heresie of Arius This continual diligence and importunitie of the enemy it behoueth vs to know that we fall not into security For it is not enough to haue once ouercome but one battaile followeth an other and one victory an other This earnest and continuall trauell of the enemie we doe not onely see in the story of the Church but we haue experience therof also in our selues and in our owne priuate exercises Wherfore if by prayer thou hast this day ouercome be not negligent and secure for to morrow he will come again more strongly armed and prepared then he did before Wherefore doe thou also prepare thy selfe to a new battaile So it commeth to passe that the same tentation which to day we were able easily to ouercome to morrow shall ouercome vs and giue vs the ouerthrowe A Christian therfore must be readily prepared not only with strength to stand against the enemie but with stedfast purpose also to continue vnto the end For he runneth not in such a race wherein there is any ende of his course during this life but he runneth as it were in a rownd circle in the which he must haue a continuall recourse thither where he first began Therefore our Sauiour Christ saith He that continueth to the end shall be saued We must not then be discouraged by the importunitie of our enemie or ouercome with tediousnes and long continuance but we must fight not onely against the power and subtiltie of our enemie but also against our owne weakenes and weerines and raise vppe our selues with this faith that like as Satan sleepeth not so the Lorde our God neither sleepeth nor resteth Thus Dauid setteth out vnto vs his owne example that we being armed against all tentations which followe the remission of sinnes shoulde giue no place to the enemie For albeit it is most certaine that there is mercie with the Lorde that our sinnes are forgiuen that we are baptised into the death of Christ that we are called by the word vnto the communion of Sainctes and that we with the other members of Christ are nourished by the body and blood of Christ all these thinges I say although they be most certaine yet are we still in daunger lest we be deceiued of the craftie enemie which lyeth in waite for vs on euery side He is on our right hand by hypocrisie and securitie he is on our lefte hande by tyrannes and desperation Besids all this so great is his vigilancie that he is neuer farre of but euer at hand Therefore the Prophet saith My soule wayteth on the Lorde from the morning watch c. This saying of the heathen is well knowne furor fit laesa saepius patientia that is patience being often times hurt is turned into
madnes For if patience suffer any thinge it commeth of a certain desperation as when a man thus thinketh with him selfe All that I suffer is but in vaine This patience is turned into fury and is oppressed with desperation But Christian pacience will not suffer it selfe to be oppressed but continually taketh hold vpon hope whereby at length it preuaileth and getteth the victory It is a harde thing not to be discouraged with such trobles as daily happen in matters perteining to the common course of this life But patiently to endure those afflictions which Dauid by his owne example sheweth that Christians which haue already receiued the forgiuenes of sinnes must suffer to haue a stedfast hope in the bitter vexations of sinne and accusations of conscience and patiently to suffer all other affâ—ictioÌ„s wherwith Satan vexeth and tormenteth the beleeuing heart this is in deede a diuine and an heauenly vertue and such a conflicte that God hath promised vnto it an incorruptible crowne of glory Now ensueth an exhortation that we should follow this example of Dauid and embrace this doctrine Verse 7. Let Israel waite on the Lord for with the Lord is mercie and with him is plentifull redemption This is in deede a golden verse worthy to be knowne and well vnderstand wherein Dauid wisheth and exhorteth all men by his example wholy to rest and to continue in a sure hope of the mercie of God. For faith is not so lightly to be esteemed as the Papistes teach which dreame that faith is a qualitie remaining in the hart with the which the hart after it can once number these syllables I beleue in God passeth on as it were in a sleepe For they that haue no experience of those conflictes which faith must endure doe but laugh vs to scorne when we say that faith is a principall vertue wherewith onely and alone we are iustified deliuered from sinne hell death and damnation For it is true that the wise man â—aith A foole vnderstandeth not except ye talke of those things which are in his owne hart These things therefore which we attribute vnto faith they ascribe vnto charitie preferre charitie aboue faith But if faith be set forth rightly in her owne colours it farre excelleth charitie For behold the obiects of faith It fighteth alone before God against Satan who neuer resteth but warreth against faith continually and that euen concerning death and life euerlasting concerning sinne and the accusation of the lawe concerning grace and the remission of sinnes Now if with faith you compare charitie whose office is to be exercised in releuing the miseryes and calamities of men whether they haue neede of comfort or succour in minde or in body who seeth not howe farre faith excelleth charitie For howe great a difference is there betwene God man betwene corporall necessities eternal death These are therfore the exercises of faith euen in the greatest dangers to fight continually against Satan in the presence of God For as I said before our â—ruel enemie will giue vs no breathing no time of rest Wherfore albeit the charitie is not onely a goodly vertue but also extendeth farre in comparison of other moral vertues yet is faith without all comparison a farre more excellent heauenly vertue whether ye consider y obiects therof or other causes For this is the fruite of faith when the hart feeleth that death is ouercome by the death of Christ that sinne also is put away the law abolished by grace and mercie These thinges are of them selues most certaine Yet such is our infirmitie that we can noe certeinly apprehend them and therefore we are terrified with the cogitations of death and sinne But if this hope and trust in the mercie of God were perfect no heauines should euer oppresse the beleuing hart Therefore Dauid vseth this exhortation that Israell after it hath once obteyned this mercie should still perseuere in wayting on the Lord and not suffer this trust and confidence in the mercie of the Lord to be wrested from him And here he hath respect to that great conflict wherein the mind oppressed with calamities beginneth to doubt of the mercie of god In this conflict because the mind doth not so soone feele those comforts which the word promiseth and faith beleueth as it would doe it is ready to despayre Against this tentation Dauid armeth vs and warneth vs to be mindfull that we must waite on the Lorde and neuer depart from the word or beleue any thing against the word and he sheweth the cause why For with the Lord sayth he is mercie The flesh in tentations and afflictions thinketh that with the Lorde there is nothing but wrath The holy Ghost therefore comforteth vs and goeth about to plucke this opinion out of our hartes pronounceth that there is mercie and goodnes with the Lord if we can but onely waite on the Lord and put our trust in him This testimonie of conscience and of the holy Ghost we haue great neede of for if we followe our owne sense we shall be deceaued and finde in our selues the contrary But we may not iudge of these matters according to our owne sense or as we feele in our selues but we must stand to the worde and thus thinke with our selues that these are matters of fayth and not of our owne sense and feeling For to beleue is not to feele Not because these thinges shall neuer be felt which we now beleue but because faith must go before feeling and experience And we must beleue the worde although we feele in our owne hartes and iudgement neuer so much to the contrary As when our hartes oppressed with calamities doe thinke God to be angrie with vs not to care for vs but to hate vs then faith cleane contrary must thus assure it selfe that with God there is neither anger nor hatred that he neither thinketh of punishment nor offence but although he suffer vs to be afflicted yet he doth it not to the ende to destroy vs For with him sayeth the Psalme is mercie Therefore he is mindfull of vs to doe vs good to deliuer vs from daungers to mortifie our sinnes and to increase his other good giftes in vs If these thinges happen not to the wicked what maruell is it For either they beleue not or else if they doe they continue not Wherefore let vs that beleue with faith ioyne hope also so that albeit our owne sense and hart shall worke neuer so much against vs and that God shall seeme neuer so sharpe an enemy in punishing vs yet let vs not yeld so much to our owne sense and feeling as to the written word and to the holy Ghost which pronounceth that with the Lord there is mercie who loueth vs seeketh to doe vs good This is the truth of the holy Ghost that we should thinke yea most assuredly beleue that with the Lord there is no anger but if any calamities
pray Let the faithfull rest therefore in this comfort that their oppression and affliction shall neuer be so great but their deliuerance shal be greater And if they thinke otherwise they thinke not well For this is the summe effect of the first precept which Dauid here expresseth with the Lord there is plenteous redemption For this is to be a god in deede euen to redeme and to deliuer yea that with greater maiestie and glory then of any mortall man it can be conceaued Verse 8. And he shall redeme Israel from all his iniquities This promise is a conclusion of the Psalme Wherein againe he sheweth what cause he had to pray what we also in like daunger should hope for And in deede it is a sweete and a ioyfull thing to behold the goodnes of the Lord not onely in that he giueth gouerneth and preserueth this life but much rather in that he sheweth him selfe an enemie to sinne and death and this he doth to saue and to deliuer vs from the daunger thereof For this is it that maketh all other gifts of God more sweete pleasant For although we know that we are the creatures of God yet notwithstanding because we are oppressed with heauines feare death the gilt of conscience and such other calamities we can not enioy the giftes of God with a free and a chereful hart This is then to paynt out God in his owne colours so that this life Gods creatures may be sweete vnto vs when he is sette forth according to this verse namely that he will deliuer his people from their sinnes slay death destroy hel and treade downe Satan vnder his feete Such a God is the God of those that beleue that beleue I say For they that beleue although they be weake and feeble harted and vexed of the deuill and death yet they knowe that God is their deliuerer from all their iniquities Therefore they are reysed vppe with comfort and begin to hope wayting for deliuerance promised in the word Ye shall therefore apply this verse to this ende that it may be as a definition what is the office of God and what his will is properly to doe namely that he will haue to doe with sinners that he will abolish sinne create life righteousnes all good thinges Now the meane whereby God worketh these thinges you know is Christ whom he sent into this world and layed vppon him the punishment of death that they which beleue on him might obteine remission of their sinnes and be made the children of god Thus teacheth and treateth the whole Psalme not of this externall life or good workes but onely of faith and hope towards God through Christ and of the finall victorie ouer sinne and death For these things are not gotten by the workes and power of man but by the worke and power of God alone and they are communicated vnto vs because there is mercie with the Lorde and with him is plentifull redemption This is the onely meanes and the way whereby this victorie is gotten The doctrine of works hath an other end and is so to be taught that the glory of God and the merite of Christ be nothing thereby diminished like as we by the grace of Christ haue sincerely and faithfully euery where handled this doctrine God graunt that the same light may shine also to our posteritie Amen The .131 Psalme Lorde myne hart is not hautie c. This Psalme treateth in a maner of the same matter that the Psalme going before speaketh of sauing that the former Psalme expresseth the contrary more plainely and largely Whereby he most liuely paynteth out an afflicted conscience oppressed with the feeling and burthen of sinne This Psalme hath bene heretofore vsed of the diuines against all maner of pride and presumption a common vice of all mankind and from the which there is not one of vs free neither can it be cured by any other remedy then either by the grace of God or by the wrath of God that is when either the godly by afflictions are corrected with fatherly chastisement or the wicked are plaged with seuere punishment By these meanes presumption the naturall vice of all men is cured Otherwise it is not possible but that man should presume either of his owne wisedom or of his owne power or of his owne righteousnes This pride afterwardes bringeth foorth contention As for example we see how many and sundry wayes men are exercised with such matters as perteyne to the ostentation or to the praise and commendation of the witte wisedome of man For here one man thinketh better of him selfe then of an other one man will be counted wiser and better learned then an other What will such wittes doe thinke you when they shall afterwardes come to the handling of Gods matters Likewise power bewitcheth mens hartes that they can make no ende of proud deuises and counsells The same hapned to the Phariseis hypocrites for that is proper vnto them when they conceiued an opinion of their owne holines and righteousnes To be briefe proud and presumptuous men are troublers not only of them selues but also of the cōmon wealth of the Church of housholds and families of al things else They that are skilful in histories doe see what great euills proud ambitious witts haue alwaies raised vp So in the Church heretiks stirred vp with a perswasion of their owne wisedom are troublers of peace and concord The same commeth to passe also in families houshold matters whereof riseth this prouerbe among the Germanes They which attempt that they can not bring to passe are worthely plagued But who are they I pray you Forsoth euen the whole world For what is he that is contēted with his own gift attempteth not somewhiles to do better more exactly then he is able to accomplish Wherfore the third euill necessarily followeth y like as presumption breaketh quietnes concord alwayes as a fruitful mother breedeth strife dissention so at the last followeth vanitie of vanities the attempts of the wicked are all in vaine This vice reacheth reigneth farre can not be cured by any other remedie as I haue sayd then either by grace or by wrath By grace I meane when by affliction our harts are humbled and we brought to this point that we can thinke modestly of our owne gift By wrath when God oppreseth the wicked with punishments and plagues taketh them away as he take away Pharao whose stubbernes and obstinacie could not be cured but by destruction in the redde sea So the Beniamites did not cease from their furie vntill they were almost consumed In like maner Absolon could neuer be quiet vntill he was hanged vpon a tree Arius also Cerinthus with many authors of newe sectes and errors in these our daies could neuer rest vntil they came to such an end as their acts enterprises did
for this day or to morrowe but now and for euer So that ye muste haue a certaine continuall and a constant presumption if I may so say of the mercie of God of the forgiuenes of sinnes and of the righteousnes that commeth by christ Contrariwise ye must beware that ye neuer presume of your owne workes albeit they ought to be holy and according to the law of god For this naked and this onely trust ought to remaine which is called the confidence of the free mercy of God offered vnto vs in christ This trust is sure and neuer deceiueth vs For God is no lyer but faithfully performeth that he hath promised Doe thou therefore but trust and still faithfully rest vpon his promise But here we are not without daunger of the deuill whiche goeth about with all his might and power to bring vs from this assuraunce and trust of the mercie of God towardes vs in christ Wherefore we must fight and with continuall battaile practise this doctrine against the deuill and spirituall wickednes which by all meanes goe about first to lift vs vp with pride and presumption and afterwards to throwe vs downe againe to desperation But God worketh a contrary way For first he terrifieth vs and casteth vs downe that afterwards he may raise vs vp againe He bringeth vs downe to hel that he may bring vs back againe The dugge of grace also he sometimes taketh from vs that we may learne what our owne righteousnes is wont to doe namely to oppresse vs with desperation And this he doth to the ende that wee hauing experience thereof should not followe our owne sense and reason but raise vp our selues with a sure hope trust in Christe whereby the dead are restored to life and saued This mercie is as a strong heauen or firmament ouer vs wherwith we beeing couered are safe and sure where so euer we be So Esay calleth it a shadow against the heate because we are couered and defended by the mercie of God against wrath desperation the deuill death This shadow who so euer doe forsake shal suffer intolerable heat Thus we learne by this verse that Dauid speaketh of that damnable presumption of our owne righteousnes exhorteth vs to fight against it with a sure hope of Gods eternall mercie and a constant faith This is the onely way whereby we are saued The .132 Psalme Lorde remember Dauid c. This Psalme whether it be Salomons as it seemeth or whether it be Dauids it is a prayer for the kingdom the Priesthood for these two are the most principall giftes of God in this worlde Wherefore they haue neede of prayer and the helpe of God to defend them against the deuill whose double title ye knowe which Christ giueth vnto him in the Gospel of Iohn when he calleth him a lyer and a murtherer For he resteth not but busily laboureth seeketh by all meanes possible to replenish the world with lyes murthers Against these two policies and kingdoms of the deuill God hath erected two other kingdoms the politike state and the priesthood the one to fight against murther and the other against false doctrine and heresies So Dauid and all other Kinges and Princes in gouerning the common wealth ought to endeuor that their subiectes may liue a peaceable and a quiet life that mariages the education of children other dueties perteining to howshold gouernment may be mainteyned and defended against seditious and wicked persons The priesthoode is to this ende that children growing vp may be brought to the kingdom of heauen and the ministers of the Church are as Angells appoynted to defend the truth that the kingdom of Satan the father of lyes may be destroyed These be the proper offices of the ministers of the Church and of the worde which ministers haue bene alwayes in the world among the faithful and haue kept continuall battaile against heretikes and the ministers of Satan So the Patriarkes before the flood fought against the Canaites or ofspring of Cain after the flood against the Esauites and others The Prophets fought against the false prophetes as their writinges doe testifie and the Apostles likewise against the false apostles for Satan ceaseth not And besides this the kingdom of Satan was alwaies the greater For if ye cōsider the church there were euer moe godles and infidels then faythfull So in the ciuill gouernment the greater part consisteth of those which are disobedient which raise vp troubles seditions and warres Wherfore since the kingdom of Satan if ye consider the number is the greater and moreouer since both the politike state and the priesthood are such as farre exceede the power of man therfore can not be defended mainteyned by our strength or policie hereby we may see how necessary this prayer is whereby Dauid desireth that they may prosper and continue And here first of all marke the difference betwene Dauid and other Princes of the world Other Princes and rulers doe also vnderstand and see that common weales can not be preserued by mans power Wherfore they sayd that he which should well happily gouerne had neede to be endued with some diuine and godly power And albeit they were ignorant that these thinges are gouerned by God yet they preferred fortune for so they called the blessing of God the cause whereof they did not know before wisedom power iustice and all princely vertues For where as iust men for the most part be oppressed and the vniust doe rule and reigne therefore they thought that iustice is not the meane whereby kingdomes and common weales are preserued For then Cicero should not haue bene oppressed nor Antonius aduaunced to such power and authoritie If by power kingdoms could be preserued then should not Themistocles haue ouercome Xerxes Likewise many notable Emperours lacked no wisedom nor industrie and yet were they miserable notwithstanding These examples and this experience caused the Gentiles to thinke that there was a certeyne diuine power in great Monarches and Emperours to rule gouerne their earthly power wisedom and iustice whereby they did so prosper vppon the earth and this they called fortune But here behold and consider Dauid He also seeth that it is not in his power to preserue and vphold his kingdom and yet doth he not thinke that it is fortune which supporteth vpholdeth kingdoms for he beleueth that this perteyneth to God alone Besides this he beleueth as ye shall heare that God for his mercies sake will not reiect those that call vpon him But the Gentiles knewe neither of these thinges Moreouer the same necessitie which moueth the Prince or the Magistrate to pray for the common welth moueth him also to pray for the Priesthood and for the Church of god So we see that this Psalme is a prayer for the people of the olde Testament that God would preserue the kingdome and Priesthood euen for his promises made vnto Dauid It is likewise
and make men holy So our Church is called holy not onely for the holines of the persons but rather for the holines which the word and Sacraments doe bring vnto those whiche vse them rightly To those he wisheth ioy and gladnes and that they may reioyce and be mery in the Lord. The meaning then of this clause is this that Christ Iesus our King hath giuen vnto vs his word hath commaunded vs to be baptised to vse the Sacrament of his body and blood not be cause he would destroy vs oppresse vs with sorrow and driue vs to desperation but to this ende that we should reioyce and be merry hauing peace and a good conscience by his free grace and mercye The kingdom of Christ therefore is the kingdom of ioy and delyuerance as an other Psalme saith in the tabernacles of the righteous that is in the Church and among the faithful it is the voice of reioycing For they knowe that Christ their King would that they should haue comfort life and victory against death and Satan This is then the reioycing triumph of Christians or as here he calleth them of the Saincts Why then should a Christian be heauy or sorowfull since that he is called into the kingdome of Christ and of grace baptised and nourished with the body and blood of Christ and dayly raysed vp by the word against desperation and all terrours If I then doe yet remaine in bitternes and heauines of spirite the fault is not in this kingdome nor in the word or Sacraments but in me and in the deuill because I doe not with a true faith lay hold vpon the word and thorowly beleeue it For why should I feare if I did verely beleue that I am baptised called made pertaker of the body and blood of Christ and so receiued into the kingdom of life comprehended of grace as Paul speaketh and shut vnder the mercie of God These are nothing else therefore but the subtill sleightes and deceits of Satan which will not suffer vs to see our inestimable riches and glory but counterfetteth tentations and crosses where no crosse is but health and victorye Wherefore it was well said of that Christian virgine who being tempted of Satan answered that she was a Christian and so rested wholy in that man Christ. For we may not reason muche with Satan If he obiect vnto thee thy sinnes it shal suffice if thou obiect vnto him againe thy baptisme which he can not deny Also if thou lay against him the word whereby thou wast called into the kingdom of grace which for as much as it is the word of God how can it deceiue thee Thus in a Christian heauines can take no place if in his hart he doe acknowledge baptisme the word the communion of the body and blood of Christ the grace the fauour and the mercie of god How can he then but reioyce and be glad But because we often times suffer the worde and these giftes of God to be taken from vs and turne our eyes an other way it can not be but that heauines and terror must needes follow And this commeth to passe by the faulte partely of our selues as I haue saide and partly of Satan who leadeth vs from the word before we be ware and maketh vs to thinke of our owne worthynes or vnworthynes of our good or euill desertes also of the terror of death of the torments of hell c. When we thinke of these things if we lay not hold vppon Christ we perish and are swallowed vp with anguish and sorrowe for this is to lose the Arke of the couenant They therefore which in these daungers take holde agayne of the word are safe and are now able to say with Dauid VVhy art thou cast downe O my soule and why arte thou vnquiet within me For I am nowe in the kingdome of Christe that is in the kingdome of peace of ioy and eternall reioycing sauing that it is hindred by the deuill and by our owne flesh which is more ready to beholde her owne sinnes and vnworthynes then baptisme the word and the sweete promises of god And this is the wisedome yea the poyson which is hidde in our flesh that we are more moued with our owne vncleannes then with the purenes of the word and the Sacramentes They then whiche rest in the word are in a sure hauen of safegarde from all these tempests and terrours We must pray therefore that God would giue vs good Pastors faithful wise and godly disposers of the word of god For by their meanes and ministery the Churche doeth enioy this inestimable benefite and blessing whereby it triumpheth ouer death sinne and the deuill For it knoweth that it is nowe in the kingdome of grace This is true and perfect peace namely the peace of the hart and conscience Thus the Prophet desireth as an inestimable gifte that the pastors and Ministers of the word may be clothed with righteousnes and then that the people also may reioyce This is the firste parte of this Psalme Now followeth the seconde parte Verse 10. For thy seruaunt Dauids sake refuse not the face of thine annoynted This is a newe prayer which he maketh in the trust and confidence which he hath in the promises For here as also before the name of Dauid doth not properly ssgnifie the substance but â—he qualitie of Dauid that is to say Dauid clothed and adorned with the promises of the kingdom As if he sayd O lord I beseech thee preserue and blesse our kingdom be thou present with vs be thou our shield and our defence And this I doe desire not for myne owne cause onely as though there were any worthines in me wherefore thou shouldest graunt me this petition but I desire it in the trust of thy promises which thou madest vnto my father Dauid when thou saydest that thou wouldest giue a light vnto the house of Dauid c. And here haue we both an example and doctrine set before vs that we also when we pray vnto god should looke specially vnto the promises as we haue sayde sometymes heretofore Moreouer this place admonisheth vs of the difference which is betwene the spirituall the corporall promises For the corporal promises haue a condition as touching our workes ioyned vnto them So the corporal kingdom was promised to Dauid with this condition If his posteritie should continue in the word the wil of the Lord as in Moses it doth appeare But the spirituall promises are grounded vpon no condition of mens workes but vpon the onely mercy truth of the lord Therefore although the people of Israell were depriued of the kingdom driuen out of their land yet notwithstanding the promise as touching the seede of Abraham was not taken from them For thus sayth the text Although I cast them out viset them with scourges yet my mercy I wil not take from theÌ„ Likewise Esay sayth God
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
Paule sayth that he is able through Christ to doe or to beare all thinges to abound and to lacke to be full and to be hungry to be praysed and to be dispraysed c. and that because we haue a kingdom in heauen and we looke for a Sauiour who hath begunne to giue vnto vs these thinges by the word and Sacraments And if he leaue vnto vs no more but the ministery of the word sincere and sound we care not much for all other thinges This is therefore a singular promise and consolation that the Church and the word shall endure to the ende of the world not by the counsell or wisedom of man but by God him selfe clothing his ministers with saluation Albeit therefore that vnder Achas and other vngodly Kings all thinges were full of idolatrie yet were there certeine Prophets by whom the word was preserued And in the time of Christ the blindnes of that nation was incredible and such as I thinke neuer was before Notwithstanding there was Anna and Simeon which then acknowledged and preached christ This is in deede the great worke of God thus clothing with saluation that is with his mightie and victorious word with his true and holy worshippe his ministers that out of the mouthes of men our saluation and our glory may be heard This is a farre more excellent clothing then were those Aaronicall garmentes of Moises that the Pastours and Preachers of the Gospell are furnished and adorned with the wordes of saluation and the doctrine of truth whereby they may be able not onely to instruct the people committed to their charge but also to confuâ—e and confound the aduersaries For to this ende serueth the garment and the clothing of saluation that is to say of victorie which is obteyned by the pure word and holy ministerie The second part of this promise is that he will giue successe and fruite vnto the word to witte that so many as heare these Priestes these Pastors and Preachers and beleeue the word are sanctified and their harts are replenished with peace and ioy they faithfully trust in God whom they know to be well pleased with them and of whom they beleue that they are beloued This peace of the hart is our kingdom of heauen which we haue in this life For it is an incomparable treasure in comparison whereof all the kingdoms and riches in the world are but dyrt and dunge So the Psalme ioyneth these two thinges togither that by the Preachers and Ministers he wil giue his mightie and victorious word and faith vnto those that heare them that so all may be saued and with ioyfull hart may prayse and magnifie such a gracious and a mercifull God. He that beholdeth the outward shewe and face of the Church will iudge these thinges to be false and farre otherwise For these wordes are spirituall and must not be vnderstand according to the flesh For if a man follow the outward appearance he will rather iudge the Pope and the ministers of Satan to be clothed with saluation For they triumph in great securitie euen when they think and speake those thinges which are most contrary to Christ and the true Church On the other side the Christians or the true Church are afflicted vexed tormented within and without of Satan and cruell persecutors No man will thinke these thinges to be saluation or ioy but miseries and perpetuall calamities But turne thou thyne eyes away from the outwarde shewe and appearance and beholde that Maiestie which speaketh to thee in the word and promiseth to be mercifull vnto thee If therefore thou be in the fauour of God if he hate thee not but loue thee if he cherish and defend thee I pray thee what are all the calamities in the world Are they not all be they neuer so terrible and intolerable swallowed vppe in that bottomles sea of the infinite and vnmeasurable mercies of God Verse 17. There will I make the horne of Dauid to budde I haue ordeyned a light for myne anoynted He continueth in the promise of the kingdom the priesthood that not onely the saluation and ioy of the Priestes and the faithfull people should be defended against fantasticall spirites which that nation was neuer without but also that this kingdom should be defended against outward enemies and other nations abroad and at home against seditious persons For like as amonges the Leuites there were many fantasticall and hereticall spirites so in the other estates there were also many seditious heades as the histories doe shewe Howe many had Saul which woulde not acknowledge him for their King After that Saul was killed and Dauid was saluted and taken of the trybe of Iuda for their King all the rest of the tribes forsooke him and followed Ishbosheth the sonne of Saul This dissension endured seuen yeares and six monethes as it is declared 2. Samuel 2. Now who knoweth not what stormes of seditions and battayles Dauid afterwardes suffered in the kingdom Agayne after the death of Salomon this kingdome was vexed with infinite seditions by wicked Ieroboam Agaynst these enormities the Psalme armeth and confirmeth the people and promiseth that the horne of Dauid shall endure being exalted and stablished by the Lorde him selfe Such was the condition of this kingdom that the pure and holy Priesthoode Satan corrupted by sectes and schismes to ouerthrowe the sound and true doctrine of the worde and in the ciuill gouernment he stirred vppe rebellious and disobedient persons Thus Satan rageth with lying and falshood agaynst the spirituall kingdom and with murthers against the politike gouernment that offences of lying and murther might no where be lacking Wherefore as this kingdome must not be esteemed and iudged according to the outward face thereof for then it shall appeare to be a weake a seditious and a miserable kingdome so the Church hath also certeyne promises of peace but yet so that for the most parte it is vexed with offences with persecutions and other afflictions Wherefore we must rest in the greatnes and the excellencie of the promise in the Maiestie of the worde and in the aucthoritie of the promiser who hath promised saluation but yet so notwithstanding that in the common wealth there shall remayne seditious and rebellious persons and in the Church heretiks and sectaries Here haue we neede to be of good courage and comfort assuring our selues that if we were of the world the world would loue vs If we would flatter the Pope and teach the thinges that please him he would loue vs he would not persecute vs he would not throw out the thunderboltes of cursing excommunication against vs as he doth They therefore which will be of the true Church must prepare them selues with a valiant mind to beare and ouercome these offences resting vppon the promises of God which doe wholy consist in this that he is and will be louing and gaatious vnto vs that he will neuer leaue vs comfortles and that the
iudgement of faith God is greater then all our afflictions and calamities Psal. 75. To the flesh God semeth to be no keper but a destroyer God is a keper and still watcheth ouer vs. The kingdom of the deuill Psal. 97. The argument of the Psalme A singuler gift of God to acknowledge how in estimable a benefite it is to haue the word The tabernacle of Moises The meaning of this place is that man knoweth not by these outward things that is by prosperitie or aduersitie whome God doth fauour or hate Eccl. 9. VVhat inestimable benefits the word bringeth The benefits of the second table The benefits of the first table The spirituall giftes which God giueth by his word The word must be continuallâ— taught exercised practised A comparison betwene the Gentiles the Iewes Paralip 17â— What Dauid meaneth by the house of the Lord. Psal. 13â— Standing feete what they signifie 2. Cor. 12. To pluck downe to oppresse the Church is to build it vp Exod. 1. Ierusalem set in the midds of her aduersaries notwithstanding mightely prospered The proper office of God. 4. Kings 5. Ierusalem the holy citie The chiefest seruice of God is to preach the word pray To testifie what it signifieth To giue thankes to the Lord is a fruite of the word The image of the heauenly Ierusalem Colo. 3. Heb. 12. The argument of the Psalme A breife praier in necessity carrieth power with it 4. Reg. 9. 2. Reg. 6. A vehement groning of the hart destitute of all comfort Psal. 2. Psal. 116. Tim 6. Luke 9. God sometimes prolongeth his help in tentation The patience of the faithfull The humilitie of the faithfull The argument of the Psalme The people of Israel as a sheepe amoÌ„g many wolues Note who are most thankfull The snares of Satan Psal. 93. The name of the Lorde is our onely Sanctuary succour in all afflictions The fruite of afflictions The argument of the Psalme The power of the word Psal. 33. Psal 48. To hope and trust in the Lorde is the greatest â—eruice that we can doe to him The nature of faith Ierusalem called holy by the figure Synecdoche where a part is taken for the whole Olde things are passed away behold all thinges are become newe Virgil. The argument of the Psalme Of what maner of captiuitie this Psalme treateth Act. 12. Gen. 45. Psal. 9. 2. Tim. 2. Speculation is a naked knowledge without experience and practise Psal. 117. Rom. 1.5 Mens ordinances must onely serue for the exercise of the body not to bind the conscience Iohn 12. Phil. 3. Satans prerogatiue Rom. 7. Philip. 3. If we will be partakers of his glory we must be also partakers of his sufferings 1. Pet. 4. Iohn 16. Psal. 137. The argument of the Psalme Aristotle and others howe and wherein they erre The principal causes of the good gouernment of common wealthes and families Demosthenes Cicero Iulius Caesar The efficient cause of the true gouernment of conmon wealths housholds The abuse of matrimonie and houshold gouernment The burdens of matrimony are infinit The Papists did condeÌ„ne ciuill gouernment matrimony as worldly kindes of life Mark. 6.20 The idle bellied Monkes would haue nothing to doe with ciuill or houshold affaires The Monks could nether teach nor comfort meÌ„ in their necessities Naaman Syrus Prouerb 16. Ierem. 10. Doctrine coÌ„cerning ciuil housholde gouernment This Psalme conteineth the summe and effect of the booke of the Ecclesiastes of Salomon Eccle. 2.12 The finall cause of ciuill and houshold gouernment Many wise and politike gouerners deseruing well of the common wealth haue bene euill vsed condemned and cast into exile We must walke in the midde way and keepe a meane They that enter into any publike office or into matrimonie must beginne with inuocation and calling vpon God. Godly Magistrates and maried folke howe they ought to vse them selues The principall master of the houshold magistrate is God. God the true master of the housholde Dauids houshold gouernment most miserable They labour in vaine that labour without the Lorde To build The building To labour To labour in vayne The good gouernment of housholds and families is the founteyne and headspring of the common wealth Houshold gouernmeÌ„t was begun of God in Paradise Artes and sciences and such other giftes God approueth as necessary for mans life otherwise he regardeth them not therefore man hath no cause to glory in them The words of Cicero Marke what it is to rule and gouerne without God. Martinus Sangerhaufen The true munitions and fortifications of common welths Daniel 4. The cause of the destruction of greate kindoms Monarchies Esay 37. Esay 45. The successe of the wicked To keepe what it signifieth Kings Princes and Magistrates the Prophet calleth keepers To labour in vaine * Industrie is such a labor diligence as is ioyned with a prouident care discretion in obseruing of persons places conuenient times with other circumstances that no labour be spent in vain Labour with out industry hath no good successe Friderike Duke of Saxonie a very wise discrete man. Industrious and prouident men God is still present with his creature The bread of affliction To rise earely c. Rom. 10. Psal. 77.33 Labour is not forbidden but presumption is condemned Eccle. 6. The godly are contented with that they haue Esops dogge which swimming ouer the water with a peece of flesh in his mouth snatched at the shadowe of the flesh shining in the water and so lost both A wise saying of Augustine Wise men some times committe great folly These words fortune chaunce casualty such like are not vsed because any thing commeth otherwise to passe then by the prouidence of God but for that many things fall out otherwise then we looked for the cause thereof we can not see * The song of fooles to say I had not thought or had I wist Wise and mightie men bring not to passe that they go about The whole world riseth earely in vayne The naturall presumption of man to be like vnto God or to be as Gods. The abuse of the giftes of God in the worlde The ministery of Angells about yong children infants Philip. 4. Note the end of those men that are not thankfull to God for their wealth and welfare but attribute all to fortune and chaunce The argument of the Psalme A priuilege as touching continencie and to whom it is giuen Chast matrimony can not staÌ„d with the vnchast and filthy religion of the Papistes * Actiue or passiue that is which either come vnto vs by labour trauel or which we suffer inwardly or outwardly by anye meanes Matth. 9. * That is to liue chast without matrimony 1. Timoth. 4. 1. Cor 7. Matth. 9.12 The argument of the Psalme Cap. 12. Psal. 6. He setteth the similitude of the grasse in the house topp against the similitude of the plowers This iudgement that the enemies are like grasse and therfore shall
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