fourth part repeateth more at large the declaration of the first and the second part THE fiue and sixe verses be worde for worde as the first the second were Onely there is left out in these two verses this word greatly for before he saide He should not greatly fall The which worde may be taken two wayes very comfortable of the reader and hearer if it be well marked and beléeued The first way is that the Prophet meaneth not that the people of God shal not fal for that is against the Scripture for The iust man falleth seuen times in the day Againe If we say we haue no sinne in vs we deceiue our selues and the trueth is not in vs. Nowe whereas sinne inseparably dwelleth as it doeth in all men whilest they liue vppon the earth there be faultes and falles before God of the mans part in whome this sinne dwelleth yet God of his mercy for the bloud and death of Christe doeth not account these inseparable sinnes to be falles but loueth the person preserueth him and will not impute nor lay any of those falles or faults vnto his charge but in Christe estéeme him iustified and cleane as though he were of him selfe so in déede And thus the Prophete saith that of Gods part and by our acceptation into his fauour through Christ the faithfull falleth not That is to say his sinne is not accounted damnable nor laide to his charge for Christes sake As Saint Paule writeth to the Romanes An other way it may be taken That a Christian hath testimonie in his spirit by the spirit of God that he is so elected chosen and ordeined of God to eternall saluation that what so euer the world the flesh the diuell or sinne shall doe yet standeth he assured of Gods election grace strength and fidelitie that he shall neuer fall to damnation but arise againe and be called from his falls what so euer they be And yet this most sure comfortable knowledge will not giue him licence nor libertie to sinne but rather kéep him in a feare and loue of the strong and mightie God in whose handes he is and kept from the great fall of eternall damnation from the which he was deliuered from the beginning with God So that ye may learne of this place what perseuerance is in the meditation contemplation of Gods most holy word and promises At the first they séeme vnto the fleshe things impossible as we may sée by Nichodemus who was as ignoraunt as could be at the beginning when he came first to schoole to Christ. But when a man hath bene exercised a while in it he féeleth more swéetnesse in the promises of God as we sée by this Prophete For after he had borne the crosse of affliction a little while and learned the nature of God howe mercifull he is to sinners he saide Although I fall yet it shall not be greatly But when he had tarried in the schoole of Christe and learned in déede what he was and howe that he was able to perfourme his mercy he saide plainly Whatsoeuer sinne the diuell the world the fleshe hell heauen or the earth would say against him he should not fall These two interpretations are to be noted For which so euer we vse we may finde comfort and vnspeakable consolation Now when he hath declared that he shal not fall into Gods eternal ire displeasure he sheweth how this certeintie of eternall saluation came vnto him and why God so mercifully and strongly hath warded and fenced him against all temptations and perilles of damnation It is saith he bicause God is his health That is to say One that hath not onely taken him from the sicknesse and daunger of sinne the tyrannie of the diuell and damnation of the lawe but also preserueth him in the same state that he fall not againe into the sicknesse and perill that he was deliuered from Whereof we learne that it is not mans labours nor mans workes that helpeth a sinner and saueth a damnable soule but it is the frée worke and vndeserued mercy of almightie God Wherfore we be taught that There is no health but in God alone Then saith the Prophete also that in God is his glorie Of the which worde he noteth two thinges The one touching God alone and the other touching God and him selfe The glorie that toucheth God alone is that this troubled Prophete pondered in the heauinesse and anguishe of his minde the number and strength of his enimies the diuel the flesh sinne the world and the bitter accusation of Gods lawes that truely accused and painfully grieued his conscience for sinne Of the other side in faith he considered howe the scripture declared that God was merciful euen vnto the greatest sinners of the worlde And he learned also by the word of God that GOD had made promise vnto sinners to be mercifull He considered further that god had many times vsed and practised his mercy towardes sinners And he founde likewise by the scripture that God to perfourme his mercy would not spare his owne dearely beloued sonne to redéeme man from his sinne with his own precious bloud and painfull death Thus weighing the strength of the diuell and sinne in the one part to damne and the strength of Gods mercy in Christe Iesus on the other part to saue and perceiuing the riches aboundance and strength of Gods mercy to be more auaylable to saue then all the power and strength of the diuell and sinne to damne for the great victory that God taketh ouer such strong enimies the Prophete triumpheth in the glorie of God ioyfully and thankefully extolling him for his mercy and power that hath broken the serpentes head and spoyled him of his prisoners So we vse to doe when any man by valiauntnesse defendeth vs from our enimies we extoll and magnifie him for his victorie and conquest This glorie gaue the Prophete Asaphe in this Psalme of God when by faith he sawe God conquering of hell sinne the diuell the accusation of the lawe desperation the fleshe and the world And the same glory giueth euery faithful creature vnto God at the end of the Lordes prayer when he saith For thine is the kingdome the power and the glorie By the which wordes we knowe that howe so euer the diuell and wicked people take vppon them to vsurpe by violence warre and tyrannie and liue neuer so princely in pompe and pride they be but vsurpers if they come to it wrongfully for the kingdome apperteineth vnto GOD. And howe so euer they extend their power in Gods sight they be no stronger then a brused réede or broken staffe for the power is Gods And what glorie so euer they seigne and flatter them selues to haue it is but withered haye and vile dust in the sight of God But nowe the Prophete by the eye of faith séeing this glorious triumphe strength and power
more comfort then the first part hath discomfort And it is a plaine doctrine that although y e sinnes of man be many horrible yet be they fewer and lesse in estimation many thousande foldes then Gods mercies Death is declared in the first part of the verse in this that mans infirmitie is not onely sinful in body soule but also doutful of Gods mercy holy promises Yet in the second part by grace is set foorth life and cleane deliuerance from the tyrannie of the diuel the seruitude of sinne the accusation of the lawe and the infirmitie of nature by the strong and mightie power of God whose mercy in Christ is alwayes ready to helpe poore afflicted and troubled sinners After this confession of sinne and the great confidence that the prophet had in God for his mightie power and mercies sake that was both able by power and redy with will to help and remedie this troubled spirite and great aduersities of the Prophet he goeth foorth in the consolation taketh yet more and more of Gods benefites vsed in times towardes such as were afflicted after this sort 11 I will remember the workes of the Lord and call to my minde thy wonders of olde time 12 I will thinke also of thy workes and my talking shall be of thy doings 13 Thy way ô God is holy who is so great a God as our God 14 Thou art the God that doth wonders and hast declared thy power amongest people 15 Thou hast mightily deliuered thy people euen the sonnes of Iacob and Ioseph Sela. 16 The waters saw thee ô God the waters saw thee and were afraid the deapthes also were troubled 17 The cloudes powred out water the ayre thundered and thine arrowes went abroad 18 The voyce of thy thunder was heard round about the lightenings shone vpon the gound the earth was moued and shooke withall 19 Thy way is in the sea and thy pathes in the great waters and thy footsteps are not knowne 20 Thou leadest thy people like shepe by the hand of Moses and Aaron Of these meanes howe men take consolation in aduersitie that the Prophet nowe maketh mention of first we learne what difference is betwéene the consideration of Gods works aduisedly by faith the consideration of Gods workes rashly without faith The which diuersitie is to be séen in this Prophet For the one part as touching the remembring of Gods workes out of faith and in faith he spake before in the second verse and in the fourth verse how that he considered the workes and old doings of the Lord when he was troubled But as ye haue heard because his spirite was in a doubtfulnesse and mamering vppon the certeintie of Gods doinges he felt no consolation thereof but much heauinesse and anguish of minde For those demaundes Will God absent himselfe for euer Will he be no more mercifull and such like heauie and doubtfull complaintes could neuer procéed but from a sorrowful and much troubled conscience But now after that Gods spirit hath wrought in his spirit this assurance and iudgment that God can in him chaunge the conditions of his miseries as ye may sée he maketh no more complaint of doubtfulnesse neither remembreth any more the fearefulnesse of his conscience but goeth foorth with repetition and rehearsall of all thinges comfortably how that God in time past holpe troubled spirites and afflicted personages that put their trust in him So that of this we learne that whosoeuer hath a sure faith in God taketh consolation of Gods word and workes And such as haue not first true faith in God cannot in the spirite receiue comfort of Gods word or workes Outwardly men may meruel at God and his worker but inwardly it easeth not the heauinesse nor yet quieteth the grudge of conscience Wherefore it behoueth vs all that we pray earnestly vnto GOD to giue vs faith to beléeue his word and workes when we heare read or sée them For the word and workes of God do nothing comfort the vnfaithfull as we may sée by the Scripture where God saith He stretched foorth his hand al day long to a people that beléeued not for such as haue eares heare not eyes sée not be rather the worse for Gods word workes then the better Ye shal sée where the spirite of Dauid was replenished with faith he was in assured and ascerteined of Gods present helpe that he said he would not feare although a thousand men inuironed and compassed him round about No he would not feare thoughe he should walk in the shadow of death At another time when faith quailed and waxed faint he was trembling in his spirite and fearefull in his bodie as we may sée when he felt his spirite waxe faint he said My soule is troubled very sore and my bones be weakened And in other of his Psalmes he sheweth that his soule was very heauie and comfortlesse and could take no consolation Also when the spirite is assured of Gods grace then the eyes cannot looke vppon any worke of God but the mind taketh by the contemplation and sight thereof vnspeakeable consolation As Dauid declareth in his Psalmes and saith He would sée the heauens the workes of Gods fingers and would marke how one day was an induction to an other and how the heauens praised the Lord. At an other time when the consolation and life of the spirit was ouer whelmed with troubles he could not sée at all with his eyes but cryed and complained that he was starke blinde And also in that meruellous Psalme in number 88. whereas prayer is made to be deliuered from the horrour and féeling of sinne the Prophet saith that his eyes waxed dimme and blinde The same is to be séene likewise in the crosses and afflictions that God sendeth As long as true faith and confidence remaineth in the heart all troubles be wellcome and thankfully taken as we read When Iob had newes that his goods and chidren were taken from him in manner soudeinly he most patiently said God gaue them and God hath taken them away as God would so it is done But when faith quailed and the spirite was troubled then followed these impatient wordes I would my sinne were layed in one balance and my paine in an other As though God had layed more vppon him then he had deserued When the spirit was quieted for all his pouertie and nakednesse he reioyced and was contented with his birth and comming into the world and also with the state in the world appointed vnto him by God saying Naked I came out of my mothers bellie and naked I shall depart hence againe But when faith fainted then came out these woordes The day the night and the time be cursed wherein I was borne With many more horrible wordes as the text declareth So that we sée whereas Gods spirite wanteth there is no learning nor consolation to be
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
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
for this faithes sake But faith as long as it cōmeth no nearer the hart then the eare the lippes the téeth or the tongue it is but an easie mater to beléeue As we sée these rumblers vp of the Psalmes the rest of Gods word at this time in the church where they that say them nor they y t heare them vnderstand any thing at all or be any deale y ◠more edified for that which is done or said in the church And I am assured if the priests felt in their heartes the vengeance of God to come for this abusing the word of God the people knew what an incomparable treasure they haue lost by y e taking away of y e word of God in the vulgar tonge the priest would wéepe water of his eyes as often as he said his seruice the people wold sigh ful heauily as oft as they hard it vnderstood not what it ment Wherefore let euery man pray to God that he may know him as the Prophet Asaph doth that he is the rock saluation to him that so calleth vppon him The thirde word is Defence By the which the Prophet noteth two meruellous doctrines The one touching God and the other touching man The thing touching God is this Looke as in himself God is omnipotent so is he of power both in body soule to do all things for his creatures in general And as generally he can doe all things for his creatures so particularly he is saluation to all that by faith beléeue in him And as he is also saluation particularly to such as beléeue in him euen so particularly is he a defence buckler protection of such as shall be saued that neither sinne the diuel or any troubles of the body nor troubles doubtfulnesse anguish perplexitie or heauinesse of minde shal hurt or danme him The doctrine touching man by this word Defence is this Looke as the faithfull man hath in him selfe this generall knowledge with all men that God is Almightie to doe all thinges as he lust with his creatures generally so particularly he beléeueth that he is able and will saue such as particularly beléeue their saluation in him And as the faithfull particularly beléeueth his saluation to be onely in God so doeth he also beléeue and challenge particularly with the rest of his brethren in Christe maintenaunce perfection and defence from all misseaduentures ieopardies and dangers that may happen in this life before he come to euerlasting ioyes God therefore giue vs grace with the Prophete Asaph to say faithfully vnto him Thou art my strength my saluation and my defence then doubtlesse we shall be assured of that which followeth So shall I not greatly fall Of these wordes So shall I not greatly fall we be also taught and instructed verie necessarie lessons and doctrines Firste what difference there is betwéene the defence of God towardes his people in this life and in the life to come As touching the defence of God towards his people in this life it is meruellously set foorth by Christ in his prayer a little before his death where he prayed vnto his father not to take his Apostles out of this worlde but to preserue them in this worlde from sinne So that he woulde his friendes with Gods defence shoulde abide for a time in the world And what they shuld haue in the world for all Gods defence Christe tolde them In the worlde sayeth he ye shall suffer affliction and ye shall weepe and the world shal laugh Againe he said vnto them that He sent them foorth as shéepe amongest woolues Whereby we may sée that Gods fauour and Gods defence saueth not his verie elects in this life from troubles and afflictions For Saint Paule saith As many as will liue godly shall suffer persequution Therefore the holy Ghost placeth the faithfull congregation the spouse of Christ whome God loueth and defendeth amongst thornes and brambles and sometime likeneth the faithfull congregation vnto a ship tossed vpon the sea with daunger of drowning sometime vnto a house wherevppon bloweth all windes and weather and sometime to a woman trauelling with child before whom standeth a foule dragon readie to deuour both childe and mother So that by this prophet Asaphes wordes that saith He shal not greatly fall and by these other places we learne that in this life such as God loueth defendeth from the eternall fire of hell he notwithstanding for this life vnder great crosses and wonderfull troubles yet Christ willeth vs to be of good comfort for He hath ouercome the world And y e prophet saith God is my rocke and my saluation I shall not greatly fall And to consider the trueth such as God most strongly defendeth and best loueth in this world suffer many times greatest troubles Yea and God beginneth with his friends somtimes first and most sharply as S. Peter saith And S. Paule saith We be praedestinate to be made like vnto Christ in troubles whiles we be in this troublesome world But the defence of God and his loue in the world to come is voyd from al bitternes and paine and from all troubles and aduersities As it is most comfortably and ioyfully written in the Balads of Solomon where for a time the Lord defended his spouse that stood in the middest of sharpe and pricking briers and thornes at length he calleth her to perpetuall rest consolation assuring her that the winter is gone and y e tempestuous shoures past The swéet floures do appeare and the pleasant voyce of the Turtle is heard Meaning that such as be loued and kept by God in the world of blisse to come be sequestred and departed from all troubles and aduersities The like may you sée in the Reuelations of S. Iohn wherein he mystically to set foorth the pleasantnes and vnspeakeable ioyes of heauen saith It is paued with pretious stones and the gates thereof be also of pearles And moreouer There is a light more lighter then the Sunne or Moone for the claritie of God lighteneth it and the brightnes is the lambe of God There shall the electes dwell for euer and the gates shall neuer be shutt neither shall there be any night there to trouble it The same is to be séene also in Esaie the prophet how in that life Gods defence is in such as be saued without all kindes of troubles and aduersities Nowe here is to be noted that as Gods fauour and defence in y e world to come in such as be saued is voyd of all troubles aduersities euen so Gods fauour and his defence in this world in such as shalbe saued is ioyned and annexed with troubles and aduersities Let vs therefore be content with trouble persequution in his fauour here in this life or els doubtlesse we shall neuer haue his fauour and defence in the life to come in ioye and euerlasting
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
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
Also Lord if thou wilt thou canst deliuer me As the Prophete vseth here in this Psalme He called and cryed vpon the Lord all the night and attended patiently when God would helpe leaning altogether to his blessed will and pleasure to doe or not to doe as him best pleased ¶ The third part What great and perillous daungers the man that is troubled shall suffer for the time of his trouble 2 My soule refused comfort 3 When I am in heauinesse I will thinke vpon God when my heart is vexed I will complaine Sela. 4 Thou holdest mine eyes waking I am so feeble I can not speake 5 I haue considered the dayes of olde and the yeres that be past 6 In the night I called to remembraunce my song and communed with mine owne heart and my spirite searched diligently 7 Will the Lord absent him selfe for euer and will he be no more intreated 8 Is his mercy cleane gone for euer And is his promise come vtterly to an end for euermore 9 Hath God forgotten to be gratious and will he shut vp his louing kindnesse in displeasure HEre in these verses it appareth what terrible and fearefull thinges a man that is in trouble shall suffer and be vexed withall And the first that the Prophete mentioneth is in the end of the second verse and it is this My soule refuseth comfort Of this aduersitie and anguishe of the soule we may learne many thinges First that as long as sinne appeareth not nor is felt the minde of man is quiet iocund and pleasant and the mirth and pleasure of the minde reioyceth the body and maketh it lustie and pleasant not féeling at all the breache of Gods commanundements neither passing any thing at all of sinne nor euill conuersation but rather delighting in things that displease God then in any vertue or honestie But when trouble sicknesse or death commeth then most commonly though men sée not the horrour of their sinnes to repent yet féele they the horrour thereof to desperation and that once felt in the soule all the ioyes of the worlde can not comfort the troubled person As Adam with all the solace of Paradise could not reioyce when his soule felt the abhomination of his offence towardes God Caine could neuer plucke vp merrie countenaunce for the cruell killing of his brother Abel Peter coulde not stint wéeping for his denyall of Christ vntill Christ looked vpon him Marie Magdalene could not put vp her head from vnder the table for shame of her sinne vntill Christe had forgiuen her nor the poore woman that was taken in adulterie vntil her offences were pardoned Neither yet could this Prophetes spirite take any consolation as long as his sinnes were felt and not pardoned Whereof followeth this saying A small trouble of conscience putteth away all ioy and mirthe of the world Wherefore it is wisedome and also the duetie of all Christian people to auoyde sinne and the enimitie of God which onely troubleth the conscience and to put the body to all paines possible yea and to death it selfe rather then to put the soule in daunger towardes God as Saint Paule writeth to Timothie his disciple and not without cause For as the spirite that contemneth God and féeleth for his contempt Gods displeasure can not take comfort but is full of anguish heauinesse inward and in the outward man full of paine and sorrowe so likewise shal the soule in the life to come inwardly féele vnspeakable grudgings and sorrowes and outwardly the vnquenchable and euerlasting fire of hell And here is to be noted that the very elect and dearest friendes of Christe be not frée from trouble and anguish of minde for their sinnes perpetrated committed against God But this is a consolation that the elect as they finde anxietie and anguish of minde for sinne in this life so in this life is the consciēce that is troubled by grace quieted that it may after this life finde eternall rest And it is a common order and ordinarie way whereby GOD vseth to bring the sinner to acknowledge and repent his sin and so from knowledge and repentaunce to the forgiuenesse of his sinne to shewe and set before the conscience of the sinner his sinne as the example of king Dauid and others do declare My sinne saith Dauid is alwayes before me As though he had said In case I coulde hide mine iniquitie from all the world yet can I not excuse it before God nor hide it from mine owne conscience And euery mans sinnes thus open before God and knowne and felt in his own conscience bringeth the soule into this discomfort and heauinesse that it refuseth all consolation and comfort as this Prophet Asaph sayth meruellously in this second verse of his Psalme There is to be noted out of this comfortlesse spirite of the Prophete Asaph an other most necessarie doctrine for euery Christian creture which is this that there is two manner of discomfortes or two sortes of heauinesse in the word of God that is appointed to leade vs in the time of this wretched life as there is in it also two manner of consolations There is two manner of brightnesse and clearnesse and two manner of darknesse and obscurenesse in it as it shall appeare in the treatise of this Psalme hereafter And bycause the diuersitie is not marked the worde of God doeth many times and in many places and persons no good at all There is a discomfort inwardly and a discomfort outwardly in the scripture The discomfort inwardly is when the sinneful man or woman séeketh and suffereth the same discomfort in his soule that the lawe of GOD doth open and proclame against him for his sinnes committed against God and his lawe so that as the lawe commaundeth after this sort Agite poenitentiam Repent ye so the man that is commaunded by the lawe to be sorie and heauie for his sinnes is sorrie and heauie in déede by the working of Gods spirite as we may sée in Adam what inward feare and discomfort he had when he heard the voyce of God after the doing of his sinne Caine the like Dauid the same with Peter Paule and others in the word of God This discomfort inwardly is felt of al Gods elect that be able to learne and knowe the nature of Gods lawe and the damnation and curse of God vpon sinne For this is a generall commaundement to all fleshe borne and conceiued in sinne Agite poenitentiam Repent ye It is also many times felt of suche as dye and liued wickedly As Saule and Iudas whose spirites in their discomforts refused al consolation and so dyed without comfort in great anguishe and perturbation of minde But that is not generall in all wicked and damned persons for many times they féele no discomfort nor heauinesse of spirite inwardly in this world but God of his
be that sée the inward light and profite thereof Of this is learned what the cause is that Christians beare the name of Christ and yet be not Christes in déede for because a great many be contented with the name and few do vnderstand what the name truly and verily conteineth in it And as there is in the Scripture this double brightnesse whereof the one lyeth in the letter and many sée what it meaneth by the externall word and the other lieth in the meaning of the letter and is perceiued onely by such as haue the spirit of God so is there two kindes and sortes of darkenesse and obscuritie in the Scripture the one in the letter and the other in the sense and taking of the letter The outward obscuritie is to be séen in such as contemne the word of God and wil not read it nor heare it As the Turkes and heathen and also the common sort that beare the name of Christe be christened in Christes name and outwardly be taken to be very Christians in déede and yet they know not so much as the letter of Christs lawes that prescribeth them what they should doe and what they should not doe And this obscuritie is a brutish beastly and externall darkenesse The other is obscuritie or darkenesse inwardly in the text For although the letter be well knowne and the sound thereof séemeth to be plaine yet the sense is not so common nor so manifest as the letter soundeth Wherevppon S. Paule bindeth all men in the vnderstanding of the letter vnto the Analogie and proportion of faith that no one place be taken contrarie to many places Whereof was gathered the abridgement of our common Créede accepted at all times and of all Christian men for an infallible trueth so that whosoeuer beléeued it was accompted a good Christian man And of this obscuritie of the Scripture in the sense and spirite is risen this troublesome contention about transubstantiation of bread and wine in the sacrament of Christes bodie and bloud For the vngodly sort would haue no substance of bread and wine to remaine in the Sacrament and yet a corporall presence of bodie and bloud contrarie not onely to the articles of our faith that telleth vs he is in heauen and shall abide there vntil he come to iudge the quick and the dead but also contrarie to many other places of the scripture And this is no new thing to haue and record the text and letter of the Scripture and yet lack the effect and the very consolation of the Scripture in déede For here in these two verses the Prophet Asaph doth record and remember Gods doings mercifully in time past and yet taketh no more consolation thereof then he findeth in the barke of the letter or in the rehearsall of the histories And the same he doth of his owne Psalmes and Hymnes wherof he maketh mention and yet by the same meane his spirite is brought into no further considerations of Gods trueth then it was before with much heauinesse and sorrow as the verses following do declare So that in the affliction of the spirit he could repeate and cal to his remembrance the truth how God had delt mercifully with his forefathers but felt not at that present the like mercie of God towardes himselfe neither could he sée nor féele for his consolation the ease and succour of Gods promises which he saw in others as all the electes of God at lengthe shall doubtlesse féele As it is said by the Prophet Sicut audiuimus sic vidimus As we haue heard so haue wee seene and at length as the Psalme saith he felt him selfe Whether he wrote the Psalme of his own sorrowes and troubles or of the sorrows and troubles of the Israelits it maketh no matter let euery man in that case vse his owne iudgment so that he mark the doctrine of the Psalme There is to be noted of these verses also this doctrine that what soeuer trouble y e spirit was brought vnto whatsoeuer watch had taken his eyes what soeuer vehemencie of disease had taken his speach from him yet vnder all these crosses he cursed not God nor grudged against his plagues but as a man contented gaue himselfe to record and to call to memorie how God was wont to be vnto men afflicted and tooke accompt how in times past he had spent his yeares and found that he had made certeine Psalmes or Hymnes to the glorie of God and to the praise of his holy name Of the which we learne not onely patience in the time of trouble and persequution but also how to spend our youth and transitorie life in doing or making some thinges that may be recordes and remembrances when we be gonne that we liued here to serue God and not to serue our selues And it is a great helpe and no small consolation for a man that is in trouble heauines to thinke that he in his life before sought the glorie of God that testimonie of conscience is more worth in the time of trouble then all other mens déedes for him Not in that his séeking Gods glorie setting foorth of the same can be his gage and raunsome before God but because it is a very testimonie that God once loued him and gaue him of his blessed spirite to indite something to Gods praise and honour And as godly Psalmes and vertuous Hymnes be testimonies of a vertuous spirite so be wanton and adulterous ballads records of a vicious and sinnefull spirite And as the remembrance of good vertuous workes in the time of sicknes and trouble be ioyful and comfortable so is the remembrance of wicked doinges sorrowful and painefull We be therefore taught by this Prophete to be circumspect and warie how we accumulate heape vppon our soules infidelitie and the wicked workes thereof for as they be the only cause of trouble so do they not onely worke trouble but also increase trou and augment the heauinesse of the spirit and paines of the body as is declared meruellously by the graue and profound sentences following Wherein he declareth what it was that his spirite searched so diligently for It was this 7 Will the Lord absent himselfe for euer and wil he be no more intreated 8 Is his mercie cleane gone for euer And is his promise come vtterly to an end for euermore 9 Hath God forgotten to be gratious And will he shutt vp his louing kindnesse in displeasure 10 And I said It is mine owne weakenes but the right hand of God can chaunge these thinges These verses declare what mindes and cogitations do happen to men that be in sicknes or trouble and how gréeuous they be vnto the patient Out of these verses first we sée a common rehearsall of the great terrour and feare of the féeling of Gods displeasure and anger towards the wofull spirite for sinne The first meditation of the sinnefull spirite was this Will the Lord absent
himselfe for euer This may be vnderstood two maner of wayes For this English word euer hath two meanings in the Hebrue tonge Sometime it is taken for continuance and time euerlasting sometime for certeine yeres and the life of men If it be taken in this place for time euerlasting the sorrowes of the Prophete were the greater when he reuelued with his spirite that God iustly for sinne might cast him into euerlasting paines the remembraunce whereof is greater paine then the mortall death of the bodie If this word euer be taken for a certeine time and the life of man then meaneth the Prophet thus Will God as long as I liue absent himselfe And thus continue me in heauines of spirite and sorrowes as long as I liue Which sense soeuer be taken there be profitable thinges to be learned of it But I suppose the latter sense to be the better for diuers causes First in this that the Psalme conteineth the complaint and prayer of the Prophet a man of God that cannot be brought to this desperation that he should be cast away for euer from the fauour of God vnto eternall paines And the text that saith It is mine owne infirmitie and the right hand of the Lord can chaunge this doth beare with this latter sense and explanation For the words be of great weight and of meruellous wisedome and consolation and do declare that although the Prophete felt the iudgement of God against sinne and was in a meruellous terror feare with the horror and sight of his sinns yet the spirite of God did testifie with his spirit that he was the child of God and that it was a paine and punishment of the soule and body and not a desperation and thorough casting away and absenting of Gods mercie For the very electes of God be chosen so ordeined so preserued and kept that nothing is able to take them out of Gods hand For the godly men in the Scripture did reioyce with the assurance of Gods certein promise and did not presume to do euill as S. Paule in sundrie places doth giue testimonie Once to the Romanes where as he felt and perceiued the filthines of sinne the iust iudgement of God against the same as it appeareth by his wofull crie and complaint Oh wretched man that I am who shall deliuer mee from this body subiect vnto death He felt as we may perceiue the heauie burden and weight of Gods displeasure and yet in the midst of terror and feare he stayed assuredly in the mercie of God through Christ. And the same he writeth also to the Corinthians to his disciple Timothie that his death was at hand that he knew although his quarell were neuer so good that he of himselfe was a sinner and by sinne worthie reiection casting away from God yet he said that Christ had in kéeping for him a crowne of iustice whiche he should assuredly receiue at the day of his death God is contented that his chosen people shall suffer and beare the burden and heauinesse of temptation and feare of euerlasting paine as Adam did first in Paradise Dauid many times Iob and others yea Christ himselfe that said his soule was heauie euen vnto death which made him sweat both water and bloud But these temptations and terrors shall neuer ouercome and cast away the person that hath his faith in Christ for none is able to take his shéepe out of his hand Yet God withdraweth his hand many times and suffereth his to be tempted and to be comfortlesse and as it were cleane ouerthrowen not that in déede their election can be altered or they themselues left comfortlesse vntill the end of their liues but for a time as ye may sée by Iob who spake as horrible words and as desperatly as might be Yet sée in the end of his booke and marke what a ioyfull outgoing his gréeuous temptations had What pitifull cryes were these of Christ our Sauiour vppon the crosse My God my God why hast thou forsaken me Yet the end was Father into thy handes I commend my spirite It is written that we must enter into heauen by many troubles Now of all troubles the trouble of the minde and of the spirite is the greatest Who then can enter into heauen without such troubles Doubtlesse no man For the iudgement of God must begin at his house as Saint Pater saith That is to say None shall in this life more féele Gods displeasure for sinne in the spirite nor suffer more aduersitie in the bodie then such as be of Gods owne houshold and very electes Wherefore we be admonished in the troubles and sorrowes that this Prophete Asaph susteined in his soule that could not rest and in his bodie that could not sléepe nor speake that good men be not frée from aduersitie and that aduersities be they neuer so great shall not separate men from God for euer but for a time he punisheth sinne and hideth the consolation of God from vs As the scripture saith For a time a little while I haue forsaken thee but I will gather thee together in wonderfull mercies In a short time of my wrath I hidd my face a while from thee but I will haue mercie vppon thee for euer saith the Lord thy redeemer All men that shall profitably knowe and féele the certeintie of Gods promises in this life and enioy them in the life to come shall be troubled with some paine of doubtfulnes of them before he come to perfection For as by sinne death entered into the flesh and also the flesh is subiect vnto sicknesse and aduersitie so is there entered into the soule and powers thereof by reason of sinne great imperfection As the minde of all men is burdened with ignorance the heart with contumacie and the will with frowardnesse so that as they be before regeneration and knowledge of God in all godly matters starke blind very obstinate and naturally altogether froward euen so after regeneration and the knowledge of God they continually resist and fight against the spirite not onely of man in whome these powers dwell but also against the spirite of God that teacheth and leadeth the spirite of man to eternall saluation So that it is not man that is able to ouercome the wickednesse of his owne soule And therefore séeing life through grace dwelt in a bodie naturally full of sinne Saint Paule said I doe liue yet not I but Christ liueth in mee So this Prophete Asaphe séemeth in wordes to be starke dead from grace but it was not for euer for he felt the spirite of God that told him that such heauie and vngodly thoughtes of his spirit came of his owne infirmitie and that Gods right hand could alter and chaunge them And this is the difference betwéene the affliction of the godly and vngodly as it is
wonderfully sett foorth in the Psalme next before this sauing one where it is said There is a cuppe in the Lordes hand full of redd wine and hee powreth out of it but the wicked shall drinke the dregges thereof and the vngodly of the earth shall receiue the bottom of it The cuppe in the Scripture is taken many times for aduersitie whereof God filleth a quantitie and a certeine measure vnto all his electe and chosen seruauntes but the wicked shall drinke the bottome and all and neuer come to rest nor ease Out of this temptation we may learne how foolish and how impatient we be When God sendeth troubles we thinke such to be best at ease that want them whereas the Lords booke declareth that it is necessarie and also very expedient that we should haue them Againe there is to be noted how that the Prophet in the cogitations of his minde maketh no mention of the griefe of the bodie whereof he spake before at the beginning of his troubles For in the second and fourth verse he declareth how he held vp his handes all night cryed with his voyce vntill he was speachlesse and lay waking could not sléepe Of the which sorrowes now he maketh no rehearsall but saith his spirite was searching and inquisitiue Whether God would absent himselfe for euer with diuers like interrogatories of Gods nature as followe in the Psalme Whereof we learne the vilenesse of our owne nature and also the treason and subtiltie of the diuel For as long as we sinne we haue such delight and pleasure therin as though it were but a play to transgresse and breake Gods holy commaundementes But when sickenesse and trouble haue layed the wicked the bodie abedd and made it weake and féeble our conscience is waked by the Lawe of GOD and we put in such terrour and feare that nothing can quiet vs. Also as long as we doe sinne the diuel beareth vs in hande that God is so mercifull doe what we will that hée will not be angrie but when sicknesse or death inuadeth then turneth the diuel his tale and persuadeth with vs that GOD is onely extreme iust and nothing at all mercifull And this griefe of the minde is so sore and vehement that all the paines of the bodie séeme nothing in comparison thereof as we sée in this place by the holy Prophete Asaph that was very sore vnquieted in his bodie yet did his spirite make no accompt of it but still hée stayed and staggered trembling and quaking at the heauinesse and sorrowe of the spirite that could not féele for the time of his trouble any certeintie or cōsolation in the promises of God Of this we be admonished that whatsoeuer we haue if Gods fauour lacke we haue nothing able to reioyce vs. And of the other side if we lacke all thinges and haue assuredly Gods fauour there is nothing able to make vs heauie and sorowfull As we see king Saule hauing a noble kingdome and lacking the fauour of God was alwayes vnquieted Poore Dauid hauing the grace and fauour of God was quiet and contented with all thinges saying If God will he may restore mee if he will not his will be done The assurance of Gods promises made Paule glad to die and the mistrust desperation of Gods promises made Iudas wearie to liue The certeintie of Gods trueth made Saint Stéeuen quietly to die in the assurance of eternall life the vncerteintie and doubtfulnesse of Gods mercie caused Saule to die in the feare of eternall death Riches of this world be treasures muche estéemed and made of friendes and louers much sought for and warily kept and health of bodie highly regarded and preserued with much care yet if the soule be destitute of the assurance of Gods grace the rest séeme to be of no valure at all As we sée Saule in his kingdome with riches strength and friendship yet his minde vexed still an euill spirite and Gods spirite departed his sorrowes were incomparable So that we learne that not onely the goodes apperteyning to the body be nothing worthe whereas the spirite wanteth the grace of God but also whereas the spirite is troubled the goodes of the bodie be little felt and nothing passed of as we sée by this Prophet in this Psalme The other part of his cogitations in the time of his sicknesse was this Will hee be no more intreated This gréeuous temptation whether GOD would be intreated to forgiue sinne any more may haue two vnderstandings The one generally and the other particularly Generally in this sort whether God once offended will be mercifull and forgiue or not Particularly whether God whose nature is mercifull will forgiue the priuate man that séeketh by saith mercie as he hath in time past forgiuen al men that asked it with repentance in faith The first sense and taking of the text generally is meruellous wicked and blasphemous to thinke that God once offended with any man will neuer for giue againe Of this opinion was Caine when he said his sinnes were greater then they might be forgiuen and he thought God would be no more intreated because he iudged his fault greater then the mercie of God that forgiueth faultes And wheresoeuer this iudgement of the spirite is this sentence is verified God will be intreated no more And as euery man that is priuatly thus minded that his owne sinnes be greater then can be forgiuen euen so hath he the like minde and iudgement also of all other mens sinnes that be like vnto his thinking them to be greater then they may be forgiuen For he that despaireth of his owne faultes cannot thinke well that other mens faults as great as his owne be remissible As Iudas that hanged himselfe for betraying of Christe could not thinke well of Peter that denied Christ but rather iudged of Peter as he did of him selfe saying God will be intreated no more Of this wicked iudgment of Gods mercie Whether he will be intreated any more of a sinner after that he hath sinned I wil speake no more But they that lust to read how horrible a thing it is may haue many Psalmes that do declare it namely Psalme 10. and 73. In the one of them it is said by the wicked that God hath forgotten the earth and careth neither for the godly life of the godly and vertuous nor the vngodly life of the vngodly and wicked And in the other Psalme they make a doubt Whether there be any knowledge in God of man and of his life or not But these sortes of people be too horrible and blasphemous and not to be rehearsed or muche spoken of The other sense of this place that is more particular is the better sense for the argument and meaning of the Psalme that is to aske whether God will be intreated no more as touching the remission of his owne sinne or els whether God will be
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
God GOD laughteth the intent of the wicked to scorne Psalme 2. So the wicked maye obteine their purpose they care not by what meanes Genesis 3. By what meanes the diuel deceiued Adam Dauid Absolon 3. Reg. 15. Elias Achab. 3. Reg. 18. Christ. The wicked sort of the world Matth. 27. Matth. 8. Mark 5. Luke 8. Paule Tertullus c. Actes 24. Whome God do exalt to say the truth the wicked condemne as heretiques Howe doe the wicked vse their lyes Three maner of wais doe lyes harme Iohn 8. Manifest lyes amōg the ignorant Example 1. Reg. 15. Num. 14. Moses Iosua Caleb Manifest lies in matters of religion Gene. 11. Exo. 6. 7. 8. 3. Reg. 16. 17. 18. Matth. 15. Amongest the papists defenders of idolatrie be proferred 2. Cor. 4. The vse of lyes amongest the faithfullesse Gene. 3. 4. Eue. Caine. 1. Reg. 17. Saule Absolon 3. Reg. 15. The diuell vseth lyes many wayes A perillous vse of lyes Esau. Gene. 27. Absolon 3. Reg. 15. Matth. 22. Note The amiable countenance of the papists in King Edwards dayes be turned nowe into firie faces Prou. 24. The people of god do fall 1 Iohn 1. The sinnes of the faithful be not imputed vnto them for Christes sake Rom. 8. Iustification Note Rom. 8. He that standeth fast of Gods election can not fall to damnation Nichodemus Iohn 3. The lōger a man is at schoole the more sweetnesse in learning doeth he feele Why shal not be godly fall Health The mercy of God and not manswork saueth a sinner Glorie Note The afflicted Christian that beleeueth the strengthe of Gods mercy to exceede the force of his enimies receiueth consolation Euery christiā giueth the glorie only vnto God Matth. 6. The Prophete by faith claimeth the glory of God to be his glory Note Consolatiō Psal. 103. Oh liuely faith Luke 17. Esai 29. Matth. 15. 1. Cor. 14. Exhortation What is the office of the pastor when he vnderstandeth the scriptures 1. Cor. 14. The office of Kinges and Magistrates Parentes and Maisters No truste in fleshe bloud Note As man isIf we say we haue no sinne in vs so is his helpe Note diligently The Israelites vsed the Egyptians for helpe An inferiour medicine to the disease can not cure the patiēt Iere. 17. What doth come of the trust in man Two euils Gal. 6. A goodly explanatiō of Paules words god forbid that I should glory in c. Man more vaine then vanitie Why man is more vaine then vanitie Who so trusteth in any thing sauing in God doeth dishonour God Wrong done vnto God Ose. 2. Iere. 44. What doth he that be leeueth any doctrin besides gods word Wrong done vnto man Why riches are giuen vnto man Gene. 4. Iob. 33. Note Genesis 4. Abel in Hebrue in English in Vanitie How God doth reward euery man after his workes Psalm 37. Matth. 26. 1. Tim. 1. 2. Tim. 4. 1. Iohn 2. 1. Cor. 3. Heb. 11. Matth. 10. Iames. 2. Gen. 12. 15. 17. 22. Rom. 4. Matth. 7. Matth. 5. Luke 6. Apoc. 3. Prouerb 3. Heb. 11. Psal. 37. 73. Abac. 2. Matth. 6. Colos. 3. 1. Cor. 15. Matth. 25. Cantic 4. Iohn 17. Ephes. 2. Matth. 19. Rom. 8. Luke 23. Psalm 119. Apoc. 6. 27 22. Esaie 54. Ose. 1. Heb. 12. Esaie 53. Rom. 3. Exod. 14. Gene. 10. 1. Reg. 28. Trip. Hist. Exod. 5. 1. Reg. 28. Trip. Hist. Psalm 119. Carion Iob. 1. 2. Ioh. 16. Gal. 5. Col. 1. 1. Thes. 1. Heb. 12. Iames. 1. 1. Iohn 1. Psalm 119. Deut. 4. 2. Reg. 22. Neh. 9. Psalme 18. 91 118. Rom. 5. 12. 1. Cor. 4. 2. Cor. 1. Matth. 20. Gene. 3. Gene. 3. Iohn 8. Gene. 20. Iudith 13. Iudith 7. Hester 4. Psal. 94. Gene. 3. Gene. 4. 21. 27. Num. 16. Num. 12. Gene. 38. 1. Reg. 19. Mat. 14. 27 Matth. 20. Iohn 21. Iohn 16. Psal. 2◠Iohn 17. Matth. 19. Psal. 94. Psal. 112. Psal. 1. Psal. 119. Matth. 5. Matth. 10. Matth. 16. Exod. 14. Dan. 3. Philip. 3. Hebr. 11. 3. Reg. 1 Matth. 17. Luke 6. ◠Tim. 6. Luke 6. 3. Reg. 25. Dan. 4. Exod. 32. Deut. 40. Psal. 92. Esai 40. Matth. 6 1. Pet. 1 Eccle. 3. 4. 5. 3. Reg. 8. 1. Tim. 6. Luke 12. Matth. 6. That is to say Death Eccle. 41. Gene. 3. Gene. 4. Num. 17. 2. Reg. 11. Matth. 26. Hebr. 11. Exod. 3. Matth. 14. Iohn 7. 8. 9 1. Cor. 1. Rom. 1. Matth. 7. Iere. 20. Iohn 16. Psalm 83. and 31. Rom. 8. Matth. 11. Esaie 55. Iohn 7. Esaie 18. Rom. 5. 14. Matth. 5. Of those that weepe mourne who be blessed Two sons of people condemned Esaie 45. Two impediments keepe God from helping the troubled 1. Ignorance 2. Feare of Gods iustice Of ignoraunce is sprong horrible blasphemie 1. Peter 1. The remedie against ignorance 2 Peter 1. Psalm 119. Psalme 1. Esaie 59. Esaie 8. Deut. 6. Ephes. 6. What cōmeth of the feare of Gods iustice Matth. 5. Luke 1. Rom. 3. 5. 6. 7. 8. Gods spirite worketh the knowlege of sinne by preaching of the law How we should vse our selues in the time of trouble Psalm 50. 15. The feare and terror of sinne is an intollerable butthen The conscience being admonished of the filthines of sin bringeth the body into a trēbling and feare What ensueth after the feare of conscience for sinne Psalm 42. Psalm 38. Psalme 6. Psalm 77. Rom. 7. Note Psalm 126. Matth. 5. 1. Cor. 15. Matth. 26. No trouble to the trouble of cōscience Differēce betweene the penitent desperate and contemptuous man The penitent man The desperat man The contemptuous man Note The Christian afflicted The wicked afflicted Note Gods nature and mans differ much Man for the most parte is vnstable followeth religion as the world fauoureth Idols set vp againe in Queene Maries time How long mans loue continueth towardes man God loueth and helpeth the poore afflicted Psalm 77. Consolation Psalme 91. God hateth not the troubled for his trouble but for his sinne Man hateth man for trouble and not for sinne Continuance in prayer Patient expectation Matth. 6. 8 As long as sinn is not felt man is iocund pleasant 2. Samu. 1. Rom. 8. Act. 9. When the horrour of a mans sin is felt to desperatiō no worldly ioyes cā comfort the afflicted person Gene. 3. 4. Note Matth. 26. Luke 7. Iohn 8. Psal. 77. 1. Tim. ◠Esai 66. Apoc. 14. The dearest frends of Christe be not voyde of trouble anguish of minde for their sins Consolation An ordinari way that God vseth to call sinners to repentaunce and from repentance to forgiuenesse Psal. 51. Two maner of discomforts An inward discomforte Matth. 3. Mark 1. Gene. 3. 4. 2. Samu. 11 Matth. 27. Act. 9. Matth. 3. Mark 1. Saule and Iudas 1. Samu. 31. Matth. 27. Mark 14. Pharao Exod. 14. Num. 16. Rom. 3. 5. Outward discomfort Gene. 5. 6. Matth. 11. Luke 7. Esai 65. Esai 53. 6. Matth. 13. Iohn 12. Rom. 11. Rom. 1. Sinne not felt bringeth the cōtempt of
God c. Vnquietnes of the spirite is a veri image of eternall death Psal. 104. The cause of al trouble is sin Psal. 39. Rom. 5. 7. 8 The night representeth hell prison The bed representeth the graue The sheets of mans fleshe is earth Two thinges to be noted No cōfort to the afflicted but GOD alone Gene. 3. Note Gene. 4. 2. Samu. 12 1. Samu. 31 Matth. 27. What maner of mā Asaph was 1. Paral. 6. Luke 9. Note Psal. 42. 43 Two kindes of consolations in the worde of God Gene. 4. Who be the childrē of Abraham Consolation offered vnto England in K. Edwardes dayes Iudas Phariseis Prayer Man in trouble without Gods presence is miserable Note What sinn worketh in man A peaceable conscience precious iuel Psal. 25. 121. Psa. 123. 131 Psal. 132. Psal. 119. Prou. 17. Num. 11. Psal. 35. 39. 71. Psal. 6. 12. 14. 140. Psal. 51. Note Rom. 7. 8. 12. Vnto what vse the eys eares of man were created Rom. 10. Iacob 19. 1. Cor. 15. Esaie 66. Matth. 25. Consolation in trouble Gene. 12. 13. 15. 16. 17 Num. 14. Mich. 5. Matth. 2. Matth. 27. Mark 15. Luke 20. Iohn 19. Iohn 6. Luke 4. Matth 7. Luke 12. Genes 3. Actes 9. Abacuc 2. Rom. 1. Matth. 15. Luke 7. Matt. 20. 7. Luke 11. The inward obscuritie Matth. 26. Marke 14. Luke 12. 1. Cor. 10. 11. Actes 3. Coloss. 3. Psalm 48. The troubled spirite is ouerwhelmed with greeuous cogitations The remēbrance of Gods iustice for sinne is greater paine then the death of the bodie Rom. 8. A godly consolation Iohn 6. 10. Rom. 7. 2. Cor. 15. 2. Tim. 4. Genes 3. Psalm 42. 43. Iob 3. Matth. 26. Nothing can hurt him that is in Christ Iohn 6. Note Iob. 3. 42. Matth. 27. Marke 15. Luke 22. Iohn 19. Psalm 34. Actes 14. The trouble of the minde is the greatest 1. Peter 4. Prouer. 12. Heb. 12. God hideth his consolation for a time to trie vs. Esaie 54. Genes 3. Rom. 5. Rom. 7. 8. Ephes. 2. Psalm 53. Rom. 8. Iohn 3. Phil. 1. 2. Galath 2. Psalm 77. Psalm 75. Matth. 26. Marke 14. Esaie 66. Matth. 25. Prouerb 3 Apoca. 3. Heb. 12. The Prophet maketh no mention of the griefe of the body Note Rom. 7. Gal. 2. 3. 1. Reg. 16. 1. Reg. 24. 2. Reg. 16. 15. 2. Tim. 4. Matth. 26. Actes 7. 1. Reg. 31. 1. Reg. 16. Genes 4. A wicked iudgment Matth. 27. 26. Psalme 10 and 73. A whole man can giue good counsel to the sicke but being sicke himselfe cannot apply the same to his comfort 1. Cor. 3. Rom. 1. Matth. 10. 28. Act. 16. Prou. 21. When we heare or reade gods promises wee ought to pray Mark 9. Luke 17. 2. Tim. 3. 1. Reg. 15. Luke 18. Exod. 34. Deut. 5. 7. Psal. 33. 51. 56. 85. Psal. 130. 143. Matth. 14. Note Two maner of mercies mentioned in the scripture Gene. 3. Rom. 8. Psal. 18. Psal. 42. 43 Rom. 2. Mat. 10. 27 Psal. 62. Psal. 41. 43 Psal. 73. 77 Rom. 8. 2. Cor. 12. Rom. 12. 8. 2. Cor. 6. Gala. 5. Ephes. 5. Matth. 11. To such as haue wrestled with sin and in Christ got the vpper hand Gods preceptes be easie sweete Rom. 7. Iohn 21. We can praise other men for wel doing but we be loth to put it in experience our selues Iohn 21. Matth. 26. Rom. 7. Osee. 13. Rom. 8. The occasion of mans help is Gods right hand Prou. 18. True confession of sinne is in manner an induction to the remission thereof Psal. 74. Psal. 32. Rom. 7. 1. Samu. 15. 2. Samu. 12 Matt. 5. 18. Iacob 5. Luke 7. Matth. 27. Mark 15. 1. Samu. 15. Psal. 77. Psal. 32. Luke 18. Sual wold haue Samuel to beare his sinne 1. Samu. 31. Matth. 9. Luke 5. Mark 2. 2. Samu. 12 Psal 51. 2 Samu. 12. Esai 63. Ecclesi 9. 3. Reg. 8. Papisticall confession 1. Samu. 15 Oh blasphemie 1. Iohn 1. Psal. 130. Esai 1. Ezech. 18. 1. Iohn 1. Exhortation to prayer Esaie 65. Rom. 10. Esaie 6. Iohn 12. Psalme 3. Psalme 23. Psal. 6. 38. Psal. 42. 43 Psal. 8. 19. 148. Psal. 38. Psalme 88 Iob. 1. 2. Iob. 6. Iob. 2. Iob. 3. Esaie 29. Matth. 15. Rom. 10. Three sortes of people cōdemned Note well Esaie 56. Nichodemes Matth. 10. Wherein doth our profession consist We ought not to be ignorant of any booke in the scripture Deut. 4. 6. 31. Prouerb 4 Psalm 51. Consolation Iob. 6. Psalme 13. Ierem. 20. Passur Ierem. 19. Rom. 9. Potter God is the doer of wonders Three doctrines Rom. 1. Genes 7. Exod. 14. Note The true Christians take consolation themselues of gods miracles wrought vppon others Iacob and Ioseph Iohn 6. Euery man must beleeue for himselfe Matth. 15. Repentance Notable doctrine Note Psalme 18. To whom God is mercifull and to whome seuere Rom. ◠A wicked iudgment of Gods doinges Oh horrible blindnesse Lokewhat preeminence God obteineth of man the same place hath man with God A stronge fortresse Two consolations Whome God loued he always corrected Euery Christian member hath an Egypt and a Babylon The greatest consolation in trouble From the greater to the lesser Sela. Vnto insensible thinges be attributed sensible qualities Three doctrines The first doctrine touching God Gene. 1. Time The second doctrine touching the insensible creature Psal. 29. Psal. 77. Psal. 114. The third doctrine touching man Oh rebellion of man Insensible creatures shall be a condemnation vnto man Marke most diligently The diuell man be only disobedient vnto God Oh take heed miserable man Consolation Deapthes A goodly similitude Exod. 14. Iosua 3. Oh the mercifull goodnesse of God towards man inscrutable Noah Gene. 7. Exod. 19. Note Exod. 5. 6. 7 8. 9. 10. 11. God punisheth iustly for sin Exod. 19. God is no tyrant Psal. 51. 10. 119. God alwayes preserueth pemitent sinners Rom. 8. Hebr. 6. 10. The Israelites were conducted by God through the red sea Pharao his were drowned Exo. 14. Psalm 121. 125. 13. 46. 54. 71. The best is not able of himself to resist temptations Sheephearde They that doe thinges at Gods commaundement can take no harme Math. 14. Math. 16. Num. 14. Such as be ministers of the Church ought to attend only vppon the voyce of God 2. Cor. 11.