his helpe any longer they would yealde them selues into the handes of their enimies but God stayed their fall and that by the handes of a woman And if there had not bene more mercy in GOD then faith in them their féete had not onely slipt but also all the whole lande countrie and citie The like ye may sée also in the notable historie of Hester whereas the very rocke and chiefe stay of the Iewes health Mardocheus made suite to the Quéene for Asuerus pardon for the life of the Iewes when sentence and iudgement was past against them of death So that if faith in the promises of God had not stayed him he had slipt and falne downe to sée al things against him and his countrimen But before men vtterly fall the Lorde is with them and preserueth them with his mercy as Dauid saide When my feete were moued thy mercy oh Lord stayed me The thirde thing to be noted of these wordes is the manner of the Prophetes speaking which must be marked and vnderstoode or else the reader or hearer of the Psalmes shall take no profite My feete were almost gone and my treadings had well nigh slipt By the féete he vnderstandeth the minde and by the treadings well nigh slipt he vnderstandeth the iudgement and wisedome of the minde As foule and slipperie wayes be daungerous for the féete so be the workes of God to the minde that is not illuminated with the light of Gods word And as the slipping and running away of the feete causeth all the body to fall euen so the ignorance of the mind causeth both body and soule to fall and gréeuously to misseiudge the workes of God And as the fal of the body sowceth and defileth it self with mire and dirt euen so doth the fall of the minde defile both body and soule with impatience and enuious indignation at Gods workes So that the Prophete saith by these wordes My feete were almost gone and my treadings had well nigh slipt My minde was so troubled to sée God suffer the euill in such prosperitie and the good in suche aduersitie that my iudgement almost slipt from the right sentence of thée O Lorde and very scarsly I auoyded most haynons sinne towardes thée in controlling of thy most wise and iust doings If we marked the pithe and wisedome of the scripture we should sée many thinges more in our selues then we doe doubtlesse growe to an excellencie in wisedome and finde out what euils we be most inclined vnto Amongst all other hatred and indignation of other mens prosperitie is not the least nor the most seldomest And in déed the father of sinne the diuell hath that in him First he disdained God and his felicitie but he wan nothing thereby but euerlasting paines Then he enuyed man his felicitie yet the wicked spirit gayned nothing to him self but double damnation and losse of vs all And this séede of the diuell descended into our nature as we may sée and made Caine to kill Abel his brother made Ismael to persequute Isaac Esau Iacob Dathan and Abiron Moses and Aaron Aaron and Marie his sister Moses Iacobs children Ioseph Saule Dauid Herode and the Phariseis Christe and Iohn the Baptist the tenne Apostles Iohn and Iames Peter Saint Iohn the Euangelist and the members of the diuell and Antichriste in this our time the members of Christe So that they be not onely almost falne but also the Lorde help them and vs all altogether sliden to enuie and indignation and likewise to violent oppression of Gods holy word But let vs not slip ne fall into indignation that they prosper and we are afflicted but say in the middest of these oppressions of the good and prosperitie of the euill Truely God is louing vnto Israel and let vs praye also for their amendment ¶ The third part 3 And why I was grieued at the wicked c. HErein is conteined what the felicitie of the wicked is and wherein it consisteth that the godly be offended with all when they flourishe and be in honour and the poore members of Christe persequuted and without all honour and be rather worms then men yea the dogs and brute beastes of the enimies be in more estimation then the poore beléeuers in Christe Out of this part is to be noted First a great fault and ouersight in the people of God for lacke of iudgment and true knowledge wherein trueth and verie felicitie in déede consisteth the lacke of the which knowledge maketh men both impatient and lewde iudges of Gods holy workes The Prophete therefore herein amendeth his owne and our ignorance and willeth vs to knowe perfectly wherein felicitie and happinesse doth rest The Christian must vnderstand and assure him selfe that the felicitie and euerlasting beatitude of man is wrought by quietnesse of conscience and innocencie of life of which two partes and vertues in this tract I will speake more hereafter as well what they be what be the causes of them as what is the effect of them I wil assure you if we knowe not these thinges well our religion will be but a while permanent and true vnto God To enter therefore into the knowledge of the matter wherein the beatitude felicitie of man consisteth it is requisite to cast some cloudes and darknesse vpon these worldly things that wicked men possesse and godly men thinke them thereby to be happie Looke as the Sunne at the rising and passing ouer the earth doth hide and couer the globe sphere of the Moone and darkneth also the light and clearenesse of the starres euen so doth the tranquillitie of conscience and the brightnesse of faith and charitie that dwelleth in the heart of the faithfull darken and hide all things that séeme beautifull and voluptuous to the world and carnall lustes of man And he that hath a testimonie at home in his owne conscience that he is in the fauour of God will not greatly passe of other mens iudgements whether they saue or damne laud or disprayse nor yet greatly passe although he lacke such notes of riches and glory as worldly men iudge and knowe felicitie by For he that knoweth surely wherein felicitie doth consist will not take the worldly opinion of men for his recorde nor for his rewarde neither will he greatly feare for any damnation or punishment that the world can annexe and ioyne vnto his life for this mortall time It is therefore Christianitie to knowe that felicitie and beatitude resteth in the riches of the mind by Gods grace wrought by the holy Ghost for the merites of Christ. There was amongst the Philosophers great diuersitie of opinions in this matter wherin felicitie beatitude shoulde consist Some saide it rested in this a man still and continually to be voyde from anguishe and sorrowe Other saide it consisted in the knowledge of thinges Some saide in pleasure and voluptuousnesse Aristotle and Theophrastus and such other as were
the prophet remember the works of the Lord and that of olde time or from the beginning The second I wil think also of al the works of the Lord c. In this that the Prophet sayeth He will remember the workes of the Lorde of olde time or from the beginning we learne that it is expedient to know or at the least way not to be ignorant of any booke in the scripture For where as we finde not consolation in the one we may finde it in the other And where he sayth He wil remember all y e works of the Lord meaning as many as the scripture maketh mention of we be instructed that we cannot sée these works for our erudition neither yet giue y e almightie God thanks except we learne them from one of his bookes to the other And here is to be noted that séeing we be bounde to knowe and to be thankefull for all the workes of God conteined in the scripture we be muche in daunger as well for ignorance as vnthankefulnesse that we knowe not the principall workes of our owne creation or redemption We be therefore admonished to haue bookes to read the works of God and to be diligent to ask better learned then we be what Gods works doe meane As the children by Gods law vs bound to aske the parents the parents bound by the same to teach them then shall both fathers and children finde comfort and consolation against all temptations in the time of trouble and heauinesse As we sée this mans remedie by y e spirite of God riseth from recording meditating and speaking of Gods word and workes Here hath this Prophete meruellously opened howe a man in trouble commeth to consolation and comfort First that the spirite and heart of man must haue such strong fayth as may credite Gods power and also his good will and beléeue that God both can and will for his truethes sake helpe the troubled conscience Therefore Solomon giueth a godlie and necessarie commaundement Keepe thy heart with all circumspection for of it proceedeth life So did Dauid when the Prophet Nathan had made him afraide for the murder of Vrias and the adulterie with Bersaba his cōscience was in great anguishe and feare and among other thinges that he prayed for to God he desired that God would create and make him a newe heart that is to witte to giue him such a stedfast and burning fayth that in Christe his sinnefull heart might be purged And secondarily he prayeth to haue so right and sure a spirite that shoulde not doubt of Gods sauour towardes him Thirdly that God woulde alwayes preserue his holy spirite with the heart regenerated that from time to time the heart might be ruled in obedience towardes God Fourthly he prayeth to be lead with a willing spirite that quietly and patiently he may obey God in aduersities without impatience or grudge against God And where as this knowledge and féeling of the favour of God is in the spirite there followeth recording and remembrance of Gods works meditating and thinking vpon heauenly thinges and the tongue readie also to speake foorth the glory of God to Gods honour and praise and to the edifying of Gods people and congregation after this sorte 13 Thy way oh God is in holinesse who is so great a God as God euen our God Here is a consolation much worthie to be learned and receiued of all troubled men and it is this To vnderstande and perceiue that all the doinges and factes of Almightie God be righteous although many times the fleshe iudgeth and the tongue speaketh the contrarie that God should be too seuere and punishe too extremely As though he did it rather of a desire to punishe then to correct or amend the person punished As we sée by Iobs words that wished his sinnes layed in one balance and his punishment in another balance as though God punished more extreamely then iustly The same it séemeth king Dauid also felte when he sayde Howe long Lorde wilt thou forget me for euer With like bitter speaches in the scripture complayning of Gods iustice iudgement and seueritie The same we reade of Ieremie the Prophete He spake Gods word truely and yet there happened vnto him wonderfull great aduersities the terrour whereof made him curse the day that he was borne in And doubtlesse when he sayde Why haste thou deceiued mee Lorde he thought God was rather too extreame then iust in his punishment to afflicte him in aduersitie and to suffer Passur the high Priest and his enimie to be in quiet and tranquillitie This prophet Asaph was before in great trouble as ye heard and especially of the minde that self not a sure trust and confidence in Gods mercie and thought of al extremities that to be as it is in déed the greatest a minde desperate and doubtfull of Gods mercie yet nowe he saith God is holie in his way and all that he doeth is right and iust We learne hereby that the potte can not say to the Potter Why hast thou made me after this sorte Neither may the mortall man in whom is nothing but sinne quarel with the Lord and say What layest thou vpon me But thinke that although he had made vs both blinde lame and as deformed as monsters yet had he made vs better then euer we deserued And in case he layd all the troubles of the world vppon one man yet are they lesse then one sinne of man doeth deserue Thus hath the Prophet learned nowe and felt and sayth The doinges of God be holie and right and there is none to be compared vnto him and sheweth the cause why none is to be compared vnto God In the declaration whereof he continueth seuen verses and so maketh an ende of the Psalme The first cause why he sayeth none is to be compared vnto God is this 14 Thou art the Lord that doth wonders and hast declared thy power amongest people Firste he noteth generally that God is the doer of wonders and miracles and afterwardes he sheweth wherein God hath wrought these miracles Of this we learne thrée doctrines The one that some men knowe generally that God worketh all thinges meruellously The second that other some knowe that God worketh in some men meruellously The third that other also knowe that God worketh in themselues meruellously Of the first sort be such as know by Gods works generally that God hath and doth dispose all things vpon the earth and nothing hath his beginning nor being but of God of whome Saint Paule speaketh to the Romanes that by Gods workes they knewe God and yet glorified him not Of the seconde sorte be suche as more particularly knowe and speake of Gods miracles as suche be that reade how God of his singular fauour preserued Noah his familie and drowned all the world besides how he brought the children of Israel out of Egypt and deliuered the people from
this spring Come hither heare what a good man wrote ex carcere vinculis out of bonds and imprisonment for thy consolation Heare him once heare him twise heare him often for thou for thou canst not heare him enough He giueth thee a pleasaunt Pomander vouchsafe it the smelling he soundeth swete musicke it deserueth good dansing he bidds thee to a sumptuous banquet bee not deintie in feeding he presenteth vnto thee a pretious diamond it is worth the taking Oh giue God thanks for all glorifie the Lords name whome it hath pleased to plant in his vineyeard so fruitefull a vine which beareth grapes Gods plentie of whose iuice ô Christ vouchsafe vs to tast that our vessels beeing seasoned with true sanctification they may be made sweete to receiue and preserue the water of the riuer of life flowing from the liuely rocke Christ Iesus to whom with the Father and the Holy ghost one Trinitie in Vnitie be all laud and praise euerlasting Amen Thine in Christ A. F. CERTEINE EXPOsitions of the constant Martyr of Christ Maister IOHN HOOPER somtime Bishop of Gloucester and Worcester vpon the 23. the 62. the 72. and the 77. Psalmes of the Prophet DAVID vpon the xxiij Psalme THE ARGVMENT OR MATTER which the Prophete chiefly intreateth of in this Psalme IT should seeme by the meruellous and wonderfull description and setting foorth of almightie God by the Prophete and King DAVID in this Psalme that he was inflamed with the holy Ghost being deliuered from all his enemies to declare vnto all the world howe faithfull and mightie a defender and keeper God is of as many as put their trust in him He was in great daunger and specially in the warres that he made against the AMMONITES the euent and successe whereof it seemeth by the 20. Psalme his subiectes greatly feared wherefore they commended their king as true subiectes alwayes vse with earnest prayer vnto God And that battell and many other daungers more ended wherein the godly king found alwayes the protection and defence of the heauenly father ready and at hand nowe being at rest he would haue this mercifull defence of GOD knowne to all others that as he in all his aduersities put his trust in the Lorde and had the ouerhand of all his enimies euen so by his example all other men should learne to doe the same and assure them selues to finde as he found the Lorde of heauen to be the succour and defence of the troubled and their keeper from all euill And bicause the hearers and readers of this most diuine godly Hymne should the better vnderstand the same and the sooner take credite thereof in the heart he calleth the heauenly father the God of all consolation in this Psalme a shepheard or heardman feeding his flocke and the people with him selfe he calleth sheepe pastured and fed by the shepheard And by these two meanes as by a most conuenient Allegorie or Translation meete for the purpose from the office of a shepheard the nature of sheepe he setteth out meruellously the safegard of man by Gods prouidence and goodwill towardes man And in the same Allegorie or Translation he occupieth the foure first verses in this Psalme In the first verse and so to the ende of the Psalme he declareth stil one matter and argument of Gods defence towardes man and howe man is preserued But yet it seemeth that he expresseth the same by other words and by an other translation shewing the nature of God almightie in feding and nourishing of man vnder the name of a Lord or King that hath prepared a table and plentie of meats to feede the hungrie and needie and setteth foorth man poore and destitute of consolation and necessarie helpe vnder the name of guestes and bidden folkes to a Kings table where is plentie of all things necessarie not onely to satisfie hunger and to quench thirst but also to expell and remoue them that the poore man shall neuer hunger nor thirst againe and only that but also for euer world without end this poore man shall dwell and inherite by the mercy of his heauenly king the ioyes euerlasting And this last Translation or Allegorie is in maner not only a repetition of the first in other wordes but also a declaration and more plaine opening of the Prophetes minde what he meaneth in this celestiall Hymne The partes of the Psalme The texte of the Psalme 1 Who it is that hath the cure and charge of mans life and saluation The Lord feedeth me c. 2 Wherein the life and saluation of man consisteth In pleasaunt pastures c. 3 Howe man is brought to the knowledge of life and saluation Hee shall conuert my soule c. 4 Wherefore man is brought to life and saluation For his names sake c. 5 What trouble may happen to suche as haue life and saluation Althoughe I walke through the vallie c. 6 Whereby the trouble of Gods people is ouercome For thou arte with me c. 7 What the ende of Gods troubled afflicted people shall be I wil dwel in the house of the Lord. c. ¶ The first part of the Psalme 1 Who it is that hath the cure and charge of mans life and saluation THE FIRST VERSE The Lord feedeth me and I shall want nothing KIng Dauid saith the Lorde féedeth him wherfore he can lacke nothing to liue a vertuous and godly life In this first part some thinges are to be considered First of God that féedeth and next of man that is fed GOD that féedeth Dauid calleth by the name of a shepherd and his people he calleth by the name of shéep By this name of a shepheard the Prophet openeth and discloseth the nature of God to al his miserable and lost creatures that he is content not onely to wish and desire man that is lost to be found and restored againe but also doth séeke and trauell to restore and bring him home againe as it is written in Esaie the Prophete He shall gather together his lambes in his arme And in Ezechiel the Prophet the Lorde saith Behold I will require my flocke of the shepheards c. And I will deliuer my flocke from their mouth and they shall be no more their meate for thus saith the Lord Behold I will search out my sheepe and will visite them as a shepheard doth visite his sheepe when he is in the middest of his scattered shepe so will I visite my shepe and deliuer them from all places whereas they haue bene scattered c. And Ieremie the Prophet in the same sorte declareth the nature of God towards the lost flocke saying He that dispersed Israel shal gather him together againe and keepe him as the shepheard keepeth his flocke Christ our Sauiour nameth him selfe a good shepheard and saith that He was sent to call such as were not shéepe of the vtter marke and signe in the world to be his shéepe This nature of
the heauenly father sawe king Dauid when he saide at the beginning of this heauenly Hymne The Lord feedeth me c. When he is assured of Gods mercifull nature that séeketh the lost shéepe he openeth further the nature of God what he wil do with the shéep which he findeth féede him saith the Prophet Dauid and putteth him selfe for an example Here is the mercy of the great shepheard further declared that he killeth not his shéepe robbeth them not but féedeth and nourisheth them Of this speaketh the Prophet Ezechiel in the person of almightie God I my selfe will feede my sheepe and make that they shall rest quietly saith the Lord God That which is lost I wil seeke such as goe astray I will bring againe such as be wounded I will binde vp such as be weake I will make strong but such as be fat and strong those will I roote out and I will feede my sheepe in reason and iudgement And the great shepheard Christe saith whether his shéepe goe in or out they shall finde pasture After that this king hath opened in this Hymne that Gods nature is not only to séeke the lost shéep but also when he hath found him to féede him then he addeth in his Hymne after what sort he féedeth him So that I shal lacke nothing saith the Prophet Here is the declaring of the great shepheards pasture wherwith he féedeth the flocke of his pasture Christ expresseth the same wonderfully in the opening of his office and doctrine vnto the world in S. Iohn saying I came that they might haue life and haue it most abundantly And talking with the poore woman of Samaria he told her y t the drink he would giue her should be water of life And to the Capernaites he said that meate which he would giue them should worke eternall saluation As these properties be in God the shepheard as the Prophete hath marked euen in the like sort be the contrarie conditions in man the shéepe he speaketh of for as the nature of God is to séeke so is the nature of man to go astray As the Prophete saith I haue strayed like a wandering sheepe And euen so doth Esaie write of all mankind All we haue erred saith he as shepe going astray Christe our Sauiour also in S. Matthewe doth bewayle the people of the worlde that stray as sheepe that had no shepheard S. Peter likewise saith vnto his countrimen that he writeth vnto Ye were as sheepe that went astray but ye conuerted now vnto the shepheard and pastoure of your soules And as the nature of man is to stray from GOD so is it likewise to féede vpon all vnholsome and infected pastures to beléeue euery false Prophete that can do nothing but lye In the Prophete Esaie the Lorde saith The nature of sheepe is to be deceiued and their pastours to be dronke that neyther knowe nor see the pastures of the word of God And in the same Prophete there is a most horrible plague vpon man for sinne for The pastours shal be vnable to feede and all the foode of life shall be as a booke fast clasped and shut This going astray and féeding vpon euill pasture is wonderfully set foorth by Saint Paule for when men will not féede vpon the truth it is Gods iust iudgement they should féed vpon falshoode And as Gods nature is not onely to féede but fully to satisfie and to replenishe with all goodnesse so that nothing may lacke for a godly and vertuous life in like manner the nature of man is not only to féede but also to replenish it selfe with all infected contagious doctrine vntill such time y t he despise and contemne God and al his holesome laws This we may sée in the holy Prophete Esaie The people saith the Lorde prouoketh me vnto anger a lying nation that will not heare the lawe of GOD they say to their Prophets Prophesie not looke not out for vs things that be right speake pleasant things vnto vs c. And this replenishing of man with corrupt pasture is horribly set foorth in Sainte Iohn when the wicked priestes and Phariseis would not beléeue the shepheardes voyce Christe no not their owne seruaunts that tolde them the truth nor yet Nichodemus one of their own court and profession Thus in the first part of this celestial Hymne is the nature of God and man described vnder the name of a shepheard and of shéepe Of this part of the Psalme what the Prophete hath saide of God and of man we must for our owne doctrine and learning gather some thinges to be the better by For S. Paule saith What so euer is written is written for our learning Two thinges we learne of this first place The one a certeintie that God hath the cure and charge of vs and the other a consolation and comfort that we all ours be vnder his protection and gouernaunce The first doctrine to be certein and sure of Gods defence and care ouer vs maketh vs constant and strong to suffer beare all aduersities and troubles that God shall sende vs. And the second doctrine shall cause vs patiently and thankfully to beare our crosse and to follow Christ. Both these doctrines the Prophet Dauid expresseth in the third and fourth verse of this Psalme If I should saith he trauel and passe through places contagious and infected where appeareth nothing but the image and shadowe of death or be compelled to passe through the handes and tyrannie of mine enimies I wil not feare for thou art with me O GOD and defendest me In the 91. Psalme he setteth foorth the assurance and felicitie of all them that put their whole trust in the mercy of God and therein also the Prophet reckoneth vp a wonderfull sort of dangers and layeth them before the eyes of the faithfull that he may by the sight and knowledge of the daungers fixe and place the more constantly his faith and trust in God that hath the charge and cure of him Hee shal saith he defend vs from pestilence most infectiue from fleeing arrowes in the day c. By the which the Prophet vnderstandeth all kinde of euils that may come vnto vs by the meanes of the diuell or of wicked men And these things the faithful shall escape saith the Prophet bicause they say from their hearts vnto GOD Quoniam tu es spes mea that is to say For thou art my hope euen as he saide in the beginning of this Psalme The Lorde feedeth me and I shall want nothing Such certeintie and assurance of Gods defence and such consolation in troubles of this life we must learne pray to haue out of Gods word or else it were as good neuer to heare nor to reade it And from this first part of the Psalme euery estate of the world may learne wisedome and consolation If the Lorde féede and gouerne him he shall haue God to
belonging to this life yet is it not to be compared to the other as Dauid wonderfully declareth in the 25. Psal. When he hath numbred a great many of Gods benefites which he doth bestow vpon his poore seruants in this life he in y e end maketh mention of one specially that passeth them all in these woordes Arcanum Domini timentibus illum testamentum suum manifestabit illis That is to say The Lord openeth to suche as feare him his secretes and his testament The Lorde openeth to his faithfull seruaunt the mysteries and secretes of his pleasure and the knowledge of his lawes And these treasures the knowledge and right vnderstanding of Gods moste holie woorde he sayth was more swéete vnto him then honie or the honie combe and more he esstéemed the vertue of it then he did precious stones Of all giftes this was the principall that God gaue vnto him a right and true knowledge of him selfe Wherefore it shall be moste expedient and necessarie for euerie Christian man to labour studie and pray that he may earnestly and with a faithfull heart knowe him selfe to be no better then a séelie poore shéepe that hath nothing of him selfe nor of any other to saue his bodie and soule but onely the mercie of his shéepehearde the heauenly father and to be assured also that his only mercie and goodnesse alone in Christ and none other besides him is able to féede him so that he shall lacke nothing necessarie in this life nor in the life to come ¶ The second part of the Psalme Wherein the life and saluation of man consisteth THE SECOND VERSE He shall feede me in pleasant pastures and he shall leade me by the riuers side HE shal set me in the pastures most pleasant and rich of his doctrine and in the contemplation of heauenly thinges wherewithall the minds of godly men are nourished and fed with vnspeakeble ioy néere vnto the plentious flouds of the holy Ghost and the swéete waters of the holy Scriptures he will féede me in the which places the shéepe of the Lord are nourished to eternall life abounding with milke and bringing foorth most blessed fruite The Scripture of God vseth this word feede in many significations Sometime to teach and instruct some time to rule and gouerne as magistrates rule their people as wel by lawe as by strength Sometime to punish and correct c. But in this place the Prophet vseth feeding as wel for instruction by Gods word as also for defence and safegard of Gods people by Gods most mightie power He vseth this word pasture for the word of God it selfe as a thing which is the onely foode of a mans soule to liue vppon as the meate and drinke is for the body He vseth this word leade for conducting that the man which is ledd at no time goe out of the way but alwayes may know where he is and whither he is going as in many other of his Psalmes he vseth the same manner of speaking The riuers of refection he vseth for the plentifull giftes of the holy Ghost wherewithall the faithfull man is replenished His saying therefore is as much as if he had spoken without Allegorie or Translation thus He instructeth me with his word and conducteth me with his holy spirite that I cannot erre nor perish In this part of the Psalme be many things worthie to be noted First it is declared that the life of man consisteth in the foode of Gods word then that there is none that giueth the same to be eaten but God our heauenly shepheard the next that none can eate of this meate of Gods word but such as the holy Ghost féedeth with the word Our sauiour Christ declareth that Man liueth not by bread alone but of euery woord that proceedeth out of the mouthe of God Whereby he teacheth vs that as the body liueth by externall meates so doeth the soule by the word of God And no more possible is it for a man to liue in God without the word of God then in the world without the meate of the world And S. Peter confesseth the same For when the Capernaites and many of Christes owne disciples had satisfied their bodies with externall meates they cared not for their souls neither could they abide to be fed nor to heare the meate of the soule spoken of althoughe Christ did dresse it most holsomely with many godly and swéet words they would not tarrie vntil Christ had made that meate readie for them they could be contented to féede their bellies with his meates but their soules they would not commit to his diet but departed as hungrie as they came thorough their owne follie Christ was leading them from the fiue barlie loaues and two fishes wherwith they had filled their bellies vnto the pleasaunt pastures of the heauenly word that shewed neither barlie loaues nor fishe but his owne pretious bloud and painefull passion to be the meate of their soules how be it they could not come in to this pasture nor tast in any case of the swéet herbes and nourishment of their soules When Christ perceiued they would not be ledd into this pleasaunt pasture he let them goe whither they would and to féede vppon what pasture they would And then he asked of his twelue that tarried saying Will ye depart also Peter as one that had fedd both body and soule as his fellowes had perceiued that the body was but halfe the man and that béeing fed there was but halfe a man fedd and also that such meates as went into the mouth satisfied no more then the body that the mouth was made for he felt moreouer that his soule was fedd by Christes doctrine that the hunger of sinn the ire of God the accusation of the lawe and the demaund and claime of the diuel were quenched and taken away he perceiued likewise that the meat which brought this nourishment was the heauenly doctrine that Christe spake of touching his death and passion and he vnderstoode also that this meate passed not into the body by the mouth but into the soule by faith and by the presence of Gods spirite with his spirite that the body also should be partaker as wel of the grace that was in it as of the life So that he felt himselfe not onely to haue a body and a soule aliue but also that they were gratiously replenished with the pastures food of Gods fauour Wherefore he said vnto Christ To whom shal we go thou hast the words of euerlasting life Which wordes in effecte sound no other thing then this Psalme doeth where Dauid saith The Lord feedeth me and I shal want nothing for he leadeth mee into his pleasant pastures and pastureth mee by the riuers side Wherein it appeareth manifestly that the word of God is the life of the soule The Prophete Dauid doeth meruellously open this thing in the repeating so
many times the word of God in a Psalme worthie much reading and more marking of the thinges conteyned therein For he intreateth all the Psalme thorough that a godly life doeth consist in the obseruation of Gods lawes and therefore doth he so many times in the Psalme pray God to illuminate and indue his spirite and hearte with these two vertues Knowledge and Loue of his word wherewith he may both knowe howe to serue God and at all times to be acceptable vnto him And our sauiour Christ himselfe in Saint Luke saith vnto a woman Blessed be they that heare the word of God and kepe it And in S. Iohn Christ exhorteth all men to the reading and exercising of the Scripture For the ignorance of Gods word bringeth with it a murren and rott of the soule yet for the sinnes of the people God said He would sende a hunger and famine amongst men not a hunger of bread nor water but of hearing Gods word King Dauid therefore as one assured both of the Authour of life also of the foode wherewith the life is mainteyned stayeth himselfe with Gods benediction and fauour that he is assured God féedeth him with his word And he sheweth also that none is the authour of this word neither can any giue it but God alone For when the first fall of Adam and Eue by eating forbidden meates had poysoned infected both body and soule with sinne and Gods displeasure so that he was destitute both of Gods fauour wisedome none but God could tell him where remedie and help lay nor yet could any deliuer him the help but God For till God made promise that the séed of a woman should make whole and saue that which the diuel and man had made sicke and lost by reason of sinne and also made open the remedie vnto Adam and inclined his heart to beléeue the remedie Adam was dead in sinne and vtterly cast away Then the pittie of the heauenly shéepheard said He should notwithstanding in time be brought into the same pasture againe and none should deceiue him nor bring him any more out of the pastures of life But onely God gaue this meate which was his holy word and promise and also the mouth of fayth to eate these promises of Gods onely gift And the same appeareth throughout the whole Bible that onely God by sending of his worde and preachers brought knowledge of euerlasting life to the people that were in ignoraunce As Saint Paule sayth God before time spake vnto our fathers by the Prophets and in these latter dayes vnto vs by his sonne and after the ascension of his sonne by his Apostles and Euangelistes in so much that none of the Prophetes-euer spake of Gods worde that mainteined the life of the soule otherwise then they receiued it of the high shepheard almightie God as Saint Peter saith Prophesie came not by the wil of man but the holy men of God spake as they were taught by the holy Ghost So that God is the onely authour and founteine of his true word the foode of all mens soules In like manner he is the onely giuer of the same as he is the giuer of it and none but him selfe so none can eate it but such as haue the same deliuered vnto them by the holy Ghost So our Sauiour Christ likewise in the Gospell of Saint Iohn telleth Nichodemus that it was not possible to vnderstand and to knowe the grace of redemption except he were borne from aboue And when Saint Paule preached the worde of God at Philippos amongest the women by the water side the Lorde opened the heart of Lidia to vnderstande the things spoken of by Paule And when Christe preached among the Iewes and wrought wonderfull miracles yet they vnderstoode nothing neither were they anything the better And Christe sheweth the cause Proptereà vos non auditis quia ex Deo non estis that is to say Therefore ye heare not bicause ye be not of GOD. But the fault was not in God but in the obstinacie and frowardnesse of their owne heartes as ye may sée in Saint Matthewe Christ offered him selfe but yet the malice of man rebelled at all times Sainte Paule to the Corinthians wonderfully setteth foorth mans vnablenesse and saith The naturall man is not able to comprehend the thinges that be of God And in Saint Iohn Christ saith No man can come vnto him except the heauenly father drawe him for they must be all taught of God Nowe as the Prophete sawe these things for him selfe and his saluation in Gods worde euen so must euery Christian man take héede that he learne the same doctrine or else it were no commoditie to haue the scripture of God deliuered and taught vnto vs. And euery reader and hearer must learn of this Psalme that there is none other foode nor meate for the soule but Gods word And who so euer doe refuse it when it is offered or preached or when they knowe the truth therof doe yet of malice feare lucre and gaine of the world or any other way repugne it they be vnworthy of al mercy and forgiuenesse Let euery man and woman therefore examine their owne conscience without flattering of them selues and they shal find that the most part of this realme of England in the time of our holy and blessed king Edward the sixt were fed with this holy foode of Gods worde or else might haue bene fed with it For it was offered and sent vnto them as well by most godly statutes and lawes of Parleament as by many Noble men and vertuous learned Preachers If they fed not vpon it accordingly or now their téeth stand on edge and their stomachs be cloyed with it to their perill be it Thus Christ saith They haue nothing wherby iustly to excuse them selues of their sin And likewise he faith that Whosoeuer hateth him hateth also his father By which words it appeareth manifestly that no man can hate Christes doctrine but he must hate Christe him selfe and no man can hate Christe but he must also hate the father of heauen Wherefore it is expedient for euery man to marke such places For it was not Christes name nor Christes person that the Iewes hated so mortally Christe for but they hated him to death for his doctrine sake and it was Christes doctrine that condemned the world and shewed the life and learning of the worlde to be euill and could not abide the light of Gods worde and therefore in no case they could abide to heare of it as ye sée the like in his poore Preachers For his wordes sake they be lesse passed of then dogges or brute beastes for they be hated to death and more fauour doeth Barrabas the murtherer finde then Peter the preacher of Christe that would leade the flocke redéemed with Christes pretious bloud into the pastures of Gods word with the Prophete Dauid and yet in
this hatred of Gods worde the foode of Gods shéepe they would be séene and none but they to loue and honour God but it is not so in their heartes for they haue a contempt of God as their fruites well declare And Christe saith They hate both him and his father yea and that without cause But thou Christian reader sée thou féede thy soule with no other meate then with the holesome pastures of Gods word what so euer the world shal say or doe Looke vppon this text of Saint Iohn When the comforter shall come whome I shall send from my father euen the spirit of trueth which doth proceede from the father he shall testifie and beare recorde of me Weigh that place and thinke wherefore the sonne of man referred him selfe to the witnesse of the holy Ghoste and ye shall knowe that it was for no vntruth that was in the authour being Christe or in the doctrine that he preached but only to make the disciples to be of good comfort and that they should not estéeme the Gospel he preached vnto them any thing the lesse although it had many aduersaries and enimies and was spoken against in maner euery where for against the furie and false iudgement of the world that cōtemned the Gospell they should haue the testimonie of the holy Ghoste to allowe and warrant the Gospell Let vs therfore pray to the heauenly shepheard that he will giue vs his holy spirit to testifie for the word of God the only foode of our soules that it is true that God saith and onely good that he appointeth to féede vs. And this we may be assured of that in this heauie and sorrowfull time there is nothing can testifie for the truth of Gods word and kéepe vs in the pleasant pasture thereof but the very spirite of God whiche we must set against all the tumults and daungers of the world For if we make this veritie of GOD subiect to the iudgement of the world our faith shall quaile and faint euery houre as mens iudgements varie Wherefore let vs pray to haue alwayes in vs the spirite of adoption whereby when our faith shall be assaulted we may cry Father father and the same helpe for the maintenaunce of trueth God promised by his holy Prophete Esaie saying This is my couenant with them saith the Lord my spirit which is in thee and my wordes which I haue put in thy mouth shall not depart from thy mouthe nor from the mouth of thy seede nor from the mouth of the seede of thy seede from hencefoorth vntill the world end Here doth the almightie God set foorth what a treasure and singular gift his worde is and that it shall not depart from his people vntill the worldes end And in these wordes is this parte of Dauids Psalme meruellously opened and set foorth It is the Lorde alone that feedeth and instructeth saith Esaie the Prophet It was not mans owne imagination and intention nor the wisedome and religion of his fathers what so euer they were but it was the Lord that spake and made the couenant with man and put his spirite in man to vnderstande the couenaunt and by his worde and none other worde he instructed man and saide that by this meanes all men should till the worldes ende féede and eate of Gods blessed promises For in his word he hath expressed and opened to euery man what he shal haue euen the remission of sinne the acceptation into his fatherly fauour grace to liue well in this life and at the end to be receiued into the euerlasting life Of these things the reader may knowe what mainteineth life euen the word of God as Christe saith If ye abide in me and my words abide in you aske what ye will and ye shall haue it He shall learne also that it is not Generall counsell Prouinciall counsell the determination and agréement of men that can be the authour of this foode but only God And as God is the only authour of this foode euen so is his holy spirite he that féedeth the poore simple soule of the Christian man with his blessed pasture and not the wisedome of man mens sacrifices or mens doings But as touching the foode of mans soule to be the only word of God I will if it be Gods blessed pleasure to whom in the bitter and painefull passion of Christe I commit my will with my life and death open vnto the shéepe and lambes of God at large in an other booke ¶ The third part of the Psalme Howe man is brought to the knowledge of life and saluation which part sheweth what man is of him selfe and howe he is brought into this life and to feede in the pleasant pastures of Gods worde THE THIRD VERSE He shall conuert my soule and bring me into the pathes of righteousnesse for his names sake MY soule erred and went astray from the right way of godly liuing but the Lord conuerted me from mine errors faultes of liuing and brought me to the obseruation of his holy lawes wherein is conteined all iustice trueth and godlinesse Here is to be noted what degrées and orders the Lord and heauenly shepheard doth vse in bringing his shéepe vnto the pasture of life First he conuerteth the man that is gone astray by his wicked wayes and sinnefull maner of liuing If he were an Infidel he bringeth him first to knowe féele and hate his infidelitie and afterwardes to a true faith If he be a persecuter he sheweth him first his tyrannie and afterward how to vse him selfe méekely If he be a sinful man that liueth cōtrarie to his knowledge profession he bringeth him first to the knowledge and hatred of his sinne and afterwards to the forgiuenes of the same As Christ our sauiour wonderfully teacheth in Saint Iohn where he saith The holy Ghost when he commeth shall rebuke the world of sinne iustice and iudgement By the which wordes he declareth that the faithfull of God can not profite in the Gospell of Christ neither loue nor exercise iustice and vertue except they be taught and made to féele the burthen and daunger of sinne and be brought to humble them selues as men that be of them selues nothing but sinne And therefore the lawe and threatenings of God be verie wholesome whose nature and propertie is to cite and call mens conscience vnto the iudgment of God and to wound the spirite of man with terrour and feare Wherefore Christe vseth a wonderfull way and teacheth the same vnto his Apostles that neither him selfe for that present time nor they in time to come could preach profitably the Gospell wherewith men are led into the swéete and pleasant fieldes of Gods promises by his word except they vse this order to leade them from sinne to iustice and from death to life And as iustice and life commeth by Christe shewed vnto vs in his bitter passion death and glorious resurrection
so doeth sinne and death both appeare and be felt by the spirite of God shewed vnto vs in the lawe This order also fawe the holy Prophet when he saide The Lorde conuerteth my soule and leadeth me into the pathes of righteousnes This is a wonderfull sentence and much and déepely to be considered and weighed of the Christian man The Lorde conuerteth my foule saith Dauid He féeleth in him selfe that as long as the diuell and sinne haue the rule and kingdome in man the soule of man being Gods creature is deformed foule horrible and so troubled that it is like vnto all things more then vnto God and vertue whervnto it was created but when the wicked diuel deformed sinne be by the victorie of Christ ouercome expelled the soule waxeth faire amiable swéete louing pleasant like vnto God againe and cōmeth into order obeisance vnto his creatour so brought into y e pathes of righteousnes féedeth with the rest of Gods well ordered flocke vppon she pastures and foode of his holy worde to doe his blessed will Oh that we would in the glasse of Gods worde looke vpon our owne soules when they be in the tyrannie of the diuell vnder the kingdome of sinne as this king did we should more loathe and detest our owne soule and the companie that our soule is accompanied withall then if we should for all our life time be put into sties with hogges and alwayes be bound during our life to liue with them féede as they féede sléepe and wake as they do and be as they be in all things Looke in the Gospel of Saint Luke and there shall ye sée a man by sinne so foule so disordered so accompanied with swine so hungerbaned so rent and torne so beggerly so wretched so vile so loathsome and so stinking that the very swine were better for their condition then he was But sée howe the heauenly shepheard behelde from his heauenly throne the place of the euerlasting ioyes this poore strayed shéepe féeding not amongst shéepe but amongest swine and yet could not be satisfied therewith And no meruell for swine féede not vpon the meate of shéepe nor yet doe shéepe fill them selues with hogges draffe and swillinges but this shephearde vsed his olde wonted clemencie and strake the heart of his shéepe making him to wéepe and bewayle his condition a man to come to suche dishonour to be coupled and matched with swine to féede like swine eate like swine such meate as swine eate remembring that the worst in his fathers house was a Prince and noble King in comparison respect of him then also being persuaded of his fathers mercy he returned his father brought him into his pleasant swéete pastures gaue him his old fauor accustomed apparel againe as a man to kéepe companie with men no more with adulterous men and vncleane swine howbeit he came not to his old honour againe till the Lord had practised in him that he practised in this Prophete king Dauid Ammam meam conuertit He conuerted and turned my soule It is but a follie for a man to flatter himselfe as though he were a Christian man when his hart and soule is not turned vnto the Lord. He shal neuer féed in the pastures of life but be an hypocrite all the days of his life as the most part of the world be that professe Christes name at this present day They say they be conuerted from the world to God when there is nothing within the pastures of Gods word but that they wil contemne rather then to haue as much as an euil looke of the world for it They say they be conuerted to God when they be contented with the world to honour that for God that is but bread and wine in the matter and substance as the scripture of God and the holy Church of Christ haue taught and beléeued these thousand and fiue hundreth yeares and more Oh Lord be these men turned to thée Be these the men that shall dwell with thée in thy holy mount of Sion and stand in thy holy place Nay doubtlesse for they be not turned to thée but from thée be not with thée but against thée They speak with thée and yet their déedes dishonour thée they talke of trueth and practise lies What good Lord shall thy simple poore vnlearned shéepe do Where shall they séeke thy trueth For the shéepeheards say and sing this Psalme euery wéeke and at euery dirige for the dead and yet they be not conuerted in their spirits to thée that thou mightest lead them into the pathes of righteousnes But Lord there is no man nowe in manner that dare accuse them they destroy themselues and thy shéepe and no man can be suffered with Gods word to remedie it Notwithstanding good Lord although in this world none may accuse them yet they in the world to come shal haue king Dauid whose Psalmes they daily reade and in whom they most glorie to accuse them both of heresie and blasphemie as Moses shall accuse the wicked Iewes whome they most glorie of For as the Iewes read the scripture of Moses and yet were neuer the better so these priests of Antichrist reade the holy scripture yet neither the people nor they themselues are any thing the better And in this they passe y e abhomination of the Iewes Turkes for they were and yet be content that their bookes of religion shal be vsed in their churches in the vulgar and common tongue but these enimies of God and man would not haue the word that God hath appointed for all mens saluation to be vsed in any tongue but in the Latine The God therefore of peace that brought againe from death to life the great shéepheard of the shéepe by the bloud of the euerlasting testament our Lord Iesus Christ conuert the soules and heartes of all those that cause the shéepe of God thus to eate and féed vppon the carrine and infected pastures of mens traditions Amen Nowe as king Dauid in this text hath wonderfully set foorth y e miserable nature of al Gods shéepe and put himself for an example that the nature and condition of all men is corrupt wicked and damnable so that it cannot be partaker of Gods benediction and euerlasting grace except it be borne a newe amended restored and instructed so likewise he sheweth that none conuerteth the soule of man but the heauenly father the great shéepeheard that both séeth the loste state of his shéepe and willeth of his mercie the saluation and calling of the shéepe home againe and then he procéedeth further and sheweth what the heauenly shéepeheard will doe with his shéepe He saith Hee will lead them into the pathes of iustice Wherein the Prophete declareth that it is not onely God that conuerteth the man from euill but also he alone that kéepeth him in goodnes and vertue And therein is shewed a wonderfull miserie and wretchednesse in the soule and
body of man that can neither beginne nor yet continue in a life acceptable vnto God except that GOD wholy worketh the same himselfe And as it declareth the wonderfull wretchednes of man so doeth it manifest and set foorth a wonderful and vnspeakeable mercie and compassion of God towardes man that so meruellously and gratiously he canne be content to helpe and saue his enimie and very aduersarie But herein is required of as many as the Lorde conuerseth from iniquitie and sinnefull liuing that they walke in the same lawe and vse their conuersation in equitie and iustice as it béecommeth obedient men and women redéemed with the shéepeheardes most pretious bloud For the Lord doth not teach his shéepe the truth that they should liue in falsehood neither giueth he them the remission of their sinnes that they should returne to the same againe but because they should studiously applie and diligently exercise themselues in vertuous woorks to the honor of almightie God There be two sortes of people that the Lorde will iudge and punish in the latter day with extreme ire and iustice The one sort be called vpon to learne the knowledge of God and of Gods honour as Gods word commandeth but they will not heare nor obey the calling but knowe God and learne God as the custome and maner of the world is to know him and learne him though it be neuer so farre from the trueth And the other sort be contented to heare and learne to knowe God and to serue him as he teacheth in his holy and most pure word but in their heartes consent not to their knowledge but contrary to it they do outward seruice to a false God and frame their conuersation both in religion toward God and their maners toward men as men of the world do So that God hath no more reuerence of him that knoweth the trueth then of him that is ignorant of the trueth Esaie the Prophet speaketh against the first sort of men that will not heare when they be called nor learne when they be taught and saith When other men shall laughe they shall weepe when other bee merrie they shal be sorrie when other be whole they shalbe sicke when other men shal liue they shall die and when other men reioyce in mirthe they shall lament in sorowe And good cause why saith S. Paule For the Lord hath stretched forth his hand alwayes to a rebellious and obstinate people that will not learne nor knowe his holy will Againe the other sort that knowe and haue learned the Lordes will and pleasure and yet prepare not themselues to doe his will shall be beaten with many stripes saith our sauiour Christ. And the Lord in S. Matthewe doeth wonderfully charge both such as ignorantly doe offend and those that doe with knowledge offend those also that be called vppon to amendment in faith and charitie and those that be not called vppon by preaching of the trueth and saith The greater damnanation is vppon such as know or might knowe or els when they do knowe they be nothing the better for their knowledge He putteth foorth there foure cities Chorozaim and Bethsaida Tire and Sidon two of them many times admonished by Christ to amend the other two not so called vppon neuerthelesse both of them the Lord will iudge but most seuerely such as neglect the word of God when it is offered Therfore it is not ynough for a man to hearken or heare read or learne Gods word but he must be ruled by Gods word frame his whole life after Gods word and before all things auoyd idolatrie by Gods word as king Dauid saith in this Psalme that The Lord did not onely conuert his soule but brought him into the pathes of iustice Let euery man and woman therfore thinke with themselues what knowledge they haue receiued of God for he that hath receiued most shall make accompt for most and the more he knoweth and abuseth his knowledge the more shalbe his damnation and in case they knowe nothing at all and be neuer the better for all the preaching of the Lordes word let them take héede what persons they be and in what place they haue dwelled In case their pouertie was such that they could not heare and their dwelling where as was no preaching at all yet be they vnder the iudgement and damnation of God because they knowe not as Tire and Sidon were If they were of such state as they might haue come if they would and had preachers to tel them the truth in case they would haue heard the trueth such men and women shall be the more in daunger of Gods seuere and iust iudgement For God doth not onely take an accompt of that which men haue receiued if they vse not Gods giftes well but also straightly requireth of them that might haue learned the thing that either willingly or obstinately they refused to learne as ye may sée by Choroazim and Bethsaida God will as well take an accompt of him that refused to receiue the gift of Gods word as he requireth an accompt of him that hath receiued it and abused it Whereby we learne that not onely the man that abuseth Gods word shalbe damned but also he that will not learne Gods word King Dauid had the word offered he receiued it and was carried thereby into the pathes of iustice and liued godly thereafter Nowe he goeth foorth and sheweth wherefore man is brought to life and saluation ¶ The fourth part of the Psalme Wherefore man is brought to life and saluation THE THIRD VERSE continued For his names sake HE brought not me to life and saluation saith the Prophet for any merits or deseruinges of mine but for his owne infinite goodnes sake And whatsoeuer euill hath béene done and sinne committed all these thinges I ascribe to my corrupt nature and accuse my selfe to be the doer of them but if any thing haue béene thought said or done that is vertuous and godly that I wholy ascribe and attribute vnto the mercie of God that gaue me a good minde to wish to do wel and also strength to doe the thinges that he gaue me will to wishe Of this part of the Psalme we learne that man can neither wishe nor speake nor doe any thing nor yet vnderstand any thing that good is but onely throughe the mercie of God who maketh of an ignorant man a man of knowledge of an vnwilling man a willing man of an euill speaker a good speaker and of an euill doer a good doer Therefore S. Paule when he séeth that the nature of man will take vppon her to be the authour of any good thing he accuseth and condemneth her of arrogancie and pride saying What hast thou that thou hast not receiued If thou hast receiued why doest thou glorie as though thou receiuedst not And in the same Epistle he saith that Hee preached Christ crucified which was a slaunder to the Iewes and a foolishnesse to
the Gentiles Yet saith he The foolishnesse of God is wiser then men and the weakenesse of God is stronger then men And that had king Dauid good experience of when he said The Lord ruleth me and I lacke nothing hee putteth mee in a sweete pasture and leadeth mee by the riuers side hee turneth my soule and conducteth mee into the way and pathe of iustice for his names sake and for his mercies sake He sawe the diuel the world his flesh and sinne all conquered by the power of God and for his names sake brought both to liue also vertuously to liue to his honour that gaue the life and to his owne saluation that receiued the life All our teaching a great many of yeares and also your whole labours haue béene chiefly to knowe the miserie of man and the mercie of Almightie God Wherefore it shal not néed long to tarrie in opening of this place of the Psalme for ye be riche in God in these 2. points God giue you grace wel to vse them Yet in any case we must remember that our soules be turned from sinne we accepted as the people of euerlasting life only for Gods mercies sake So doth king Dauid wonderfully open vnto vs in the 32. Psalme where he saith Blessed be they whose sinnes are forgiuen and whose transgressions be couered blessed is the man to whome the Lord imputeth not his sinne Of the which wordes we learne that the godly king called those happie and blessed not that be cleane and pure without sinne for there is no such man in this life but those be blessed whose sinnes the mercie of God forgiueth and they be onely such as vnfeignedly acknowledge their sinne and stedfastly from their heartes beleeue that the death and passion of Iesus Christ is the onely expiation and purging thereof as S. Paule wonderfully expoundeth Dauids woordes in his Epistle to the Romanes As the Prophete by these wordes For his names sake declareth that there is nothing in him nor in any other man wherefore God should turne the soule of man from death to life from errour to trueth from the hatred of God to Gods loue from wandring a stray to a stablished continuance in the veritie of Gods word but only Gods mercie so doth he in other of his Psalmes always when he intreateth of Gods mercie of mans sinne set foorth man so naked and vile as a thing most destitute of all health and saluation and sheweth that none of these giftes remission of sinne acceptation into Gods loue and fauour pasturing of them with his most blessed word can happen vnto any other sauing vnto such as do knowe and earnestly confesse that they be sinners and infected with many contagious daungerous infirmities And therfore he sayth in the 2. verse of y e psalme aboue mentioned Blessed is he to whom the Lord imputeth no sinne in whose spirite there is no guile For there is no greater guile nor more danger in man then to think himself to be somwhat when he is nothing in déede or else to thinke him selfe to be of such puritie of minde as though he néeded not this frée remission and fauour of God And as there is nothing more proude and arrogant then such a minde so there is nothing in man more detestable and miserable Of the contrarie part they be blessed that hunger and thirst for iustice for God filleth the hungrie with good thinges but the proud he sendeth away emptie And that knewe this holie Prophete right well that it was humilitie and the casting downe of him selfe that was most acceptable vnto God and the séeking of health and saluation onely for his names sake that is to say for his mercie promised in the death and passion of his onely sonne our Sauiour Christe In the end of the .xxxij. psalme king Dauid that had thus humbled himselfe bringeth in God that speaketh vnto him whiles he is thus making his complaint of his corrupt nature and sinneful life saying in this manner Intellectum tibi dabo c. that is to say I will giue thee vnderstanding instruct thee in the way thou shalt goe and will haue mine eyes euer vppon thee Wherein he declareth that suche humbled men and lowly persons as knowe their iniquitie shall haue vnderstanding of God and shall not swarue from the right wayes not for their déedes and their deseruinges but for his mercie that vouchsafeth to instruct teach them And so likewise doeth this godlie king shew in this Psalme The Lorde ruleth me and I lacke nothing he feedeth me in sweet pastures and leadeth me by the riuers side he turneth my soule and bringeth me into the pathes of righteousnesse and all for his names sake When he hath opened the saluation of man and also the cause thereof and wherein it consisteth he procéedeth to the fifte parte of his oration and holie Hymne ¶ The fifte parte of the Psalme What trouble may happen to such as God giueth life and saluation vnto THE FOVRTH VERSE Although I walke thorough the vallie and shadowe of death I will feare no euill for thou art with me thy rodde and thy staffe comfort me SEing I haue suche a guide and defender there is no difficultie of perill nor feare of death that I will passe of For what harme can death do to him that hath God the authour of all life with him Or what can the tyrannie of man do where as God is the defender In this fifte part King Dauid sheweth howe the Lord God doeth exercise his shéepe whom he féedeth with his blessed worde in daungers and troubles also how he will defende them in the middest of their troubles what so euer they be In the first wordes of the fift part of this sacred and holy Hymne the prophet declareth that the life of Gods shéepe and people in this worlde can not be without daungers and troubles Therefore Christ sayeth that He came to put fire in the worlde and that the same fire should burne meaning that he came to preache suche a doctrine as shoulde moue dissention and discorde betwéene friend and friend the father and the sonne and sette them at debate Not that his worde is a learning or doctrine of dissention and discorde of it selfe but that by the malice of men that can not abide to be rebuked by the worde of God they will be alwayes at discorde and variaunce with the worde of God and with any friende or foe that teacheth it And the same doeth Christ our heauenly shéepeheard shewe vs both in his doctrine and in his life who was hated and troubled more then any man before or sithens his time and assureth all his to haue troubles in this world yea and death also But it forceth not for he sayth I haue ouercome the worlde And whatsoeuer the dangers bée and howe horrible soeuer they séeme Christe being with vs we néede not to
feare Therefore in this pointe the prophete correcteth the foolish opinion of man that woulde liue as one of the shéepe of God in this world without troubles It is contrarie both to the person that professeth God and also to the religion that he is professed vnto for in y e worlde both shall be as Christ sayth hated of which hatred commeth persecution and troubles so that the people of God shal whether they will or will not passe through many daungers and no lesse perillous then the shadowes and verie image of death as here King Dauid sheweth in this wholesome and blessed Hymne And as he séeth right well that the state and condition of Gods people and shéepe is to be troubled for Christe and his worde euen so did Zacharie the prophet speake of Christe and his people howe that not onely the shéepe should be troubled and scattered abroade but also the shéepehearde should be stricken with the sworde that both shéepe and shéepehearde shoulde be condemned in this worlde But nowe as Dauid and Zacharie declare that the life and condition of Christe and his shéepe be troublous in the world so do they both declare that whatsoeuer the troubles be they be both knowen and appointed vppon whom they shall fall and in what time they shal trouble the shéepe of God so that they can come no sooner then God appointeth nor do any more harme then the heauenly shéepeheard shall appoint them to do And this we may sée and learne as wel in Christ as in his shéepe Howe many times did the Priestes and Phariseis conspire Christes death Yet because his time was not come they had not their purpose but when the time of God was come Christ said to his shéepe Ye shalbe all troubled this night for my cause for the sheepeheard shall bee stricken and the sheepe shalbe scattered abroade Then as God had appointed the time it could be no longer deferred And because they should not misse of him whose death they sought he came and met them and offered himselfe vnto them and said that He was the same man Iesus of Nazareth whom they sought And when they had taken him and vsed as much crueltie towards him as their wicked malice and diuellishe hatred could deuise they killed him and made him to passe not onely the shadowe and image of death but also death it selfe They thought then they had him where as they would and said He hath saued other let him now saue himselfe if he can When he was layed in the graue with his fathers they thought to execute their plagues and tyrannie towardes him being dead purposing that as they had brought him to death and killed him so likewise they woulde kéepe him downe still that he shoulde neuer sée life againe but rotte in the earth like a wretche vntill wormes had eaten him And for the performance of this purpose to doe all their whole willes to the vttermost they came to Pilate and said that The deceiuer of the people that lay in the graue made his bost whiles he was aliue that the third day after his death he would rise againe but if it should be so it would be worse with them after then it was before Appoint therefore souldiers said they and watchmen to kéepe the Sepulchre till the thirde daye be past Whiles they yet minded to lay as much euil and contempt vppon Christ our shéepheard as they ment vnto him came the heauenly father that suffereth no more ignominie to fall vpon his nor will suffer them to continue any longer then him pleaseth with this inhibition and stay of further procéedings in dishonouring and persecuting his onely sonne and said I am redijt lux tertia surge sepulte meus That is as much to say Nowe is come the thirde day arise mine owne deare sonne buried And then was the sorrowe contempt of this our persecuted shéepeheard not onely ended but also turned into endlesse vnspeakable ioyes he passed with his forefather Dauid most bitter paines and also most vile death but he feared not because God was with him The same appointment also hath the heauenly father made with al dangers and troubles that shall happen vnto vs his poore and afflicted shéepe taken daily as it were to the shambles to suffer what Gods enimies can deuise But the heauenly shéepeheard doth sée all their doings out of heauen and mocketh them to scorne for they shall neuer do as much as they would against Christ and his people but as much as God will suffer them Dauid afterwardes in his 37. Psalme teacheth vs the same with meruellous woordes and diuine sentences Commite Domino viam tuam spera in eum c. Laye saith he thy care vppon the Lord and trust in him and he shall helpe thee It is most necessarie therefore for euery troubled man to knowe in his minde and féele in his heart that there are no troubles that happen vnto man whatsoeuer they be come they by chaunce or Fortune as many men say and thinke but that they come by the prouidence of God yea the very winds of the aire tempestes in the cloudes trembling of the earth rages in the sea or any other that come howe soudaine or howe vnlooked for soeuer they appeare as ye may read in the 29. Psalme of this Prophete wherein be wonderfull tempestes and troublesome thinges spoken of as well done in the wators as vppon the drie land But here alas is our nature and knowledge much to be lamented and complained vppon for as the knowledge we haue of Gods fauour and gentlenesse towardes vs in Christ for the most part consisteth in the vnderstanding of the minde and talke with the mouth but the vertue strength and operation of the same fauour of God is not sealed in our heartes and consciences euen so be the troubles and aduersities which God threateneth for sinne spoken and talked of with the tongue and knowen in the minde but they be not earnestly nor féelingly sealed in our conscience and heart And of this commeth it that we neither loue God nor reioyce in his promises as we ought to doe when we heare or read them neither yet hate sinne nor be sorrowfull for Gods displeasure as sinne and Gods displeasure should be sorrowed and mourned for of Christian men Hereof also commeth it dearely beloued that we loue no further then in knowledge and tongue nor hate vice but in knowledge and tongue But alas how miserable is this our state and condition that knoweth neither life nor death vertue nor vice trueth nor falsehood God nor the diuel heauen nor hell but halfe as much as they ought of Christian men to be knowen Read you therefore and marke the 37. Psalme and you shall knowe that it is not ynough for Christian men to vnderstand and speake of vertue and vice but that the vertue must be sealed in the conscience and loued and the vice
but the conscience is pricked and oppressed so muche with feare doubtfulnesse of Gods ire for sinne that he thinketh God can be mercifull vnto other but not vnto him And thus doth his knowlege for the time of temptation rather trouble him then ease him bicause his heart doth not or rather can not consent vnto the knowledge yet would he rather then his life he could consent vnto God loue God hate sinne be Gods altogether although he suffered for it al y e paines of the worlde I haue knowne in many good men and many good women this trouble and heauinesse of the spirit for the time as though God had cleane hid him self from the afflicted person and had cleane forsaken him yet at length the day of light from aboue and the comfort of the holy spirite hath appeared that lay couered vnder the veile and couert of bitter cogitations of Gods iust iudgements against sinne Therefore séeing that faith at al times hath not like strength in man I doe not speake to discomfort such as at all times finde not their faith as strong as Dauid did in this Psalme for I know in the holy Saints them selues it was not alwayes like but euen in them as in others And although we can not compare with them in all things in the perfection of their faith yet may they compare them selues with vs in the weakenesse of our faith as ye may sée by the scriptures In this Psalme and in many other ye shall perceiue that Dauid by the constancie and suretie he felt in the promises of God was so strong so ioyfull and comfortable in the middest of all daungers and troubles of death that he did not only contemne troubles and death but also desired death and to be dissolued out of this world as Saint Paule and others did At an other time ye shall perceiue him to be strong in faith but not so ioyful nor yet the troubles so easie vnto him but that he suffered great battell and conflict with his troubles and of the cause of all troubles sinne and transgression of Gods lawes as ye may sée in the sixt Psalme whereas he cryed out and saide Lord chasten me not in thy furie nor punishe me in thy wrath my soule is sore troubled but how long Lord wilt thou deferre help And of such troubled consciences with conflictes ye shall finde oftentimes in the booke of Psalmes and in the rest of Gods scriptures yet shall ye finde the end of the temptation to be ioyfull and comfortable to the weake man that was so sore troubled For although God suffer a long fight betwéene his poore souldier and the diuell yet he giueth the victorie to his seruant as ye may sée in king Dauid When he cryed out that both his body and soule was wearied with the crosse of Gods punishment yet he saide at the last Discedite à me operarij iniquitatis quoniam exaudiuit Dominus vocem fletus mei Depart from me ye workers of iniquitie for the Lorde hath heard the voyce of my weeping And in other of his Psalmes ye shall perceiue his faith more weake and his soule troubled with such anguish and sorrowe that it shal séeme there is no consolation in his soule nor any shewe of Gods carefulnesse towardes him In this state ye may sée him in the 13. Psalme where as a man in manner destitute of all consolation he maketh his complaint saying How long wilt thou forget me The same may ye read also in the 43. Psal. where he sheweth that he his most iust cause and the doctrine that he professed was like altogether to haue bene ouercome so that his spirite was in manner all comfortlesse Then he said to his owne soule Quare tristis es anima mea quare conturbas me Why art thou so heauie my soule why doest thou trouble mee Trust in the Lord c. And in the 42. Psalm he setteth foorth wonderfully the bitter fight and sorrowfull conflicte betwéene hope and desperation Wherin he complayneth also of his own soule that was so much discomforted and biddeth it trust in the lord Of the which two places ye may learne that no man had euer faith at all times like but sometimes more strong sometimes more weake as it pleased God to giue it Let no man therefore despaire although he finde weaknesse of faith for it shall make him to humble him selfe the more and to be the more diligent to pray to haue helpe when he perceiueth his owne weakenesse and doubtlesse at length the weake man by the strong GOD shal be brought to this point that he shal in al troubles aduersities say with the Prophet If I should goe through the shadowe and daungers of death I would not feare what troubles soeuer happen And he sheweth his good assurance in the text that followeth which is the sixt part of this holy and blessed Hymne ¶ The sixt part of the Psalme Whereby the troubles of Gods elect be-ouercome The fourth verse continued and the fift verse expounded For thou art with me thy rod and thy staffe comfort me Thou shalt prepare a table before me against thē that trouble me thou hast annoynted my head with oyle and my cup shall be full SEeing thou art with me at whose power and will all troubles goe and come I doubt not but to haue the victorie and ouerhand of them howe many and daungerous so euer they be for thy rod chasteneth me when I goe astray and thy staffe stayeth me when I should fall Two things most necessarie for me good Lord the one to call me from my fault and errour and the other to kéepe me in thy trueth and veritie What can be more blessed then to be susteined and kept from falling by the staffe and strength of the most highest And what can be more profitable then to be beaten with his merciful rod when we goe astray For He chasteneth as many as he loueth and beateth as many as he receiueth into his holy profession Notwithstanding whilest we be here in this life he féedeth vs with the swéete pastures of holsome herbes of his holy word vntill we come to eternall life and when we put off these bodies and come into heuen and knowe the blessed fruition and riches of his kingdome then shall we not only be his shéepe but also the guestes of his euerlasting banquet The which Lorde thou settest before all them that loue thée in this worlde and doest so annoynt and make glad our mindes with thine holy spirite that no aduersities nor troubles can make vs sorrie In this sixt part the prophet declareth the old saying amongest wise men Non minor est virtus quà m quaerere parta tueri that is to say It is no lesse maistrie to keepe the thing that is wonne then it was to winne it King Dauid perceiueth right well the same and therefore as before in the Psalme he said The Lorde turned his soule
happen vnto vs whether it be aduersitie or prosperitie for they be called cuppes as Christ said of his death Father if it be possible take this cuppe from me And Dauid in the 16. Psalme vseth it for mans prosperitie in God The Lord saith he is the portion of mine inheritaunce and of my cuppe And therein he speaketh in the name of Christ whose inheritaunce is the whole number of the faithfull and saith that His inheritance which is the Church by Gods appointment is blessed and happie for no aduersitie can destroy it This is meant by Dauids words The rod the staffe the table the oyle and the cup and he vseth all these wordes to declare the carefulnesse loue and defence of God towardes miserable man And he could the better speake thereof vnto others bicause he had so many times felt and had experience that God was both strong and faithfull towards him in al time of daunger aduersitie And here is to be noted that the daungers that man is subiect vnto in this life be not alone such as heretofore king Dauid hath made mention of as sicknesse treason sedition warre pouertie banishment and the death of the body but he felt also as euery man of God shall féele and perceiue that there be greater perills and daungers that man standeth in ieopardie of then these be by occasion of sinne the mother of all mans aduersitie Sinne bringeth a man into the displeasure and indignation of God the indignation of God bringeth a man into the hatred of God the hatred of God bringeth a man into despaire and doutfulnesse of Gods forgiuenesse despaire bringeth a man into euerlasting paine and euerlasting paine continueth and punisheth the damned creature with fire neuer to be quenched with Gods anger displeasure which can not be reconciled nor pacified These be the troubles of al troubles sorrowes of al sorrowes as our sauiour Christ declareth in his most heauenly prayer in S. Iohn Non rogo vt tollas eos è mundo sed vt serues eos à malo That is to say I do not saith Christ to his heauenly father pray that thou shouldest take those that I pray for out of the worlde but that thou preserue them from euil And in this prayer he hath wonderfully taught vs that a Christian man is subiect to two troubles one of the body and an other of the soule one of the worlde and another of the diuell As for the troubles of the world he saith It is not so expedient that Christian men be deliuered from them least in idlenesse we should séeke our selues and not God as y e children of Israel did but this he knewe was most necessaâ—â—e that the father should preserue vs in the midst of these troubles with his help from al sinne transgression of his holy lawes this he assured his disciples of al other that put their trust in him not that they should in this life be preserued kept from troubles and aduersities but that the heauenly father should alwayes giue vnto his suche strength and vertue against all the enimies of GOD and mans saluation that they should not be ouer come with troubles that put their trust in him For God suffereth and appointeth his to fight and make warre with sinne and with all troubles and sorrowes that sinne bringeth with it but God will neuer permit his to be deadly and mortally wounded It is therefore expedient that man knowe who he his greatest foes do worke him most daunger There be diuers Psalmes wherein he setteth foorth the perill that he was in as well in his body as in his soule as when he complaineth of his banishment amongst not onely cruell people but also vngodly that sought to take both his mortall life from him and also his religion and trust that he had in Gods worde Wherefore he compareth them to the Tartarians and Arabians men without pitie or religion And the like doth he afterwards in another Psalme where as giuing thankes for his deliuerie he saith that sinners froad vpon his backe and many times warred against him and he should haue bene ouerthrowne if GOD had not holpen him Where in he speaketh not onely of battell with the sworde against the body but also of heresie and false doctrine against the soule As ye may sée howe Senacherib and Iulius the Apostata two Emperours fought against the people of God not onely to take from them their liues but also their religion and true honouring of GOD. And of all battells that is the cruellest and of all enimies the principall that would take the soule of man from Gods word bring it to the word of man And that persecution trouble openly against Gods word coÌ„tinued many yeres vntill Christ was preached abroad princes made Christians Then thought the diuell his kingdome to haue bene ouerthrowne and Christian men might liue in Christes religioÌ„ without any trouble or warre for religion howbeit at length for sinne the diuel entered by subtile meanes not onely to corrupt true religion but also persecuted the true professours thereof vnder the name of true religion and therein vsed a meruellous policie and craft by men that walked inordinately amongest the Christians themselues From whose companies sectes and conuersation S. Paule willed vs to refraine by these wordes Wee commaund you brethren in the name of our Lord Iesus Christ that ye refraine from euery one that is accompted a brother that vseth himselfe inordinately and not according to the institution he receiued of vs. And because ye haue not taken héede of his holy commaundement and kept your selues from danger and peril of heresie sinne idolatrie and superstition by the rod and staffe of God nor haue not eaten your meate of religion at Gods table nor your mindes haue béene annoynted with the holy Ghost as Dauid in this Psalme saith that he was against all troubles by these meanes defended and mainteyned that no perill of the bodie by the sword nor perill of y e soule by false doctrine could hurt him therefore marke a little and see the daungers that haue hurted both you and your conscience also not like to be healed as farre as I can sée but more hurt hereafter For the way to heale a man is to expell and put away sicknesse and not to increase and continue the sickenesse From whome thinke ye that S. Paule commaunded you to restraine in the name of our Lord Iesus Christ He saith From him that behaueth himselfe inordinately Who is that think ye S. Paule saith He that ruleth not himselfe after the rule and institution that he himselfe had taught the Thessalonians So y e we must refraine then from all such as conforme not them selues to y e institution of S. Paule yea although he be an angel from heauen This departure from such as haue ruled and put foorth errours and lies is not newe but hath béene vsed in England
part of the Psalme that declareth why the troubled man trusteth in God 3 How long will ye imagine mischiefe against euerie man Ye shalbe slayne all the sorte of you yea as a tottering wall shall ye be and like a broken hedge 4 Their deuise is onely how to put him out whom God will exalte their delight is in lyes they giuâ— good wordes with their mouth but curse with theiâ— heart Selah The thirde parte of the Psalme wherein is shewed thâ— soudenly thy persequuters of the innocent shall perisâ— 5 Neuerthelesse my soule wayt thou stil vpon Goâ— for my hope is in him 6 He truely is my strength and my saluation he â— my defence so that I shall not fall 7 In God is my health and my glorie the rocke â—â— might and in God is my trust 8 O put your trust in him always ye people powâ— out your harts before him for God is our hope Selaâ— In these foure verses is conteyned the fourth part wheâ— in is mentioned the repetition of the two first verseâ— 9 As for the children of men they are but vaine thâ— children of men are deceiptfull vpon the weightes they are altogether lighter then vanitie it selfe 10 O trust not in wrong and robberie giue not youâ— selues to vanitie if riches increase sette not youâ— heartes vpon them Here is the fifte parte that teacheth no trust to be put 〈◊〉 man for he is not able to damne nor saue 11 God spake once and twise I haue also heard tâ—â— same that power belongeth vnto God 12 And that thou Lorde art mercifull for thou râ—â— wardest euerie man according to his worke In these two verses is comprehended the sixt parte whiâ—â— is that God hath promised to be mercifull in helpiâ—â— the afflicted and that he will performe his promises A briefe explanation of the Psalme generally MY soule doubtlesse wayteth still vpon God c. Be my troubles neuer so great and daungerous yet my soule shall trust continually and constantly in the Lorde that can and will remedie them For he is my strength and my saluation and he is my defence So shall I not greatly fall Although good Lorde by reason of mine infirmitie and sinne which is in all men my soule is weake and féeble that it wilbe oppressed with the lightest of all thy troubles whiche thou layest vpon man for his sinne yet when it taketh holde of thy mercie it waxeth strong And although it be weake and trembling by reason of infirmitie yet doth it not cleane fall from the trust of constancie and hope And let the wicked imagine their wicked imaginations against thy poore seruauntes O God yet at length shall they come to shame and destruction as the tottering wall doth fall and the rotten hedge is consumed with fire For that they go about they shal neuer bring to passe because they deuise to put him to shame that God hath purposed to exalt and magnifie And what so euer doublenesse they vse to speake faire with their mouthe and yet haue false and hollowe heartes it shall not bring their intent to their purposed end Sela. God be thanked of whom dependeth al the hope of my saluation And he is my strength my saluation and my defence so that I shal not fall Wherefore all Christian and afflicted persons saith the Prophet follow mine example and put al your hope and trust in the mercie of God who onely saue vs from euill and blesse vs with all goodnesse Powre out therefore before him all your cares and heauines and looke assuredly for help from him for doubtlesse the helpe of man is nothing worthe For If man and vanitie were bothe weighed in a paire of balance vanitie it selfe would be weightier then man How then can so light a thing as man is helpe in the time of trouble And as a man is but vanitie or else rather more vaine then vanitie so be al worldly riches that man possesseth and as little or lesse able to helpe an afflicted as man is vnable to helpe himselfe And this I knowe sayeth the Prophete not by mans wisdome but by the mouth of God that what so euer helpe man looketh for besides God he may be assured at all times to be both helpelesse and comfortlesse and trusting to God he shall be at all times both holpen and comforted For so saith the Lorde whose sayings no power is able to falsifie nor to resist ¶ What things are to be noted out of euerie particular part of this Psalme for the edifying and comfort of him that shall vse to say sing or meditate this Psalme THE FIRST PARTE My soule truely wayteth vpon God OVt of the first part wherein is conteyned what the Christian should doe in the time of trouble is to be noted what it is for a man to haue his soule wayting still vppon God or else to haue silence alwayes in his soule towardes God in the dayes of aduersitie As this Psalme speaketh When the Christian man or woman in the time of sorrowe and heauinesse without grudge or impatience looketh for the helpe of God and giueth not himselfe to quarelling or complayning of God as thoughe hée did him wrong and punished him too muche then doth the soule waite vpon the Lord or else hath silence towardes God As wee maye sée by Iob where his soule attended stil vpon the Lord. When his goodes cattell house and children were taken from him he said after this sorte The Lord gaue them the Lorde hath taken them away as the Lorde is pleased so is it done The name of the Lord be blessed All this while hee bore the crosse of God without murmur or grudge and had his soule still wayting vpon God as this Prophet here saith But when he was burdened further and from the sole of the foote to the top of the head was stricken with sores and botches he cursed the day that he was borne in and the night wherein he was conceiued with many more vnquiet and lamentable wordes as it appeareth in his Booke The like example we haue before of king Dauid in the Booke of the Psalmes where be these wordes In trouble and aduersitie I said I was cast away from the sight of thine eyes ô God And as Iob sometime saide If he should die yet he would trust in the Lord. So sayde Dauid a litle before If he should goe in the middest of the shadowe of death he would not feare In the whiche Psalme ye may sée how constantly his soule wayted vpon the Lorde yet in the 31 Psalme his troubles were so great that in them he saide I am cast from the sight of thee ô God So that these testimonies and examples of the Scriptures do declare that to haue the soule to wayte vppon the Lord is to be assured that God will helpe in trouble and patiently to beare the trouble without grudge vntill God sende remedie and helpe for it The second thing to be gathered of
and benigne father who was not onely liberall and frée to his children but also to his hirelings that lacked nothing This consideration of his offence towards his father made him a great deale more sorrie then al the paines he otherwise susteined And thus must euerie Christian waite vpon the Lord and then doubtlesse consolation shall followe as it appeareth by the same prodigal sonne and by this Psalme of the Prophet Moreouer if we marke with what dangers and troubles the soule séeketh her Lorde and spouse Iesus Christ in the mysticall booke of Solomons Ballads we shall sée with what attendaunce diligence and patience the soule waiteth vpon Christ. I sought him saith the soule but I found him not I called him and he woulde not aunswere me The watchmen of the citie found me and beatte mee and wounded me They tooke my robe from me that kepte the walles I require you ye daughters of Hierusalem if ye find my spouse tell him that I am sicke with loue Note these wordes I sought him saith the soule found him not I called him and he answered not Was not this ynough to haue cleane discomforted the heauie sicke and troubled soule that ranne and cryed to her loue and husband Iesus Christe and yet for the time neuer the neare Further in running and calling for him the soule fell into the handes of her enimies that robbed her of her mantell And yet notwithstanding these daungers she cryed out vnto all that she mette that incase they founde her spouse they woulde tell him that she was sicke with his loue Ponder these thinges altogether first to trauell and crye and not to profit Next in trauelling and crying to lose all her goodes yea the mantell that she went in Thirdly to putte her life in daunger with confessing Christe to be her spouse before such as hated him mortally And yet howe did this Christian creature Doubtlesse wayted vpon the Lorde without murmur or grudge And in all these troubles note there is no complaint nor quarell made of her prayers that were not heard of the paines that for the time profited not of y e losse of her goodes and apparell nor yet of the daunger that she was in of her and Christe her spouses enimies But here was the wéeping lamentation and sorrowe that Christ her spouse could not be found In whose loue she burned so ardently that all aduersities gréeued her not neither did shée any thing at all estéeme them but onely the want of Christe was her gréefe and sorowe Yet was she patient and trusted still in the Lorde The like may ye sée by the woman of Canaan howe she called vpon the Lord for her daughter vnto whome Christe made no worde of answere Further his disciples wer troubled and wearied by her importunate suite Also Christe called her in maner no better then a dogge yet was there neither the bitternesse of his wordes nor the inhumanitie of his Apostles that she passed for but she wayted still vppon the Lorde and was nothing sorrowfull for all the sharpe words she suffered but onely because the helpe of the Lord was not extended and bestowed vppon her daughter as she desired But what insueth of suche a patient expectation and sorrowfulnesse of Gods absence Marke what the Prophete sayeth The seconde part of the Psalme 1 For of him commeth my saluation 2 He verily is my strength and my saluation hee is my defence so shall I not greatly fall The seconde parte declareth why the troubled person seeketh health of God HEere firste be thrée doctrines to be noted Firste to knowe by Gods worde that God can helpe The second that God will helpe And the thirde that the afflicted is bounde boldely to require helpe of God Whereof the troubled person muste be assured by the scripture or else he shall neuer finde consolation Now to the firste parte that God can helpe this scripture is to be marked that saith God is omnipotent that is to witt able to do all thinges So said he to Abraham when he eftsoones promised him the land of Canaan I am the God omnipotent walk before me and be perfect The same saide Iacob when Beniamin his young sonne was so instantly desired by his brethren to go into Egypt when they lacked corne My God omnipotent saide Iacob can make the prince of Aegypt fauourable vnto you So did God tell Moses that he was the Lorde that appeared vnto Abraham Isahac and Iacob euen the almightie God The like is in the same booke when God had drowned Pharao and his hoaff Moses gaue thankes and sayde His name was almightie Thus in the word of God we may learne euery where as well by his name as by his most meruellous works that he is omnipotent and there is nothing impossible vnto him Euen so doth the word of God declare that as he is omnipotent and can saue in like manner is he willing and will saue King Dauid saith that He saueth both man and beast In another Psalme he saith God saked him from all aduersities And againe he saith He wil saue all that trust in him And not onely saue but also saue for nothing So God saith by the prophet Esaie I will saue thy children And in the same booke it is declared that Gods hand is not weakened but that he can saue and wil saue This willing nature of God to saue is manifestly opened vnto vs in al the Prophets And in Saint Matthewe Christe saith Hee came to saue such as were lost The same is to be séene in S. Luke howe that The sonne of man came not to damne but to saue S. Iohn the Euangelist saith His comming was to saue the world And S. Paul saith He would all men to be saued Now as the word of God and the examples conteined in the same declare that God can will helpe in the time of trouble and aduersitie so doeth it declare that men be bound to call and séeke for helpe in the time of aduersitie As we read in Esaie the Prophet where God cryeth out in this sort Ye that be a thirst come to the waters c. In S. Matthewe Christ commaundeth all men that be troubled to come vnto him Also in the Psalmes He biddeth all men call vpon him in the dayes of their heauinesse and he will heare them and deliuer them Againe He willeth vs to aske and it shalbe giuen vnto vs. Nowe as these thrée doctrines are to be marked in the almightie God so must they be grounded in the heart of the troubled person And first he must giue this honour vnto God that he alone is able to saue and none but he as the Prophet Esay sayth of him Then being thus persuaded the afflicted person will not séeke helpe at dead Saintes nor at any other creatures hande but at Gods onely And as none
giueth God the strength able to helpe but is of it selfe in God and with God so is there none that can giue God a wil to helpe but he of himselfe is inclined to haue mercie vppon the afflicted and his mercie is most prone and readie to helpe the poore and miserable Hereof learneth the afflicted Christian that none inclineth God to be mercifull but his owne gentle and pitifull nature So that the sinners may boldely in Christ resort vnto him firste because he is mercie it selfe and not to goe astray to séeke firste mercie at dead Saintes handes and by their meanes at laste finde God mercifull and readie to helpe him And when the afflicted perceiueth by the word of God that he commandeth him to call vpon him and vppon none other he may take a courage and audacitie to be bolde to come vnto him be his sinnes neuer so many horrible or filthie yea if in number they excéeded the grauell of the sea yet be they fewer alwayes then his mercie If they be as redde as scarlet yet shall they be made as white as snowe The booke of wisedome sayth euen so Although we haue sinned Lord we be thine knowing thy greatnesse And whereas these doctrines be grounded sée what followeth In all the depth of anguishe and sorrowe this followeth as this Psalme sayth Of him commeth my saluation He is my strength my saluation and my defence c. The same may we sée also in the Dialogue betwéen the Christian soule or Christes Churche and Christe in the booke of Solomons Ballads were she neuer so blacke and burned with the sunne were she neuer so troubled with the vanities of the worlde she cried out and saide boldely vnto Christe Drawe me we will runne after thee And although the poore wretched soule be enuironed and compassed about with sinne troubles and aduersities as the faire Lillie is hedged about with thornes yet she trusteth in her husband that he will helpe her And in déede most comfortably her spouse Christ comforteth her with these maruelous words Arise haste thee my spouse my faire one and come Nowe Winter is past the rayne is gone and ceassed That Booke of Solomon is to be read to sée how mercifully God comforteth a troubled and deformed soule by sinne and yet God layeth it not to the soules charge that hath Christe to her husband Also there is to be séene that the soule is bolde to séeke and call for help of God her husband and goeth to no strange God for ayde or succour althoughe she be burned with the sunne and a miserable sinner The like is to be séene in the Prodigall sonne Although he was neuer so beggerly miserable sinful wretched and vnkinde to his father yet he said Euen as I am with my miseries I will go to my father and tel him that I haue offended against him and against Heauen The father when he sawe him spatte not at him reuiled him not asked no accomptes of the goods he had viciously spent laide not to his charge his filthie conuersation with whores and harlots neither did he cast into his téethe howe he had dishonoured him and his familie but when he sawe him a farre off hee was moued with compassion towardes him ranne to méete him tooke him about the necke and kissed him The sonne confessed his fault and the father minding more the comforte of his lowsie and beggerly sonne then the repetition of his transgressions commaunded his seruantes spéedily to fetche him robes and to clothe him gaue him a ring vpon his finger and shooes to his féete killed his fat calfe and made merrie and reioyced with his loste sonne that he was found againe Here is the state and condition of a soule that wayteth as Asaph saith for a time vpon the Lorde in trouble and heauinesse meruellously sett foorth Sée this wretched man spoyled of al his goods destitute of all friendes shutte out of all honest cōmpanie of a Gentleman become a swineheard of one that had once men to waite vppon him become now a waiter vpon pigges once he gaue others meate and nowe all men refuse to féede him erst a man that scarse delicate dishes coulde contente his appetite nowe his stomache yrketh till it be filled with swines foode yet more ouer then that he sawe nothing behinde him nor before him but miserie and wretchednesse Behind him he left al his goods spent riottously his estimation parentage such frends as he had when mony was plentie lost also as farre as reason could sée his fathers vtter displeasure and the reproch ignominie of his alliaunce and kinsefolke purchased for euer Before him he saw hunger and scarsitie a sorte of filthie swine and the best meate draffe chaffe for the sustenance and maintenaunce of his piggishe life in case he might haue béene so mainteyned yet in the middest of these sorrowes attending in his spirite vpon the mercie of his father meruelously in the filthe of a pigges slie and in the paines and anguishe of miserie hearke what a wonderfull doctrine he bloweth out Oh what abundance of bred is there in my fathers house and I starue here for hunger I will arise and gette me to him and confesse my fault c. He saieth not Oh what abundaunce of bread hath my brother and my kinsefolke but What abundance of bread is there in my fathers house He said not I will make my complaint to my brother but said To my father Whereof is learned that all penitent Christian sinners doe know that the heauenlie father hath the bread of mercie to satisfie their hungrie desire and that he is to be resorted vnto in such sinnefull and troublesome state and not any other in heauen but he alone through Iesus Christe who was killed to redéeme and saue the penitent faithfull sinners of the worlde Sée now how this Prodigall outragious sonne knew why he should séeke helpe of his father in the time of his vile miserie and wretchednesse First he knewe his fathers power and therefore saide Oh how great plentie of bread is there in my fathers house beléeuing that his father was able to giue him meate sufficient Next he was assured that his father was mercifull and would giue him suche thinges as he lacked being thus persuaded boldly he returned vnto his father and to him he vttered al his griefe who was a great deale more prest readie to helpe then his sonne was readie to aske helpe Of the same minde was the woman of Canaan For although she founde little comfort at the firste yet she argued so from the nature of man to the nature of Christ that Christe cried out vpon her and sayde Oh woman greate is thy faith be it vnto thee as thou desirest For when she saide the dogges did eate of the crumbes that fell from their maisters table she knewe that she her selfe and all men in respect
consolation There is yet another learning in these wordes I shall not greatly fall That is that the children of God shal not perish for any kinde of trouble and yet in this world they can lacke no kinde of affliction All shall they suffer and yet at length ouercome all as this prophet Asaphe did He was troubled but yet not ouercome he fell but not so farre that he arose not againe and he was so troubled with the crosse that God sent him that he could speaks nothing for the time yet at lengthe he said God was his sure rocke and his saluation Thus God tempteth his but desperation he leaueth to his enimies God suffereth his to féele in this world the punishment of sinne but he reserueth the paine therof in the world to come to his enimies and to the reprobates He maketh his to be sorie for sinne in this world but such as be not his he suffereth to be carelesse painelesse of sinne in this life that their damnation maye be the more dolorous in the world to come Therefore blessed be such as fall and feare as the Prophete Asaphe saith but not too farre vnto all wickednesse and wantonnesse of life THE THIRD PART 3 Howe long will ye imagine mischiefe against a man Ye shall be slaine all the sort of you yea as a rottering wal shal ye be like a broken hedge 4. Their deuise is onely how to put him out whome God will exalt their delight is in lies They giue good woordes with their mouth but curse with their heartes The third part sheweth how the persequuters of the innocent shall soudeinly perishe BY the similitude and Metaphore of a tottering or quiuering wall the Prophet declareth how lightly and sodeinly y e Lord wil destroy the persequnters of his people For as the wall that is tottering and quiuering with euerie winde weather is easily and soudeinly ouerthrowen euen so be the wicked and tyrannical persecuters soudeinly destroyed yea when they be in their owne conceites most strong and valiant As it may be séene by the mightie host of Zenecharib and Benedab the armie of king Pharao and such other that persequuted the people of God verily supposing their strengthe to haue béene able vtterly to haue oppressed Gods people whom they hated The like is to be séene where Hester and Iudith two séelie and poore women were instrumentes to ouertumble and destroy the wicked Amâ—n and Proud Holofernes So by this we learne that the strength persequutions of y e wicked be not permanent nor strong but transitorie and féeble destroyed vanquished with the presence of Gods fauour towards his as often as it pleaseth him to punish the malice and mischiefe of the wicked But there is one learning particularly to be noted in this similitude of a trembling or tottering wall wherewithall the Prophet setteth foorth the fall and confusion of the wicked which is this that when the wicked persequuteth the godly that the least resistance of y e world is stirred vp by God against them the Lord that stirreth vp the plague to punish them striketh also their heartes with such trembling and feare that one man in a good cause shalbe able to w tstand ten such wicked persecuters whose conscience God hath so feared that they are not able to beare the countenance of a man no not able to ouercome the terrour of their owne spirite which beareth them record that as they in time past haue fought against God his cause so now God iustly fighteth against them both with the feare of hell fire towardes their soules and with outward aduersities towards their bodies So God said he would send such trembling feare vnto such as neither loued nor kept his lawes as it is written by the holy Prophet Moses The example whereof ye may read also in Daniel the Prophet that the Emperor of the Caldées when he was in the middest of his strength mirth banquets and iollitie sawe no more but a poore little hand write in the wal of his palace that neuer spake word shewed no terrible sight of men of warre nor gaue any blow in his palace yet fell the Emperor into such a trembling feare at the sight thereof that all his limmes in maner stoode him in no stéede Christ neuer gaue blow but modestly asked his murderers whom they sought for and yet fell they flatt and prostrate to the ground So that the wicked persecuters of the godly be aptly and properly likened and compared to a tottering and trembling wall For as soone as euer the blastes of Gods ire and iudgement be moued kindled against them they be so quiuering and comfortlesse y t they would take them to be most their frends that soonest would dispatch them out of the world As Christ said aptly of them they shold pray the mounteines to fall vppon them As long as God feigneth himselfe a sléepe and suffereth the blessed to fall into the hands of the wicked to be crucified and slaine as they please they be more strong and more cruel then Lions but when God ariseth taketh the defence of his poore people then they be more feareful then the Hart or trembling Hare As we may sée when séelie harmlesse Iacob passed homeward into his countrie from Mesopotamia such as he neuer gaue blow nor spake foule word vnto trembled at his comming as though he had bene in battel with thousands of souldiers The like may we sée by the brothers of Ioseph when he spake most gently vnto them yea and tolde them that he was their brother there was such a terrour and feare strake their consciences for persecuting of him that they could make no word of aunswere When the children of Israel should come into the land of Canaan the Lord said he would sende before them his feare to amaze and astonish the people of the countrie that their strength should do them no harme The furie of the wicked may séeme in his owne eyes to be stable firme constant but in déede there is nothing more trembling nor tottering As wée may sée at this present day Such as persequute the liuely and séelie flocke of Christ and tyraÌ„nously hold the necke of the godly vnder the yoke of idolatrie they haue no grouÌ„d no certeintie nor any assurance more then flesh bloud that fauour them by whose fauour they oppresse the trueth persequute the louers of it So that in case flesh bloud should faile them then would they be in such trembling quiuering that they would do whatsoeuer they were commanded to do to be deliuered from feare and terror As we may marke and sée in the bishop of Winchester Gardener and also Boner the bishop of London When king Henrie the eight suspected them both to be fauourers of the Pope the capital enimie of
in God saith that In this glorious almightie and triumphant God is his glory and desireth to haue part of that victorie and of that meruellous maiestie And as the Psalme saith He calleth and nameth the God of glorie his glorie Oh meruellous and vnspeakable boldnesse and constancie of faith A man nothing but sinne by nature in the sight of God nothing but earth and ashes replenished with all miserie and wretchednesse by nature corrupt the very enimie of GOD a vessell prepared vnto all dishonour ignominie shame and perdition contemned through sinne and shamed before all creatures and yet nowe with all these dishonours by faith saith The king of glorie is his glorie and the conquerour of all dishonour is his shield and buckler Of the other part who can thinke or speake any thing thankfull to suche a king of glory and most mightie conquerour that abhorreth not of mercy to be the honour and glory of so vile sinfull and wretched a thing as man is Whose eyes abhorre no filthe of sinne in penitent sinners whose presence refuseth not the companie of the sicke and miserable whose strength comforteth the weake whose mercy reioyceth the comfortles whose life expelleth death whose health banisheth sicknesse whose loue vanquisheth hatred whose immortalitie giueth euerlasting life and who crowneth vs with endlesse pitie and compassion in ioyes perpetuall Thus the Prophete after he had espied the almightie God in him selfe gloriously to be voyd of all troubles dolours and other aduersities and that he had also conquered gloriously the capteines of al aduersities hell death satan and sinne he challenged by faith and craued by Gods promise to be partaker of Gods glory in this point And doubtlesse he that can féele in his heart that GOD is his glory he shall take no dishonour nor shame by all the workes of the diuell sinner or the worlde Therefore many times in reading or thinking of the Psalmes or other parte of the holy scripture it is expedient to meditate and pray that the word we speake or pray may be vnto vs as much saluation comfort and glory as we perceiue GOD hath appointed in it for vs. And when we say with our mouth to God Thou art my saluation my glorie my rocke and my trust Let vs cry Lorde increase our faith helpe vs for thy name sake constantly to beleeue thee to be vnto vs in deed in spirit as we speake of thee outwardly with our mouth For in case the heart vnderstande not nor beléeue the wordes we speake with our mouthe we honour God in vaine as the scripture saith Let vs therefore praye as Saint Paule teacheth vs saying I will pray with the spirite and I will pray with the minde also When the Prophete hath by faith assured him selfe of Gods fauour he exhorteth all the Christian congregation to doe the same saying O put your trust in him alwayes ye people c. Here the Prophete teacheth what the Minister of the Church Bishop and others should doe when they vnderstand the scripture and learne by it feare and faith loue and hope in GOD they be bound to teache the congregation the same Scriptures for her saluation Whereby is condemned the vse of the Scripture in an vnknowne toung which is directly against Gods worde And here be Kings and Rulers also taught to sée their subiectes tenaunts and seruaunts to vnderstand the worde of God likewise the Father and the Mother the Maister and the Maistresse who be bound to knowe for their saluation the worde of GOD and to teache it vnto others vnder their gouernaunce Therefore in the end of the verse is put Selah As though he had saide Happie be those that put their trust in the Lorde and teach other to doe the same And curssed be those that trust not in the Lord and teach others to do the like THE FIFT PART 9 As for the children of men they are but vaine the children of men are deceitfull vpon the weights They are altogether lighter then vanitie it selfe 10 O trust not in wrong and robberie giue not your selues to vanitie if riches increase set not your heart vpon them The fift part sheweth howe mans power is not to be trusted vnto THE Prophete by no meanes would haue men to put their trust in fleshe and bloud in case they doe they must néedes perishe For when miserable man shall trust in vaine vanitie whiche is man he can be no lesse then vanitie it selfe in whome he hath trusted And this is one miserie and wretchednesse a man to be deceiued of helpe and succour whereas he most trusted to haue bene holpen and succoured Thus must it néedes happen to them that trust in men For men of most excellencie and greatest authoritie riches and power in the world be but vanitie as the Prophete saith Nowe as they be so is their helpe And as their helpe is so is the comfort and consolation of such as seeke help at their handes Those that be trusted vnto be but flesh and bloud the best of flesh and bloud is but vanitie the consolation and helpe of vanitie is miserie and wretchednesse wherefore the Prophete exhorteth all men to beware they séeke not ayde and comfort of man for he is but vaine The Israelites vsed for their helpe against their enimies the Egyptians but the more flesh conspired together the worsse successe had all the battels they fought Nowe as we sée men that haue their trust in men suffer muche trouble and miserie in the world bicause their helpe they trust in is of inferiour strength and power to the troubles and aduersities that they be combred withall So doeth the word of God declare that such men as trust in vanitie haue not onely worldly aduersities against them but also for their so doing trusting in fleshe they be accurssed of God as the scriptures say Curssed be he that trusteth in man So that we sée meruelous and vnspeakable harmes come of the trust in man First miseries of y e world and next the enimitie and cursse of God For he that putteth his trust in man with the same one fact and doing doeth two horrible euils The one he deceiueth him selfe for the vanitie that he trusteth in can not saue him And the other he dishonoureth God that onely can saue in putting his trust in mortall man that can not saue and so maketh of man God to Gods high displeasure and dishonour Euery Christian man therefore should forsake fleshe and bloud and trust in the Lorde Almightie maker of heauen and earth as the Prophet Asaphe did a little before when he saide In God was his glory who could defend him from all hurts present past and to come what so euer they were The like may we sée in Saint Paule that saide God forbid that I should glory in any thing sauing in the crosse of our Lord Iesus Christ by whome the world
to vertuous and godly life séeing I was vexed and turmoyled with continuall miseries séeing that there was neuer a day that did not bring her crosse and trouble to the seruaunts of God and vertuous people These thinges saith the prophet fondly and foolishly I spake to my selfe many times but when I weighed the thing with more iudgement and considered the matter more déepely with my selfe I thought If I thus iudge and speake of God doe I not improue reprehende and condemne the life conuersation and labours of all godly men The which will not be drawen nor inticed from godly life and the loue of vertue by no misaduentures nor afflictions in this world neither doe they iudge that they haue studied and followed godlinesse in vaine whatsoeuer trouble hath happened to them in this world And therfore when I assayed to compasse the cause and veritie of these thinges the greatnesse thereof brought me into much feare and carefulnesse And further I perceiued that I could not come to the knowledge of these thinges except the Almightie God would reueale and open vnto me the mysteries and secretes of his prouidence and wisedome that I might sée and vnderstand what ende and outgoing these wicked men should haue that with most abhomination and blasphemie in this life had most felicitie and pleasure And by tarrying in the thoughtes and cogitations of this case and matter at last I found that these wicked men and women whose felicitie and prosperous estate tormented me their end was most miserable full of wretchednesse and paine THE 18. and 19. Verse 18 Namely thou settest them in slipperie places and castest them downe and destroyest them 19 Oh howe soudeinly do they consume perish and come to a fearefull ende ¶ The plaine explanation Doubtlesse the felicities and pleasures Lord that thou gauest to these wicked doers are slipperie and brittle for so may I well call them because such as enioy them for the most part so abuse them in this life that they loose the life euerlasting THE 20. Verse 20 Yea euen as a dreame when one awaketh so shalt thou make their image to vanish out of the citie ¶ The plaine explanation These wicked mens felicitie vanished as the dreame of him that is awaked For as y e dreame for a time séemeth to be true as long as he sléepeth he supposeth it to be as he dreameth but as the dreame passeth the sléepe being broken so doth these wicked mens felicitie when they depart out of this life THE 21. 22. 23. and 24. Verse 21 Thus my heart was greeued and it went thoroughe my raines 22 So foolish was I and ignorant euen as it were a beast before thee 23 Neuerthelesse I am alwayes by thee for thou hast holden me by the right hand 24 Thou shalt guide mee with thy counsell and after that receiue me with glorie ¶ The plaine explanation Before saith Asaph that I sawe such wicked men as flourished in all felicitie and pleasure caste downe headlong from their places I was wonderfully troubled And no meruell for I was but a foole and an idiote that perceiued not the iudgement of the Lord but as a beast before thée in that respecte Oh Lord yet diddest thou conduct me such a foole as I am to the vnderstanding of thy pleasure in such difficil and hard causes And in their pleasures thou shewedst me their losse and damnation and in mine owne aduersitie and trouble shewedst me my saluation and perpetuall health THE 25. and 26. Verse 25 Whom haue I in heauen but thee And there is none vppon the earth that I desire in comparison of thee 26 My flesh and my heart faileth but God is the strength of my heart and my portion for euer ¶ The plaine explanation When the Prophete hath weighed Gods iudgement towardes such as with iniquitie liued in all pleasure and perceiued that their paines were for euer and their ioyes but for a time he is nowe inflamed with the loue of God and breaketh foorth into these godly words and sentences Who can delight me in heauen but thou O Lord. Whom shal I loue vppon the earth Whom shall I reuerence and honour but thée Doubtlesse of all thinges except thée I passe nothing of nor set stoore by Thée onely I embrace thée onely I desire and thée onely I couet and wishe for for onely thou art to be beloued to be honoured and to be wished for So that both my soule and my body be rauished with the loue of thée for thou art the strength and foundation of my soule and body Thou art my riches my treasure and my euerlasting inheritance THE 27. and 28. Verse 27 For loe they that forsake thee shal perish thou hast destroyed all them that commit fornication against thee 28 But it is good for me to hold me fast by God to put my trust in the Lord God ¶ The plaine explanation And good cause haue I Oh Lord to loue thée for they shall perish and be destroyed as many as loue any thing besides thée and forsake thée Therefore as I knowe it profitable onely to preferre thée O Lord in all loue and fauour so is it méete that I béeing thus saued by the mercie and receiuing so many benefites at thy hand should continually with laude and praise celebrate and magnifie the meruellous works of thy goodnesse and prouidence The end of the Paraphrase or plaine explanation ¶ The principal partes of the Psalme 73. Verse 1. Truely God is louing to Israel c. The first part is conteyned in the first verse and it declareth that God loueth the good although he punisheth them Verse 2. My feete were almost gone c. The second part is conteined in the second verse and it declareth how weake fraile a thing the nature of man is and vppon howe small an occasion it is in danger to fall from God Verse 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. I was greeued at the wicked c. The third part is conteined in sixe verses that follow wherin the felicitie of wicked men consisteth that good men bee so sore greeued Verse 9. 10. 11. Therefore fall the people vnto them c. The fourth part is conteined in other three verses next ensuing And it declareth howe fraile brittle and weake a thing man is that for euery trifle turneth and withdraweth himselfe from God Verse 12. 13. Then haue I clensed my heart in vaine c. The fift parte is conteined in two other verses next following And it declareth howe soone men repent their well doinges Verse 14. Yea and I had almost said euen as they c. The sixt part is conteined in one verse next following And it declareth how great a daunger it is temerously to iudge of God or of Gods people without the word of God Verse 15. 16. 17. 18. 19. 20. 21. Then thoughte I to vnderstand this but it was too hard for me c. The seuenth part is conteined in seuen verses next following And it
declareth that mans reason is but ignorant and beastly in considering of Gods workes vntill it be illuminated by God and his word And then is made open how vaine all things be that wicked men possesse in this world Verse 22. 23. 24. 25. 26. 27. Neuerthelesse I am alwaye by thee for thou hast holden mee by my right hand c. The eighth part is conteined in sixe verses next following vnto the end of the Psalme and it declareth a wonderfull vnspeakable consolation For althoughe wee be greeuously tempted yet we be not forsaken of God but preserued and lift vppe when else otherwise wee should fall And in this part in setting forth the multitude and number of Gods consolations he draweth neere the ende of the Psalme and concludeth it with this text I wil set forth thy workes Wherwith he declareth that hee will be thankefull vnto God for his great giftes and mercie ¶ The end of the partes and chiefest matters in the Psalme What thinges are to be marked out of these partes and matters of the Psalme ¶ Out of the first part are many thinges to be noted FIrst the nature and condition of God for as much as hée hath prepared for men a place of ioye permanent and euerlasting is not to reward such as be his and ordeined to the life to come with so slender and small a recompense in the bloud of his sonne Iesus Christ as these worldy and transitorie thinges be of this world but with riches and treasures that shall not corrupt nor be eaten with vermine nor yet taken from vs by théeues As S. Paule saith He hath made vs to sit with him in the glorie of heauen And as Christ said vnto Peter that became a begger with the rest of the Apostles in this world for Christes sake Ye shall saith Christ sitt vppon the twelue seates iudging the twelue tribes of Israel We must therefore note out of this place of the Prophets Psalme That God although he whip and scourge vs as we haue most worthily deserued yet he loueth vs and will not take his mercie from vs but once leaue beating of vs and burne the rod and then in Christ reward vs with euerlasting life In any case therefore we must well assure our selues in the dayes of Gods punishmentes that the end of his crosses afflictions be the beginning of euerlasting ioyes For He receiueth none but such as he first correcteth and chasteneth The second learning in this part is to be persuaded that God doth not punish without iust cause for that he delighteth in punishing of his people As the wicked Pharao Nemroth Saule and Iulian the Apostata said When he had drowned all the world with water for sinne the wicked people iudged that God had punished of a parcial and cholericke passion in his furie without iust matter cause And therefore they went about in contempt of God to build a tower so high that God should neuer haue béene able to wreake his wrath vppon them againe So did cursed Pharao he asked What God that should be that could plague him and his realme And in the time of his punishment railed and spake most vnreuerently Wicked Saule also when God for his disobedience punished him he in despite of God sought remedie to withstand the punishmentes of God by witchcraft and Nekromancie And Iulian the Emperour when Christ gaue him in the warres his deathes wound tooke an handful of his owne bloud and hurled it in despite of Christ into the aire and said Thou hast ouercome thou Galilean and so in mockerie he called Christ Christian men Galileans Wherfore in any case this beginning of the Psalme is to be marked and vsed in the time of all mens punishments and to say with heart and mouth vnto the heauenly father whatsoeuer he layeth vpon vs Truely God is louing vnto me c. And so doth king Dauid crie out when God was most seuere and busie in punishing both him and his people saying Thou art iust Lord and right and iust is thy iudgment So did the Emperour Maurice say when his wife and children were killed before his face Thou art iust Lord and thy iudgementes are righteous Iob likewise was of the same minde although his wife and kinsefolke prouoked him to speake vnpatiently and vnreuerently of God yet he said that He and all his were the Lords and that if he had taken them of him why should not he be contented that God should haue them againe at his pleasure These two notes are to be marked and vsed whatsoeuer happen First that God purposeth to bestowe heauenly pleasures and treasures vppon his people and therefore he wil not reward them with the trash and wicked Mammon of this life and transitorie vale of miserie The second when he punisheth his in this world it is of loue and that the person afflicted must both take it so and also saye so with this Prophete Asaphe Truely God is louing vnto Israel that is to say To him that professeth his religion The third note is to marke that God is knowen and felt in the time of punishment and persequution to be louing but of such as be of a cleane heart Whereof we learne that all men that beare the name of Israelites and of Christian religion iudge neither reuerently nor yet patiently of Gods punishmentes but such Christian men as be of cleane heartes Out of this place we may learne the cause why in this troublesome time so many waxe wearie and fall from the trueth of Gods word whiles God is a punishing of vs that haue béene vnthankeful vnto him and did not liue according to his word the Lord forgiue vs. Doubtles now they mislike and starte backe no not starte backe but openly in the face of Gods enemies sweare and stare as Peter did God sende them Peters repentance that they neuer passed nor cared a iote for Gods word And all is because they be not nor euer were of a cleane heart that is to say so persuaded in their heartes that Gods holy word is the onely trueth what punishment soeuer GOD lay vppon them that professe it God giue vs this cleane heart that we may vnfeignedly say Doubtlesse the Lord is louing vnto his word and to them that professe it althoughe he lay thousandes of crosses vppon them in this world Out of this place we be admonished dearely beloued to beware of the greatest and abhominable euill one of them that can be done against God that is to say witchcrafte and calculation by Astronomie and such other like Howe haynous an offence is this when we sée the heauens raine the cloudes wholy bent to stormes and tempestes the windes roaring and in such rage as all should goe a sunder thunder and lighteninges as
haue his desire and cogitations in the law of God both day and right And to preserue the people from this horrible impediment of ignorance God spake by his prophet Esaie these wordes My spirite which is in thee and my woordes which I put in thy mouth shall not depart from thy mouth and from the mouth of thy seede saith the Lord from henceforth for euermore And in the same Prophesie Christ prayeth the heauenly father to seale his word in his disciples wherby the daungerous impediment of mans saluation which is ignorance might be eschewed auoyded The same remedie against ignorance commandeth Almightie God also by Moses in Deut. and by S. Paul to the Ephesians whereas the fathers and the mothers be not bound themselues alone to knowe the lawe of God but also bound to teach it to their children that by ignorance they offend not God Of the second impediment whiche is feare and dred of Gods iustice commeth trembling and terror of the conscience and many times also the extremest euil of all euils very desperation that neuer looketh who can helpe neither yet trusteth to find any helpe But of these fruites of terror and feare and also of their remedies how they may be cured and holpen it shalbe shewed hereafter in the Psalme as it followeth whereas both terror of conscience and tranquillitie of the same be meruellously and diuinely set foorth Onely vntill I come to those pointes I doe note that this feare and terror of conscience in the faithfull be the very hunger and thirst that Christ saith shalbe quenched and they that féele them shalbe replenished with grace and consolation as the blessed Virgin the mother of Christ saith and they that féele them not shall departe emptie without grace And the cause of this terror and feare is the spirite of God that worketh the knowledge of our sinne by preaching reading or thinking of Gods Lawe that openeth and detecteth how wretched and sinnefull we be by nature in the sight of God But of this matter is better occasion ministred afterwardes in the Psalme then in this place ¶ The second part ¶ How a man should vse himselfe towards him in whome he putteth his trust in the time of trouble 2 In the time of my trouble I sought the Lord my hand I held vppe all night and it was not wearie my soule refused comfort IN this part is taught vs both by doctrine and by example howe we should vse our selues in the time of trouble When we know there is no helpe nor helper but God alone it is not ynough for a man to know that God can helpe but also we must beléeue constantly that he hath as prompt a will to helpe as a sufficient power able to helpe and then béeing assured that he both can and will helpe we must call vppon him for helpe according to his commaundement vnto vs Call vppon mee in the dayes of trouble c. But of this place we may marke and learne what an intollerable burthen and vnspeakeable sorrowe the terrour and feare of sinne is and how gréeuous a thing the sight and contemplation of Gods displeasure and iust iudgement is against euery sinner for his sinne and transgression of Gods most holy Law The text saith That the Prophete when he felt the displeasure of God against sinne cryed out with a lowde voyce vnto the Lord. Whereby we learne that the conscience of man admonished by the word of God of the filthinesse and abhomination of sinne bringeth all the bodie into a trembling and feare lest God should vse rather iustice and iustly punishe sinne then mercie and mercifully forgiue sinne And thus béeing made afrayde thoroughly of sinne the mind is occupied with sorrowfull and heauie cogitations and the tongue by vehemencie of the spirite brought into clamours and cryes As we may sée commonly by examples left vnto vs in the word of God that where sinne is throughly felt in the conscience the feeling sinner is not onely troubled within in spirite but also outwardly in all the members and partes of his bodie as it is to be séene most manifestly in king Dauid In what a sea of heauines was king Dauid in his conscience when he spake to his owne soule Why art thou so heauie and sorrowfull ô my soule and why dost thou thus trouble mee Againe How long wilt thou forget mee ô Lord for euer And in other Psalmes we may sée into what trembling and feare outwardly he was brought by the knowledge and féeling of his sinne In one place he saith The feare of his sinnes did not onely ouerlay his conscience but also crushed and in maner all to broke his bones And in another place His visage was all defaced with wéeping teares and so abundantly they gushed out of his eyes that he watered or rather ouerflowed his bed with them where he lay Into what horrible cryes and waylings many times he fell for feare of sinne this Psalme and many other doe declare The like horrour and feare also of the sight and féeling of sinne we sée to haue béene in Saint Paule when he cryed out vppon him selfe Oh wretched man that I am who shall deliuer me from this bodie subiect vnto death And Marie Nagdalene with the sight and féeling of Gods displeasure against her sinne made teares and wéepings enowe to washe the founteine of mercies féete Iesus Christ. But blessed is that conscience feared by the Lawe whose feare by the swéete promises of the Gospel is turned into mirth and blessed be those teares and wéepings that end in consolation and happie is that troubled bodie whose end is immortalitie in the resurrection of the iust Further as we sée here king Dauid a sinner for feare of Gods iudgement breake out into lowd cryes for helpe and preseruation the same anguish and trouble of minde and of bodie for feare of Gods punishment for sinne towardes man was likewise in Christ without sinne which said My soule is heauie vnto death and in such an agonie was his bodie that he burst out and swett both water and bloud So that of this second part first we learne that such as be truely vnseignedly brought to a knowledge féeling and repentance of their sinnes haue it with great heauines of minde terrour of conscience and trouble also of the bodie many times that no sicknesse nor troubles may be compared to the trouble of the conscience for feare of due and condigne punishment for the sinne perpetrated and committed against Gods lawes The second doctrine that we be taught out of this second part is to declare what difference there is betwéene the penitent Christian in aduersitie and the desperate person that looketh for no helpe or els the presumptuous person that contemneth helpe The penitent afflicted calleth vnto the Lord and although he finde his burden neuer so intollerable doe wéepe and
in time at the beginning of troubles and temptations to remember the Lord and to cal vnto him for mercie For the more temptations doe growe without present assistance of Gods grace the greater is the damnation and the more is the daunger thereof as we may sée in the examples of the scripture Adam fell into anxietie and discomfort of spirite and God immediately tolde him of his fault and by Gods grace his discomforted spirite was quieted in the promises of God Caine by the murther of his brother Abel felt the discomfort of the spirit and by neglecting of Gods calling dyed in the same Dauid being admonished by Gods grace found rest for his vnquieted spirite Saule in deferring the remedie of Gods grace died comfortlesse Peter at the beginning through Gods grace with one looke of Christe put away discomfort Iudas with contemning Christes admonitions dyed in horrible despaire Whereof we learne to beware as much as may be that temptations growe not so farre that Gods admonition or the remembraunce of Gods name be forgotten but that we doe in the middest of discomforts as Asaph the Prophet did remember and cal vpon the Lord for help There is also by this remēbraunce of God in the discomfort of the spirite to be noted what a vanitie all the world and worldly things be for man in time of trouble when God shal shew and reueale vnto man his sinnes This Asaph as we reade in the scripture was a man whom for his vertues and good qualities king Dauid appointed to be a Musician for the comfort of many vntill the building of the temple of Hierusalem Yet nowe as we sée he is not able to solace him selfe with his Musicke nor yet with any worldly thing but this onely comfort is in the Lord. And here the Prophete declareth the truth of Christes sentence written in S. Luke What doth it profite a man to winne all the worlde and to loose his owne soule What externall riches can comfort the inward spirite troubled with sinne and transgression of Gods lawe None at all doubtlesse as the scripture sheweth examples euery where Al king Dauids kingdome was not able to appease his troubled and discomforted spirite when he said to his troubled soule Why art thou so heauie and sad my soule and why doest thou trouble me Nowe this one thing more I will marke in this verse and no more bycause it is more fully vsed by the Prophete for the comfort of discomforted spirits in the verses that followe I sayde there was two kindes of consolations in the word of God The one outward in the face and lesson of the letter and the other inward in the vnderstanding and féeling of the spirite And of this diuision must great héede be taken For it is not euery man that readeth and heareth that Christe dyed for the remission of sinne that shall haue the consolation of the redemption promised in Christes bloud For we sée and reade God giue vs grace to learne it that Adam caused his sonnes to heare of his owne fall in Paradise and the redemption of his fal in the bloud of Christe to come as Abel his yonger sonne right wel perceiued yet did Caine hearing the same consolation perish in his sinne There was consolation and rest promised vnto all them that came out of Egypt but none tooke the benefite thereof but Iosua and Caleb There was in the outward letter promised consolation vnto all Abrahams children but none receiued the commoditie thereof but suche as in spirite followed the fayth of Abraham The scripture saith in the letter that GOD would all men to be saued yet we sée such as followe not the spirite offered be damned God by his worde in the time of holy and blessed King Edward the sixt offered consolation vnto all this realme yet none shall inioy it but suche as in their spirites haue learned kept and do followe the word of consolation So our Sauiour Christ in S. Matthew doth say Not euery man that calleth me Lord Lorde shall enter into the kingdome of God but he that followeth in Christ Gods commaundements There be a great many at this day as there were before our time that knowe and speake of such consolation as is conteined in the letter vtter barke of Gods worde but in their consciences they féele not in déede the consolation thereof As Iudas preached abroad with the rest of his companions consolation to the lost shéepe of the house of Israel but he shewed vnto others that he felt not him selfe So did the Phariseis when the scripture was read euery Saturday in their Synagogues shew that Messiah should come to redéeme the worlde yet they them selues for the most part felt not the consolation in déede that the scripture did testifie of Christ. Euen so at this present many reade this Psalme and daily almost in the letter whereof if it be in Englishe he that vnderstandeth not but the English toung séeth great consolation in the letter and also in the Prophete Asaph that vsed the Psalme yet when néede should be the inward consolation of the Psalme of many is nothing felt The cause is that either they vnderstand it not or else marke it not eyther they thinke as the Papistes doe teach that to say or sing the Psalme without vnderstanding and féeling of it in the spirite is sufficient for the worke it selfe and that it pleseth God Ex opere operato as they terme it It is too euident and also too horrible if it pleased God that men be contented only with the externall consolation conteined in the word of God For if they heare that Gods commaundements be true and full of consolation they be contented to heare of them in the letter or by speach and neuer learne thē or féele them by heart The like is in the Articles of our Christian religion They be thought to be true and godly and yet the most part that so iudge neyther learne them nor féele them in their conscience Wherefore they doe outwardly and inwardly as much idolatrie contrarie to their Créed by the commaundement of men as can be deuised for their consolation of faith is no more but such an outward knowledge as the most men hold withall without any proper iudgement or singular féeling of their owne spirites The same is likewise in prayer For in the externall letter there is so much consolation as may be but in the heart of him that prayeth is there no vnderstanding nor féeling of the consolatiō that outwardly is spoken and talked of Therefore marke this order of the Prophete Asaph He sayde that His spirite could take no consolation in all the night time whilest he helde vp his handes And as there is not only discomfort and vnquietnes spoken of but also felt not onely noted and written in the letter of y ◠Psalme but also throughly felt inwardly in the
spirite with heauinesse and anguish without comforte and consolation so in this verse is there consolation in the letter in the voice in the mouth mentioned of inwardly the same consolation felt in the spirite And as outwardly Gods displeasure troubled him so inwardly Gods holy name promises comforted him And this is to be noted least we should heare of consolation outwardly or reade it in the booke of the holy Bible and yet inwardly neyther féele nor knowe any consolation at all In the end of this verse is put this worde Sela. And it doth note vnto the Reader or Hearer what a miserable and comfortlesse thing man is in trouble if God be not present with him to help him It is also put as a spurre pricke for euery Christian man and woman to remember and call vpon God in the days of their troubles For as the Iewes say where so euer this word Sela is if doth admonish and stirr vp the Reader or Hearer to marke what was saide before it for it is a worde alwayes put after very notable sentences Then followeth the rest of suche paines troubles as this Prophet suffered whilest the Lord laide his crosse vpon him after this sort 4 Thou holdest mine eyes waking I am so feeble I can not speake Before he saide his spirit could take no consolation which was a gréefe vnspeakable For no thought is able to comprehend the anguish of the mind much lesse is the toung able to expresse it But now he sheweth a further increase of discomfort and saith that The terrour of his mind was such that he was not only comfortlesse but the Lord also to the increase of sorrowe kept sléepe from him And as the greatnesse of Gods punishment suffered him not to sléepe so would it not permit him to speake but made him speachlesse such was the great punishment of God towardes him Here is the tyrannie and violence of sinne to be perceiued and séene which is first in this verse to be noted It taketh all mirthe from the spirite and bringeth in heauinesse and discomfort It taketh away sléep and placeth for it tediousnesse and sorowfull watch It taketh away also the speache of the tong and leaueth the man mute and speachlesse If sinne can do so painful things in the body and soule whilest they be yet conioyned together and there is hope of remission what can it doe when the one is in the earth and the other in hell separated or else both of them conioyned againe in the resurrection of the wicked where there is no hope of redemptiō but assuraunce of euerlasting paine Besides this it is to be noted in this verse conteyning the increase of the Prophetes heauinesse what a precious iewel man or woman hath that hath a quiet heart and peaceable conscience For where so euer they be there be all the members of man woman wholy bent vnto the seruice and honouring of God The eyes shall neuer be turned from their seruice neyther shall the toung ceasse if it be able to speake to sound foorth alwayes the glory of God As Dauid saith Mine eyes be alwayes towardes the Lord. Againe I lifted vp mine eyes vnto the Lord. As the eye of the handmaide attendeth vpon her Maistres so our eyes attend vpon the Lord. Againe Mine eyes Lord be not proud And in another Psalme he saith There should come neither sléepe ne slumber in his eyes vntil he had prouided a place for y e arke of God to rest in In case the spirite be troubled or in a contempt of Gods lawes not liking his holy deuises the eyes be eyther troubled with ouermuch watch as in this Psalme we sée or else bent to sée vanitie the lustes and concupiscence of the flesh and the world Wherefore Dauid prayed the Lord to turne his eyes that they looked not vpon vanitie For the eye of him that hath not a right spirit is insatiable And many times the eye wheras the spirit is without the fauour of God abhorreth Gods owne good giftes As the eyes of the Israelites lothed Manna in the desert saying Our eyes see nothing but Manna euen so the toung also of the godly spirited man will sound the glory of God as king Dauid vsed his toung and will not hinder it by naughtie speach If the spirite be voyde of Gods feare then doth it speake of malice falsly to slander the good as king Dauid doth declare or else for trēbling or quaking it can speake nothing at all as ye may perceiue by y e Prophet Asaph in this place He that will therfore consider accordingly the greatnesse of this feare in the spirite and howe it taketh away the office of euery member externall doubtlesse must labour to haue the spirite that Dauid prayeth in this sorte Cor mundum crea in me deus spiritum rectum innoua in visceribus meis Create in me a cleane hart O Lord and renue in me a right spirite In the which verse the Prophete prayeth first to haue such an heart as by faith in Christe may be cleane and purged from sinne and next to haue a certeine and sure spirite that doubteth nothing of Gods promises towardes him For such a spirite within the body of man or woman maketh the heart so ioyfull that no sorrow can molest it and it strengtheneth so euery member that they will be giuen to nothing so much as to the seruice of God But if the spirit be wicked doutlesse the outwarde members will serue nothing but iniquitie if it be troubled the outwarde members can not be quiet For as the soule giueth life to the body so doth the vertue of God in the soule drawe the outward partes of the body vnto the obedience of vertue And contrariwise the vice of the soule draweth the members of the body vnto the seruice of sinne and iniquitie And as the eares and eyes of man were made by God to be instruments to heare and sée Gods will and pleasure by them sith man fell in Paradise knowledge might come into the soule and spirit of man by hearing Gods word preached séeing his sacraments ministred so by them abused in hearing and seeing of sinne and abhomination there entreth into the soule much vile filthinesse and transgression The Prophete Asaph therefore doth admonish vs to beware that we bring not our spirites into discomfort by sinne and transgression of Gods lawes for if we do whether y e offence be done in the spirite by the euill that naturally is in it by originall sinne by the temptation of the diuell or by the meanes of any member of the body doubtlesse the trouble of the spirit shal not only take away the office of the members as ye sée in this place the speache of the toung and the closing of the eyes be taken away but at the length also God shall make the same body and the
same members to rise againe at the generall resurrection and they shall suffer with the wicked spirite eternall paines Let this doctrine therefore teach all men to knowe and féele the crueltie of sinne that so painefully vnquieteth doth body and soule and think that if these grudgings discomforts terrours and feares be so great that death it selfe is more tollerable and easie to beare howe much more intollerable and vnspeakeable be the paines of hell which God hath ordeined for all impenitent sinners After this verse of trouble and anguish whereas we sée sléepe taken from the eyes and speach from the tongue followeth next how these great sorrowes were mollified and somewhat diminished 5 I haue considered the dayes of old and the yeres that be past 6 In the night I called to remembrance my song and communed with mine owne heart and my spirite searched diligently I did sayth the Prophet in this great discomfort and heauinesse consider with my selfe the times and worlds of old wherein the Lord had holpen and deliuered my fathers before my time from such troubles as I am in and also from greater And in the night while I was sléeplesse I remembred that many times I lauded and exalted the goodnes of God in my Psalms and Hymns giuing him thanks for his great mercie and goodnes vsed towards his Church at all times and in remembring Gods accustomed clemencie and pitie my spirite was much giuen to debate thinges Out of these two verses we may note diuers doctrines for our consolation in the dayes of our trouble And the first after my minde shalbe concerning the two brightnesse and the two darkenesse in the word of God The one brightnesse is in the letter outwardly and the other brightnesse is in the spirite and heart of the reader of the Scripture This brightnesse or claritie of the letter is this when by reading hearing or thinking of Gods word men learne and knowe that God made all thinges and that he preserueth all thinges and that Iesus Christ his onely sonne is the mediatour betwéene God and man and that he pacified Gods iust ire against man by his bitter death and passion Also he knoweth by the externall histories of the Scripture that GOD hath deliuered many times his people from dangers and perils in maner impossible to be holpen This claritie and brightnesse of the Scripture although it be necessarie yet it is not sufficient for if standeth alone in bare and naked knowledge whiche before God saueth no neither illuminateth the man that hath the knowledge in a sufficient claritie and brightnesse of faith and of Gods promises due in Christ vnto faith As we may sée how the children of Israel had the external claritie and brightnesse of Gods promises vnto Abraham Isahac and Iacob that they and their posteritie should inherite y e lande of Canaan that flowed with all plentie and aboundance yet notwithstanding such as came out of Egypt for the most part perished in the desart wildernesse The Phariseis and learned men amongest the Iewes had the clearenesse and brightnesse of Christes comming of the place he should be borne in and told in that part the trueth vnto Herod yet did they for all this knowledge and claritie abhorre Christ when he came and put him to death most wrongfully The people in like sort saw an external brightnesse in Christ that by his miracles and wonders they thought him worthie to be made a king and yet for all this they cryed out against him Crucifige eum crucifige eum Crucifie him crucifie him The diuel himselfe said he knewe who Christ was the sonne of the most highest and yet for all this knowledge and clearenesse shall he neuer be saued And Christ himselfe also perceiued that this external brightnesse was amongest a great many that called him Lord Lord Yet notwithstanding he said they should not enter into the ioyes of heauen So likewise be there very many at this present time that sée the claritie and brightnesse of Christ outwardly in the letter and yet follow it not here in liuing neither shall they haue the effect of their knowledge in the life to come for their clearenesse is onely knowledge without féeling or practise of the brightnes inwardly which deserueth more stripes then obscuritie or darkenesse doth There is another claritie or brightnes which is an inward vnderstanding and spirituall knowledge and sight of Gods trueth which no man hath but he that is possessed with the spirite of God that whatsoeuer he readeth in Gods word himselfe or heareth preached of other men he vnderstandeth it and consenteth vnto it gladly and willingly As for example God spake vnto Adam and his wordes made him afeard so that he trembled for feare Christ spake vnto Paule and he fell downe flatt and could not abide the peril of Christes voyce So that as the lawe rebuked sinne in the voice and letter it wrought also rebuke and discomfort in the hearts of Adam and Paul and made them afraid inwardly as the voice and letter was terrible outwardly Wherefore they had not onely an externall clearenesse of Gods hatred against sinne but also an internall sight and féeling of the same as the Scripture doth record The like is also in the promises of God when they be preached or read that promise remission of sinne The inward claritie and brightnesse of the same is to féele priuately euery man and woman in his owne conscience through faith in Christ that the same promises doe apperteine and belong vnto himselfe As the Prophet Abacuc saith The iust man liueth by his owne faith Also Christ said vnto the woman of Canaan that it was not good to cast the bread that apperteined to the children vnto dogges she said Yes Lord for the dogges do eate of the crumbes that fall from their maisters table And so doth Christ himselfe vse the brightnesse of his promises to Marie Magdalene Thy sinnes be forgiuen thee Applying the clearenesse of the letter vnto the inward comfort of her soule The same is likewise meruellously expressed in the common créede whereas euery man saith Hée beléeueth in God the father God the sonne and God the holy Ghost and that he beléeueth the remission of sinnes meaning that whosoeuer saith his créed should sée feele in his soule the claritie and brightnesse of his saluation that is conteined in the letter and wordes of the créede But this clearenesse is not séene of all men nor yet of the most part of men As Christ declareth Many be called and fewe chosen Many say Lord Lord and fewe doe the Lords will Therefore Christ saith meruellously concerning the claritie and brightnesse of Gods word inwardly in S. Luke Blessed be they that heare the word of God and keepe it By the which words he declareth that many heare and sée the outward light and trueth of Gods word but very fewe there
faith hope and charitie as they be qualities in vs we should surely perish Therefor this place of the Prophete Asaph where he demaundeth this question Whether Gods mercy be gone for euer doth teach vs that of all thinges we should be most assured of this that onely mercy is the help of mans troubles and damnation But as I saide before there were two maner of clarities and brightnesse in the word of God so nowe I say there is two manner of mercies of God mentioned in the scripture The outwarde mercy is in the letter which men reade and sing euery day and speake and talke of but the other is inward When that men can not féele Gods mercy in their conscience as they heare it spoken of and as they reade it in the booke they be troubled and full of anguish and paine and as long as they be in this case without Gods mercy they can do nothing that pleseth GOD or content them selues But as soone as the spirite is assured and féeleth that GOD for his mercy doth forgiue and forget the iniquitie that the spirite and body haue committed and done against God it reioyceth and is so glad that it will doe nothing but that which pleseth and is acceptable vnto God and in Christ shall content and quiet his owne conscience As for example Adam before he inwardly felt the mercy of God promised in Christe to forgiue and remit his sinne and offence in what heauinesse was the poore man He hid him selfe and could not abide the voyce of the liuing God for he felt that his doings pleased neyther GOD nor him selfe But when grace had assured him of Gods mercy he fell in the spirit to quietnesse For where the spirite of God testifieth and beareth record with the spirite of man that he is the childe of God there is ioy and consolation with this ioyfull song and melodie Abba pater Father father So that where so euer this song is felt in the spirite there are suche ioyes as no toung can expresse as all the booke of Solomons ballads meruellously doe declare And wheras the mercy of God is not there is eyther abhomination of sinne and continuance therein without any feare or grudge of conscience at all or else such heauinesse of spirite that desperation vtterly quaileth and oppresseth the spirite for euer Yet shal the spirite soule of man féele this for a time while God hideth his mercifull face Is his mercy cleane gone for euer Which cogitations of the minde be full bitter and sorrowfull as all men of GOD doe knowe that haue felt them and as the Prophete declareth in the processe of his Psalme in this sorte And is his promise come vtterly to an end for euermore Hath God forgotten to be gratious And wil he shut vp his louing kindnes in displeasure These demaundes and questions of his owne minde and spirite that was troubled be no more in effect then troubles that he named before But in this that he calleth the trouble by so many names it declareth that his spirite was for the time so disquieted that the paines in maner could not well be named and expressed As it is to be séene always when the minde of man is brought into an excellencie and profoundnesse of mirth or sorrowe then it is so rauished with the vehemencie of them both that the toung is not able to expresse the inward ioy nor the inwarde sorrowe as it is to be séene as well in prophane writers as in the holy word of God Reade ye the 18. Psalme of king Dauid which he soung to the Lorde when he was quit and deliuered from all his enimies ye shall sée what shift and copie of wordes he vsed to name God to expresse what he thought of God in his heart and with what Metaphors he expresseth the strength of God that ouercame al his enimies the Psalme is to be read and marked Againe reade ye these Psalmes 42. 43. where ye shall perceiue the prayer of Dauid wherein is described a vehement agonie and most bitter battel betwéene faith and desperation and there mark what words he hath found out to expresse the sorrowes of his heart that was so sore put in doubt by desperation and weaknesse of faith The Harte saith he being wounded was neuer more desirous to come to the water then my soul desireth to come to thee ô God And at length when he can finde no more wordes to vtter the pensiuenesse of his heart he turneth his wordes inward to his owne soule and asketh why she is so heauie and sad Ye may sée also the very same ioyfull and sorrowfull spirites in the ballads of Solomon and in the lamentations of Ieremie the Prophete In the one it séemeth that the soule annexed vnto Christ is in such ioy as the tong can not expresse it and in the other for sinne the soule is afflicted in such sort that it can not tell how to expresse the heauinesse thereof There is to be considered also in these demaunds of the Prophete that he made to him selfe in his spirite as the text saith he reuolued the matter with his owne spirite this doctrine howe easie a thing it is to teach and comfort other men and howe hard a thing it is for a man to teach and comfort him selfe in the promises of God S. Paule found fault therewithall and saide to the Iewe Thou teachest an other man teachest not thy selfe And Iudas went foorth with the eleuen other of his fellowes to teach Gods mercy in Christ vnto the lost shéep of the house of Israel but he neither followed his own doctrine nor yet tooke any comfort of remission of sinnes in the promises of God but hanged himselfe desperately Wherefore it is very expedient for eueryman and woman that hath learned and doth knowe the truth of God to pray that they them selues may folowe the truth and for such as knowe and teach others the consolations of the scriptures of God that they may with knowledge of them féele them in déede and with speaking of them to others for their learning they may speake them to them selues for their owne edifying But doubtlesse it is an easie matter for a man to speake of comfort and consolation to others but a hard thing to féele it him selfe Vertue is soone spoken of to other mens instructions but the putting thereof in practise and vre is very hard yea not only in the scholer that is taught but also in the maister that instructeth Beware of despaire can euery man say but to eschue despaire in great conflictes of the minde is an harde matter Reade the booke of the Psalmes well and ye shall sée the experience thereof to be most certeine and true In the 62. Psalme ye shall haue this commaundement to all men Trust ye alwayes in him ye people yet when it came to the triall in him selfe ye may sée with what heauines and great trouble of
had of any thing as it is opened in this Psalme in that at the first time the Prophet recorded Gods workes and was so troubled in his minde that he occupied his cogitations this way Will God be no more mercifull Hath God shut vp his mercie in his ire But now in the second record of Gods workes he beginneth his entrance cleane contrarie and saith Gods right hand can chaunge his sorrow and turne his heauines into mirth And vppon this ground and sure hope of Gods promises he procéedeth foorth to a consideration and déepe record of Gods factes in this sort I will remember the workes of the Lord c. In this verse and in the next folowing it be conteyned thrée kinde of words remembrance meditation and speach By the first we learne that it profiteth nothing to read or heare Gods word except we remember it beare it away with vs. By the next we learne that it auaileth vs not to learne and beare the word of God in remembrance except by meditation and thinking vppon it we vnderstand what it meaneth And by the third we learne that neither the remembrance it nor the vnderstanding thereof profiteth except we teache and instruct other in the same of whom we haue charge if we may Now to consider further we sée how the Prophet beginneth with this word Remembrance whereof it appeareth that he had learned before out of Gods word Gods nature towardes penitent sinners to forgiue them and towards wilfull obstinate and impenitent sinners to be a iust iudge to punish them Here is the ignorance of all people condemned that neuer learne to know Gods word in sicknes nor in health but when they be troubled or sicke they send for such as they thinke and fansie haue learned and doe remember how Gods word doth comfort in aduersitie And then if he that is sent for be not learned in Gods word he cannot remember how God is wont to comfort the troubled or sicke then all that euer the sicke man heareth of an ignorant comforter or counseller is as clene voyd of consolation or counsell as though he had neuer sent for a counseller or comforter For no man can haue more of another then the other hath himselfe which is neither knowledge counsell nor consolation out of Gods word Therefore he is not able to giue knowledge consolation nor comfort to another If the Prophet Asaph had béene as the most part of people now a dayes be that fall sick and into many kinds of trouble had sent for an ignorant foole which commonly is called a ghostly father he had béene in as good taking as these wretched soules be that béeing comfortlesse séeke comfort where none is to be had séeke knowledge where none is séeke counsell where ignorance aboundeth Let all men therefore remember this verse that when the Prophet was in trouble he remembred the wisedome and meruellous workes of God for he knew them before so let all men and women learne before they come into trouble a true knowledge of God that in the time of trouble they may remember it to their consolation But now to the second word where he saith He will meditate in all the workes of God Here is another notable doctrine that neither the learning of Gods word nor the remembrance therof profiteth any thing except it be vnderstanded and applied to the vse that God hath appointed it for And here be two sortes of people wonderfully condemned The one sort be those that for custome or bondage to their profession doe learne without the booke a great part of the Scripture or els by daily vse in singing or saying their seruice as it is called they learne to sing and say a great part of the Bible But this auaileth nothing nor they vnderstand it not in the sense and meaning that the holy ghost appointed it for nor perchaunce the Grammaticall construction therof And these remembrances of Gods word be nothing but lippe labour and honouring of God with the mouth but the hart is farre away which before God is in vaine and of no estimation The other sort of people be such as professe the Gospell that haue learned much and can remember much but follow very little so that they be nothing the better for it The third word is that the Prophet saith He wil speake of God and his works as outwardly and inwardly he remembreth them and with his spirite doth meditate them as it is likewise the part and duetie of all Christian men so to doe For as they beléeue in the heart to iustice so wil they confesse it to saluation as S. Paule saith to the Romanes Here in this word be thrée sortes of people condemned The one that wil not confesse and teach the trueth for feare of loosing their aduauntage The other will not confesse and teach the trueth for sluggishnesse and slouth And the third will not confesse and teach the trueth for timiditie and feare In the first sort be such as know doctrines for the soule or medicines for the body and yet because they gett gaine thereby they would not haue too many know thereof lest their owne gaines should be the lesse As we fée such a one as knoweth a good methode and order to teach would be lothe it should be common because his estimation and gaine as he thinketh should diminish decrease The excellent Physician would not haue his cunning common least many men as cunning as he should part his gaines amongest them The second sort of men be those that come to great liuings by their learning and when they haue the reward of learning they teach no more as bishops and ministers of the Church whome the Prophet calleth dumbe dogges that cannot barke their mouthes be so choked with the bones of bishoppricks and benefices I speake of such as knowe the trueth and loue it and not of such as neither know it nor loue it For although those men speake but seldome yet it is too much for better it were neuer to speake then to speake falsely The thirde sorte be our Nichodemes that can speake of Christ in the night or to their friends but openly they will confesse nothing with the mouth nor doe any thing outwardely for feare of the world that should sounde to Gods glorie And these men be assured they shall haue their rewarde that Christe will denie them before his father which is in heauen Of this we learne wherein our profession consisteth First to learne Gods worde Secondarily to beare it in our hearte and remembraunce Thirdly to vnderstande it And fourthly to speake of it to the glorie of God and the edifying of our neighbours And Gods word this wayes vsed shall kéepe vs humble and lowely in prosperitie and patient and strong in aduersitie But in these two verses be more wordes necessarie to be considered if we will take consolation in aduersitie The first I will sayth