fame is like the Merchants wealth got in many yeeres and lost in an houre Wherefore speake well of all men alwaies if it may bee done with truth and when it cannot then bee silent or else interrupt euill detractation with other meere and merrie communication as Sampson at his mariage feast propounded a riddle to his friends hereby to stop the mouthes of backbiters and to occupie their wits another way Bernard excellently The tale bearer hath the diuell in his tongue the receiuer in his eare The theefe doth send one only to the diuell the adulterer two but the slanderer hurteth three himselfe the partie to whom and the partie of whom hee telleth the tale Ter homicide saith Luther vno ictu tres occidit vâ—us est qui loquitur vnum tantum verbam profert tamen illud vnum verbum vno in momento mulâ—itudinis audientium dum aures inficit animas interficit The third fault is malediction a grieuous offence when it is spoken with hatred and a desire that such euill come vpon our neighbour but when it is vttered vpon some sudden disdaine without regard to that we speake it is lesse euill yet for all that alwaies euill because from the mouth of a Christian who is the childe of God by adoption nothing ought to passe but benediction The 10. Commandement THe former precepts intend thoughts and desires aswel as act and practise for the Lawgiuer is a spirit and therefore must be worshipped in spirit yet lest wee should pretend ignorance God in this Commandement giueth especiall order for them Or as other The former precepts did condemne the setled thought to doe mischiefe but this euen the first inclination and motion to sinne though a man neuer consent but snub it in the beginning Rom. 7. 7. Thou shalt not lust or desire Now we sin three waies in this kinde 1. By coueting y e goods of our neighbour Immoueable as his land and house Moueable as his oxe and asse c. 2. By coueting his wife 3. By plotting treason and murther To couet his goods is against his profit which is deare to him to couet his wife is against his honor which ought to bee more deare to couet his bloud is against his life which of all wordly things is most deare Whereas it is obiected that desire of murther is not forbidden in particular as the desire of theft and adulterie for the Commandement saith Thou shalt not couet thy neighbours house thou shalt not couet thy neighbours wife but it is not said Thou shalt not couet thy neighbours bloud Answere is made that a man doth not desire any thing principallie but that which bringeth him some good at least in appearance And so he desireth adulterie because it bringeth delight hee desireth theft for that it bringeth profit but murther bringeth no good at all and therefore it is not desired for it selfe but only to attaine to theft or adultery or some such designement So that God hauingeÌ„ forbidd expresly the disordinate desires of delectation and gaine comequently forbad desires of murther which is not coueted bâ—t for vnlawfull profit or pleasure Thus perfect righteousnesse is fulfilled when we wrong not our neighbour either in deed or in word or desire but contrariwise doe good vnto all speake well and thinke charitably of all Now the reason why the Church appoints the Decalogue to be read at the Communion is euident namely because the law is a schoolemaster vnto Christ teaching vs to know sinne and by knowing of sinne to know our selues and knowing our selues to renounce our selues as of our selues vnable to doe any thing and so come to Christ who doth strengthen vs to doe all things Almighty God saith Luther hath written his law not so much to forbid offences to come as to make men acknowledge their sinnes already past and now present that beholâ—ing themselues in the lawes glasse they may discerne their owne imperfections and so flie to Christ who hath fulfilled the law and taken away the sinnes of the whole world For as the reformed Churches of Scotland and Geneua speake the end of our comming to the Lords table is not to make protestation that wee are iust and vpright in our liues but contrariwise we come to seeke our life and perfection in Iesus Christ being assuredly perswaded that the Lord requireth on our part no other worthinesse but vnfainedly to confesse our vnworthinesse So that our enemies being Iudges it is well ordered that the Commandements are rehearsed in the ministration of this holy Sacrament Let the Nouelists here blush who calumniously censure our Church for omitting in the proeme of the Decalogue one halfe line when as themselues in their owne Communion bookes haue left out all the whole law This indeed occasioned me to remember an obseruation of Cominaeus vpon the battell of Montlehery that some lost their offices for running away which were bestowed vpon other that fled ten leagues further Hypocrite first cast out the beame out of thine owne eye and then shalt thou see cleerely to cast out the mote out of thy brothers eye Matth. 5. 16. Let your light so shine before men c. THe Lords Supper is called a sacrifice by the learned ancient Doctors in foure respects First because it is a representation memoriall of Christs sacrifice on the crosse 1. Cor. 11. 26. As often as yee shall eate this bread and drinke this cup ye shew the Lords death vntill he coâ—e So S. Ambrose Christ is daily sacrificed in the mindes of beleeuers as vpon an altar Semel in cruce quotidie in sacramento saith Lombard Secondly because in this action we offer praise thanksgiuing vnto God for the redemption of the world and this is the sacrifice of our lips Heb. 13. 15. Thirdly because euery Communicant doth offer and present himselfe body and soule a liuing holy acceptable sacrifice to the Lord Rom. 12. 1. The which excels the sacrifices of the Priests in old time for they did offer dead sacrifices but we present our selues a liuely sacrifice to God Fourthly because it was a custome in the Primitiue Church at the receiuing of this blessed Sacrament to giue large contribution vnto the poore a sacrifice well accepted of God Heb. 13. 16. Now the Church allowing and following this good old custome stirres vp the people to giue cheerfully by repeating some one or two choice sentences of scripture best fitting this occasion as Matth. 6. 19. Matth. 7. 12 c. 5. 10 These kinds of oblation are our Churches offertorie and vnbloudy sacrifices offred by the whole congregation vnto the Lord so farre differing from popish sacrificing as S. Pauls in London is from S. Peters in Rome 1. Cor. 11. 28. THe sum of the Ministers exhortation before the Communion is contained in these words of Paul Let a man therefore examine himselfe and so let
him eate of this bread and drinke of this cup wherein obserue Two points A preparation Let a man examine c. A participation and so let him eate c. In the first note the Parties Examining a man that is euery man Examined himselfe Parts Beza translates and Erasmus expounds 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 quisque so the word is vsed Iohn 3. 27. A man can receiue nothing except it be giuen him from heauen and Iohn 7. 46. Neuer man spake like this A man then in this place signifieth euery man subiect Soueraigne Priest people The which obseruation ouerthroweth vtterly Romish implicite faith Euery lay man ought to turne confessor and examiner endued with sufficient knowledge for this heauenly businesse he must looke not onely thorow the spectacles of the Priest but also see with his owne eies able to try himselfe Himselfe For that is the duty not another for that is a fault We must not be busie Bishops in other mens Diocesses but meddle with our owne businesse we must not breake our neighbours head with the Pharisie but smite our owne breast with the Publican S. Augustine complained of men in his time that they were Curiosi ad cognoscendum vitam alâ—enam desidiosi ad corrigendam suam and reuerend Hooker of men in our time that their vertue is nothing but to heare gladly the reproofe of others vice like Tailors who measure like Barbors who cut all other except themselues But our Sauiour Christ would not haue vs to gaze on the mote in our brothers eye but rather to pull out the beame in our owne sight And his Apostle here not to pry into other but to try our selues not but that other according to their seuerall charge must examine other as parents must examine their children Exod. 12. 26. 27. and masters must examin their household Gen. 18. 19. and Pastors must examine their parishioners as here Paul corrected directed the Corinthians and for this cause the names of all Communicants are to be sent vnto the Minister that there may be made triall of all yet if parents and masters and Ministers omit this examination euery one must be both able and willing to proue himselfe The parts of examination are concerning the Manner Matter For the manner a triall is to be made Vprightly Necessarily The former is implied in the word Examine which notes a diligent and exact inquirie such as Lapidarâ—es and Goldsmiths vse to finde out true mettall from counterfeit good from bad As the Shunamite sought for Elisha Mary for Christ the woman for her lost groate so we must search as if we would finde search vntill we finde Many men examine their bad maners as they do their bad mony seeke as if they would not see search as if they would not vnderstaÌ„d They decline sinne thorough all the cases as one notes In nominatiuo per superbiam in genitiuo per luxuriam in datiuo per simoniam in accusatiuo per detractationem in vocatiuo per adulationem in ablatiuo per rapinam and yet they will not acknowledge their sinnes in any case When other mens examination hath found them out excuses are ready Non feci si feci non male feci si male feci non multum male si multum male non mala intentione aut si mala intentione tamen alâ—ena persuasione Wherefore as the Prophet said If ye will aske a question aske it indeed so if ye will examine your selues examine earnestly throughly vprightly For examination must be made necessarily This we may gather out of the word therefore whosoeuer shall eate this bread and drinke the cup of the Lord vnworthily shall be guiltie of the body and bloud of the Lord Let a man therefore c. Triall of our selues then is necessary both in respect of our Dutie Danger if we neglect this dutie In respect of our dutie for Christ in his first institution vsed a commanding terme Doe this Doe this in remembrance of me so that it is not in our choice to doe it or not to doe it If any be not fit he must endeuour to make himselfe fit and the way to make fit is examination Let a man examine himselfe therefore c. Secondly triall is necessarie in regard of the danger if we receiue the Lords Supper vnworthily Danger in respect of The sinne vers 27. The punishment for this sinne in Generall vers 29. Particular vers 30. For this cause many are weake and sicke and die See Epistle for Mandie Thursday Now the matters in which euery Communicant must be examined are summarily two Faith Repentance These two like Hippocrates twinnes must goe together hand in hand For there is no true repentance without faith nor liuely faith without repentance B. Latimer said well Lady faith is a great state hauing a Gentleman Vsher going before her called agnitio peccatoruÌ„ and a great traine following after her which are the good workes of our calling He that saith he doth repent when as he doth not beleeue receiues the Sacrament ignorantly and he that saith he doth beleeue when as hee doth not repent receiues the Sacrament irreuerently both vnworthily The parts of faith are Knowledge Application Euery Communicant ought to know the 3. generall points of holie Religion namely mans Generation how he was created according to Gods image in holines and righteousnes Degeneration how he fell from that estate and all his posteritie with him Regeneration how hee was againe restored and recreated by Christs passion of which this Sacrament is a signe and seale In more particular euery Communicant must vnderstand the number and nature of the Sacraments Our Sauiour Christ ordained in his Church onely two Sacraments as generally necessarie to saluation that is to say Baptisme and the Supper of the Lord Baptisme is a Sacrament of initiation and insition assuring the first receiuing into the couenant of grace whereby men are matriculated and admitted into the congregatioÌ„ and made members of Christ. For this cause the sacred Font is placed at the very doore and entrance into the Church but the Communion is a sacrament of confirmation to strengthen our faith and cherish grace receiued and therefore the Lords table by good order is placed in the best highest roome of the Church Baptisme must be receiued of one but once because wee cannot be borne twice one beginning in Christianitie is enough but the Lords Supper often because we need daily to be nourished in the faith of Christ once borne fedde alway The nature of this Sacrament is made knowne by the names in holie writ giuen vnto it Whereof I note principally two the Lords Supper Commâ—nion A Supper in regard of the Time being instituted in the night that Christ was betraied as his far well token Things because it is a holie feast as Augustine said Non dentis sed
mentis not so toothsome as wholsome not corporall meate but spirituall Manna The Lords Supper in three respects 1. Because it was ordained by the Lord 1. Cor. 11. 23. 2. Because it was instituted in remeÌ„brance of the Lord Luk. 22. 19. 3. Because it was in the Primitiue Church vsuallie receiued on the Lords day Acts 20. 7. It is called a Communion in respect of the common vnion among our selues hauing at that time more specially perfect peace with all men or a Communion in respect of the publike participation as being a common messe not a priuate Masse proper to one as the Popish priests vse it or a Communion as being a signe and seale of our communion with Christ for his graces are conueied vnto vs by the preaching of the Word and administration of the Sacraments Hence the Sacraments as Paschasius obserues haue their name Sacramenta dicuntur à secreto eò quòd in re visibili diuinitas intus aliquid vlâ—ra secretius efficit In the words of our Church Sacraments are visible signes of inuisible grace ordained of God as badges and sure witnesses of his good will towards vs. It is meete euery Christian should vnderstand these and the like plaine principles of holy faith but exact knowledge to discusse controuerted points about the Sacraments is not required according to that of Chrysostome The table of the Lord is not prepared for chattering â—ayes but for high towring Eagles who flei thither where the dead bodie lieth It is not for subtle Sophisters but for simple beleeuers ascending vp to Christ vpon the wings of faith and therefore the Communicant must not only know but applie that in particular which he beleeueth in generall as that Christs body was crucified for him and his bloud shed for him Hee that vnderstands and beleeues and applies these things examineth his faith as he should In our repentance we must examine two points especially to wit our Contrition for sinne past Resolution to preuent so farre as we can all sinne to come For the first Poenitentia est quasi punientia Poenitere saith Augustine is poenam tenere Wee must therefore weepe with Peter and water our couch with Dauid and put on sackcloth with Nineueh nay we must rent our heart For a broken spirit is an acceptable sacrifice to the Lord. O magnum donum quod in poenam dedit in salutem vertit peccatum tristitiam peperit tristitia peccatum contriuit As the worme bred in the tree deuoures the tree so sorrow brought into the world by sinne doth ouerthrow sinne so good is God to turne curses into blessings and griefe into grace If thy heart be not throughly touched for sinne become sorrie because thou art no more sorrie resolue to be more resolued For as one wittily factum infectum si non sit cor affectum If Ioseph of Arimathea wrapped the bodie of Christ in cleane linnen how darest thou receiue it with an vncleane soule If thou wilt not kisse a Princes hand with a foule mouth eate not the Lords bodie with a foule minde Let a man therefore examine him selfe c. And so let him eate of this bread and drinke of this 〈◊〉 Hauing thus examined examination I come now to the participation And so let him eate c. Of which words I purpose to speake first ioyntly then seuerally Considered ioyntly they confute three popish conclusions as first the reseruation eleuation circumgestation adoration of the bread Our Apostle saith here plainly that the bread must be taken and eaten Ergo not to be reserued nor carried about not lifted vp nor kept in a box to be worshipped Secondly to take to eate to taste to drinke to doe this in remembrance of Christ are actions of the liuing only pertaining to the liuing and therefore the Papists are deceiued holding the Masse to bee a propitiatorie sacrifice both for the quick and the dead How can the dead eate or drinke taste or take Ergo neither the dutie nor the benefit belongs vnto them but only to those aliue who first examine themselues and after eate of this bread and drinke of this cup. Thirdly the coniunction of these two Let him eate of this bread and drink of this cup abundantly proues that both parts of the Lords Supper ought to be ministred vnto all Ergo the Papists in denying the cup vnto the Laitie wrong both God and his people by defrauding them of this comfort As euery one must examine so euerie one both eate and drinke not onely drinke and not eate or eate and not drinke but both eate and drinke Christ foreseeing this Papisticall error said in his first institution Drinke ye all of it he tooke the bread and said only take eate indefinitely but when he tooke the cup he did adde an vniuersall note Bibâ—â—e omnes Drinke ye drinke all ye We conclude therefore with Cyprian Adulterum est impium est sacrilegum est quodcunque humano furore instituitur vt dispositio diuina violetur Christ is the truth and the way to the truth Ergo non aliud fiat à nobis quà m quod pro nobis prior fecit Thus much of the words iointly Now of euery one seuerally And so Let there be first preparation and then participation when a man is thus examined let him thus eate Let him eate The which are not words of permission only leauing it to his choice whether he will eate or not eate but they are words of Pauls commission insinuating that hee must eate necessarily not vpon custome but vpon conscience For it is not said here let him if hee haue no let at home or occasion of absence abroad if he be neither displeased with his Pastor nor angry with the people but let him without all let examine and then let him without all let eate of this bread Eate Christ in his first institution hath take and eate First take then eate take not onely into your mouthes but into your hands hereby representing the soule and faith for the taking of the bread and wine into our hand sealeth our apprehension of Christ by the finger of faith Ioh 1. 12. As many as receiued him to them he gaue power to be the sonnes of God euen to them that beleeued in his name Eating of the bread and drinking of the wine sealeth our application of Christ incorporated into vs mystically 1. Cor. 10. 16. For by the strength of faith wee chew the cud as it were and make Christ our owne Yet herein obserue a great difference betweene corporall food and this heauenly bread for the one digested is made like vs but the other receiued into our soule maketh vs like it This action then of taking is very significant and therefore I see no reason why the Priest altering Christs ordinance should giue the bread into the peoples mouth only not into their hand First the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉
fearefull example and that in their owne Fathers for omitting this excellent dutie In the first part two points are remarkable Who must praise Let vs sing let vs come let vs worship How Where Before his presence Whereto Sing to the Lord. Wherewith with our voice Let vs sing with our heart heartily with hands and knees O come let vs worship and fall downe and kneele before the Lord our maker For the 〈◊〉 〈…〉 content alone to praise God but exciteth all other about him to doe the â—ame O come let vs sing Now Dauid may be considered As a Priuate man Publike person Prince Prophet Here then is a threefold paterne in one An example for Masters to stir vp their â—amilie an example for Preachers to exhort their people an example for Princes to prouoke their subiects vnto the publike worship of the Lord. It becommeth great men especially to be good men as being vnprinted statutes and speaking 〈◊〉 vnto the rest This affection was in Abraham Paul Iosua and ought to be in all exhorting one another while it is called to daâ— You hold it a good rule in worldly businesse not to say to your seruants Come ye goe ye arise ye but let vs come let vs goe let vs arise Now shall the children of this world be wiser in their generation then the children of light Do we commend this course in mundane affaires and neglect it in religious offices Assuredly if our zeale were so great to religion as our loue is towards the world Masters would not come to Church as many doe without their seruants and seruants without their masters parents without their children and children without their parents husbands without their wiues and wiues without their husbands but all of vs would call one to another as Esay prophecied O come let vs goe vp to the mountaine of the Lord to the house of the God of Iacob hee will teach vs his waies and wee will walke in his paâ—hs And as Dauid here practised O come let vs sing to the Lord let vs heartily reâ—oice in the strength of our saluation How First where before the Lord before his presence vers 2. 6. God is euery where Whither shall I goe from thy spirit or whither shall I goe from thy preâ—ence True God is a circle whose Center is no where Circumference euery where yet is he said in holy Scâ—ipture to dwell in heauen and to be present in his Saâ—ctuarie more specially manifesting his glorie from heauen his grace in the Church principally For hee said in the Law In all places where I shall put the remembrance of my name I will come vnto thee and in the Gospell Where two or three are gathered together in my name there am I in the middest of them Albeit euery day be a Sabbath and euery place a Sanctuarie for our priuate deuotions according to the particular exigence of our occasions yet God hath allotted certaine times and certaine places for his publike seruice Leuit. 19. 30. Ye shall sanctifie my Sabbaths and reuerence my Sanctuarie God is to be worshipped euer and euery where Yet the seuenth of our time and the tenth of our liuing must more specially be consecrated to that honour which hee requires in the Temple And therefore Caluin is of opinion that Dauid vttered this speech vpon the Sabbath as if hee should say Come let vs sing to the Lord not in priuate only but let vs come before his presence with thanksgiuing As in the 100. Psalme Goe your way into his gates and into his courts with praise The consideration of this one point that God is in euery place by his generall presence in this holie place by his especiall presidence may teach all men to pray not hypocritically for fashion but heartily for conscience not only formally to satisfie the law but also sincerely to certifie our loue to the Lord our maker giuing vnto Caesar the things which appertaeine to Caesar and vnto God the things which belonâ— to God That we may not only praise where we should but as it followeth in the diuision Whereto Let vs sing to the Lord let vs reioyce in the strength of our saluation let vs shew our selues glad in him Euery one in his merrie mood will say Come let vs sing let vs heartily reioyce But as good neuer a whit as neuer the better Silence is a sweeter note then a loud if a leaud sonnet If we will needs reioyce let vs saith Paul reioyce in the Lord if sing saith Dauid let vs sing to the Lord. Vaine toyes are songs sung to the world lasciuious balads are songs sung to the flesh Satyricall libels are songs sung to the Diuell onely Psalmes and Hymnes and spirituall songs are melodie for the Lord. Pâ—e debes Domino exultare si vis securus mundo insultare saith Augustine vpon this text we may not exalt but insult ouer the world the flesh the diuell our exaltations and exultations are due to God only Venite exultemus Domino LEt vs worship and fall downe and kneele before the Lord our maker not before a Crucifix not before a rotten Image not before a faire picture of a foule Saint these are not our makers we made them they made not vs. Our God vnto whom we must sing in whom wee must reioyce before whom we must worship is a great King aboue all gods hee is no god of lead no god of bread no brazen god no wooden god we must not fall downe and worship our Ladie but our Lord not any Martyr but our Maker not any Saint but our Sauiour O come let vs sing vnto the Lord let vs heartily reioyce in the strength of our saluation Wherewith with voyce Let vs sing with soule let vs heartily reioyce with hands and knees let vs fall downe and kneele with all that is within vs with all that is without vs he that made all must be worshipped with all especially when we come before his presence Here let vs make a stand and behold the wise choice of the Church assigning this place to this Psalme which exciteth vs to come to the Temple quietly and ioyntly Come let vs sing and when wee are come to demeane our selues in this holie place cheerefully heartily reuerently I would faine know of those who despise our Canons as not agreeable to the Canon of holy Bible whether their vnmannerly sitting in the time of diuine seruice be this kneeling whether their standing bee this falling downe whether they giue God their heart when as they will not affoord him so much as their hat whether their lowring vpon their brethren bee singing to the Lord whether their dutie required here bee to come in to goe out to stay in the Temple without any respect of persons or reuerence to place I would such as doe imitate the Turks in habite would likewise follow them in
humble comportment while they pray Magna cum Ceremonia attentione sacris suis intersunt Turcae nam si vel digito scalpant caput perisse sibi precationis fructum â—rbitrantur quid eâ—im si cum Bassis sermo tibi habendus ergo multo magis si cum Deo Thinke of this yee that forget God hee will not bee mocked his truth is eternall heauen and earth shall passe but not one â—ot of his word shall passe if an Angell from heauen or diuell on earth if any priuate spirit shall deliuer vnto you rules of behauiour in the Church contrarie to this Canon of Gods owne spirit let him be accursed Anathema Let vs sing let vs worship let vs who feare God and honour the King fall downe and kneele before the Lord our maker Thus much of Dauids exhortation to praise God The reasons why we should praise follow Set downe First briefly God is our Creator therefore let vs worship and fall downe and kneele before the Lord our maker vers 6. He is our Redeemer therefore let vs sing vnto the Lod let vs heartily reioyce in the strength of our saluation vers 1. Secondly more at large from his Mercies in generall vers 3. 4. 5. Iudgements For the Lord is a great God Most mightie almightie able to doe whatsoeuer he will and more then he will too See the Creed In himselfe so great that the heauen of heauens cannot containe him much lesse any barren braine inwombe him and therefore Dauid here being not able to set downe the least peece of his greatnes in the positiue degree comes to the comparatiue shewing what he is in comparison of other A great King aboue all gods As being more excellent and mightie then any thing or all things that haue the name of God Whether they be Gods in Title Angels in heauen Princes on earth Opinion As gold is the couetous mans god bellicheere the Epicures god an Idoll the superstitious maÌ„s god Now the Lord is the King of all gods in title for he made them of all gods in opinion for he can destroy them Angels are his messengers and Princes his ministers all power is of the Lord. The manner of getting kingdomes is not alwaies of God because it is sometime by wicked meanes yet the power it selfe is euer from God and therefore stiled in scripture the God of gods as the Wise man saith higher then the highest for religion and reason tell vs that of all creatures in heauen an Angell is the greatest of all things on earth an Emperour is the greatest but the Lord as you see is greater then the greatest as being absolute Creator of the one and maker of the other Quantus Deus est qui Deos facit How great a God is hee that makes gods yea marres them too at his pleasure surely this is a great God a great king aboue all gods And therfore in what estate soeuer thou be possesse thy soule with patience reioyce in God be strong in the Lord and in the power of his might feare no man no diuell no other god he y â— is greater theÌ„ al these shal be thy defence he will performe whatsoeuer in his word he did promise concerning this life the next In his hand are all the corners of the earth A reason to proue that God is a great King aboue all gods he is a great God because a king of gods and he is a King of gods because in his hand are all the corners of the world subiect to his power and prouidence The most mighty Monarch on earth is king as it were but of a molehill a Lord of some one angle but in Gods hand are all the corners of the earth and the strength of the hils i. of most puissant potentates in comparison of whoÌ„ al other are low valleyes I say the strength height of the hils are his Antichrist doth extoll himselfe aboue all that is called God and the Pope doth make himselfe Lord of Lords vsurping the whole world for his diocesse yea hee hath a triple kingdome according to his triple crowne Supernall extended to heauen in canonizing Saints Infernall extended to hell in freeing soules out of Purgatorie Terrestriall extended ouer the whole earth as being vniuersall Bishop of the Catholique Church But alas vaine man hee is but a â—ox in an hole many corners of the earth are not his England God be praised is not his Scotland Holland Denmarke not his a great part of France the greatest part of Germany none of his many thousands in Portugall Italy Spaine none of his the great Cham the Persian the Turke the least whereof is greater then himselfe none of his And albeit all the Kings of the earth should be drunken with his abomination yet should he bee pastor vniuersall of the Church but as the diuell is prince of the world not by his owne might but by others weakenesse as Saint Paul said He is our master to whom we giue our selues as seruants to obey So likewise the gods of the superstitious HeatheÌ„ haue not all the corners of the world for as themselues ingeniously confesse some were gods of y â— water only some of the wind some of corne some of fruite Nec omnia coÌ„memoro quia me piget quod illos non pudet As Heretikes haue so many Creeds as heads so the Gentiles as Prudentius obserued had so many things for their god as there were things y â— were good Quic quid humus pelagus coelum mirabile gignunt id duxâ—re Deos colles freta flumina flammas So that their god is not as our God euen our enemies being Iudges Other hold some parcels of the earth vnder him and some lay claime to the whole by vsurpation But all the corners of the world are his by right of creation as it followeth in the next verse The sea is his for hee made it An argument demonstratiue to shew that all the world is subiect to his power and therefore in the Creed after Almightie followeth instantly Maker of heauen and earth If any shall demaund why Dauid nameth heere first and principally the Sea before all other creatures answere may be giuen out of Plinie God who is wonderfull in all things is most wonderfully wonderfull in the Sea Whether we consider as Dauid elsewhere The 1. Situation of it 2. Motion 3. Innumerable creatures in it 4. Wonderfull art of sailing on it Yet God in the beginning made this vnruly foaming fuming beast and euer since ruled it at his becke for hee stilleth the raging of the Sea and the noise of his waues hee shutteth vp this barking curre in the channell as in a kennell he laieth vp the deepe as in a treasure house saying to the waters Hitherto shalt thou come but no further and here shall it stay thy proud waues
Hitherto concerning the greatnes and goodnes of God in generall Now Dauid in the seuenth verse proceedes intimating that the Lord of all in common is our God in speciall Hee is the Lord our God as being the people of his pasture and the sheepe of his hands that is himselfe doth feede and fauour the Church in a more particular sort committing this charge to none other See preface of the Decalogue The last reason is from iudgement for God vseth all meanes to winne men vnto him The summe whereof is that wee must not harden our hearts and obstinately settle our selues in sinne as our forefathers in the wildernesse but rather heare the voice of the Lord speaking vnto vs out of his word all the day long the whole time of our life generally but on the Sabbath day more specially leâ—t in his anger hee sweare that wee shall not enter into his rest Reade this historie Numb 14. Exod. 17 for as Paul doth teach these things are written for our ensample vpon whom the ends of the world are come Lege historiâ—m ne fias historia The iudgements of God are like thunder claps poena ad vnum terror adomâ—es As in a Common-weale places of execution are publike ad terrorem populi because as Plato said Nemo prudens punit quia peccatum est sed ne peccetur And another ancient Philosopher to the same purpose Malefici non pereunt vt pereant sed vt pereundo alios deterreant That the State which had no benefit by their life should make vse of their death In like manner almightie God in this huge Theater of the world doth make some spectacles vnto other all of vs being either actors or spectators and so by consequence must take example by other or else make example to other See Epist. Dom. 9. post Trin. Te Deum THat Hymnes accurately framed by deuout men according to the word may be sung in the Church with the Psalmes of Dauid and other spirituall songs taken out of the word we can alleage precept and example Precept Colos. 3. 16. Admonish your selues in Psalmes and Hymnes c. Marlorat doth construe this of singing in the Church and Haymo that Hymnes were godly songs inuented by the Christians of that age For Gods holy Church hath vsed this custome from the Primitiue times euen vnto this present day Concerning Te Deum in particular it is approued by Luther and held by our Martyrs a good Creed as it is thought generally composed by those two great lights of the Church Ambrose who was the most resolute Bishop and Augustine who was the most iudicious Doctor of all the Fathers It is reported by Dacius a reuerend Bishop of Millane that in his time who liued vnder Iustinian anno 538. this Hymne was receiued and vsed in the Church which argueth it of greater antiquity then vpstart Popery The Nouelist as Augustine writes of Faustus the Manichee Vel non intellâ—gendâ— repreâ—endit vel reprehendendo non intelligit Either too much passion or else too little knowledge Benedicite omnia opera THâ—â— Cantiâ—â—e is a rapsodie gathered here and there from diuâ—â—s Psalmes of Dauid as the marginall notes indigitate cited often by the learned and ancient fathers and not censured for it by the Lutheran Historiographers Cent. 5. colum 219. Imprinted at Mâ—â—elburgh with the Dauidicall Psalmes in English meeter an honour denied vnto the Church Psalter in prose In a word I finde this Hymne lesse martyred then the rest and therefore dimisse it as Christ did the woman Iohn 8. Where be thine accusers Hath no man condemned thee no more doe I goe thy way Benedictus LVKE 1. 68. THe Benedictus Magnificat and Nunc dimittis are said in the Church daily whereas other Psalmes of Dauid Asaph Moses are read but monethly The reasons hereof are manifest and manifold I will onely name two First these most excellent Hymnes as gratulations wherewith our Lord and Sauiour was ioifully receiued at his entrance into the world concerne vs so much more then the Psalmes of Dauid as the Gospell more then the Law and the new Testament more then the old For the one are but prophecies of Christ to come whereas the other are plaine discoueries of Christ already present Secondly these songs are proper onely to Christianitie whereas other Psalmes are common to the Iewes as well as to the Christians wherewith they praise God in their Synagogue so well as we praise God in our Church A Iew will sing with Asaph and Dauid that the Messias of the world shall come but he cannot he will not acknowledge with Zacharias and Simeon that he is come So that the Nouelist herein misliking the Churches custome doth seeme to play the Iew which I rather ascribe to the lightnes of his folly then to the waight of his malice Sententiam Ecclesiae non intelligit sedamat suam non quia vera est sed quia sua est It is fitly placed after the second Lesson as an Hymne of praise to magnifie God for the comfort we receiue by the sweet tidings of the Gospell Blessed be the Lord God of Israel for visiting and redeeming his people It hath two principall parts 1. Concerning Christ and his kingdome 2. Touching Iohn the Baptist and his office vers 76. c. It is very remarkable that Zacharias who was dumbe vers 20 doth now not onely speake but also prophecie He was made speechlesse because he was faithlesse but now belieuing his lips are opened and his mouth doth shew forth Gods praise saying Blessed be the Lord. Let no man in his affliction despaire for as Ambrose notes if we change our manners Almightie God will alter his mind Nec solum ablata restituit sed etiam insperatâ— concedit He will not onely restore that which was taken a way but also giue more then we can expect So he blessed the last daies of Iob more then the first for whereas he had but 7000 sheepe 3000 comels 500 yoke of oxen and 500 shee asses afterward the Lord gaue him 1400 sheep 6000 camels 1000 yoke of oxen and 1000 asses In the second of Ioel If you will turne to me saith the Lord with all your heart with fasting weeping and mourning I will render vnto you the yeeres which the grashopper hath eaten the canker worme and the caterpiller And moreouer I will powre out my spirit vpon all flesh and your sonnes and your daughters shall prophecie c. In the 9. of Matth. when Christ saw the faith of the palsie man he did not onely cure the sores of his body but also the sinnes of his soule Sonne be of good cheere thy sinnes are forgiuen thee In the first part two points are to be considered especially 1. Who to be blessed the Lord God of Israel 2. Why first for promising then for performing redemption vnto the world Blessed That is praised as
as Paul doth interpret it in righteousnes holinesse So that the more grace we the more gloâ—y God he doth appeare greater in vs albeit he cannot be made greater by vs. He doth not increase but we grow from grace to grace from vertue to vertue the which ought principally to stirre vs vp vnto this dutie for that our selues are magnified in magnifying him as Mary sheweth here My soule doth magnifie the Lord vers 46. And The Lord hath magnified me vers 49. Qui maledicit domino ipse minuitur qui benedicit angetur prior est in nobis benedictio domini consequens est vt nos benedicamus domino illa pluuia iste fructus The Lord. Lord is a name of might Sauiour of mercie Mary then as Augustine and other obserue praiseth him alone who is able to helpe because the Lord and willing because a Sauiour And my spirit Such as distinguish betweene soule and spirit make this a reason of the former verse My spirit hath reioiced in God my Sauiour and therefore my soule doth magnifie the Lord according to that of S. Iames Is any merry let him sing So that this exultation of Mary caused her exaltation of God Inward reâ—oicing in spirit is a great signe of a good conscience which is a continuall feast The wicked are oftâ—n merry sometime mad merrie but all is but from the tâ—eth outward For as Salomon speakes euen in laughing the heart is sorrowfull and the end of mirth is heauinesse But the good man as the Virgin here reioiceth in spirit all worldly meriments are more talked of then felt but inward spirituall reioicing is more felt then vttered It is as the Scripture calles it a Iubilation an exceeding great ioy which a man can neither suppresse nor expresse sufficiently Nec reticere nec recitare for howsoeuer in the Court of Conscience there be some pleading euery day yet the godly make it Hilary Terme all the yeere See Gospell Dom. 1. Aduent Dom. 9. post Trinit In God Happily the spirit of the most wicked at sometime doth reioice yet not in God nor in good but in villanie and vanitie Prou. 2. 14. They reioice in doing euill and delight in frowardnesse whereas in the good man the ioies obiect is alway good goodnesse it selfe God himselfe Dauid delights in the Lord Mary reioiceth in God And this is so good a ioy that Paul saith Reioice in the Lord alwaies and againe I say reioice We may reioice in our friends in our health in our preferment in our honest recreation in many other things praeter Deum beside God yet in all propter Deum for God so farre foorth as they shall increase our spirituall reioicing in the Lord. God forbid saith Paul that I should reioice in any thing but in the crosse of Christ. In any thing in comparison of this in any thing which might hinder this and yet in all things for this See the Epistle Dom. 4. Aduent Sauiour To consider God as a seuere Iudge would make our heart to tremble but to consider him in Christ in whom he is well pleased is of all ghostly comfort the greatest And therefore if we desire to reioice in spirit let vs not behold God in the glasse of the Law which makes him a dreadfull Iudge but in the glasse of the Gospell which shewes him a mercifull Sauiour In euery Christian there are two contrary natures the flesh and the spirit and that hee may bee a perfit man in Christ he must subdue the one and strengthen the other the Law is the ministry of death and serueth fitly for the taming of our rebellious flesh the Gospell is the power of God vnto life containing the bountifull promises of God in Christ and serueth fitly for the strengthening of the spirit It is oyle to powre into our wounds and water of life to quench our thirsty soules As in name so in nature the Goodspell or the Ghosts spell that is the word and ioy for the spirit Mary then had good cause to adde this epithete Sauiour vnto God My spirit reioiceth in God my Sauiour My Sauiour We note two conclusions out of this pronoune the first against some Papists the second against all Papists Some Popish writers affirme that Mary was conceiued and borne without originall sinne and that she liued and died without actuall sinne contrary to the scripture Rom. 3. 9. Gal. 3. 22. So that in honouring the feast of her conception and natiuitie with the singular priuiledge of Christ they worship an Idoll and not her For an Idoll as Paul disputes is nothing in the world and so is that man or woman conceiued without sinne except Christ who was conceiued by the holy Ghost as none other euer was or shall be They ground this assertion vpon a place of Augustine Excepta sanctae virgine Maria de qua propter honorem domini nullam prorsus cum de peccatis agitur habere volo quaestionem Answere is made that Augustine elsewhere concludes all vnder sinne though he did in that place forbeare to rip vp the faults of the mother in honour of her sonne for in lib. 5. cap. 9. against Iulian the Pelagian he doth intimate that Maries bodie was sinfull flesh concluding peremptorily Nullus est hominum praeter Christum qui peccatum non habuerit graÌ„dioris aetatis accessu quia nullus est hominum praeter Christum qui peccatum non habuerit infantilis aetatis exortu So likewise lib. de sancta Virginitate cap. 3. Beatior Maria percipiendo â—idem Christi quà m concipiendo carnem Christi nihil enim ei materna propinquitas profuisset nisi foeliciùs Christum corde quà m carne gestasset And in his Treatise De fide ad Petrum for the Papists admit that booke Firmissime crede nullatenus dubites omnem hominem qui per concubitum viri mulâ—eris concipitur cum peccato originali nasci ob hoc natura filium irae Thus Augustine expounds and answers Augustine Now for holy Scriptures if there were no more texts in the Bible this one is omnisufficient to accuse Marie of some faults and the Papists of much follie My spirit reioyceth in God my Sauiour He that hath no sinne wants not a Sauiour but Marie reioyced in a Sauiour therefore she was sorrie for her sinne The whole neede not a Physitioâ— saith Christ but Marie calles for a salue therefore surely she had some sore and if any sin then she cannot be our Mediatrix or Aduocaâ—e Si peccatrix non deprecatrix Our Aduocate is our propitiation for sinne but the propitiation for sinne knew no sinne Ergo quae egebat non agebat aduocatum And therefore Mâ—ry who needed a Sauiour her selfe could not be a sauiour of other Againe we gather out of this pronoune my Maries particular apprehension and
peace in earth towards men good will a song which the world neuer heard before that the seede of the woman should bruse the Serpents head is an old song the first that euer was sung but this was no plaine song till Christ did manifest himselfe in the flesh In the old Testament there were many old songs but in the new Testament a new song That vnto vs is borne a Sauiour which is Christ the Lord in many respects a new song for whereas Christ was but shadowed in the Law he is shewed in the Gospell and new because sung of new meÌ„ of all men For the sound of the Gospell is gone through all the earth vnto the ends of the world whereas in old time Gods old songs were sung in Iury his name great in Israel at Salem his Tabernacle and dwelling in Sion Psal. 76. 3. Whereto To the Lord. See before Psalme 95. 4. Wherefore For he hath done maruellous things he hath opened his greatnes and goodnesse to the whole world in his creation and preseruation in his redemption especially being a worke of greater might and mercie then all the rest for in the creation he made man like himselfe but in the redemption he made himselfe like man Illic participes nos fecit bonorum suorum hîc particeps est factus malorum nostrorum In making the world hee spake the word onely and it was done but to redeeme the world dixit multa fecit mira saith the text Passus est dura verba duriora verbera The creation of the world was a worke as it were of his fingers Psal. 8. 3. When I consider the heauen euen the work of thy fingers But the redemption as it is here called is the worke of his arme With his owne right hand and with his holy arme hath he gotten himselfe the victorie So that if the Iewes obserued a Sabbath in honour of the worlds creation how many festiuals ought we to keepe in thankfull remembrance of our redemption As Diogenes said euery day was an holy day to a good man so euery day should be a Sunday to the Christian man Aquinas excellently Bonum gratiae vnius maius est quà m bonum naturae totius vniuersi The sauing of one soule is a greater work then the making of a whole world 12. quaest 113. art 9. 5. Wherewith in a literall sense with all kinde of musicke Vocall Sing to the Lord. Chordall Praise him vpon the Harpe Pneumatical With trumpets c. In an allegoricall exposition as Euthymius interpretes it we must praise God in our actions and praise him in our contemplation praise him in our words praise him in our workes praise him in our life praise him at our death being not only temples as Paul but as Clemens Alexandrinus calles vs Timbrels also of the holy Ghost Nunc dimittis or the song of Simeon Luke 2. 29. Lord now lettest thou thy seruant depart in peace Sic vbi fâ—ta vocant vdis abiectus in herbis Ad vada Maeandri conciâ—it albus olor As the Swanue so Simeon in his old age readie â—o leaue the world did sing more sweetly then euer he did before Lord now lettest c. The which Hymne is a thanksgiuing to God for giuing his Sonne to redeeme his seruants And it hath two principall parts in the 1. He reioyceth in regard of his owne particular vers 29. 30. 2. In regard of the generall good our Sauiour Christ brought to y e whole world vers 31. 32. In the first note 2. things especially 1. His willingnes to die Lord now lettest thou thy seruant depart in peace 2. The reason of this willingnes For mine eyes haue seene thy saluation Lord The Papists often in their life specially at their death vse to commend themselues and their soules vnto the protection of the blessed Virgin Maria mater gratiae tu nos ab hoste protege horamortis suscâ—pe This is their doctrine Bellarmine auoweth it this is their practise Father Garnet at his execution vsed this forme of praier twice publiquely But old Simeon heere forgetting our Lady though she were present commends his soule to the Lord who redeâ—med it Lord now lettest thou c. Now Simeon assuredly was not afraid to die before but because a reuelation was giuen vnto him from the holie Ghost that he should not see death vntill he saw the Messias he was exceeding desirous to liue that he might see the word of the Lord fulfilled And therefore men abuse this example saying they will be contented to die when such and such things come to passe when all their daughters be well married and all their sonnes well placed Old Simeon had a reuelation for that he did whereas we haue no warraÌ„t from God for many things we fondly desire so that whether God grant them or not we must submit our selues vnto his good pleasure Now and euer ready to depart in peace when he doth call taking vnto vs the resolution of Iob The Lord giueth the Lord taketh blessed be the name of the Lord. Lettest thou We may not our selues loose our soules but let God let them out of prison We must seeke to mortifie the flesh and to cast the world out of vs but to cast our selues out of the world is an offence against God Our neighbour Our selues Against God who saith Thou shalt not kill if not another much lesse thy selfe For thou must loue thy neighbor as thy selfe first thy selfe then thy neighbour as thy selfe The neerer the deerer I kill and giue life saith the Lord we are not masters of our life but only stewards and therefore may not spend it or end it as we please but as God who bestowed it will Agâ—inst our neighbours because men are not borne for themselues alone but for other also being all members of one common-weale and politike body so that as Paul saith if one member suffer all suffer with it Homo quilibet est pars communitatis Euery particular person is part of the whole State This is the true reason why the King doth take so precise an account of the death euen of his basest subiect because himselfe and the whole kingdome had interest in him Against our selues Because by naturall instinct euerie creature labours to preserue it selfe the fire striueth with the water the water fighteth with the fire the most sillie worme doth contend with the most strong man to preserue it selfe and therefore we may not butcher our selues but expect Gods leasure and pleasute to let vs depart in peace Thy seruant It is not a seruile seruice but a perfect freedome to serue the Lord. And therefore as the good Empetour Theodosius held it more noble to be membrum Ecclesis qâ—â—â—â—caput Imperij so may we resolue that it is better to be a seruant of God then Lord of all the world For while we serue him all other
creatures on earth and in heauen too serue vs Heb. 1. 14. In chusing a master euery man will shun principally three sorts of men his Enemie Fellow Seruant He serueth his greatest enemie who serueth the Diuell his fellow who serueth the lust of his flesh his seruant who serueth the world It is a base seruice to serue the world for that is to become a vassall vnto our seruant It is an vncertaine seruice to serue the flesh this master is so cholericke so weake so sickly so fickle that we may looke euery day to be turned out of his doores and that which is worst of all he is least contented when he is most satisfied Like to the Spaâ—â—ard a bad seruant but a worse master It is an vnthriftie seruice to serue the Diuell all his wages is death the more seruice we doe him the worse is our estate But he that serues God hath the greatest Lord who is most able and the best Lord who is most willing to prefer his followers and therefore let vs say with Simeon and boast with Dauid O Lord I am thy seruant I am thy seruant See the Epistle on Simons and Iudes day Depart Here first note the soules immortalitie Death is not exitus but transitus not obitus but abitus not a dying but a departing a transmigration and exodus out of our earthly pilgrimage vnto our heauenly home Fratres mortui non sunt amissi sed praemissi profectio est quam pâ—tas mortem A passage from the valley of death vnto the land of the liuing Dauid said of his dead child I shall goe to him but he shall not returne to mee Christ confirmes this Haue you not read what is spoken of God saying I am the God of Abraham and the God of Isack and the God of Iacob Now God saith Christ is not the God of the dead but of the liuing Abraham then is aliue Isack aliue Iacob aliue they cannot be said truly dead but as Simeon here departed The two receptacles of all soules after this life Hell and Heauen infallibly demonstrate this point Lazarus dieth and his soule is presently conueied by blessed Angels vnto the bosome of Abraham vnhappy Diues dieth and his soule is setcht and snatcht away by foule fiends vnto the bottomlesse pit of hell As Gods eternall decrees haue an end without a beginning so the soules of men haue a beginning without an end The soule and body part for a time but they shall meete againe to receiue an irrâ—uocable doome either of Come yee blessed or Goe ye cursed Secondly note that dying is the loosing of our soule from her bonds and fetters our flesh is a sinke of sinne the prison of the mind 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 quasi 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Qui gloriatur in viribus corporis gloriatur in viribus carceris And therefore when Plato saw one of his schoole was a little too curious in pampering his body said wittily What do you meane to make your prison so strong So that a soule departed is set at libertie like a bird that is escaped out of a cage The world is so full of euils as that to write them all would require another world so great as it selfe Initium vitae caecitas obliuio possidet progressum labor dolor exitum error omnia Childhood is a foolish simplicitie youth a rash heate manhood a carking carefulnesse old age a noisome languishing Diu viuendo portant funera sua quasi sepulchra dealbata plena sunt ossibus mortuorum It may bee said of an old man as Bias of the Marriner Nec inter viuos nec inter mortuos and as Plutarch of Sardanapalus and S. Paul of a widow liuing in pleasure that he is dead and buried euen while hee liueth and so passing from age to age we passe from euill to euill it is but one waue driuing another vntill we arriue at the hauen of death Epictetus spake more like a Diuine then a Philosopher Homo calamitatis fabula infoelicitatis tabula Though a King by warre or wile should conquer all the proud earth yet hee gets but a needles point a mote a mite a nit a nothing So that while we striue for things of this world wee fight as it were like children for pins and points And therefore Paul desired to be loosed and to be with Christ and 〈◊〉 as some Diâ—â—nes obserue praieth here to be dismissed as Ambrose doth read Dimitte Lord let loose Cyprian and Origen dimâ—â—tes in the future as if he should say Now Lord I hope thou wilâ— suffer me to depart Howsoeuer the word in the present imports that death is a goale-deliuery Nunc dimiâ—â—isseruum Now Lord thou settest free thy seruant as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is vsed Act. 16. 35. Luke 23. 17. Nam quid longa dies nobis nisâ— longa dolorum Colluuies longs patientia carceris aets In peace There are three kinds of peace Externall Internall Etâ—rnall Peace of World Mind God Or more plainly peace between Man and man God and man Man and himselfe The last kind is meant here though assuredly Simeon had all three for our peace with God and so farre as is possible loue toward all men breedes in vs a third peace the which is the contentation of our minde and peace of conscience for which euery man ought to labour all his life but at his death especially that comfortably departing he may sing with old Simeon Lord now lettest c. I know many men haue died discontent and rauing without any sentiment of this comfortable peace to mans imagination and yet notwithstanding were doubtlesse Gods elect children For as Augustine many works of God concerning our saluation are done in and by their contraries In the creation all things were made not of something but of nothing cleane contrary to the course of nature In the worke of redemption he doth giue life not by life but by death and that a most accursed death Optimum fecit instrumentum vitae quod erat pessimum mortis genus In our effectuall vocation he calles vs by the Gospell vnto the Iewes a stumbling block vnto the world meere foolishnes in reason more likely to driue men from God then to winne and wooe men to God And when it is his pleasure that any should depend vpon his goodnesse and prouidence he makes them feele his anger and to be nothing in themselues that they may relie altogether vpon him And thus happily the child of God through many tribulations and to our thinking through the gulfe of desperation enters into the kingdome of heauen The loue of God is like a Sea into which when a man is cast he neither seeth banke nor feeleth bottome For there is a two-fold presence of God in his children 1. Felt and perceiued 2. Secret and vnknowne Sometime God
is not only present with his elect but also makes them sensibly perceiue it as Simeon here did and therefore his mourning was turned into mirth and his sobs into songs Againe sometime God is present but not felt and this secret presence sustaines vs in all our troubles and temptatations it intertaineth life in our soules wheÌ„ as to our iudgment we are altogether dead as there is life in trees when they haue cast their leaues And therefore let no man bee dismaied howsoeuer dismaied for God doth neuer leaue those whom he doth loue but his comfortable spirit is a secret friend and often doth vs most good when wee least perceiue it Esay 41. 10 c. 43. 2. According to thy word If God promise we may presume for he is not like man that he should lie neither as the sonne of man that he should repent This should teach vs to be hoiie as God our Father is holy being followers of him as deare children As he doth euer keepe his word with vs so let vs euer keepe our othes and promises one with another It is well obserued that aequinocation and lying is a kind of vnchastitie for the mouth and minde are coupled together in holie mariage Matth. 12. 34. Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh And therefore when the tongue doth speake that which the heart neuer thought our speech is conceiued in adulterie and hee that breedes such bastard children offends not only against charity but also against chastitie Men say they must lie sometime for aduantage but it is a good conclusion both in religion and common experience that honestie is the best policie and truth the only durable armour of proofe The shortest way commonly the foulest the fairer way not much about Lord who shall dwell in thy tabernacle or who shall rest vpon thine holy hill euen he that speaketh the truth from his heart he that vseth no deceit in his tongue hee that sweareth vnto his neighbour and disappointeth him not For mine eyes haue seene thy saluation I haue seene the Messias in whom and by whom thy saluation is wrought and brought vnto vs. As Simeon saw Christs humanitie with the eies of his body so he saw Christs Diuinity long before with the pearcing eies of faith He knew that the little babe which he lulled in his armes was the great God whom the heauen of heauens could not containe and therefore beleeuing in the Lord of life hee was not afraid of death but instantly breakes forth into this sweete song Lord now lettest thou thy seruant depart in peace for mine eyes haue c. Death is vnwelcome to carnall men as Aristotle said Of all Terribles the most Terrible They crie out vpon the miseries of life and yet when death commeth they doe as little children who all the day complaine but when the medicine is brought them are nothing sicke as they who all the weeke runne vp and downe the house with paine of the teeth and seeing the Barbor come to pull them out feele no more torment as tender bodies in a pricking plurisie call and cannot stay for a Surgeon and yet when they see him whetting his lancet to cut the throte of the disease pull in their armes and hide them in the bed And the true reason hereof is want of faith because they doe not vnfainedly beleeue that Christ Iesus hath led captiuitie captiue that he hath swallowed vp death in victorie by his death and opened vnto vs the gates of eternall life The blessed theefe vpon the Crosse died ioyfully because hee saw Christ and beleeued also that he should passe from a place of paine to a paradise of pleasure S. Stephen died ioyfully because he saw the heauens open and Christ standing at the right hand of the Father Here Sâ—meon departed ioyfully because his eyes saw the saluation of the Lord. As there are two degrees of faith so two sorts of Christians one weake another strong The weake Christian is willing to liue and patient to die but the strong patient to liue and willing to die That a man may depart in peace two things are requisit 1. Preparation before death 2. A right disposition at death Both which are procured onely by faith in Christ. If a man were to fight hand to hand with a mightie Dragon in such wise that either he must kill or be killed his best course were to bereaue him of his poison and sting Death is a Serpent and the sting wherewith he woundeth vs is sinne so saith S. Paul The sting of death is sinne Now the true beleeuer vnderstands and knowes assuredly that Christ Iesus hath satisfied the law and then if no law no sinne and if no sinne death hath no sting well may death hisse but it cannot hurt when our vnrighteousnes is forgiuen and sinne couered Christ both in life and death is aduantage Philip 1. 21. Faith also procureth a right disposition and behauiour at death for euen as when the children of Israel in the wildernes were stung with fierie Serpents and lay at the point of death they looked vp to the Brasen Serpent erected by Moses according to Gods appointment and were presently cured so when any feele death draw neere with his fiery sting to pearce the heart they must fixe the eye of a true faith vpon Christ exalted on the Crosse beholding death not in the glasse of the Law which giueth death an vglie face but in the Gospels glasse setting foorth death not as death but as a sleepe only Faith is the speare which killeth our last enemie for when a man is sure that his redeemer liueth and that this corruptible shall put on incorruption and this mortall immortalitie well may he sing with old Simeon Lord now lettest thou thy seruant depart in peace and triumph ouer y e graue with Paul O death where is thy sting O hell where is thy victory The sting of death is sin the strength of sin is the law but thanks be giuen vnto God which giueth vs victorie through our Lord Iesus Christ. And thus much of the reason why Simeon was not afraid of death namely for that he did hold in his armes and behold with his eyes the Lord Christ who is the resurrection and the life he could say with a true heart vnto God thou art my God and his soule did heare God saying vnto him by his word I am thy saluation Which thou hast prepared before the face of all people The second part of this Hymne concerning the generall good our Sauiour brought to the whole world Wherein two points are to be noted especially 1. What are his benefits 2. To whom they belong The benefits are saluation light and glorie So that the world without Christ lieth in damnation darknesse and shame Iesus is a Sauiour neither is there saluation in any other he is the light
The word originall signifieth rather fauour then pitie because pitie is shewed onely in aduersitie not in prosperitie whereas fauour in both and therefore the vulgar Latine Deus misereatur happily not so sufficient as Deus faueat Be fauorable O Lord and so mercifull as to blesse vs that is not only to deliuer vs from euill but also to giue whatsoeuer is good In more particular Shew vs the light of thy countenance Euery man doth desire blessing but the good man only this blessing all other are blessings of the left hand common to the wicked with the godly but this a blessing of the right hand which only belongs vnto Gods elect God lookes on the reprobate like an angry Iudge with a cloudie countenance but beholds all his adopted children in Christ as a mercifull father with a gratious aspect Shew vs thy countenance that is indue vs with true knowledge of thy word and a liuely faith in thy Sonne which is thine owne image and countenance where we may learne to confesse with Paul that all other things are but losse in comparison of the superexcellent knowledge of Christ Iesus for it is eternall life to know God and whom he hath sent Iesus Christ. That thy way may be knowne As light so the participation of Gods light is communicatiue we must not pray for our selues alone but for all other that Gods way may be known vpon earth and his sauing health among all nations Thy way that is thy will thy word thy works Gods will must be knowne on earth that it may be done on earth as it is in heauen Except we know our Masters will how shall we do it Ergo first pray with Dauid here Let thy way be knowne vpon earth and then let all the people praise thee Gods will is reuealed in his word and his word is his way wherein we must walke turning neither to the right hand nor to the left or thy way that is thy works as Dauid elsewhere Psalm 25. 9. All the waies of the Lord are mercie and truth Or as other most fitly Thy way that is thy Christ Thy sauing health that is thy Iesus for I am the way saith our Sauiour Iohn 14. 6. No man commeth to the Father but by me wherefore let thy sonne be knowne vpon earth thy Iesus among all nations At this time God was knowne in Iurie but saith Hierome Gods way was vnknowne his sonne was not as yet manifested in the flesh this as Paul speakes was his wisedome but now reuealed as S. Iohn in his first epistle Wee haue heard wee haue seene with our eyes and our haâ—ds haue handled of the word of life Blessed eyes happie eares for I tell you many Prophâ—â—â— and Kings haue desired to see the things which you see and haue not seene them and to heare the things which you heare and haue not heard them Let the people praise thee Marke the sweete order of the blessed Spiâ—it first mercie then knowledge last of all praising of God We cannot see his countenance except he be mercifull vnto vs and wee cannot praise him except his way be knowne vpon earth his mercie breeds knowledge his knowledge praise Wee must praise God alway for all things Ephes. 5. 20. but especially for his sauing health among all nations And this is the true reason why the Church in her Liturgie doth vse so many Hymnes and giue so much thanks vnto God for the redemption of the world Wherein assuredly she did imitate the blessed Apostles in composing the Creed the greatest part whereof as hath been noted is spent in the doctrine which concerneth our Sauiour Christ. Let all the people Some mislike the Letanie for that it hath a petition for all men and all people yet wee haue both a precept and a precedent out of Gods owne booke the Commandement is 1. Tim. 2. I exhort that first of all supplications prayers intercessions and giuing of thankes be made for all men The practise of Gods Church is apparent in this place let the people let all the people which the Psalmographer vttered from the spirit of God as the mouth of God and therefore let men construe the Church as the Scripture when as the Church doth speake Scripture lest they wipe out of the Bible many good lessons as Tertulli in said of Marcion if not with a spunge yet with a peeuish and ouerthwart interpretation And heere let the Nouelist also remember that both our English reformers and the Churches of Scotland vse the same petition for all men in their prayers after the Sermon O let the nations reioyce and be glad It is obserued to good purpose that this clause is inserted fitly between that doubled exclamation Let the people praise thee because none can praise God well except they doe it heartily with ioy and gladnesse For as the Lord loues a cheerefull giuer so likewise a cheerefull thanksgiuer God is terrible to the wicked but a God of gladnesse to such as haue seene the light of his countenance for being reconciled vnto God they haue such inward ioy and peace that it passeth all vnderstanding For thou shalt iudge the folke righteously The Psalmist here may seeme to contradict himselfe for if mercie make men reioyce then iudgement occasioneth men to tremble Answere is made that all such as haue knowne the waies of the Lord and reioyce in the strength of his saluation all such as haue the pardon of their sinnes assured and sealed feare not that dreadfull assise because they know the Iudge is their aduocate Or as Hierome let all nations reioyce because God doth iudge righteously being the God of the Gentiles as well as of the Iewes Acts 10. 34. Or let all nations reioyce because God doth gouerne all nations that whereas heretofore they wandred in the fond imaginations of their owne hearts in wrie waies in by-waies now they are directed by the spirit of truth to walke in Gods high way which leades vnto the celestiall Ierusalem now they shall know Christ the way the truth and the life For iudging is vsed often for ruling 1. Sam. 7. 15. 2. Cor. 1. 10. So Dauid here doth expound himselfe Thou shalt iudge that is thou shalt gouerne the nations Vpon earth Not excluding things aboue but openly meeting with their impietie who think God careth not for the things below for Epicurus in old time so taught Epicures in our time so liue as if almightie God did not marke what were done well or ill vpon earth O yee fooles when will ye vnderstand He that planted the eare shall he not heare or he that made the eye shall he not see Totus oculus est quia omnia videt totus manus est quia omnia operatur totus pes est quia vbique est as Seneca like a Diuine Prope à te est Deus
mutassediem vt oftenderent exemplum abrogationis legum ceremonialium in die septimo Melanct. tom 2. fol. 363. Whereas therefore the Iewes obserued their Sabbath on the seuenth day wee celebrate the eighth They gaue God the last day of the weeke but Christians better honour him with the first they keepe their Sabbath in honour of the worlds creation but Christians in memoriall of the worlds redemption a worke of greater might and mercie and therefore good reason the greater worke should carrie away the credit of the day See the Gospell on Saint Thomas day The particular rest of the Iewes is ceremoniall also for it is a type of our inward resting from sin in this life Exod. 31. 13. Ezek. 20. 12. and a figure of our eternall Sabbath in the next as S. Paul disputes Heb. 4. Yet this Commandement is morall in the generall As for example wee must keepe one day in the seuen holie to the Lord wherein we must doe no manner of work which may let the ministerie of Gods word and other exercises of pietie We must leaue to doe our worke that the Lord may bring foorth in vs his worke The duties then required on the Lords day be principally two Rest. And a sanctification of this rest A double Sabbath rest from labour and rest from sinne for as our Church doth determine two sorts of people transgresse this Commandement especially 1. Such as will not rest froÌ„ their ordinary labour but driue carry row ferry on SuÌ„day 2. Such as will rest in vngodlines idlely spending this holy day in pampering pointing painting themselues So that God is more dishonoured and the Diuell better serued vpon Sunday then on all the daies of the weeke beside Thou shalt do no manner of worke That is no seruile work of thine ordinarie calling which may be done the day before or left well vndone till the day after But some workes are lawfull namely such as appertaine to the publike worship of God as painfull preaching of the sacred word reading of diuine prayers administring of the blessed Sacraments and euery worke subordinate to these as ringing of bels and trauelling to Church Acts 1. 12. 2. Kings 4. 23. And workes of mercie toward Our selues as prouision of meate and drinke Matth. 12. 1. Other Men our Sauiour healed the man with the dâ—ied hand on the Sabbath Mark 3. 5. Beasts in watering cattell and helping them out of pound and pit Luk. 14. 5. Workes of present necessitie Physitions on the Lords day may visit their patients Midwiues helpe women with child Shepheards attend their flock Mariners their voiage Souldiers may fight and messengers ride post for the great good of the Common-wealth Works of honest recreations also so farre as they may rather helpe then hinder our cheerefull seruing of the Lord and the reason of all this is giuen by Christ Mar. 2. 27. The Sabbath was made for man and not man for the Sabbath Thou Thy wife is not named because she is presumed to be thy selfe that whatsoeuer is forbidden thy selfe must also be knowne to be forbidden thy second selfe Thy sonne and thy daughter Euery man is a gouernour in his owne house and therefore must take charge of such as are vnder him Adduc eos ad domum dei tecum qui sunt in domo tua tecum mater Ecclesia aliquos à te petit aliquos repetit petit eos quos apud te inuenit repetit quos per te perdidit Thy man seruant This is for Thy good Their good The common good Thy good For hee that on Sunday shall learne his dutie will be more fit all the weeke to doe his dutie such as obey God with a good conscience will serue their master with an vpright heart as Iacob serued Laban and Ioseph Pharaoh Againe it is for thy good often to remember with thankfulnesse that God hath made thee master and him seruant whereas hee might haue made thee seruant and him master For their good that they may know God and whom he hath sent Christ Iesus the way the truth and the life Thy seruants are men of the same mold with thee Iisdem constant nâ—triuntur elementis eundem spiritum ab eodem principio carpunt eodem fruun ur coelo aequa viuunt aeque moriuntur serui sunt imo conserui That is in the words of scripture Thy seruants are all one with thee in Christ made of the same God redeemed with the same price subiect to the same law belonging to the same master Ephes. 6. 9. Pitie then and pietie require that thou see them obserue the Lords day for the good as well of their bodies as soules For the common good For euery man hath iust cause to be ready willingly to labour all the weeke when as he is assured he shall rest on Sunday Thy cattell Hence we may gather much comfort for if God in his mercy prouide for the welfare euen of our brute beasts of which he hath made vs Lords he will assuredly much more respect vs his seruants and children he cannot be carelesse for men who is so carefull for oxen The Commandements are so well knowne and often expounded that as Augustine speakes in the like case Desiderant auditorem magis quà m expositorem I passe therefore from the first table containing all dutie to God vnto the second teaching all dutie to man I say to man as the proper immediat object of them Otherwise these Commandements are done vnto God also for he that clotheth the naked and visiteth the sicke doth it vnto Christ Matth. 25. 40. The law then concerning our neighbour is partly Affirmatiue teaching vs to do him all good Honour thy father and mother c. Negatiue teaching vs to doe him no hurt Thou shalt not kill c. This table begins with honour of our father First because next vnto God we must honour those who are in the place of God Secondly because the neglect of this one Commandement occasioneth all disorder against the rest for if superiours gouerne well and inferiours obey well how can any man be wronged in word or deed Thirdly because of all neighbours our parents are most neere to vs as being most bound to them of whom we haue receiued our life Thy parent is Gods instrument for thy naturall being thy Prince Gods instrument for thy ciuill being thy Pastor Gods instrument for thy spirituall being Wherefore as thou art a man thou must honour thy naturall father as a citizen honour thy ciuill father as a Christian honour thy ecclesiasticall father Honour imports especially 3. things Obedience Reuerence Maintenance Obedience Children obey your parents in all things Coloss 3. 20 that is as Paul doth interpret himselfe Ephes. 6. 1 in the Lord. In all things agreeable to the will of God otherwise for Christs loue wee must hate father and mother Luke 14. 26.