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
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
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
against an other but there was one temple one Arke one altar and no more Like as we haue one Christ in whom God dwelleth and in whom he is found Therefore by an excellent name and title he calleth it the Arke of strength that is to say of the kingdom Likewise he sayth Psal. 110. The Lord shal send the scepter or rodde of thy power out of Sion Also Psal. 8. Out of the mouthes of babes and sucklings hast thou ordeyned strength So is that called the Arke of strength where God mightely reigneth where he helpeth and defendeth his people where he exerciseth his power for their succour and safety in hearing them in forgiuing their sinnes in comforting them against Satan death and hell it selfe This diuine power sayth he is bound to this Arke and therefore it is truely called the Arke of strength This strength and this power was also bound to the Altars of the fathers but now it is bound to the man borne of the virgine Marie To this man who so euer commeth shall feele a diuine power If he dye he shall find life If his conscience be oppressed with sinne he shall finde remission of sinnes If he be tormented of Satan he shall find peace If he be vexed of the world he shall find securitie and victorie For Christ whose kingdom it is doth not therefore reigne that he may enrich vs with worldly goods landes and possessions for these are promised vnto vs in the first of Genesis but that he may set forth his diuine power and rich mercie and set vs free from those calamities out of the which we are not able to redeme our selues Like as he deliuered the faithfull in those dayes from all daungers For the Arke was vnto them as an heauen where they found deliuerance from all miseries as the people was the kingdom and the faithfull were the â—tarres of heauen Therefore Daniel sayth of Antiochus that he should cast downe starres to the ground For whereso euer the word of God is there is the kingdom of God of heauen of life of victorie ouer death sinne and all miseries Thus ought the word which of the world is contemned and despised to be exalted and magnified Verse 9. Let thy Priestes be clothed with righteousnes and lee thy Sainctes reioyce This petition is the same which we vse in our preachings when we desire that the Lorde would giue vnto vs godly faythfull ministers of the worde and suffer no euill teachers to haue place among vs For God in his kingdome is like vnto an Emperour Wherefore as the noble men and chiefe Magistrates are Ministers vnto the Emperour and are the principall part of his kingdom so in the kingdom of Christ are the Angells of peace or the ministers of the Gospel They therefore which pray for the kingdom of God must needes pray that the Lord would giue faithfull Pastours and Ministers as he him selfe commaundeth saying The haruest is great Pray the Lord of the haruest that he would send forth laborers into his haruest The labour and trauell of these workmen is to communicate doctrine consolation threatnings c. and to minister the Sacramentes That these thinges may be rightly done the labourers must needes be clothed with righteousnes and not onely with that righteousnes which belongeth to euery man and is not without corruption but specially with that righteousnes which belongeth to the ministery and to the word which is pure and without all corruption This is that righteousnes whereby the kingdome of Christ is gouerned that is to say the word and the Sacraments Moreouer the Pastors and Ministers of the word are then clothed with righteousnes when they execute a righteous office that is when they teach the word sincerely as Peter sayth If any man speake let him speake as the wordes of God. Also when they minister the Sacraments purely and without corruption so that whatsoeuer they doe or speake be either the word or the work of god So he that baptiseth doth no worke of his owne but he baptiseth in the power of god Likewise he that comforteth the afflicted conscience doth it not of him selfe but by the direction of the worde and will of god Wherefore he also that heareth this worde must not take it as the worde of a man but as a voyâ—s sounding from heauen So the ministery is righteous which is truely executed in the power of God and this is true righteousnes Contrariwise they which teach men to trust to their owne merites works and worthines and prescribe a certaine forme of apparell of eating of fasting and such like wherein all the righteousnes of the Papistes and the Turkes doth consist such Priests I say are clothed with iniquitie For they haue lost the chiefe ornament and the true apparell of their ministery because they doe not teach rightly nor gouerne truely but seduce men rather with a false shew of their gouernment ministery and that by the malice motion of Satan which hateth this heauenly ministery and peruerteth the ministers The summe and effect therefore of this prayer is that they which attend vpon the Arke of strength may gouern righteously that religion may continue and flourish that the word may be effectuall and bring forth frute that terrified and afflicted consciences may be raysed vp and comforted that secure profane and presumptuous persons may be beaten downe with threatnings and the terrour of Gods wrath that the weake may be strengthened that the simple and ignorant may be instructed Which thinges by the grace of Christe are diligently and faithfully done in our Church And let thy Sainctes reioyce Here we see that God is not delited with the heauines vnquietnes and vexation of conscience which sinne and the feare which naturally followeth sinne is wont to bring but with a chereful hart Seeing therefore that there be two kingdoms namely the kingdome of death and the kingdome of life or the kingdom of hell and of heauen he desireth here that the faithfull may be kept in the kingdom of life enioy the peace and comfort of conscience which the righteous ministery of the Pastors and Preachers of the word bringeth With this prayer agreeth that prayer of the Apostles wherewith they begin their Epistles Grace be with you and peace from God the father c. Grace is the remission of sinnes After this grace followeth peace or a good conscience which here he calleth a reioycing Let thy Sainctes reioyce saith he that is let thy people togither with the Pastors and Ministers hearing the word of the righteous ministery be ioyfull triumph in that word He calleth them Sainctes or holy because of the vse of the word and the ministery which are holy So the Iewes are called holy because as before I haue said there were emonges that people which had the arke and the word of God which were holy thinges in deede and did sanctifie
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
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
protection of this good keper and watchman whom Dauid here speaketh of Thus doth our diuinitie teach and thus doe the godly beleue For by their owne experience they proue and by experience of the whole Church that Satan wil neuer rest vntill he destroy if he may either soule or body The destruction of the soule he seeketh by lying by corrupt doctrine by wicked false worshipping and seruing The destruction of the body he attempteth by infinite sleights practises wherof we haue experience daily in our selues and other For as much then as these things doe not come to passe either in such sort or so often as Satan would it is the benefite not of Satan but of this our vigilant keeper and watchman Thus we are taught euen by our owne experience taking this for a principle that the kingdom of the deuill is the kingdome of sinne and of death that we are continually and euery moment preserued from death and other daungers both corporally and spiritually by the singular goodnes and grace of Christe into whose kingdom through baptisme and faith we are translated And hereof come these heauenly sayings of the Prophets The earth is full of the mercy of the Lord his mercy endureth for euer c. In deede sometimes Satan so preuaileth and hath such successe in that he goeth aboute that by sudden plagues he bringeth men to horrible destruction Such examples ought to warne vs of those mischeuous practises which he continually goeth about and faine would bring to passe as he might easily doe if he were not letted by the vigilancy of our good watchman in heauen For as for the power of this our aduersary I doe beleeue that he is able in one hower to destroy all the people that are liuing vpon the earth Now if both he be able and also leaueth no practise vnattempted so to doe why then is it not done Because our good keeper watcheth ouer vs But these be matters of faith they muste be beleued and therefore he addeth this word beholde Whereby it may appeare that his purpose is earnestly to commend and set forth the great vigilancie and tender care of God towards vs whereby he keepeth and defendeth vs that we perish not And here note that this care and vigilancie for the safety and preseruation of our life countrey cities familyes peace and tranquillitie amongst vs c. is of the Prophet wholy attributed vnto God when as notwithstanding God vseth to worke the same by other meanes as first by the ministery of Angels and then also of men as of Princes and other inferiour magistrates c. Wherby we are admonished that these inferiour meanes which God vseth as his instrumentes for our preseruation are not able to doe vs any good at all except God him self take vpon him to be our chiefe watchman and defender God therfore vseth the ministery of these for our succour and reliefe euen as he doth bread drinke and other sustenaunce For as bread and drinke doe not preserue our life for then no man should dye and yet because of the ordinance of God and the fraile condition of our nature they are necessary for the sustentation of our life so doe these meane helpes nothing auayle vs except God the keeper of Israel doe watch for our succour and defence This watching this defence the â—orde of God doth reueile but the fleshe can not see it and therefore by a contrary sense thus it expoundeth these wordes The keeper of Israell that is to say the forsaker of Israell doth not sleepe that is he is not onely in a moste deade sleepe but also is without all sense and is in deede nothing For reason iudgeth according to euery pinch and pange that the flesh feeleth and according to the beginning of afflictions or first assaults and not according to the word and the end or deliuerance which God promiseth in the word Verse 5. The Lord is thy keper and he is thy shadowe or protection at thy right hand In this verse he setteth foorth more at large the certainty of Gods ready helpe and protection Wherin speaking to euery one priuatly he sayth The Lord is thy keeper that no man should doubt to apply that vnto him selfe for his owne comforte which pertaineth to al Israel He is called the shadow at thy right hand to teach thee that he is at hand and standeth euen by thy side ready to defend thee Or else the Lord is thy shadow at thy right hand That is he prospereth all thy affaires he giueth successe to all thou takest in hand If thou be a preacher a teacher in the Church of God if thou trauell in thy vocation vprightly and with a good conscience to prouide for thy selfe and thy family thou shalt not lack thy crosses But be of good comfort for the Lord hath promised to be on thy right hand he will ayde thee and succour thee in all things that thou shalt either doe or suffer But here againe we must remember as I said before that these things are spoken and taught in vaine except we first thinke our selues to be as it were vtterly forsaken and destitute of al help and succour Therefore when he speaketh of this tender care that the Lord hath ouer his in keping in shadowing in defeÌ„ding them that they perish not he meaneth therewithall that they are such as seeme to them selues so to be forsaken and neglected of God as if he had no care of them at all This is therefore a sweete doctrine and full of consolation that the Lord sheweth him selfe to knowe and to pittie our miseries and calamities and commaundeth vs to beleeue that he is our shadowe to couer defend vs against all perils daungers In him therefore let vs assuredly trust with comfortable expectation of most ioyfull deliuerance who hath promised to be with vs with a fatherly care to prouide for vs to defend vs to strengthen to succour and to comfort vs in all our troubles afflictions and calamities Verse 6. The sunne shall not hurt thee by day nor the moone by night The heate of the Sunne maketh mens bodyes weake feeble So doth the Moone also hurt not onely with colde but also with moysture By these speeches he meaneth all maner of tentations and perils and that God will be with vs in the middest of them to succour vs and to deliuer vs albeit we seeme for a litle while to beare all the heate and burden of the day alone that is to be vtterly forsaken and destitute of all helpe and succour But if we were alone then should the tentation haue no ende yea it should presently swallow vs vp for we are not able of our selues to endure the space of one moment Now the Lord suffreth Satan to vomet out his poyson and to practise against vs the beginning of his malice but he will not suffer him to hurt so much as he would doe Therefore because we haue the shadowe to couer vs
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
this is the difference betweene those that are infected with this poyson the comtempt of the word I meane and the children of God that as they are wholy bent to seeke and aduance the glory of the euerliuing God so are these either inflamed with a diuilish desire to maintaine set forth damnable doctrine wicked opinions and false worship being wholy giuen ouer to serue the god of this world and their god Mammon seeking with greedines and pleasure their owne perdition damnation and so albeit they are already wholy possessed in the kingdom of the deuill yet are they merry and ioyfull but the end shall be such as for their horrible example is set forth in the story of the Sodomites Let vs pray vnto God therefore that he will preserue vs from this impietie and let vs learne to sing this Psalme with gladnes and thankes giuing vnto him for this inestimable benefite of his word and the pure knowledge thereof whereby Christ the onely sacrifice for our sinnes and the sure hope of eternall life is reueiled vnto vs Let vs continually exercise our selues in reading hearing and meditating of this word and let vs neuer think that we haue attayned sufficient knowledge and tast thereof In deede this word is so plenteously set forth in these our dayes that it may seeme to bring with it a lothing and contempt in many but it is not enough an hundred times to haue read it and a thousand times to haue heard it as in the daungerous time of tentations by experience we feele Wherefore let vs abhorre the damnable impietie of lothing and contemning the word of life and let vs embrace that most soueraigne vertue which is called the Reuerence of the word For Satan sleepeth not and in deede he is neuer so strongly armed against vs as when he seeth that we loth and contemne the word or presume of our owne knowledge Verse 1. I reioyced when they sayd vnto me we will goe into the house of the Lorde The like saying he hath in the 60. Psalme God hath spoken in his Sanctuary therefore I will reioyce Wherein is conteyned a comparison betwene his kingdom and other mighty and welthy kingdoms of the worlde As if he should say My kingdom is but a small and a weake kingdom if you compare it with the power of other kingdoms of the world But this haue I that all Kings and kingdoms haue not namely that in my kingdom the Lord him selfe the King of all Kings speaketh out of his holy Sanctuary therefore my kingdom is the kingdom of God and therein I reioyce Euen so here sayth he I reioyced And why Because it was sayd vnto me we will goe into the house of the Lord. That is God hath promised that we shall be that people which shal enter into the house of the lord And should not this cause my heart to reioyce For when I behold all other nations I see them goe into the house of the deuill and the temples of Idols I see they know not the true God neither doe they worship him Great cause haue I therefore to reioyce because I haue the promise of God that I shall goe with my people into the house of the Lorde Dauid sheweth him selfe here to reioyce and be glad for 2. causes not onely that the Lord had appoynted a place wherein he would be worshipped euen the holy hill of Sion but also because he had the consent of his people so obediently to ioyne with him in the true seruice worship of the lord Often times the Lord had before promised by Moises that he would appoynt such a place for his Sanctuary as should be certaine and stable for euer and yet aboue a thousand yeares togither the Arke of the Lord was caryed hither and thither from tent to tent from habitation to habitation hauing no certaine place to rest in But afterwardes it was shewed vnto Dauid that the Lord would haue it remaine in the hil Sion and that he would haue there a temple builded wherein he would be worshipped By this example we are admonished that we haue double cause to reioyce when so euer the Lord doth not onely incline our hearts by his holy spirite to the obedience of his word but also doth draw other vnto the same with vs that we may be al ioyned togither in the fellowship of faith We see the stubburnes of mans heart to be such that the greater number alwaies murmureth when so euer the Lord speaketh and therefore no small cause haue we to reioyce when we all consent togither in one spirite and and one mind in the true seruice and worship of the Lord. These wordes I reioyced when they sayd c. seeme to be very simple and to conteine in them no great matter But if you loke into the same with spirituall eyes there appeareth a wonderfull great maiestie in them Which because our Papistes can not see they do so coldly and negligently pray reade and sing this psalme and other that a man would thinke there were no tale so foolish or vaine which they would not either recite or heare with more courage delight These wordes therefore must be vnfolded layd before the eyes of the faythful For when he sayth we will goe into the house of the Lord what notable thing can we see in these words if we doe but onely beholde the stones tymber gold and other ornaments of the materiall temple But to goe into the house of the Lord signifieth another maner of thing namely to come togither where we may haue God present with vs heare his word cal vpon his holy name and receiue helpe and succour in our necessitie Therefore it is a false definition of the temple which the Papists make that it is a house built with stones tymber to the honour of god What this temple is they them selues know not For the temple of Salomon was not therefore beautifull because it was adorned with gold and siluer and other precious ornaments but the true beautie of that temple was because in that place the people heard the word of the Lord called vpon his name found him mercifull giuing peace and remission of sinnes c. This is rightly to behold the temple and not as the visured Bishops behold their idolatrous temple when they consecrate it These are then great causes of ioy and gladnes to haue access vnto the Lord to heare this consolation that he is our God which will heare vs which will deliuer vs in the time of trouble which will forgiue vs our sinnes and at the last will giue vs euerlasting life For these great benefites sayth Dauid we giue thanks vnto God and we reioyce that we may come togither into that place wherein God worketh all these things by the power of his word For it is the word alone whereby we knowe God whereby we come vnto God and whereby he bestoweth these great benefites of his fauour and loue
vpon vs Thus Dauid vnder these wordes The house of the Lord. comprehendeth God him selfe his name and his word wherevnto the Sabboth is dedicated in the which we should rest from other busines and harken vnto the Lord speaking vnto vs. This is to go into the house of the Lord and for this benefite to reioyce and giue thanks vnto him For this is an inestimable benefite and cannot be comprehended of the wicked But the godly onely doe know the word and what benefite they receiue thereby And this the Lord also requireth of his people when he so often commandeth in the law that they should come togither that they should reioyce before the Lord they should praise and magnifie his name for his benefites and greate mercies so plentifully poured vppon them And to this Dauid also prouoketh vs by his owne example that with reuerence and as it were with an admiration we should exult and reioyce before the Lord. Verse 2. Our feete shall stand in thy gates O Ierusalem The Prophete Dauid reciteth here the common voyce of the godly that they would now abide stedfastly perseuer in the house of the Lord which he had appointed in Ierusalem and would not wander any more from place to place as they had done because the Lord had there stablished his Sanctuary which before was often times remoued had no ceraine resting place This stablishing and continuing of the Sanctuary in one certaine place preuailed much for the confirmation of their faith For like as when the Arke was caried from place to place their faith was alwaies wauering and vnstedfast euen so after that God had chosen vnto him selfe a certaine habitation he gaue thereby vnto them a more sure manifest testimony that he would be their euerlasting defender and protector Whereby their faith was stablished and confirmed for euer It is no maruell then that the people with such great reioycing and thankfulnes vnto God do promise that their feete should now stand sure and stedfast in the gates of Ierusalem which were wont to runne hither thither Truth it is that the arke did long continue in Silo. But because the Lord had made no promise concerning that place there could be no stabilitie of faith in the harts of the people And againe because it was said of the Mount Sion This is my rest for euer here wil I dwel for I haue delight therin the faithfull being surely grounded vpon this word were bolde to say that their feete should neuer remoue againe but stand stedfast sure in the gates of Ierusalem and in the house of the Lord for this standing signifieth a constant a continuall abiding for euer But now for as much as Christ in whom dwelleth the fulnes of the goodhead and which is the true Immanuel dwelleth emongst vs we haue a farre greater cause to reioyce then the Israelites had Wherefore we maye seeme vnthankful yea blockish and senseles if this promise I am with you vnto the end of the worlde do not stirre vp our hearts to great ioy and gladnes especially if we see it thankfully and with publike consent receiued of the people For that which we rehearsed euen now concerning the rest of the Lord is altogether fulfilled in the person of Christ as it appeareth in the 2. chapter of Esay His rest saith he shal be glorious Where he speaketh not of the buriall of Christ as some doe fondly imagine but of the excellency and dignitie of the church which should afterwards follow The glory and bewtie whereof since by the great mercy of God we haue seene Let vs be thankfull therefore and besech him that he will make perfect that he hath begun in vs that our feete may alwayes be standing in the courts of the Lord in the Church and congregation of the faithfull where we may find God where we may heare him calling vs teaching vs comforting vs and succouring vs. Verse 2. Ierusalem is builded as a citie where the people may come togither to worship God. This verse is an exposition or amplication of the verse that goeth before As if he said our fete shall stand in thy gates I say O Ierusalem which flourishest and increasest in all felicitie For where the word of God flourisheth there shall the common welth prosper according to the saying of our sauiour Christ First seeke the kingdom of God all things shal be ministred vnto you and yet so notwithstanding that this saying also of our sauiour remaineth alwaies true answering vnto Paule My power is made perfect through weaknes For albeit the world doth dayly vexe trouble the church many waies yet notwithstanding the more the aduersaries go about to destroy pluck downe the more doth the word of God edifie build vp To pluck downe then to destroy and to ouerthrow the church is nothing else if you consider the counsel purpose of God and the end that followeth thereof but to build vp to plant to water and to encrease the Church The Decians Maximines and Domitians those bloody and mighty tyrannes howe cruelly went they about to abolish for euer the name of Christ But the word and the Church of God as a palme tree the more it was oppressed the more it flourished and encreased maugre their malice and tyranny as the figure of the people of Israell doth declare For so sayth Moises The more the Egyptians did vexe them the more they multiplied and grew To this agreeth also the saying of the olde Church that the Church is watered with the blood of Martyrs The cause of this miraculous building is that where so euer God is beleued and his word had in due reuerence and regard there must needes followe a victorie albeit the Sainctes be destroyed slayne and seeme vtterly to perish yea albeit God him selfe seeme to haue forsaken them and with them to be oppressed and ouercome For so it is with God that when he seemeth most weake then is he most strong when he is oppressed in his Saincts then specially he liueth triumpheth and is exalted in them and in diminishing he most mightely increaseth Of such a maner of building speaketh Dauid also in this place that albeit Ierusalem was compassed about with so many enemies and idolatrous religions notwithstanding there the word of God true religion flourished Who then can preuaile against vs when God is so with vs And this is the true building of Ierusalem To the which the Kings gathered them selues and conspired against it but they were suddenly driuen backe and could not preuaile We also in these our dayes by our owne experience haue proued that the more the aduersaries of the word doe rage the lesse they preuaile against it yea so much the more it flourisheth and encreaseth And what else doth Satan our perpetual aduersary bring to passe by his continuall tentations but driue vs to search the word to learne to pray to beleue
were iudged with equitie The celestiall Ierusalem hath the tribunall seate where iudgement is shall be most iustly pronounced vpon the vniuersall world and vppon all men that either haue beene be or shall be The Lord graunt that with an inuincible faith we may mount vp to this celestiall Ierusalem the citie of God where are such ioyes felicitie as neither eye hath seene nor eare hath heard nor tongue can tel nor yet heart can think Verse 6. Pray for the peace of Ierusalem let them prosper that loue thee To pray for the peace of Ierusalem is to pray for the safetie prosperitie and welfare of the Church of God that Satan haue no power to hinder the course and fruite of the word Dauid sawe first in spirit this horrible contempt of the word and ministery moreouer he saw that this glorious gift could not be preserued by mans diligence Therefore he goeth about here to stirre vppe the harts of men to pray for the preseruation of this gift As if he said Here is the Lords owne seate and throne of iudgement notwithstanding how few doe reuerence and regard it as they should doe Yea the greatest part of the world hateth it and wisheth the subuersion therof Wherfore I exhort you ▪ O ye litle flock to honour and reuerence this seate to pray for the peace thereof louingly to salute it and to say The Lord out of Sion blesse thee c. So long as this citie flourisheth ye haue the Lord him self speaking saying giuing victory against all the assaults of Satan against sinne the terrour of conscience c. What cause haue ye then to pray for the prosperitie of this citie wherby ye inioy such heauenly benefites When the church of God doth not prosper it cannot go wel with any perticular member thereof No maruell then why Dauid so earnestly exhorteth all the faithfull to pray for the peace and prosperitie of the Church Wherefore if we will pray as we ought to do we must first and principally commend vnto God the common state of the church For he that seeketh his owne welfare and neglecteth the state and prosperitie of the Church doth not only shew him selfe to be voyd of all sense and zeale of true piety but also the prayers which he maketh for him selfe are in vaine profite him nothing Let them prosper that loue thee He wisheth vnto them which loue the word and reuerence this seat that God would blesse them with all maner of blessing felicitie And this prayer is very necessary For we see dayly howe the true professors of the Gospell are in daunger by the ministers of Satan the enemies of God his truth on euery side which could be content rather to haue the Turke to reigne ouer them yea the deuill him selfe and all the furies of hell then to see vs prosper and the Gospel to flourish least their cursed workes of darknes and infidelitie should appeare vnto the world Verse 7. Peace be within thy walls and prosperitie within thy pallaces Nowe that the Prophet hath exhorted all men to pray for the peace and prosperitie of Ierusalem he turneth vnto the citie and doth not onely wish wel vnto it but also he sheweth vnto other how they should pray for it The summe whereof is that true religion may flourish the ministerie and ministers of the word may be defended against the false prophets that concord may be maintained emongst the pastors and preachers of the word and that the ciuil gouernment may prosper Howe necessary this prayer is experience daily teacheth vs For where these 2. things are namely concord in the Church and peace in the ciuill state there can no good thing be lacking therfore the deuil so busily laboureth to trouble the peace of them both This was the cause why there was such a multitude of false prophets rebells seditious persons emongst this people as the stories do testify Wherfore Dauid being taught by his owne experience prayeth for these 2. thinges without the which the world is nothing els but a wild desert Example hereof may be vnto vs the late times wherein we liued vnder the Pope before this light of the Gospel beganne to shyne For then when the sound doctrine of the word was lacking what could the Pope all his shauelings doe What one verse did they rightly vnderstand throughout the whole psalter Wherby it came to passe that they were not able to resist most manifest impieties which by the strong mighty delusions of the deuil ouerflowed the world as in pilgrimages where they maintained most damnable idolatries and caused the people to adore the works of their owne handes and if any man spake against them he was vp and by taken and burnt as an heretike So true is it that when the word is once lost the world remaineth in most horrible darkenes and can doe nothing else but abuse the giftes of God and so falleth to most detestable impietie or else to desperation This Dauid foreseeth and therefore he prayeth so earnestly for the prosperitie of Ierusalem for faithfull pastors in the Church and godly Princes in the politike state Verse 8. For my brethren and neighbours sakes I will wish thee now prosperitie Here Dauid sheweth the cause as he doth also in the verse following why he prayeth thus for Ierusalem As if he sayd In that I wish that peace may be in thee o Ierusalem in that I desire thy prosperity and welfare I doe it for my brethren and neighbours sakes that is for my fellowes and companions in faith and religion And here in his owne person he sheweth the commō complaint of all those that rule either in the church or in the common weale or in families which is that the greater part of men is euer peruerse and wicked The godly pastour when he goeth about with great care diligence to reforme the corrupt life and wickednes of the people seeth notwithstanding that the more part stil remaineth peruerse intractable The Magistrate traueling with like care and diligence in his calling findeth the people disobedient incorrigible Likewise is it in houshold gouernment What vnfaithfull seruice shalt thou finde euen amongst those whom thou thoughtest to haue found most true and faithfull Hereof it commeth that many are discomforted and vtterly discouraged seeing so litle fruite and successe to ensue of their godly trauels Notwithstanding we see it can not otherwise be For Satan our perpetuall enemy ceaseth neither night nor day to stirre vppe discord and peruerse opinions in the Church in the ciuil state stubborne and disobedient persons in houshold gouernment negligent and vnfaithfull families Here we must looke with Dauid not to the greater part which is euer wicked but to our brethren and neighbours So doth Paule in the 2. Timoth. 3. For the elects sake I susteyne and suffer all things sayth he For if it were not for their sakes who would willingly take vpon him the office of
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
the rodde of the wicked greeueth you but be of good comfort my people and patiently endure it for I wil not suffer the tentation so farre to preuaile ouer you that your confidence and trust in me shall vtterly faile you Stormes and tempestes shall arise and your daungers shall seeme so great as though the waues should presently swallowe you vp But I will not suffer you to perish I wil bridle their rage and make an ende of the rodde of the wicked If Satan your owne conscience doe accuse you as most wicked and vnrighteous yet will I not leaue you destitute of my righteousnes Thus doe tentations teach vs the true vse and meaning of the first commaundement the which none without afflictions and tentations shall rightly knowe or vnderstand Moreouer we are here admonished of the great daunger that followeth these afflictions tentations which they that through impatiencie forsake the word and faith doe fall into Therefore the Lorde here sheweth him selfe so carefull for his people leste they should fall into this danger For their state which haue once forsaken the word is much more perilous then it was before and into such as our Sauiour Christ pronounceth in the Gospel doe enter seuen spirites much more wicked then the first We must therefore patiently suffer and perseuere in all tentations and rather abide all extremities then once shrinke from the word of life lest we be possessed with seuen spirites more wicked then the first And moreouer we must assuredly trust as we are taught in this verse that so long as we haue a desire and a purpose so to doe the Lord will neuer forsake vs or suffer vs to fall into this impietie For here haue we a manifest promise and a liuely description of the Lordes singular care and prouidence ouer vs namely that he is mindful of the end of our tentations and afflictions â–ª so that we onely continue constant and patient vnto the ende â–ª And if the heathen Poet sayd Endure and reserue yourselues for more happy thinges how much more should Christians diligently stirre vppe them selues with mutuall exhortations to patience and perseuerance whether they outwardly suffer in things perteyning to the body and to this present life or inwardly in conscience For we haue a God which euen in death in hell and in the middes of all our sinnes can saue and deliuer vs. Verse 4. Do wel O Lord vnto them that be good true of hart The Prophet sayth not here doe well Lord to the perfect and such as offend in nothing but to the good true of hart The good and true of heart are they which are of a single sincere and vpright hart For these are they which are most accepted of God although they also through infirmitie doe sometimes offend Now where he prayeth that God will doe wel to the good and godly he meaneth also and secretly complayneth that the godly are in miserie and affliction and that the vngodly do abound with all worldly felicitie As we see at this day the enemies of the Gospel to enioy great riches and dignities whereby they vexe oppresse the godly This is a great offence and stumbling blocke to the godly and therefore the Church hath neede of this prayer that God would doe well vnto the godly which trust in him seeke his glory with their whole hart that they by stumbling at this offence do 〈◊〉 fal away to impietie This prayer conteineth in it a prophecie with a promise that like as he prayeth for the blessing welfare prosperitie of the iust so at the length it shall also come to passe Verse 5. But those that turne aside by their crooked waies the Lord shall leade with the workers of iniquitie but peace shall be vpon Israell He sayth not simply Such as turne aside but such as turne aside by their owne wickednes For to giue place to tentations by infirmitie of the flesh or weakenes of mind or else of faith and so to decline from the right way which commeth to passe sometimes euen in the Sainctes as the example of Peter teacheth is one thing and to fall away through wickednes and peruersenes of heart is another which can not be in the children of God but properly belongeth to the wicked and godles This sort of men hath euer corrupted the Church from the Apostles time and with a shewe of holines hath deceiued the simple which because God punisheth them not but spareth them and suffreth them to prosper in this world become so proud that they will be counted amongest the holiest and of the world are so commonly taken We see that not onely the godly are mixed with the wicked in this world but in the Lords floore also the wheate lyeth hidden vnder the chaffe We must pray therefore that God would bring these hypocrites to light giue vnto them their iust punishment with the workers of iniquitie Then shall peace ensue to the Church of god For whiles the Lord poureth forth his iust vengeance vppon the wicked which vexe and persecute his true members he gathereth togither the good and vpright of heare and openly declareth his fatherly good will and tender loue towards them The .126 Psalme VVhen the Lord brought agayne c. Touching the captiuitie whereof the Prophet speaketh in this Psalme the interpreters doe not agree Some vnderstand it to be means of the captiuities of Babylon some of the captiuitie vnder the Romanes other some doeth take that the Prophete meaneth here all the captiuitie and deliuerances of this people according to that promise Deut. 40. That if they should at any time be ledde into captiuitie for their transgressions and by repentance shoulde returne vnto the Lord he would shew mercy vnto them and bring them home into their land againe But in myne opinion they goe neare to the true sense and meaning of the Psalme which doe referre it to that great general captiuitie of mankind â—nder sinne death and the deuill to the redemption purchased by the death and bloodsheding of Christ and published in the Gospel For this kind of speech which the Prophet vseth here is of greater importance then that it may be applyed onely to these particular captiuities For what great matter was it for this people of the Iewes being as it were but a litle handfull to be deliuered out of temporall captiuitie in comparison of the exceeding and incomparable deliuerance whereby mankinde was sâ—e at libertie from the power of their enemies not temporall but eternall euen from death Satan and hell it selfe Wherefore we take this Psalme to be a prophecy of the redemption that should come by Iesus Christ the publishing of the Gospell whereby the kingdom of Christ is aduaunced death and the deuill with all the powers of darkenes are vanquished This Psalme being thus generally vnderstand may afterward be applyed to euery particular deliuerance Verse 1. VVhen the Lorde bringeth againe the
captiuitie or captiues of Syon we shall be like them that dreame By Syon is signified that people which had the promise of the comming of christ For redemption and saluation was first promised to the people of Syon and to the children of Abraham after the flesh This people was in bondage vnder the lawe and by the lawe vnder the captiuitie of death and sinne Now if this people complaine of their captiuitie and sigh for their deliuerance what â—â—all we thinke of the Gentiles which liued in idolatry in their owne lustes without any law without god He could not therefore haue signified a more generall and more greeuous captiuitie then when he saith that his owne people of Syon did long for this deliuerance which in outward appearance was moste holy vnder Dauid and Saul did mightely flourish But beholde how liuely â—e setteth foorth that ioy which should followe this deliuerance We shall be saith he like them that dreame By this kinde of speech he expresseth the greatnes of their ioy meaning that this ioy and gladnes should be so great that the hart of man should not be able to conceiue it As if he should say when we shall heare of yea when we shall in deede feele and enioy this deliuerance from sinne death so farre passing all that we could hope or looke for the ioy therof shall be so great that it shall seeme to vs but vs a â—reame For so we see it come to passe also euen in particular deliuerances when God suddenly deliuereth his seruaunts out of anâ— great trouble or affliction So it hapned to Peter when he was deliuered by the Angell out of prison Likewise when it was said to Iacob Ioseph thy sonne liueth and ruleth ouer all the land of Egypt he was as one reysed out of a dreame and could not beleue it vntill it was shewed vnto him by certaine tokens to be true in deede Here then is set foorth vnto vs the inestimable grace whereby we are redemed through the blood of the sonne of God who did not spare him selfe and his owne life that he might set vs free from the power of the deuill the wrath of God death and eternall damnation But mans hart is not able as is said to comprehende these thinges The more feeling and â—ast he hath therof the greater alacritie courage hath he to goe through all daungers The lesse feeling he hath the more he is shaken with terrours and at the length looking backe to Egypt with the Israelites seeketh other helpes â–ª Our heart therfore must wholly rest in this redemption we must labour to haue some part of this tast and feling which the Prophet rightly compareth to a most ioyful pleasant dreame They that further list to inlarge this inestimable benefite of Christ or this deliueraÌ„ce haue here occasion to amplyfie the same first by the person of the redemer then by the person of the redemed by their former state and misery of the power of the deuill of the hugenes and horrour of death of the force of sinne c. For these things had wholly deuoured all mankind could not be ouercome but by the sonne of god This is that vnspeakeable most glorious redemption which rauisheth astonisheth the mind with ioy They therefore that feele not this ioy haue not truely receiued nor felte this benefit but the word is as a â—ome or a froth in their mouthes Verse 2. Then shall our mouth be filled with laughter and our tongue with ioy Then will they say emong the heathen The Lord hath done great things for them This Psalme hath in it a singular maiesty therfore the Prophet vseth here many figuratiue or borrowed speeches By laughter he signifieth the voice of the Gospell For y Gospel should be to vs nothing else but ioy gladnes especially if we compare it with the law For the law terrifieth killeth whose vse â— office is to brâ—â—â— to mollifie the hard stony harts of the impenitent as Ezechiel saith For they must be broken with this yron scepter as it were and beaten downe to hell as the Psalme prayeth Let the wicked be turned into hell and all nations that forget God. For seeing they haue a heart of yron and as the Prophet sayth a brasen forehead they must be terrified with the thundrings of the lawe that is they must be brought to the feare of Gods iudgement and filled with the terrour of death as it hapned to the people of Israell at the mount Sina when the law was published by the voyce of the lord But they that haue a fleshy heart that is to say a soft and a tender heart may not be killed with the law but reuiued and raysed vp with an other kinde of doctrine which the holy Ghost here calleth laughter and ioy that is to say the Gospell This is the right diuiding of the word which S. Paule speaketh of to preach set forth to the impenitent and hard harted the threatnings of the law the wrath of God against sinne the terrours of Gods iudgement but to the weake and broken harted the sweete comforts of the Gospell that they which are secure without feare may nowe learne to feare the Lord and they that are to much oppressed with feare may be of good comfort and now begin to trust in the lord This difference betwene the law and the Gospel is wel knowne but by experience and practise it is not so well knowne For our infirmitie is such that we are rather touched with the sense of sinne and death then with the laughter and ioy that is the sweete comfortes and ioyfull promises of the Gospell For to speake of my selfe and of mine owne feeling the redemption and life giuen by Christ doth not so much pearce my hart as it is terrified with one word or one cogitation of sinne and of the iudgement of god The cause whereof is for that we can not sufficiently learne this difference betwene the lawe and the Gospell For although it be both written and taught yet is it not so effectually felt in the heart Els should it follow that terrified heartes should cast away all heauines for to them as is sayd perteyneth the voyce of laughter and ioy and not the voyce of terrour and heauines And here also we find Satan to be our deadly aduersary which most subtilly disputeth with vs touching the lawe and vseth such arguments as we can not deny For when he layeth vnto vs our sinnes we are constreyned to confesse and to acknowledge them which albeit we couer them some times before men our conscience as a thousand witnesses pronounceth against vs and wil not suffer vs to forget them or hide them Whereof sometimes ariseth also a doubting or mistrust euen of holy workes I speake nothing of those which are manifestly wicked With these dartes Satan pearceth and greeuously woundeth the soft and tender hart onely because
this distinction is not so well knowne by practise as it is by speculation For if we had this practise in deede we shoulde rightly discerne betwene the law the Gospell also betwene the disciples of the law and of the Gospel beate backe Satan with this answere that like a lying spirite he seeketh nothing else but to blind and deceiue the hart with falshood and lyes For whereas hard and stony harts be those he doth not kill or terrifie but flattereth and filleth them with hope faire promises which doe not perteyne to such harts Contrariwise where as such tender and timorous heartes be as are to much terrified already and therefore should be confirmed reised vp with the promises of the Gospell those heartes Satan most of all not onely goeth about further to afflict and terrifie but to beate them downe also to vtter discomfort Wherefore the Christian man must learne and labour by feeling and practise to make this distinction in his heart and say vnto Satan Away from me Satan with thy lyes When I am void of the feare of God secure and hard harted then come and pleade the lawe against me then will I heare thee for then that is the tyme to teach the law But since thou commest nowe vnto me with the law whereas my heart is terrified already with sinne death I wil not heare thee For thy doctrine perteyneth not vnto me but laughter and ioy not terrour and death So should Satan be aunswered when he goeth about to terrifie vs But by experience we feele that when most neede is our heart is not able thus to aunswere although we haue heard these thinges before neuer so often The cause is this that albeit heauen be ours and wide open for vs yet such is our nature and such is our infirmitie that all this can not make vs so ioyfull as the gaping gulph and horrour of hell doth terrifie vs So that one cogitation of our sinnes doth more afflict vs then all the teaching and preaching of the merites of Christ can comfort vs Wherefore we must earnestly endeuour to learne this practise or at the least to atteyne to some knowledge thereof and reyse vp our selues with these wordes that the Gospell is nothing else but laughter and ioy which properly perteyneth to the captiues that is to those that feele the captiuitie of sinne and death to the fleshy and tender heartes terrified with the feeling of the wrath and iudgement of god These are the Disciples in whose hearts should be planted laughter and ioy and whiche onely should heare the voyce of ioy and gladnes in the tabernacles of the righteous and that by the authoritie of the holy Ghost which this verse setteth foorth For it signifieth that this people was in Sion and after the outward shew of the kingdom and priesthood did mightely flourish But if a man consider them according to the spirite he shall see them to be in miserable captiuitie and that their tongue is full of heauines and mourning because their heart is terrified with the sense of sinne and death This is Moises tongue or Moises mouth full of wormewoode and of the bitternes of death wherewith he ought to kill those onely which are to liuely and full of securitie But they which feele their captiuitie should haue their mouthes filled with laughter and ioy that is the redemption and deliueraunce from sinne and death purchased by the bloode of Christ should be preached vnto them This is the sense and meaning of the holy Ghost that the mouth of such should be filled with laughter that is their mouth should sound and shew forth nothing else but great gladnes and those inestimable consolations of the Gospell with voyces of triumph and victory by Christ ouercomming Satan destroying death and taking away our sinnes This was first spoken vnto the Iewes for this laughter was first offered to that people then hauing the promises Now he turneth to the Gentiles whome he calleth to the partaking of this laughter Then shall they say among the Gentiles c. The Gentiles naturally hated and disdayned the Iewes and coulde abide nothing lesse then their religion Yet these Gentiles saith he when this laughter this ioy shall be published and preached shall maruell thereat and shall praise the great workes as the Lorde Nowe the Gentiles would not thus doe or esteeme this worke of God as a benefite excepte they also should be partakers of the same Therefore when the holy Ghoste saith that the Gentiles should publish praise and magnifie this benefite of the Iewes deliuerance out of captiuitie he plainely signifieth withall that they shoulde be partakers of this deliuerance and that they likewise shoulde extoll and magnifie this greate mercy of God this deliuerance from sinne and death To this doe almost all the Prophets beare witnesse In the 8. of Zachary it is saide that out of all languages of the nations should take hold of the skirte of him that is a Iewe and say we will goe with you for we haue hearde that God is with you Which place of Zacharie seemeth to be taken out of this Psalme In the first of Esaie likewise All nations shall flow vnto the Lord and many people shall go and say Come and let vs goe vp to the mountaine of the Lord to the house of the God of Iacob and he will teach vs his wayes and we will walke in his pathes c. These things doe make for our comfort which are not of the seede of Abraham after the flesh For albeit the promise was not made vnto vs yet when it was accomplyshed we were made partakers thereof but by the Iewes notwithstanding according to the wordes of the promise In thy seede shall all nations be blessed And salâ—ation saith Christ commeth of the Iewes Thus doe we Gentiles pertaine to this redemption although it was not due vnto vs for to vs it was not promised but came by the free mercy of God through this laughter and this ioy whiche the Prophet speaketh of published and preached not onely in Simon but emongst the Gentiles also which doe enioy all the good blessings and benefites of God togither with his holy people as it followeth Verse 3. The Lord hath done great things for vs therefore we reioyce Here you see one Church gathered togither of the Iewes and of the Gentiles and with one voyce magnifying the workes of the Lorde that as Paule saith with one minde and with one mouth God euen the father of our Lord Iesus Christ might be glorified For as the Church of the Iewes singeth The Lord hath done greate thinges for vs so singeth the Church of the Gentiles also being both partakers of one fruite both knowne by one true signe to be the people of the Gospell namely because they are the people of ioy and gladnes as these wordes declare Therefore we reioyce Consider now the kingdom of the Pope and the horrible abomination thereof
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
body Nowe then shouldest thou be able to gouerne the bodyes and the mindes of other in any one house citie or common wealth As Ieremy sayth The way of man is not in him selfe neither is it in man to walke and to direct his steppes So this body which thou bearest about is not in thine owne handes This is the true maner of teaching as touching ciuill and houshold gouernment namely to shew the efficient and the final cause thereof And this doctrine is so much the more necessary for that we are all vnder the one of these two gouernments For although thou be not a married man yet must thou needes be in some part of the houshold gouernment For either thou art a sonne a daughter a seruaunt or thou hast seruants or neighbours or else thou are in some place and calling in the house or in the societie of men Nowe it cannot be auoyded but that many thinges will happen vnto thee in thy vocation both tedious and greeuous Wherefore thou must learne how to behaue thy selfe in these kindes of life also from whence they come and to what ende they are ordayned But of all others they haue most neede of this knowledge which are placed in authoritie or any kinde of life aboue others to whom it belongeth to rule either in the common wealth or to gouerne a family that they may know what is the end of their rule gouernment This Psalme therefore properly pertaineth to Salomons Ecclesiastes and not only conteineth the same doctrine but in a maner the same wordes also In Ecclesiastes he saith I haue seene vanities that is I haue seene that there hath bene no successe eyther in housholde or in politike gouernment but vexation of spirit was in them both VVherefore there is nothing better for a man then to reioyce in God and to doe good in his life as much as he is able This Psalme therefore seemeth to be as it were a briefe summe of that booke whereby he teacheth both what is the efficient cause of politike and housholde gouernment and also to what ende they must be directed He teacheth that we are but Gods ministers and workmen and are not the efficient but the instrumentall cause wherby God worketh these things As Wisdom it selfe sayth By me kings rule So the father is the instrument of generation But God is the fountaine and author of life Likewise the Magistrate is but the instrumeÌ„t wherby God maintaineth peace and politike lawes The husband and wife are the instrumentes whereby both house goods are preserued The knowledge hereof bringeth great consolation For if matters fal out otherwise or if we doe not attaine to the ende whereunto they were appoynted we may sa yt I am but an instrument and these thinges are not in my power but are gouerned of a greater and an higher power Wherfore if my wife dye if my children dye if any other trouble affliction or calamitie happen say These thinges are not in my hand I am but onely as an instrument I doe all that I can I labour and trauel I am carefull and vigilant but the Lord in whose hands all these things are giue good successe or else all my endeuour all my trauell is in vaine For if the first cause be lacking the second cause can doe nothing And thus teacheth this Psalme as touching the efficient cause In like maner it teacheth also concerning the final cause Wherby we may vnderstand that all things are the meere gift of God and perteyne to the glory and the seruice of God not to our own glory and our owne pleasure So that we ought to say thus hath the Lord done ht hath giuen this happy ende To him therefore be praise and glory for euer Amen Verse 1. Except the Lord build the house they labour in vaine that build it These are wordes of great force and power whereby he generally condemneth all our labour trauell declaring that it is not the efficieut cause of those commodities for the which we trauell Here view and consider all the histories both holy and prophane of all nations and ye shall see that God gaue such a gift vnto many that they began to rule both common wealthes and families with great commendation But when they sawe that there followed no good successe they were vtterly discouraged often tymes for their great care trauel they gained nothing else but extreme ingratitude Howe many excellent men in the common wealth of Athens howe many emonges the Lacedemonians how many in the common wealth of Rome were condemned cast into exile by vnthankfull citizens Yea this is generally the condition of all men which in their vocation whether it be priuat or publike endeuour to liue vprightly and carefully trauell to doe good in the common weale that they being hindred by the malice deceitful pracâ—ises of others ran neuer bring to passe that they take in hand For Satan deuiseth so many letts stirreth vp so many enemies such hatred conspiracies against them that either they are ouercome with impacience and so cast away all care of the common wealth or being moued with great indignation they become cruel against those whom they see to withstand their proceedings Thus eyther of a desperate mind they forsake all or with crueltie and tiranny they wil rule all But let vs learne to keepe a meane and if God haue called vs to the gouernment of a familie let vs say O Lorde thou hast giuen me a wife house and children Ouer these by thy authoritie I am made a ruler I will doe therefore what in me lyeth that all thinges may be well gouerned If they haue not such successe as I desire I will write Patience But if they come well to passe and take good successe then wil I say thankes and praise be vnto thee O lord It is not my workâ— but thy gift alone And euen so must he doe which is called to any office in the common wealth which hath farre more neede of this holy counsell because of the great troubles and trauells which he must susteyne He that is able thus to doe shall liue quietly in matrimony and in the gouernment of the common wealth and shal enioy the comfort and tranquilitie of heart and conscience in the middes of all daungers and calamities Wherefore this I often teach and this counsell I giue that such as enter into any office in the common wealth or into matrimony should begin with inuocation of Gods holy name and prayer So that who so euer would marry a wife should earnestly call vpon God and craue his helpe that he would not onely giue him a good wife but also that he would gouerne and direct the whole course of his life For when this is neglected he marrieth a wife vpon hope that he shall haue such a one as his new loue doth imagine But afterwards when it falleth out otherwise so that
nature And this is but the strength of humane wisedome created in man at the beginning in Paradise Wherfore the holy Ghost careth not for these things only he doth approue them as excellent giftes and treasures necessary for mans life and sayth All these thinges are of my creation Moreouer he goeth about here to rayse vp the blinde and decayed nature of man and to call vs from all trust and confidence in flesh to the ende we should not attempt any thing aboue our power nor attribute any thing vnto our selues For by the fall of Adam nature is so corrupt that it cannot see the good giftes of God to be giftes in deede but the politike heade thinketh that he enioyeth all thinges by his owne wisedom and policie he looketh not vpward nor glorifieth God but sayth this haue I done But this doing is in deede an vtter vndoing Wherefore seeing that common wealthes and families are ordeyned already seeing that lawes artes and sciences by the ordinaunce of God were at the first created togither with man the nature of man doth wickedly abuse them in that it sayth I will doe I will gouerne and I will bring these things to this ende to this perfection whereby I will procure mine owne quietnes glory and pleasure With this presumption of God is highly offended and therefore he geueth no successe thereunto And good cause why For as he made the Sunne that thou shouldest haue the vse of it and not to the ende thou shouldest rule it so he gaue thee ground that thou shouldest till it but not to the end it should bring forth what and how much thou wouldest haue but what and how much he would giue So he gaue thee witte reason a wife a family and other thinges But this is euermore the peruersenes of mans nature corrupt through the sinne of Adam that it will not acknowledge the giftes of god Of Gods gifts it ought to say with thankes giuing This I haue receiued but proudly blasphemously it saith This I haue done It ought to say This hath my Lord God giuen me but it sayth this haue I gotten I wil gouerne mainteyne it by mine owne wisedom It is the Lord then which buildeth the house which giueth ◠wife children liuing which kepeth the city giueth publike peace mainteyneth lawes c. Wherfore these words Except the Lord should be written with great letters yea with golden letters because the nature of man fighteth against them and that through the sinne of the fall of Adam in that we attribute all thinges vnto our selues and those things which we ought to ascribe vnto God we take and enioy as if they were our owne And to this Satan also stirreth vppe our corrupt nature which of it selfe is inclined thereunto Wherefore it followeth that our deuises and enterprises are voide of all good successe and we our selues are neuer quiet If this vice of presumption were not we should finde much more quietnes and haue better successe in all our doinges For God would saye vnto vs Thou takest me for the onely creator and geuer of those thinges which thou enioyest therefore wil I blesse thee .. But because we doe not so he ouerwhelmeth vs with many miseryes and calamities he letteth the deuill lose setteth hell open as it were against vs so that in housholde gouernment great troubles are stirred vp and in the common weale warres manslaughter For since we will not heare him teaching and warning by the word he will teach vs with scourges with our owne calamities that like vnto the Phrygians we shoulde learne to be wise by our owne harmes and knowe that we are not Lords gouerners of these thinges So Cicero at the last was compelled thus to say Alas I was yet neuer wise And yet some time I was estemed to be that which in deed I was not but in vaine O people of Rome how much hath thine opinion which thou didest conceaue of me deceaued thee For he so gouerned the people of Rome by his owne wisedome and policie that at the last he lost his heade This is our corruption which we haue by the first and originall sinne of Adam When we wil not acknowledge the Lord giuing and gouerning but doe all thinges without his feare and with a trust and confidence in our own strength So in housholde gouernment it falleth out that he giueth to some proude yong man a faire wife which is either a harlot or else vnapt to all good huswifery housholde affaires whereby she is a perpetuall burden vnto her husband The like hapneth also to Princes rulers and Magistrates in the common wealth so that none can winde them selues out of those troubles which by their owne folly they fall into A worthy plague and punishment For why will they haue God to be a geuer when they them selues wil be the builders and gouerners But the world although it heare these thinges neither careth for them nor yet beleueth them These wordes therefore are spoken onely vnto the godly Except the Lord keepeth the citie the watchmen keepe it in vaine As if he said The Lorde is the keeper and if he be not present what so euer is doone in the common wealth is but in vaine When I was a student at Erford I hearde this saying of a certaine wise and learned man called Martinus Sangerhaufen that Erford should continue inuincible as touching riches and strong munitions but the time should come when that strong and riche common wealth should lack men This was a wise saying Wherby he signified that cōmon wealthes are not maintained through wealth riches and power if godly expert gouerners be lacking Let men build thē as much as they will and let them fortifie their cities if they can with yron walls let them heape togither mountaines of golde yet shall all these thinges be but in vaine without godly gouerners First of all therefore this must God work that the citizens and people may be godly and fearing God Moreouer that the Magistrats may be both godly and expert men Also that the Princes and higher powers may be such as serue God feare God such as loue reuerence his worde These are true strong mighty fortifications of kingdoms common wealthes When God hath giuen these munitions then may men deuise also strong walls ditches But because this is not done therfore kingdoms and Empires are ouerthrowne one after an other And I am of this opinion that Empires kingdoms common wealthes had prospered continued much longer if Monarches Princes had omitted this pronoune I that is to say if they had not bene proud through the confidence which they had in their own strēgth and wisedom But now when the King of Babylon Nabuchodonosor lifting vp him self in pride presuming of his own strength said This haue I done he liued seuen yeres togither with grasse and wandred in the fieldes
like a brute beast So the kingdoms of the Persians of the Grecians of the Romanes were destroyed and brought to nought When they vaunted gloried in them selues saying I haue done by and by followed I am vndone Behold and consider all the Monarches Princes common welths that euer were and ye shall se that when they added to their actes enterprises this proud bragge I haue done they were destroyed because they shut God out as a foole through this presumption and set them selues in his place Thus all the wisedome policie and strength of man faileth and commeth to nothing We also at this day should not lack walls and other munitions if men were not lacking Of whome there is nowe greate scarsitie And they which gouern are in authoritie they specially cannot be centent with their owne state but swell and waxe proude through wealth and power They trust to their strong munitions and fortifications as though it were vnpossible for God to ouerthrow and beate in peeces euen yron walls and mounteyns of gold I say not this as though cities and common weales ought not to be defended and fortified lawes mainteyned and publike discipline reteyned but this addition we condemne that they write in their foreheads this pronoune I This addition I God neither will nor can suffer But because the world can not omitte it nor forget it therefore one kingdome is destroyed after an other one Prince after an other and one common wealth after an other So in Esay Sennacherib glorieth of his mighty and inuincible power against God Whereupon followeth that notable slaughter of his whole army and he him selfe also is slayue of his owne sonnes Of Syrus also the text sayth I haue holden his right hand to breake open the brasen barres For there is no force or violence so great no munition so strong but God is able to ouercome it how easie a matter is it for him thinke ye to bring the wealthiest and richest common wealths in the world to extreme pouertie by warre famine pestilence c. These munitions then must be prouided the house must be buylt a wyfe marryed the houshold gouerned These thinges the holy Ghost doth not condemne but would that we should not thereto adde originall sinne Preserue the creature therfore and vse it but away with that which is thine owne originall sinne I meane whereby thou offendest god The creatures are thy wife childreÌ„ family and goods These are good thinges and the good giftes of God the vse wherof God hath lent vnto vs But thou addest thereto thy originall sinne and wilt take vpon thee to gouerne them by thine owne wisedom condemning God and not calling vppon him or beleuing in him who hath giuen these thinges vnto thee Thou walkest carelesly in this presumption and sayest I am he that ruleth these matters Therefore it followeth as a iust plague that thy wyfe thy children and family are disobedient Much good may it doe you master gouerner which will presume to rule these matters not calling first vpon God. The same also hapneth in ciuill gouernment Therefore sayth the Psalme Except the Lord keepe the citie c. Here the Prophet setteth the Lord agaynst our originall sinne and agaynst our naturall presumption As if he should say This say I that the citie is kept in vaine except the Lord keepe it But there is an other Lord an other gouerner which will rule these matters that is to say our wisedom and presumption which neglecting God presumeth to gouerne these great and weighty matters and excludeth god And in deede it prospereth some tymes But this is a token of Gods great wrath when hee geueth successe to the wicked For it is an offence and a stumbling blocke vnto the godly and also a snare to many other which seeking to atchieue the like thinges take vppon them the like gouernment but all in vaine So Augustus Caesar in gouerning the common wealth had great successe He escaped the ouerthrowes and terrible ruines of many other Kinges as touching his owne person albeit as touching his subiectes his gouernment was most vnhappy Others by his example take vpon them to rule the common wealth and looke to haue the like successe but see howe fewe there be that doe enioy it These thinges I recite to the ende we may learne that we are not the rulers and gouernâ—rs of these high and weighty matters ciuill and houshold gouermnent I meane much lesse of the Church of God where all thinges without comparison are of greater importance and of much more difficultie To keepe is to blesse mainteyne preserue And here he speaketh not as I sayd before of making and ordeyning lawes For those he presupposeth to be established in the common wealth already But he admonisheth and teacheth the Magistrates to call vpon God and to execute their office dutie in the feare of god And if their labors and trauells do not prosper as they would let them thinke that God doth it to bridle their presumption and to humble them For if all things should succeede as they woulde it shoulde be an occasion of infinite euills and enormities But when they see that their wisedom preuaileth not their policie is disapoynted their power and authoritie taketh no place then doe they learne by their owne experience that there is an other Lorde and master to be called vppon and taken as the principall gouerner of the common wealth who will helpe them will gouerne for them and geue good successe to that they take in hand that so they may flie to prayer and say helpe Lord take vppon thee our charge and burthen and gouerne thou for vs Also that they may knowe they haue a large promise that God being called vppon will heare them and helpe them This clause then Except the Lorde keepe the citie is against them which call not vppon God but by their owne wisdome presume to builde the house and kepe the citie To them it is said that they shall labour watch in vaine The keeper he calleth a King a Prince a Magistrate For in a litle word he comprehendeth the greatest and highest matters in the world For God is a great a mightie God who hath a large mouth and with smal words he vttereth vnto vs mightie matters Princes and Magistrates therefore he calleth keepers which are appointed and ordained to gouerne common wealthes But they watch in vaine saith he except the Lord him selfe assist them and their trauells take no such effect as they would but if the Lord be absent they doe nothing else but torment and crucifie them selues in vaine I haue seene some which haue tyred them selues day and might with continuall labour and yet were they not able to liue thereby They spent no time in idlenes no time in play notwithstanding they liued miserably with their wiues and children Others pitying their case admonished them y by this continuall â—oyle they should
neuer waxe rich Wherfore they exhorted them to winne industrie with their trauell so should they the sooner attaine to that which they so painfully sought For a master of a housholde in whom there is some industrie can doe more with one peâ—ee of gold then some other can doe with two A woman skilful of houshold affaires industrious prouident withal can liue with her family a whole yeare of those charges wherwith an other woman not so industrious prouident and discreete is not able to endure halfe a yeare For industrie hath alwaies best successe But they them selues which gaue this counsel to those poore men did not see that industrie is also the gift of god Now the cause why industrie so greatly helpeth and bringeth such successe to our endeuours and labours is for that it obserueth the circumstances of persons places conuenient times other occasions that nothing be done in vaine nor labour lost These thinges he that doth not obserue in houshold and politike gouernment must of necessity be many times deceiued No maruell is it then if great riches are not able to suffice a man in whom this industrie is lacking that is which doth not with discretion obserue consider the circumstances before mentioned These men therefore gaue this counsel that industrie should be ioyned with labour because labour without industrie hath no successe But Salomon speaketh more properly not that industrie but that the Lord him selfe is the cause For euen this also is the gifte of God through industrie to gouerne the common wealth and to doe nothing rashly but to obserue all occasions and to seeke all opportunitie that all thinges may be done in conuenient time place c. Such a wiâ—â—ad that noble Prince Friderike Duke of Saxony Elector He was in deed a man industrious who said not all thinges who did not all thinges vpon a sudden which he was able to say or doe He dissembled many thinges but in conuenient time and place he did more with a word then many other without this industrie could doe with power and great strength Such are they which are not onely painefull and diligent but also industrious which can waite for occasion and time conuenient when one word will strike and pearce more deepely then at an other time many swordes could doe But this is humane and not diuine wisedom Wherfore it is not sufficient to gouerne such high weighty matters but there muste be prayer also ioyned therewith that the Lorde would be present that he would keepe watch and warde or else shall mans industrie be all in vaine be it neuer so greate So teacheth this Psalme as touching the principall cause whereby all the indeuours counsells and policies of men are ruled and directed and keepeth vs that we make no confusion or mixture of causes and that of the first cause we make not the second cause or else in deede no cause at all For he did not create things and so leaue them saith a certaine Philosopher speaking of God and very well He did not so ordaine matrimonie and ciuill gouernment as the shipwright doeth the shippe who after that hee hath finished his worke so leaueth it and committeth it to the mariner to be guided as he will. But God is still present with his creature and gouerneth both the house and the common wealth This men doe not knowe but thinke that God hath no regarde of those thinges which we doe but leaueth them vnto vs Contrary to this prophane and wicked opinion Salomon teacheth vs that we should feare God call vpon him and so take in hand to gouern our families and to serue the common wealth as God hath appointed vs with a cheerefull hart Also he admonisheth vs not to presume vpon our owne wisedome policie power munitions or riches All historyes are ful of examples and our owne experience also doth witnesse that presumption hath neuer good successe and yet the world will still be the worlde and doth not beleue Wherfore these things are profitable for none but for the godly But if the world will not heare and obey let it rage let it vexe and torment it selfe since it seeth and feeleth it selfe to watch to labour to be oppressed with continuall toyle and trauell and all in vaine And this doth it worthely iustly and most iustly suffer For here it is written that except the Lorde keepeth the citie the keeper watcheth in vaine and this doe they reiect Wherefore the Lord also reiecteth them he will not keepe nor builde their citie and so what remaineth but onely in vaine Verse 2. It is in vaine for you to rise earely and to lye downe late and eate the breade of sorrow It is in vaine saith he for a man to rise earely to goe late to bed and with great labour to get his liuing for so signifieth bread in this place The Hebrewes call it the bread of affliction The meaning then of these wordes is this that bothe in houshold and ciuill gouernment all mans endeuour all his care study and trauel is in vaine except it be blessed from aboue For by these kinds of speech to rise earely and to lye downe late he signifieth greate care and paineful trauel As if he saide It is not thy strength thy care thy study and endeuour that can make thee riche but the blessing of God maketh a man rich c. God wil not giue successe vnto thee because of thy labour like as he will not giue riches to such as are idle and carelesse Notwithstanding thou must labour and yet must thou commit and commend al to God which blesseth and giueth successe vnto all But it seemeth as the text soundeth that the Prophet here forbiddeth laboure contrary to that sayinge in Genesis In the sweat of thy face thou shalt eate thy bread Also to these wordes of S. Paule Let him ruleth doe it with diligence Here he seemeth to say the contrary For he pronounceth that to laboure to rise earely and to lye downe late to be carefull and painfull is but in vaine whereas notwithstanding in other places sloth and idlenes are condemned Here ye must make a distinction betwene faith and workes or betwene the spirite and the fleshe With thy hart thou must trust in God and call vppon him but if thou hast maried a wife or bearest any office in the common wealth that perteineth to the olde man to the flesh not to the spirit to works and not to faith Here thou must labour and exercise the outwarde man Thou must rise earely and lye downe late that is thou must be carefull as touching the outwarde man howe thou maist prouide for thy family doe good in the common wealth c but thy minde must be free and voyde of care for care ought to extend no farther then to the outward man onely That is the outwarde man ought not to be idle and slouthfull but diligently to doe that
which he is called vnto in labouring in studying in deuising in prouiding as an instrument So the handes must labour but the hart must looke vpward from labour to the Lord and craue helpe of him So that whiles the outward man is exercised with labour and trauel the hart of the new man in the steede of care and trauel must fâ—ye to prayer and say Lorde I obey and willingly followe thy calling I wil therefore doe all thinges in thy name Gouerne thou direct my labours This consolation is so great that it can not be expressed For although no successe follow yet art thou quiet in mind sayest Thus it hath pleased god I am not the principall cause to doe what I would but the instrument cause onely haue done what I could For like as when thou hurte â—ethy haâ—â— with thyne axe or with some other toole in doing thy works yet thy hand remaineth the same it was before and is not caste away euen so although thy family be disobedient commende the matter to God and doe what thou canst then shalt thou doe both these thinges so as God wil be wel pleased that is thou shalt rise earely and not rise earely thou shal labour and yet shalt not labour in vaine For as touching the old man thou eatest the bread of sorrowe but thy hart is quiet and at rest in hope of succour and the blessing of the Lord. These thinges we dayly teach and yet is the couetousnes of men so great that there is no ende of heaping vp riches by hooke or crooke by right or wrong Yea they wil rather omitte the seruice of God the hearing and preaching of his worde then any gaineful labour They doe not see that whiles they neglect the worde and seeke their owne gaine they procure vnto them selues a farre greater losse which although they doe not presently feele yet shall it come to passe that their riches which with so greate labour they heape togither by Gods iust iudgement shall perish eyther by theeues by warre by fire or otherwise or else they shall neuer come to the heyre whom they doe appoynt But in Popery this perswasion was deepely rooted in mens heartes that if they had once heard a Masse they beleued that what so euer they tooke in hand that day should prosper Howe great then is our impietie which doe not giue that reuerence to God and his word which they gaue to their own idolatrous worke yea which preferre our owne gayne our wealth and riches aboue God and the incomparable rich treasure of his word Wherefore it shall come to passe that for the punishment of this sinne the world shall be brought to greater pouertie and from day to day there shall be greater scarsitie of all thinges like as we also doe see at this day that there is greater dearth of all thinges then hath bene in times past What is the cause Forsoth we rise earely we lye downe late and eate the bread of affliction We delite in earthly cares in toyle and trauell be it neuer so paynefull to enrich our selues and in the meane season we neglect God and his word Therefore will God heape vppon vs aboundantly both cares and calamities end that most iustly for that it is which we so greedely seeke But I returne to the text In the which ye see that housholde and ciuill gouernment are wholy committed vnto vs but yet so that we must know and acknowledge our selues to be but Gods instruments and Gods workemen not authors or first causes of these diuine matters Therefore the Prophet thought it not enough to say affirmatiuely God him selfe gouerneth and maketh the citie he buildeth the house and appoynteth the family but he setteth downe also the negatiue and sayth Ye doe it not And this is the part of a good teacher But as I haue sayd the worlde can not abide the negatiue For the worlde sayth This will I this haue I done and this will I doe It will needes be the gouerner of common wealthes and rule in Gods steede Wherefore it receaueth a iust reward in that his enterprises are all in vayne and his labours without successe As the Psalme sayth Their dayes are consumed in vanitie that is to say they were deade before they could bring to passe that they tooke in hande For since they will not beleeue that God gouerneth all thinges they see their owne policie to be but vanities their labours vnprofitable and of none effect Let euery one of vs therefore abyde in his degree and calling and let vs knowe that this God requireth of vs that we say I beleue in one God that is God will still be God the creator and maker of all things and vs he will take and account as his workemen onely as instruments and not authors or principall causes But because we couet to be authors and efficient causes therefore we finde nothing but vanitie and bread of affliction This sentence must be enlarged and applied to all states and degrees of men and not onely to artificers and men of occupation which rise earely to doe their worke Not that it is euill to rise earely and goe late to bed not that it is euill to be exercised with labour all the day For these thinges God requireth of all men but sloth and idlenes is accursed But we must here put a distinction betwene labour and presumption He doth not condemne labour but diuilish presumption he condemneth because that we not contented with our owne trauel and care doe take vpon vs also Gods office and care which he hath for vs and he will wrest from vs his diuine power and maiesty which we so presumptuously vsurpe and take vpon vs he will haue vs to labour and not to be idle For this tentation is naturally rooted in vs that we presume to be as gods This diuilish presumption beganne in paradise when Satan sayd to Eue Ye shall be like gods it alwaies continueth fast fixed in this flesh so that it can not be suppressed as it ought to be and as we both teach and are taught but needes we will be gods This is therefore a very naturall disease and corruption of the creature Against this presumption and this care which perteyneth to the diuine maiestie alone the holy Ghost here fighteth when he sayth that it is not our endeuour wisedom and policie but God him selfe that ruleth these thinges and we are but his instruments But the wicked are neuer the better Yea the godly also doe offend herein very often For we are not content with our owne state and condition but we will be gouerners also and wil appoynt the beginning the middes and the end as may best serue for our owne commoditie Wherefore we tyre our selues with vayne cares night and day as the examples of the whole world doe declare One man purposeth to marry this mayden or that and in ordering of his house in guyding of his familie to vse
should not perish through necessitie And although some times it hath so happened that mothers haue deuoured their children yet a few examples do not take away this general rule For these were speciall examples of the wrath and of the plage of god It is one thing to speake of God as he is offended and sendeth plagues and an other thing to speake of him as he gouerneth and nourisheth vs Wherefore we see the children of such as liue miserably with bread and water to haue healthfull bodies liuely and well liking Againe we see many folkes children which liue in great wealth and pleasure to goe like ghostes leane pale and pining And why so because children are the gift of God whom God him selfe hath created Wherefore he giueth those things withall which children can not lacke as the first creation of man doth declare For before that Adam was formed of the earth God the maker of the earth prepared the same as a house for him to dwell in And this house he left not empty and vnfurnished but replenished it with all kindes of wealth riches and all good thinges that he might shew vnto vs the posteritie of Adam that he would be our father would keepe guide and gouerne vs and giue vnto vs all thinges plentifully so that we would beleue Likewise whiles the childe liueth yet in the mothers wombe it is not able to helpe it selfe but is nourished by God alone For what is it able to doe which lyeth yet without any sense After it is come into the world it hath the mothers breastes to nourish it as a founteyne ordeyned to that ende and purpose It hath bathes to wash it it hath clothes to lappe it in it hath the cradle to lye in and such other thinges as it hath neede of Moreouer there are not onely women at hande to doe what so euer is necessarie about the infant but Angells also as many notable examples doe witnesse And to what ende are all these things done To shewe that God will preserue his giftes and benefites Wherefore children are here to be taken not for children onely that is for flesh skynne and bones but for all other thinges that perteyne vnto children In like manner by the wife and the husband we must vnderstand not their bodies onely but their habitation meate and drinke apparell and all other thinges necessary for the maintenaunce and gouernment of a family And these are the excellent giftes of God whether they bee great or small For God doth not distribute them to all men alyke Notwithstanding although they bee but small yet in that they are the giftes of God they are great and liberall For like as we rather esteme and regard the rewards of Princes by the boūtifull heart and minde wherewith they are giuen then by the valewe and worthines thereof be they neuer so small euen so although God hath giuen vnto thee but a small portion poorely to susteyne thee and thyne withall yet lette the good will and the blessing of God content thee and thereupon rest because thou knowest assuredly that God loueth thee and of loue hath giuen the same vnto thee which if he take from thee againe thou shalt be more able to beare it patiently because thou knowest it to be not thine owne but the gift of god Thus is thy mind quiet at rest whether thou haue plenty or whether thou lacke When thou doest thus cloth and apparell and as a man would say incorporate God with his owne benefites then doe those benefites become more large and plentiful how smal so euer in outward appearance they seeme to be This may suffice as touching the meaning of the Prophet Now it remaineth that we should say some thing concerning the grammaticall sense and signification of the wordes which because of the Hebrew phrase and maner of spech is somewhat obscure For where the Prophet sayth Children are the inheritance of the Lord we may say Children are the gift of god For in the Hebrew tongue this word inheritance hath a large signification Inheritance the Hebrewes doe call the land diuided among the people by Iosua Hereof it commeth that this word is applied to all donations and free giftes For the land of Canaan was giuen only to the children of Israell Whereupon all possessions proprieties and free giftes are called inheritance So is it sayde in the Psalme Thy lawe is mine inheritance that is a gift which thou hast giuen vnto me We vse this word otherwise for that which is giuen to vs by our parents But in the Hebrew tongue it is taken for a gift or a portion giuen of God. Where he sayth and the fruite of the wombe is his rewarde we may say Children are the bountifull and the free gift of the lord It is a repetition of that which goeth before As if he sayd The benefite which we receiue of the Lord as it were by inheritance is children the gift which the Lord bestoweth vppon the godly and proceedeth from his liberalitie is the fruite of the wombe So that inheritance and reward signifie both one thing that is to say the gift and liberalitie of the lord So we reade Ieremy 31. Refrayne thy voyce from weeping thyne eyes from teares for thy workes shall be rewarded sayth the Lorde Also Matth. 5. Reioyce and be glad for great is your reward in heauen Likewise 1. Cor. 15. Be ye stedfast for as much as ye knowe that your labour is not in vayne in the Lord that is it shall be rewarded This is the doctrine of the holy Ghost concerning the true and Christian gouernment of housholds and familyes to beleeue that children and all thinges else are the gift of god When we assuredly know◠that we receiue all things at Gods hands as the only giuer thereof then do we learne by a goodly consequence which the holy Ghost here teacheth vs how we may beare ouercome all miseries and calamities so that if either wife or children dye or if any other aduersities or miseries happen we may say with holy Iob The Lord gaue and the Lord hath taken away blessed be the name of the Lorde For reason being now lightned by the word doth acknowledge Gods blessing and giueth thankes vnto him for the same and in aduersitie doth not repugne or repine against the will of god Not that we can lose the giftes of God without sorowe and heuinesse of the flesh for we doe not here goe about to comfort the fleshe but the spirite Albeit the very Sainctes and children of God also doe feele these troubles notwithstanding they are not oppressed and ouercome therewith Like as Iacob was in great anguish when he had lost Ioseph yet he did not despaire he did not blaspheme but suffered this calamitie patiently because he knewe that as Ioseph was the gifte of God so he was taken away againe also by god He therefore that hath a minde thus prepared and instructed shall not be ouercome with
repose our selues vpon the good will and pleasure of our God. Likewise in the Church are not all thinges I pray you full of troubles vexations and wofull calamities in so great a multitude of prophane godles people Notwithstanding all these things when we looke to the will of God are easily borne and ouercome So let vs also in matrimony consider first the word of God then the gift which the Lord bestoweth vppon vs when he giueth wife and children and thirdly Gods blessing and peace in the politike state and common weale For these giftes thus acknowledged let vs afterwards giue thankes vnto god So shal God be prouoked to bestow a greater blessing vpon vs whereas if these thinges be not done we shall prouoke him to take from vs those giftes which we haue So great Empires kingdoms cities common weales might longer prosper and flourish then they do But because they be vnthankfull vnto God and contemne his word they come to ruine and miserably perish Let vs therefore learne to be thankfull and the blessing of God shall abound in vs. The .129 Psalme They haue often times afflicted c. This Psalme consisteth of two partes In the former he giueth thankes to God for the defence and continuall deliuerance of the people of god In the later part he maketh his prayer against the aduersaries in praying he prophecieth withal Both these serue for our instruction and also conteyne an exhortation to patience vnder the crosse which perteyneth not to one age or tyme but as the continuall history of the Church doth shew to all times and to the whole life of man Moreouer we doe here comprehend both Churches of the Iewes and of the Gentiles as Paule also in a maner ioyneth them both togither when he sayth First to the Iewe and then to the Grecian For as touching the Church or people of the Iewes it appeareth by the histories that they were placed in the middes of their enemies as a goodly rose in the middest of thornes On the southside the Ismaelites the Arabians other cruell people vexed them On the west part the Egyptians the Ethiopians the Troglodites and other like On the North side the Philistines the Assyrians c. So the Church after the destruction of the Synagoge is compassed euery way with enemies and Christ according to the Psalme reigneth in the middes of his enemies Thus were they often times and many wayes afflicted But herewithall God shewed this miracle that when they were so afflicted he alwayes deliuered them And thus was the kingdom of Israel a miraculous kingdom in that the Lord when he would correct and chastise them suffered the Philistines Edomites Moabites Assyrians and Babylonians to haue victory ouer them Againe when they seemed to be vtterly oppressed they victoriously preuailed against their enemies So continued this kingdom in despite of the cruel nations round about it and of Satan him selfe as is to bee seene in the bookes of the Kinges and also of the Chronicles Now because this people had both threatnings and promises set before them as touching their afflictions deliuerance this was vnto them a great consolation euen when they were afflicted spoyled that they knew that all these things came to passe not by the wil or power of their enemies and much lesse by their righteousnes or desertes but onely by the will of God thus punishing and chastising his people yea threatning and forewarning them by the Prophetes that he would so punish the disobedient This is no small consolation that in thy affliction and calamitie thou mayst be able to say this is the scourge of God thus correcting me and visiting my sinnes It is not the wrath of God or the merite and deseruing of my aduersary These thinges must we apply vnto our selues also to the ende that when we be oppressed we may comfort our selues that we are not oppressed by the power of death sinne hell or any creature but by the will of God our creator afflicting vs and punishing our sinnes ingratitude and yet so that he leaueth vnto vs this fatherly promise the he will not forsake vs And such a figure of the whole kingdome of Christ is set forth in the Apocalyps For how much doth is speake of euill angells of cruel beasts such other plagues of the Church which should enter into the Church the kingdom of Christ God so permitting Notwithstanding consolation followeth afflictions and calamities and though the Church be neuer so sore afflicted yet shal it continue and endure at the length shall ouercome and victoriously triumph But this Psalme agreeth especially vnto our time wherein the Church hath bene most greuously afflicted both vnder the Turks and also vnder the Romish Bishops yea and as it were vtterly abolished So that if ye wey the matter well it may appeare that the condition of the Iewes in Babylon was better then the state of the Church vnder Antichrist where the true vse of the Sacraments was taken away the benefit of Christ darkned faith extinguished no true seruice of God vsed no true good workes exercised generally all thinges which perteyne to true religion were cleane abolished or most miserably deformed and defaced Wherfore like as the Iewes in Babylon were put from the sight vse of the temple the sacrifices the ceremonies all politike gouernment so the Church vnder Antichrist had no true ministery no true seruice of God not her owne kingdom and gouernment but was constrayned to obserue and keepe the babylonicall and hethenish rites and ceremonies of the Papistes Thus was the wrath and thus haue bene the punishments of God in a maner all one in the Church of the Iewes and the Gentiles Wherefore it is most necessary that we lay hold vpon this consolation that as the Psalme sayth we are afflicted we are cast downe we are troden vnder foote but we are not ouercome For the Church shall stand and remaine inuincible notwithstanding that through great incredulitie and incredible infirmitie the victorye therof is hidden can not be seene As it was vnder the Pope where all Scholes and all Churches taught nothing else but the blasphemous doctrine of the Romish bishops and doting dreames of the Monks This was the very same thing that the psalme 73. complayneth of where it sayth VVe see not our signes and yet God had euen then his Church although it was very litle obscure miserably deformed Before the kingdome of the Romish Antichrist what a swarme of heretikes sprang vp Of whem also the Church was sore vexed and afflicted euen as the Iewes were afflicted of the nations which dwelled nere vnto them And like as the captiuitie followed that affliction of the Iewes so the kingdom of the Romish Bishops was that captiuitie which fâ—llowed the outragious furie of the heretikes out of the which also haue flowed all the euills and plagues which haue bene euer since in the Church as out of a
these calamities God shewed forth his power and not onely remitted their sinne but also turned away the punishment thereof so that still there remayned a Church and the practises of their enemies were brought to naught Wherefore the Prophet here not onely repeteth the daunger and calamitie of the Church but with great ioy he addeth withall an exhortation that euery member of this body should praise the mercy and goodnes of the Lorde and say They could not preuaile against me This is a singular consolation not only for the whole Church of God but also for euery one of vs perticularly against the proud bragges of our enemies and the great hope which they haue conceiued that they shall preuaile against vs Heretikes and sectaries doe glory that they shall haue the victory The Pope vaunting of his owne strength the power of Princes cryeth out we shall ouercome Satan ioyneth with them both and reyseth vp such troubles that it seemeth doubtfull to whom the victory will fall This oppresseth not onely euery man priuatly with great heauines and sorrow but also the whole Church As we by experience did proue in the assembly gathered at August where it seemed that our enemies should vtterly haue swallowed vs vp But did not we there find these wordes to be full of consolation They could not preuaile This cōsolation we must hold fast euen when we are killed as by the examples of the primitiue Church we are taught For the Church is as it were watered with the blood of the faithful that the greater encrease may come thereof Now like as these words of the Prophet are rightly applyed to that persecution which is done with the sword so must they be applyed also to the assaults of heretikes and Sectaries For it is their propertie to boast and bragge of the victory alwayes to triumph before the victory But how so euer our aduersaries triumph glory let vs endeuour to hold fast the word and what so euer we doe let vs apply it wholy to the amplifying of the kingdom of Christ and his word If then as needes it must be assaultes and battells doe follow yet let vs sing with Dauid They could not preuaile For albeit they kill vs yet neither the Pope nor any other heretiks nor the Turke nor Satan him self shall euer be able to quench the word Neither yet shall they preuaile against vs if we stedfastly abide in the word In deede this will we graunt vnto Satan that he is stronger then we and vexeth vs many wayes For many are the troubles of the iust but God will deliuer them out of all And why Because it is the word of God which they professe teach and moreouer it is Gods owne cause which they defend Wherfore although the Pope attempt and practise neuer so much mischief and goe about to styrre vppe the whole world against vs although false brethren which walke not in true sound doctrine continually vexe vs although Satan him selfe neuer cease to reyse vp the gates of hell agaynst vs yet will we sing with Dauid euen to the ende They coulde not preuaile yea and that onely because of the word Verse 3. The plowers plowed vppon my backe they made long furrowes See what vnlike and almost contrary thinges he ioyneth here together Before he cōforted the faythfull that the enemies should neuer be able to doe any thing against the Church because it is inuincible and can not be ouercome and here he complayneth that they plow vpon the backe of the Church make such furrowes as seeme to be of an infinite length This is an offence therefore which vehemently troubleth the godly that God suffereth Satan and the world so long to rage so long to vexe afflict the Church that he giueth successe vnto their wicked counsells and attempts that he suffereth the vngodly euen then to prosper when they are most worthy to be punished with all maner of tormentes and vtterly consumed On the other side the godly the more they pray and the more they hope the lesse seemeth their prayer and their hope to take effect Euery day are they more and more afflicted euery day there is lesse lesse hope left Wherfore this similitude is well applied vnto them in that they are compared to a grownd which is continually plowed wherin such furrowes are drawen as seme to haue no end as though there were no god which either seeth their calamity or the impietie and outragious cruelty of the enemies of the word He signifieth therefore that they haue neede of continuall patience not for a day or two but all the dayes of their life So that they which haue the worde must assuredly purpose and determine neuer to departe from God although they should suffer the same afflictions a thowsand yeres together How mauy haue we seene in these our dayes which haue fallen away yea and such also as sometime did stand when the fruite of the word was hindred through persecution like as the Sunne dryeth vp and withereth the corne that is sowen in a stony ground Wherefore we must learne that the patience of the faithful as it is in this verse described is such as is ready to offer their backs vnto the plowers and to suffer not for a day nor for a yeare but for the time of their whole life For he compareth afflictions to the long plowing in the backe of the faithfull Like as our Sauiour Christ also signifieth when he saith He that continueth to the ende shall be saued For to beginne is not enough And that patience which hath her boundes and limites prescribed may be found euen among the Gentiles But the patience of Christians is perpetuall that is to say such a patience as seemeth to be infinite and without ende for the ende thereof doth not appeare Like as on the other side the ende of their consolation appeareth not So that those thinges which seeme to be moste contrary are here ioyned togither that is to say the length and the long continuance of the furrowes in the back of the faithfull and the victory of the faithfull singing of those which driue the plow They could not preuaile Moreouer this great and long continuance of the furrowes in the backe of the faithfull includeth suche an offence as no carnall wisedom is able to ouercome namely that the wicked doe not onely prosper but their felicitie also continueth long so that it semeth to be as a reward of their tyranny their persecution malice against the church For if God would suffer their tyranny but for a litle time spedely reward thē according to their deserts we should al then say that God is mindful of his children angry with the wicked But now since impietie and wickednes flourisheth many yeres togither and the wicked stil continue and encrease in great felicitie without punishment the same is verified of them which Diogenes said of Harpalus that they seme to giue a
Here is to be noted also that he sheweth to whom he wisheth euill namely to those which hate Sion And that hatred which they bare against Sion was an hatred against god For in that Satan hateth the Church he doth it not onely in respect of men but because he hateth God him selfe whom the church prayseth and magnifieth Moreouer Sion was a place which God had chosen vnto him self Like as therfore God had chosen that place to shew his great loue towards it so had Satan chosen the same to shewe his malice against it and with all his power to vexe it In like maner not onely Satan but also the malignant Church of the Pope doth persecute vs not because we are euil in the sight of the world For this they could wel suffer yea would be glad if they might heare that we are whoremongers murtherers as they are But the true cause why they so deadly hate and persecute vs is this for that it greeueth them that we in their eyes are innocent as touching the second table and also obedient to the first wherein we are commaunded to honour serue and prayse the Lord to feare him to trust in his mercie c. Verse 6. Let them be as the grasse on the toppes of the houses which withereth afore it commeth forth This is a goodly Psalme for the sundry excellent and most apte similitudes conteyned therein whereby the holy Ghost painteth out those great maiesties principalities of the world which fight against the gospel A litle before he compared them to plowers drawing out furrowes of a maruelous length To whom he so compareth them not in this respect as though it were graunted vnto them so long to abuse their power wealth and riches but in respect of the great tediousnes griefe and anguish of those which suffer the plowers the furrowes the wounds and treading vnder foote For vnto them it seemeth a tedious a long and as it were an infinite plowing Wherefore they desire to be deliuered and neuer so litle tarrying through this tediousnes and anguish of hart seemeth to them intolerable Against this wearines and this tediousnes therefore he comforteth the faithfull with this similitude of grasse in the toppe of the house As if he sayd Why seemeth the time so long and so tedious vnto thee Why doest thou not learne to vnderstand what these plowers thy aduersaries be Diddest thou neuer see grasse growing in the toppes of houses Who did euer complaine that that grasse flourished so long who euer went about to plucke it vp As though it were not wont of it selfe to wither and vanish away Learne therefore that the very same is the state and condition of thine aduersaries Thus with one similitude he fighteth against an other But if a man could effectually beleue that this similitude was made and here set downe by the holy Ghost close vp the same fully in his heart he should feare neither y Turke nor the Pope with all his cruel Prelats nor the tyranny of Princes but should contemne them all and as litle regard them as the grasse on the toppes of the houses But behold the outward shew of this grasse If any child should see it he would esteme it to be better then any barley for to barley it is most like since it groweth not as other thinges doe vpon the earth but in an higher and more notable place lodeth the topps of the houses But take a man that knoweth these thinges and he will say it is nothing else but a goodly shewe resemblance without any fruite Thus hath the holy Ghost chosen this similitude to teach vs not to wish that tyrannes may be like grasse but to knowe that they are in deede most like vnto grasse on the house toppes which withereth away before the haruest time come or any man goe about to cut it downe Senacherib who besieged Ierusalem did flie ouer kingdoms oppressed trode downe all things vnder his feete therefore he could not be counted of Ezechia and others like vnto grasse and yet before he achieued that he went about he was compelled not without great feare and also much slaughter of his souldiers to reise his siege and he him selfe also most miserably perished So Pharao seemed mightely to growe and encrease not vpon the earth but in the ayre vppon the house toppes but the miserable Iewes were oppressed and troden vnder foote like myre in the streetes This is a resemblāce of grasse not withering but freshly flourishing But how quickly did it wither and vanish to nothing For when Pharao did verely thinke to oppresse them he was suddenly oppressed him selfe and perished in the waters Such an image of tyrannes and tyranny the holy Ghost paynteth out vnto vs in this place Why then shouldest thou feare Why shouldest thou tremble Why shouldest thou despayre as though thou haddest neuer seene most flourishing grasse within few dayes to wither away of it owne accord or diddest not know the nature of it to be such as can not long continue Athanasius when Iulianus the Emperour did many wayes afflict both him the whole Church fought not onely with crueltie but also with craft and subteltie against the faithfull in so much that others as it were in a terrible tempest were vtterly discouraged and past all hope of deliuerance sayd that this persecution of Iulian was not a tempest but a litle cloude In deede this heart was full of fayth which could beleue that Iulianus was like not to a terrible and a violent tempest not to a mighty black cloud wrapping all things in darknes but vnto a very litle cloude which the Sunne doth quickly consume In like maner must we also extenuate and diminish the power of our aduersaries set at naught all their proude bragges and all their crueltie not in respect of our owne strength but because they are of them selues nothing else but a buble in the water grasse on the house toppes and a very shadow rather then men besides this that they prouoke God also against them selues whose fury and cruelty compared vnto his power is a thing more vaine then grasse on the house toppes or a bubble in the water for it is nothing else but a bare and a naked shew which semeth to be something when in deede it is nothing So are all the attempts of the aduersaryes full of threatnings but in the ende they come to nothing This is the wisedome of Christians to diminish the power of the aduersaryes contrariwise to amplifie the word the mighty protection of the lord The deuill sinne death and other spiritual tentations are greate but a Christian can make a distinction of greatnes For greatnes is vnderstand two maner of wayes The one is according to the eye which the eye iudgeth after the outward shew the other is according to the trueth which the truth iudgeth after the word The greatnes therfore of sinne death wicked kings Princes
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
assayle vs as pouertie sicknes vexation of minde and such like we should endure these tentations with faith hope declaring our patience towards God and hoping for deliuerance at his hande in his good time Like as Paule also writing to the Romans willeth vs to reioyce euen in our afflictions and tentations For if God did not loue vs Satan would not hate vs If we were not partakers of life our enemie woulde not persecute vs with death So those which are most iust and holy because they hold fast the hope of the remission of sinnes Satan tempteth most of all wich the horror of sinne yea and that in such wise as some times the taking of one litle cuppe of wine or of one word vnaduisedly escaped he maketh such a sinne that baptisme and al other giftes and blessings which we possesse seeme now to stande vs in no effect Yea many times euen those works which are good and holy he reproueth and condemneth as most wicked that he may bring the tender and timorous conscience into heauines All these thinges I say the godly doe finde and feele But if we should follow our owne sense and feeling without the worde howe farre and how miserably should we wander from God Thus Satan dealeth not with the Papistes but goeth a contrary way to worke excusing yea highly commending in them most horrible and detesâ—able crimes as excellent vertues Contrariwise we that desire and endeuour to liue according to the will of God and moreouer doe teach the word sincerely and faithfully doe often times suffer such trouble and vexation of conscience as if we liued most wickedly We must learne therefore out of the word that these thinges hâ—ppen to the godly and must be ouercome with such cogitations as the holy Ghost here setteth forth So that we must thus thinke with our selues I am called to the Communion and partaking of the merite of Christ and am baptised If in the common course of this life there be any offences by me committed there is mercy with the Lorde and in hope of this mercie I will let them passe Moreouer our doctrine although the world sclaunder it and most spitefully persecute it must needes be true This doctrine after that we once beleue in Christ sheweth vnto vs that with the Lord there is nothing else but mercie For God can no otherwise doe but loue vs and bestowe his benefits vpon vs Now if the contrary appeare to my sense and feeling I passe not neither if I should die for it would I suffer this knowledge to be wrested from me but I stedfastly beleue that in the earth beneath and in the heauen aboue there is nothing else but mercie Thus to beleeue I am perswaded not by feeling or by mine owne experience but by the word which saith that with the Lord there is mercie for me and all that doe beleue But for them that beleue not there is nothing else but wrath I will therefore ouercome my tentations with the word and will write this promise in my hart that since I beleue in Iesus Christ doubt not but that my sinns are pardoned through his blood I shall not be confounded although all sence reason and experience would perswade and proue to me the contrary In my selfe I perceaue nothing vut wrath in the deuill nothing but hatred in the world nothing but extreame furie and madnes But the holy ghost can not lye which willeth me to trust because there is mercie with the Lord and with him is plentiful redemption Redemption signifieth deliuerance and that generall as wel from the faulte as from the punishment but specially from the fault This redemption he calleth great and plentifull because the straitnes of our hart is such that it can not comprehend the same For when we pray we so pray that it seemeth we woulde be content with a litle So they that are in trouble heauines of minde doe wish for the comfort and quietnes of one day They that are in pouertie would be glad to haue bread for the preseÌ„t day But God doth not thinke this enough for he giueth aboue all that we can either conceiue or aske And most true it is that we do not knowe howe or what to aske And here I gladly vse mine owne experience For what and how much hath he giuen vnto me alone I wished no more but that the horrible abuse of the Popes pardons might be taken away but what a floode of wonderfull and incomparable benefites hath followed So is it alwayes true that no man dare aske so much of God as God is ready and willing to giue The cause hereof is the straitnes of our hart the slendernes of our hope and weakenes of our faith This plentiful redemption then aboue all measure exceedeth all our petitions and desires Wherefore the Lorde hath giuen vs all a forme howe we shoulde pray For if we had not this forme of prayer prescribed vnto vs which of vs durst be bold to aske so many and so great things We are now therefore not onely made conquerers of sinne hell and death by the merite of Christ but also doe feele the bountifull and liberall hand of God towardes vs euen in this life And albeit we could neuer haue bene bold to aske so much and so many thinges yet notwithstanding he hath giuen vs these thinges and will giue vs also more Therefore the Prophete saith that this redemption is plentifull because it exceedeth our capacitie For like as we slenderly beleeue so we slenderly aske But our father in heauen rayneth plentifully vppon the litle poore sparkes of our prayer and small droppes of our faith and recompenseth his delay in giuing with great abundance For although we must still waite yet is our deliuerance so much the greater Iacob which is Israell waited for the Lord what followed That people so mightely increasing and multiplying of so small beginnings afterward chaunged the whole world And if Abraham had seene all his posteritie and all the wonderful actes which God wrought amongst them woulde he not haue said thinke you that he coulde neuer haue hoped or once haue thought that this should euer haue come to passe True it is that Abraham beleued the promise of God But that there should be such a wonderful and glorious bewtie of his posteritie he could not beleeue because of the straitnes of mans hart So the Church after Christ prayed for the aduancing of Gods kingdom and after this praier followed the ruine of the Romane kingdom which before seemed to be inuincible We likewise pray at this day for deliuerance The day of the Lord therefore shall come and shall destroy the whole world with all the power of Satan hel This onely therefore let vs endeuour that we may continue in faith hope Then shall the Lord make a glorious ende of all our troubles For God wil not forsake vs except we first giue ouer to hope and
deserue Thus coÌ„meth it to passe that when the wicked haue once taken their course like vnto a wilde horse they neuer rest vntil they come to a miserable ende The same haâ—â—eth also to all those which seeke to be iustified by workes The Phariseis neuer ceased to persecute the Gospel and to trust in their own righteousnes vntill Ierusalem the kingdom the priesthood were vtterly destroyed This is the ende of presumption when it is not bridled and repressed by the worde True it is therefore that this enormitie can not be remedied but either by grace or by wrath Thus generally in a maner they vnderstand this Psalme to be written against pride and presumption But in my iudgement it may be more aptly applyed vnto the spirituall pride of mans own righteousnes For as before I haue sayd these three thinges make men proud wisedom power righteousnes You may therfore if you list make three kinds of pride according to these three obiects For they are giftes of God distributed vnto men and haue their measure and their meane appointed vnto them They therefore that are wise are wise according to their measure and can not be more wise They which are mightie are mightie according to their measure and can not be more mightie Likewise they which are righteous are righteous according to their measure and can not be more righteous But pride maketh them desirous to seeme more wise more mightie more righteous then they are in deede Hereupon it followeth that when the matter commeth to the triall and sinne striueth with righteousnes exceeding her owne gift and measure then is righteousnes ouercome and made desperation which oftentimes driueth hypocrites to the halter So it commeth often times to passe that impotency fighteth against power ouercommeth As it hapned to the Israelites fighting against the one onely tribe of Beniamin In like maner foolishnes many times ouercommeth confoundeth wisedom And of this strange successe what is the cause Forsoth euen this that men doe not trust in the Lord but presume of their owne wisedom power righteousnes contrary to the word and will of god For God will haue vs to trust onely in his power and mercie But thus will men haue it and thus they thinke that they are mighty righteous and wise to this ende that they should trust in these titles and presume therof Wherefore this they finde at length and that iustly that they are most miserable and vnhappy For why do they not that which they are able why enterprise they that which they are not able to doe Most worthy are they therefore to be punished and plagued according to the Dutch prouerbe because they attempt that which they are not able to accomplish Let vs therefore abide in humilitie and let vs thinke moderatly and modestly of our owne gift Let vs not iudge other let vs not oppresse other let vs not be wittie busie in other mens affaires but let vs doe that which pertaineth to our vocation and let euery one of vs so much the more diligently fight against this vice by how much we finde and fele the same to be fixed and rooted in our nature and in euery one of vs albeit it sheweth it selfe in one more and in an other lesse as also the historyes of the Gentiles and heathen men doe declare For Cicero was more ambitious then Demosthenes paraduenture because he lyued in a greater kingdom and a mightie Monarchie Likewise Iulius Caesar was more ambitious then Augustus So in spirituall matters Pharao had an obstinacie ioyned with pride To conclude all the examples both of the holy Scriptures and also of the Gentiles doe shewe this to be the ende and successe of proud and presumptuous persons that suddenly the wrath of God falling vppon them when they least of all feare it they are confounded and miserably perish But as I haue said we will leaue this generall interpretation and apply this Psalme to the spirituall pride which consisteth in the opinion of mans owne righteousnes Verse 1. Lord mine harte is not hawtie neither are mine eyes loftie neither haue I walked in great matters and hid from me In that Dauid thus glorieth reioiceth he doth it being taught by his owne experience As if he said I haue proued what an euill thing it is to be hautie and high minded and to rest securely in the opinion of righteousnes Wherefore I wil no more be now high minded I will not glory any longer in mine owne righteousnes For the proud Pharisey which braggeth that he is not as other men be when his conscience beginneth once to accuse him forthwith is cast down and stricken with terror and is not able to stand against the least sinne I speake not of the huge mountaines and seas of sinnes and iniquities which in a moment do swallow vp and consume the proude and secure It is good therefore saith he O Lord that thou hast humbled me and hast schooled me by afflictions that I should not be proude that I shoulde not seeme holy in myne owne conceite that I should not make my selfe as a Iudge and a Censour iudging and condemning al men For that is the propertie of all Iusticiaries and such as trust in their owne righteousnes holines and perfection As the example of the Pharisey in the Gospell doth declare whiche is not content to recken vp his owne vertues and good workes but with all he must needs condemne the poore Publicane This is the sinne of naturall and morall righteousnes or of the righteousnes of the lawe to condemne others to presume and to clyme euen to the iudgement seate of God and to pronounce sentence against those whom they thinke not to be so perfect as them selues He that is a ioly Citizen or alearned lawer thinketh highly of him self and maketh him selfe as it were a certaine idoll vnto him selfe but others he condemneth and in comparison of him self proudly coÌ„temneth The husbandman when he seeth any fault in the Magistrate thinketh as did that seruaunt in the Poet Oh why was not I made a King a Ruler a Magistrate These be but politike matters ful of vanities most fond follyes and folishnes and yet there is none of vs all which are able therein to bridle and moderate our selues except the holy Ghost doe guide and rule our hartes and teach vs that this righteousnes whether it be naturall or moral is but as a worke of mans hand which maketh vs no whit the better before god And in deede there is no man so foolish that will thinke him selfe the better Christian or more acceptable before God because he is a Tayler a Carpenter or a Shoomaker And yet although the case be all one there is no man which doth not presume of this righteousnes whether it be morall or natural except the holy Ghost bridle him and bring him into the right way For it hath a goodly shew of holynes and
therfore it putteth vppe the mindes of men with pride vntill they be humbled of the Lorde and so learne that there is no helpe in this righteousnes before the iudgement of God. How often haue we sene that great notable diuines which liued among men with a maruelous shew of holines with a great presumption of their own righteousnes at length when death approched haue falne into desperation fled to most vaine foolish trifles for help succour in so much the not only yet liuing they wrapped them selues in a fryers coule but also being dead were buried in the same So I remember that a notable man amōg lawyers of name fame the chiefest when he was at the point of death vttered these words O si subulcus potius quam iure cōsultus fuissem Oh saith he that I had bene a swineheard rather then a lawyer For he perceaued that in that daunger the administration of iustice be it neuer so exact helpeth nothing In like case when Cicero saw him self to be in daunger through the power of Augustus and Antonius his aduersaries he perceiued that there was no comfort nor succour to be found in all his great knowledge and learning but that all his learning and all that great studie and knowledge of philosophie vanished away and auailed him nothing The same hapned likewise to Demosthenes flying from Antipater To conclude all such examples doe teach that to be most true which Salomon sayth He that exalteth his house seeketh destruction But this our Courtiers doe not beleue They clyme loue to be aloft they seeke to rule and in deed they rule euen as he that driueth the cart vntil it sticke fast in the myre and can neither goe forward nor backward And this is the cause that kingdomes and common weales are in a maner nothing else but ruines and destructions Who would thinke if he consider the ciuill gouernment which was vnder the first Emperours that the Romane Empire yea and many other common weales also could continue the space of one day For as Titus Liuius sayth they can neither abide their faultes to be touched nor remedies to be applyed thereunto and therefore they fall of their owne sway as an house that is builded to high But the daunger is much greater when in Religion men haue proud lookes and proud hartes and walke in such matters as are hidden from them that is to say when they please them selues because of their holines thinke that they sitt in Gods owne lappe and yet know nothing of the free mercie of God in Christ and the forgiuenes of sinnes but walke altogither in their owne workes and say with the Pharisey that they fast twise a weeke they giue tyth they are not adulterers extorcioners vniust although their hartes be full of all maner of filthy lustes This presumption continueth vntill they see them selues to be in daunger of death then all these vayne helpes with all their false hopes vanish away and these voyces of desperation or such like follow I haue liued wickedly I haue broken my vowes I haue not obserued my rule c. When then I say wast thou made a Monke was it not because thou shouldest ascende to righteousnes But by this meanes thou hast descended into hell because thou wouldest be exalted They that rest in the confidence and trust of their owne righteousnes either fall at the length into these tentations or else they dye like an oxe or a cowe Verse 2. VVhen I did humble my soule and cause it to keepe silence then was I as a childe that is wayned from his mother Here he sheweth plainly by his owne experience what daunger it is for a man to trust to his owne righteousnes Wherefore let vs learne what these wordes in the Epistle to the Hebrewes The sinne hanging fast on or cleaning fast vnto vs doe importe And let vs not follow the foolish and rash opinion of the common people which by a fewe sermons thinke them selues to haue atteined the knowledge of the whole Scripture Thou hast peraduenture heard all but thou hast not yet beleued al. Thou hast not learned those experiences and practises which in a Christian are the chiefest namely of faith of prayer of the crosse whereof Dauid here treateth most effectually and diuinely as the excellencie therof doth require I caused my soule sayth he to keepe silence and humbled my selfe I sayd vnto my soule be still glory not hold thy peace When he sayth I caused my soule to keepe silence the hebrew word signifieth to confound or bring to nothing As in Osea it is sayd I will make thy mother that is to say the Synagoge to keepe silence As much to say as I will destroy her and make her wast So in an other Psalme he sayth Be still that is prouoke not the Lord with your obstinacie and presumption but obey and humble your selues So sayth he here When I did not refrayne from presumption and trusting in mine owne righteousnes and the righteousnes of the lawe yea euen in God him selfe if he be worshipped by keping of the law when I did not desire that God although after a sort I kept the lawe would not enter into iudgement with his seruaunt this I say when I did not then was I in deede euen as a child wayned form his mothers breast The Prophet speaketh here of a matter of great importance and yet this similitude seemeth to set forth some light or smal matter For why doth he rather take his similitude of a childe then of a man which is growne to his full strength But this is not onely a fitte but also a very goodly and a pleasant similitude For what greater miserie can happen to a child then to be wayned and kept from the mothers breast This seemeth to the infant a very death and destruction So saith he here When I was ledde away with the spirite of pride and securitie and lost the dugge of Gods heauenly grace that is to say of the remission of sinnes and of the free mercie of God in Christe then was I in deede like vnto a childe which hath lost his mother without whose ayde and succour he can not liue that is I was brought to extreme and most certaine daunger of death and condemnation Wherfore the Prophet leadeth vs here to that necessary distinction betwene the law the Gospel For the law is a necessary doctrine to beat downe the pride of sinne in vs which riseth of that confidence of our owne righteousnes There is also as before I haue said a presumption in riches power wisdom but that presumption may be cured many wayes But this which presumeth of our own righteousnes is vncurable except that waining come wherof Dauid here speaketh by the meanes wherof our conscience being stirred vp through the terror of the law is forced to examine our life our maners conuersation But because we are
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
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
Sauiour Christ God is able of these stones to raise vp children vnto Abraham For whereas the promise was made vnto Abraham the Phariseis because they were the children of Abraham thought they shoulde vndoubtedly be heires of the promise This confidence made them bold to liue carelesly and without all feare of god Therefore saith he it is certaine that the children of Abraham shall be heires of the promises made vnto Abraham but if ye will be carelesse and wil not obey the commaundement of God I say vnto you it is an easie thing for God to reiect you and of the very stones to reise vp a posteritie vnto Abraham So this promise dependeth wholy vpon the condition to bridle and beate downe our presumption The couenant is the promise of mercie through christ The Testimonies are the will of God reueiled vnto all ages by Moses and the Prophets Wherefore he requireth faith and then obedience vnto the law And here is to be noted that he addeth VVhich I will teach them For he will be the teacher and he wil be heard He will not that the Councells should be heard or such as teach that he hath not taught So we say also of the Church that where so euer the promise of God is beleued and his word obeyed there is the Church But they that doe not beleue bragge they of their glorious titles their holy vocations and such like neuer so much are reiected of God no members of the Church For who would beleue the Pope because he is the Pope And yet for this onely cause he will be beleued no man may aske whether the thinges which he teacheth be true and sound but he will haue men simply to beleue that that holy sea can not erre Against this who so euer dare once open their mouthes or examine his decrees by the word of God are drawne and haled to all kindes of torments Like as therefore the Iewes taught and defended their errors and impieties by the authoritie of their Kinges vppon whome this promise seemed to be grounded euen so in all ages is the false church wont to doe But we answere that in deede the promise is true and yet is it conditionall namely If ye keepe my couenant and my testimonies For God did not so anoynt the Kings that they should doe what so euer seemed good in their sight or what so euer they ordained or taught God would approue because they were kings and the anoynted of God but he addeth If ye keepe my couenant So in the newe Testament it is a true saying He that heareth you heareth me but yet not generally to be vnderstand of all those which teach in the Church For some teach not the word of Christ but their owne word This word God willeth not to be heard but commaundeth that it be not heard when he sayth Take heede of false prophets So Moses in Deutronomie commaundeth that the king should neuer lay the booke of the lawe out of his handes but should exercise the same continually in reading in learning and in practising the same If this commaundement was giuen to the Kings vnder the law what shall we then thinke of the word of the newe Testament In vayne shall the Pope and his Prelates here glorie and bragge of the Councells the fathers the Church the dignitie which they haue so many yeares vsurped All these are so farre to be approued and beleeued as they teach according to the rule of the holy Scripture For the Church which hath authoritie from God is that onely and alone which followeth the voyce and the word of the Lord. Moreouer we learne by experience that nothing is more common emongest men then to abuse the authoritie and power committed vnto them very few there be which doe rightly vse their authoritie either in the Church or in the common wealth The cause is for that the greater part serue their owne affections their owne lustes and pleasures and whiles they shoulde rule others they suffer them selues to be ruled and gouerned of Satan Hereof commeth it that we see the Pope the Bishops yea the whole Papacie to haue no care of the word nor loue to the word at all but are wholy giuen ouer to seeke theor owne glorie dignitie wealth and pleasure Wherefore their authoritie bindeth not vs although it were the authoritie of an Angell from heauen but with good conscience we depart from them lest we should be disobedient to the high authoritie and Maiestie which is God him selfe But if the Pope with his Prelates would not resist and persecute the doctrine of Christ if with vs they would beleue teach that we are iustified by the onely price of the blood of Christ and would not teach men to make marchandise of their owne merites and workes we would gladly acknowledge their authoritie But since they manifestly impugne the worde since they defende their impieties and abominations with extreme crueltie and tyranny we doe not onely reiect and contemne their authoritie but we say as Paule sayth that they are accursed It is a common principle emongest the popish Doctors that the Pope is aboue the worde and the Scripture and that in the lawe of God he may dispense as pleaseth him But God giueth no authoritie vnto man aboue the word So should he set man that is to say dust and dunge aboue him selfe for what is the word but God him selfe This word they that honor obey and keepe are the true Church in deede be they neuer so contemptible in the world but they which doe not are the church of Satan and accursed of God. And this is the cause why it is expresly set downe in the text The testimonies which I will teach them For so will God vse the ministerie of teachers and Pastors in the Church that he notwithstanding will be the chiefe Pastor and all other ministers and Pastors what so euer yea the Church it selfe shall be ruled and gouerned by the word Emongest the people of Israel the Kings and Priestes glorying and vaunting of their vocation thought they might doe what they list So the Pope and his Prelates at this day will not be subiect to the authoritie and rule of the word the Scripture For the euill conscience which the Pope hath doth alway cry out and witnesse vnto him that the holy Scripture is the word of God and therefore will be against him vtterly condemne him Wherefore there is no prison which he more hateth and abhorreth then the word of God. This conditionall sentence is here set down because of the wicked that they should not take vppon them an absolute power contrary to the word For there is no absolute promise but that which perteineth vnto Christ which saith not with a certeine condition but generally and absolutely that Christ should come of the seede of Abraham Nowe whereas the corporall kingdom did endure vntill this promise as touching Christ
holy place must offer vp pure and holy prayers So saith S. Paule also lifting vp pure hands c. for else ye shall pray in vaine Pure hands signifie innocencie from blood extortion spoile robbery The Prophet therfore setteth forth here two sortes of men comming to the temple praying Some there be that come and pray in innocencie and holines Some againe pray in hipocrisie hauing their hands defiled with blood The prayer of such is sinne as the Psalme sayth Paul teacheth in like maner concerning prayer Pray saith he without wrath or doubting Also our Sauiour Christ saith If thou bring thy gift to the altar and there remembrest that thy brother hath ought against thee goe thy way and first be reconciled to thy brother and then come and offer thy gift For this is a common thing that hypocrites when they haue done all the iniury they can against their brethren are not only without all remorse of coÌ„science but also they make a great shew of religion and holines bragge of the Gospell more then the true Christians doe Against these the psalme speaketh warneth them that when they pray in the holy place they ought to be pure holy For who so euer praieth is possessed with the sinne of couetousnes fleshly lust or any other deuil to him the Lord sayth VVhat hast thou to do to declare mine ordinances that thou shouldest take my couenant in thy mouth seeing thou hatest to be reformed and hast cast my words behinde thee For when thou seest a theefe thou runnest with him thou art partaker with the adulterers c. Such was the prayer of the Pharisey which departed out of the temple vniustified For this is a common euil among men that they which are most impure wicked doe glory more of God his word then such as are godly feare God in deede Wherfore the Scripture expresly declareth that such there be as take the name of God in their mouths and yet in hart life are polluted and wicked And in this place the prophet inueyeth against hipocriets whiche thinke that when they pray God seeth not the vncleannes of their hart This is therfore a necessary prayer the first God would giue vnto vs his word defend the same against all vaine spirits heresies and secondly that he would preserue vs in innoceÌ„cie keepe vs from hipocrisie Verse 3. The Lord that hath made heauen earth blesse thee out of Sion As touching Sion we haue sayd before that God would haue not only certeine ceremonies certeine persons but also a certein place for his seruice worship lest the people should wander vncerteinly and choose vnto them selues peculiar places to worship God in Now for as much as this thing was not without offence for what can be more absurd and contrary to reason then that the God of heauen and earth should be shut vppe in that darkenes therefore to confirme their mindes herein he sayth that the Lord which dwelleth in Sion is the maker of heauen and earth This haue we often declared and necessary it is that it should be often repeted lest we should chose vnto our selues straunge and peculiar kindes of worship For as in the olde Testament there was a certaine place certeine persons and certeine times to the which God had bound as you would say his seruice so we in the newe Testament do find the father in christ In Christ the father is worshipped but without Christ he can neither be worshipped nor found but what so euer is deuised for the seruice of God without Christ is damnable and accursed The summe and effect therefore of all togither is this O ye Priestes ye Pastors and Ministers of the word to you I speake you I do admonish that ye follow the word faithfully and do your office purely For whiles the word and the ministery are sound vncorrupt there is nothing that can hurt vs For although Satan the world do assaile vs what then If God be with vs who can be against vs Let this be therefore your speciall care and endeuour that the word may remaine pure and vncorrupt and pray that the Lord would assist you herein and blesse your labours for of all the blessinges of God this is the greatest Which might be sayd in moe wordes but let this suffice Now it is our duetie likewise in this light of the worde to endeuour by all meanes to doe the same lest that through our vnthankfulnes the worde be taken from vs againe and to pray for the Churches that God would blesse them for Iesus Christ his sonnes sake our Lord our Redemer Amen THE ENDE The word must be continually exercised because of the continuall tentations whereof we are in daunger The lothiÌ„g and fulnes of Gods worde After the lothing of the word commeth contempt and then Gods plague The argumeÌ„t of the Psalm The Psalmes pray in two respctes agaynst Satan Satan how he is a murtherer How he is a lyer Our first parents deceiued by lying The authors of wicked doctrine are incorrigible Arius Proteus was one that could chauÌ„ge him selfe into diuers formes as nowe into a beast nowe into a tree and now into some other thing else Against heresies we must fight especially with prayer Inward tribulation and affliction of the soule The vse and practise of faith Howe the mindes of men must be stirred vp to prayer Tribulation stirreth men vp to prayer Luther writeth that which he hath proued by experieÌ„ce The necessitie of prayer set forth vnto vs in the Lords prayer Prayer is a seruice of God. How poore afflicted consciences are to be comforted which dare not call vnto the Lord. The prayers of the Papistes Nothing more hard then to pray God the hearer of praiers The saying of Bernard God giueth not alwayes that we pray for The prayer of yong children The godly youth in that reformed church being brought vp in the nâ—rture of the lord coÌ„tinuall catechising may shame al our reformation where the youth is so godles for lacke therof Howe God heareth our prayers Wicked doctrine A liuely picture of the Deuill The commoÌ„ people are the framehowse or workehowse of the deuill Deut. 29. Coles Iuniper The fire of the heretikes is more swift then the fire of the holy Ghost Luther prophecieth Kedar and Mesech signifie the enemies of the church Luke 11. The argument of the Psalme This Psalme containeth the doctrine of faith A coÌ„paring of contraries The commendation of faith Idolatry prospereth and flourisheth for a time Humane helps and comforts The help of the Lord. Why he sayth to the hills and not to the Lord. Our mountayne Trust affiance in the helpe succour of the Lord. Remedies in afflictions The iudgement of the word in afflictions must onely be followed The history of Iulian and Athanasius The exercise of faith Experience and practise maketh a right Christian The
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