into heauen and nowe sitteth at the righthand of his father giuing vs his holy spirite and other necessarie giftes for the body and the soule Dauid thinking vpon so great matters praieth most feruently that the Messias euen at the first time would come vpon earth destroy the workes of the diuell sin and death and vnto his church gathered from both Iewes and Gentiles would restore life and righteousnesse euetlasting The Psalme and Exposition thereof Verse 1 God be mercifull vnto vs and blesse vs and shew vs the light of his countenance and be mercifull vnto vs. Verse 2 That thy way may bee knowne vpon earth thy sauing health among all nations BY the law saith S. Paul commeth the acknowledgment of sin and the law worketh wrath Rom. 3.20 For there is a spirituall iudgement accusing all sinnes in men Inward and outward and denouncing the wrath of God according to that saying Deut. 26 27. Cursed be euery one c. But in the gospel there is reuealed the mercy of God and the blessing is promised by through and for Christes sake that is full deliuerance from sinne and death and the restoring of righteousnes and life euerlasting Wherefore Dauid looking into the glasse of the law and therein beholding sinne and the wrath of God craueth that God woulde send his sonne as a most sure pledge of mercie and to blesse vs with all spirituall and heauenly blessing and to loue vs for his beloued sonnes sake For then doth God with a cheerefull and louely countenance looke vpon vs when hee reconcileth vs vnto him in Christ not imputing vnto vs our sinnes loueth vs with the same fatherly affection wherwith This foundation once laid that is we acknowledge the mediatour and receiuing by his meanes and for his sake forgiuenesse of sinnes and reconciliation wee may cry aloud with that most holy old Simeon Now Lord lettest thou thy seruaunt depart in peace according to thy word For mine eies haue seene thy saluation which thou hast prepared before the face of all people To bee a light to lighten the gentiles and to be the glorie of thy people Israel But seeing the sayinges of Isaias wherein Christ is called the saluation of God are knowne vnto all men they seeme not needfull for me heere to recite them at this time Verse 3 Let the people praise thee O God yea let all the people praise thee Verse 4 O let the nations reioice and be glad for thou shalt iudge the folke righteously and gouern the nations vpon earth Verse 5 Let the people praise thee O God let all the people praise thee Quod latet ignotum est ignoti nulla cupidâ— That which is kept close is not knowne the thing vnknowne no man desireth How shall they beleeue if they heare not Howe shall they heare if none doe teach Hee therefore craueth of God not only to send his sonne but also to aduaunce the gospel whereby is gathered vnto the sonne an euerlasting inheritance both from amongst the Iewes and Gentiles And I haue spoken in the argument as also elsewhere how great a benefite the calling of the nations is to the societie of the true Church and vnto life euerlasting And there is not any vice or wickednesse wherewith the Ethnickes or heathen people haue not wickedly and filthily defiled themselues For they haue deuised a great number of Gods they haue called vpon dead men they haue slaine men for their sacrifices they haue mixed their lusts with sacrâ—fices and finally all kindes of miâ—chiefes as it were furies sent out of hell haue wandered euerie where Whereas then such outcastes are cooptate or chosen and regenerate of God into the societie of the euerlasting Church that ought all mens mindes and tongues celebrate or haue reuerence For if God should deale with seuere iudgement towardes blinde and miserable persons he might or should haue stricken downeright all men with the thunderclap of his wrath and caused the ground to swallow them vp into euerlasting destruction But he in his wrathfull displeasure thinking vpon his mercy hath not brought vs vtterly to nothing nor cast away this our wretched lumpe of ours into euerlasting tormentes but with an vnspeakeable equitie and lenitie hath graunted vs a space to turne vnto him and hath giuen vs Teachers which might call vs backe from our errour and idolatry vnto true acknowledgement of God to the right vse of calling vpon him Therefore let euery one say with Ieremie Lamentat 3.22 It is the mercies of God that wee are not consumed And againe with the patriarck Iacob I am vnworthy O Lord of all thy mercies bestowed vpon me Genes 32.9 10. Verse 6 Then shal the earth bring forth her increase and God euen our owne God shall giue vs his blessing Verse 7 God shall blesse vs and all the endes of the world shall feare him In the latter verses are two notable places one of the efficacie of the ministerie of the gospell an other of the mysterie of the Trinitie Truely the teachers and preachers of the gospel seeme to profite no more therein then as the prouerbe is The Oxen plowing vpon the sand or as he that rolleth a stone vp against a hill But that the labour of them which teache in the church is not in vaine these sayings doe witnesse Isay 55.10.11 Surely as the raigne commeth downe and the Snow from heauen and returneth not thither but watereth the earth and maketh it to bring forth and budde that it may giue seed to the sower and bread vnto him that eateth So shall my word be that goeth out of my mouth it shall not returne vnto me void but it shall accomplishe that which I will and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it In the first Psalme 3. verse A Teacher of the Gospel is coÌ„pared vnto a fruitfull tree Which bringeth forth sweete and whole some fruites In the 15. of S. Iohns Gospel 16 verse the sonne of God saith I haue ordained you that yee doe go and bring forth fruite and that your fruite remaine c. That is the labours of them which teach shall not only for a small time profite mankinde but shal gather vnto God an euerlasting Church and the same Doctors or Teachers shall haue their euerlasting rewardes With these and such like sayinges let godly teachers comfort themselues and let them not forsake their standing by reason they finde contempt of the word now and then also pouerty banishmeÌ„ts and other daungers but let them go with merry and ioyfull mindes and with hope lighten their damages But not in vaine nor without good cause is The name of God here repeated thrice For although there is one diuine essence yet notwithstanding there are three persons of this Godhead namely the Eternall father who sent his sonne to take our humane nature vpon him The same sonne who is called by Iohn 1. cap. verse 1. the word and by Isayas cap. 7.14 cap.
thing manifest I will be content with one only saying of Cicero which is extant in his oration for Rabirius Deorum ope auxilio multo magis haec Respublica quam ratione hominum consilio gubernatur Esset enim impossibile politicam societatem in tantis confusionibus furoribus hominum durare nisi Deus eam sua potenti dextera tueretur The Common-wealth is much more gouerned by the aid and helpe of God then by the counsell and reason of men For it were a thing impossible that the politicke societie of man shoulde endure or holde out in so great confusions and outrages of men except God with his mightie right hand did defend the same Verse 7 Which stilleth the raging of the sea and the noyse of the waues and the madnesse of his people He compareth the warres and the seditious vnto the raging of the sea and noise of the waues For like as these raging seas and noyse of the waues are not in our power to pacifie so there shoulde be no end of warres and seditioÌ„s except God did extinguish the burning brands of such great fires God repressed Thaâ—â—o Sennacherib and Attilas He ouerthrewe and appeased the tumult of the base countrey people which men thought woulde haue vtterly destroied Germany Therefore is peace the gift of God most worthy of admiration and estimation Verse 8 They also that dwel in the vtmost partes of the Earth shalbe afraide at thy tokens thou that makest the outgoinges of the euening and the morning to praise thee He calleth tokens of God the punishmentes wherewith Tyrantes and Seditious persons are punished for they fall not headlong into punishment by chaunce but these so great calamities are the workes of Gods iustice which do admonish others af repentance and of the future iudgement And he reciteth also benefites of peace wherin not onely they whom nature hath giuen vnderstanding but euen the very houses and fieldes mee thinketh doe reioyce For in peace marriages are had in reuerence causes are handled in the court traffique and buying and selling are dayly frequented the fieldes are tilled y t grounds are fruitful orchardes and vinyardes doe bring forth increase and store Finally all thinges are full of ioy and gladnes in haruest time and in Autumne Contrariwise in warres is euery where lamentable losse feare and a great description of death For as Plautus the poet saith Vbicunque rebus commotis tanquam mari stratiotici mores inundant ibi pietas religio bonae artes cultus honestatis eliditur atque interit Facultatum enim rei familiaris naufragia ipsaque mors etiam tum laeuissima sunt mala Natura legum â—ura violantur non iusiurandum seruatur Instituta maiorum conculcantur Foris omnia sunt expositae praesentibus periculis Domus autem quae debebat cuique esse tutissimum refugium ea rapinis iniurijs externorum patet Non ibi dominorum ius dignitas defendi non protegi liberorum castitas potest Talia infelix bellum efficit Whersoeuer the states of countries are troubled mens lewd liues flowe ouer with mischiefes as it were in a troublesom raging sea there godlinesse religion good sciences and the regard of honestie vtterly perish and decay for the losses and spoiles of mens goodes and houshold stuffe yea and death it selfe are then thought most light and slender mishaps The ordinances of nature and of the lawes are violated neither faith nor firme promises kept the institutions of the elders are resisted all things are euery where laid open for present dangers The house which ought to be most safe refuge for euery inhabitant the same standeth open for the spoiles and iniuries of strangers There can neither the owners interest nor dignitie be defended nor the chastitie of his children be protected Vnfortunate warres cause such miseries Verse 9 Thou visitest the earth and blessest it thou makest it very plenteous Verse 10 The riuer of God is full of water thou preparest their corne for so thou prouidest for the earth Verse 11 Thou waterest her furrows thou sendest raigne into the little vallies thereof thou makest it soft with the drops of raine and blessest the increase thereof The last verses of this Psalme conteine a Thankesgiuing for husbandry and sustenance of foode for man For we must not imagine that God goes quite away from his worke and that the creature is left only to his owne gouernment like as the Carpenter leaueth his ship ready builded for the Seas to be gouerned by the Sailers But wee must perswade our selues in this that God alwaies is present with his worke plaieth the part of a diligent husbandman who walking about his grounds ouerseeing them himself leaues the print of his feete to be seene For not by chance or by natures order only is the earth made fruitfull euery yeare but the blessinges of God are the fruitfulnesse of the earth and the chaunges of times and seasons made fit for the ripening of fruites as in 1. Cor. 3.7 Paul saith Neither is he that planteth any thing neither he that watereth but god that giueth the increase And that indeed by Gods graunt and gift our sustentation is giuen vnto vs those most sweet wordes doe witnesse Verse 10. The riuer of God is full of water For hee compareth our groundes orchardes and vineyardes vnto an euerlasting riuer which is neuer made drie And he calleth it expressely The riuer of God because hee woulde refute our imagination which faineth that by our industry we are able to get sufficient sustentation Verse 12 Thou crownest the yeare with thy goodnesse â— part In this Verse hee comprehendeth all benefites which God sendeth vs in the Spring time Summer Autumne and Winter For March giues vs violets April grasse May plentie of floures butter honnie milke and cheese Iune and Iuly hay August corne September apples October new wine The other monethes doe yeeld vs as it were by Gods direction birdes connies fish flesh of all sortes Now thinke with your self how great the goodnesse of God is that he giueth vs the increase of so many so diuers and so sweet things for sustentation of our body and the same not at one time of the yeare to the end wee may alway be delighted with noueltie and plentie of all thinges Verse 12.2 pars And thy cloudes drop fatnesse The cloudes are taken for the steps of the Lord in the heauens which as writers of husbandry affirme do make fat the field So God sendeth not forth seruantes to ouerlooke his groundes but hee vieweth them with his owne eies and treadeth them with his owne feete because they shall take no harme Verse 13. They shall drop vpon the dwellings of the wildernesse and the little hilles shall reioice on euery side Verse 14 The solds shal be full of sheepe the vallies also shall stand so thicke with corne that they shall laugh and sing The places of the wildernesse are the villages
from other sectes Also that they might be meanes to strengthen the ministerie Dauid therefore offereth bullockes and goates not being bewitched with a pharisaicall opinion but vnderstanding those endes whereof I haue briefly spoken Let vs nowe that the policie and temple of the Iewes is destroyed offer vnto god the calues of our lippes that is thankesgiuing and confession and let vs walke in our vocation for the glorie of God Verse 14 O come hither and hearken all yee that feare God and I will tell you what he hath done for my soule Verse 15 I called vnto him with my mouth and gaue him praises with my tongue Verse 16 If I encline vnto wickednesse with my heart the Lorde wil not heare me Verse 17 But God hath heard me and considered the voyce of my prayer Verse 18 Praised be God which hath not cast out my prayer nor turned his mercy from me Hitherto hath he celebrated the publique deliuerances of the church nowe makes hee mention of priuate deliuerances to the end he would increase and confirme in others faith prayer and hope of deliuerance for as one saide elegantly The examples of godly persons are towers builded vpon the wall of faith Also this place teacheth that god seeth the sighings of our heartes and discerneth hypocrisie from true prayer For prayer is not heard except it be made in spirit and trueth And hee can not pray which hath in him an errour striuing with faith or goeth on forwardes in sinning against conscience because it is written in the first epistle of the holy apostle Saint Paule the sixt chapter and the twelft verse Fight the good fight hauing faith and good conscience Againe God heareth not sinners which do not repent them of their sinnes And it is saide in the first epistle of Saint Iohn the third chapter If our heart condemne vs not then haue wee boldnesse towardes God that whatsoeuer we aske wee receiue of him c. vers 21. and 22. Let vs therefore walke wisely not as fooles that wee may rightly call vpon God PSAL. 67. Deus misereatur nostri To him that excelleth on Neginoth a Psalme or Song or Prayer for the Church to obtaine the fauour of GOD that his iudgementes may bee knowne throughout the world and for the comming of his vniuersall kingdome vnder Christ Iesus THE ARGVMENT THere is extant a most sweete sentence in the first epistle of saint Paul vnto Timothie the third chapter and the sixteenth verse which containeth the effect of this Psalme Without controuersie great is the mysterie of godlinesse which is God is manifested in the flesh iustified in the spirit seene of angels preached vnto the Gentiles beleeued on in the world and receiued vp in glory For thinke with your selfe what a thing it is that the Sonne of God being consubstantial and coequall with his Father hath not taken away the equalitie of God that is hath not abused his power against his vocation but hath debased himselfe taking vpon him the forme of a seruant that is nature of man hauing all the strength and desires proper to nature onely without sinne and at length was made obedient vnto death euen to the death of the Crosse Againe this Messias for vs crucified and raised from death to life is endewed with notable and vnfallible testimonies of the holy ghost for publickly doth the holy ghost beare witnesse touching the person and benefites of this Lord not only by the preaching of the Apostles but also by new strange and vnusuall miracles which were the Seales of doctrine and publickly martyrs and other the godly ones haue felt ioy to bee enlightned in the acknowledgement of Christ which is the vanquisher of death And where he addeth that Christ was seene of Angels let not that bee vnderstood of an idle or vaine contemplation but of that sence or meaning whereof S. Peter speaketh that is To whom the Angels and powers and might are subiect For although we earthly persons doe not greatly maruell at the copulation of the two natures in Christ yet Aungels which are the most wisest spirites and alwaies as S. Math saith Behold the face of the father Math. 18.10 being astonished with maruelling at this mysterie staÌ„d amazed and cannot take pleasure inough with beholding it For what is more maruellous then that fleshe of our fleshe and bone of our bones shoulde sit at the right hand of God This mysterie as the Poet saith I'ts not enough we once it see It vayles we still â—t viewing be Furthermore what is so much to bee maruelled at as that the Gospel touching Christ is not only preached vnto the Gentiles but also that the effectes of faith are left in many mens heartes Wee doe lesse maruell that the doctrine of the gospel is spred amongst the Iewes in whom there haue alwaies remained some of the doctrines of the Prophets and honest Disciples But whereas this pearle is cast vnto the Gentiles seperated from the policie of Israel which were nothing but hogges and dogges that indeed is most worthy of admiration For the Ethnikes or heathen people hauing forsaken the doctrine of the fathers haue deuised Idols without end and haue polluted themselues with all vices and sinnes whereof the filthinesse is such that I eschew and tremble with feare to speake of them Neither indeed must wee maruell lesse that the Apostles being furnished with no power and destitute of all humane helpes within a small time haue gathered vnto God out of this rable of mankinde an euerlasting Church For that I may say nothing of the miserable and weake outward estate of the Apostles which estrangeth in a sort many from the gospel who would not by right maruel that the same kind of doctrine ordained farre aboue and beyond the reach of mans reason and ioyned with greatest dangers could take root yea and spread abroad also amongst so many and diuers impedimentes For some doe deride the gospel as it were a monstrous fable and scoffe at this opinion which affirmeth that the death of a man crucified was the cause and merite of Iustification before God and of life euerlasting Others doe iudge this new doctrine to be the fire brand and trumpets of seditions But Hypocrites which are in loue with their owne righteousnesse doe much more bitterly hate the gospel as it were the corruption of good maners and the liberty of discipline Therefore although the thinking heereof seemed hard and almost impossible wherewith wee must withstand so many diseases togither yet the Apostles the sonne of God guiding them and the holie Ghost accompanying them within 40. yeares space haue culled and chosen out of mankinde a good and great part of the Church in spite of the diuels their instrumentes Last of al the sonne of God is taken vp in glory that is He was from death gloriously restored vnto life and when hee had shewed himselfe familiarly for the whole space of 40. daies vnto his Apostles he ascended
8.8 Mat. 1.23 Immanuel and The holy Ghost proceeding from them both And although vngodly and prophane persons doe deride vs so beleeuing and speaking yet notwithstanding mens minds must with testimonies of diuine manifestations be so confirmed that they which defend contrary opinions may by vs be both despised and refuted For there can bee made no true praier without considering of the difference in these three persons Let our minde therefore be directed vnto this true God who made himselfe knowne by sending his sonne our Lord Iesus Christ for our sakes crucified and raised from death to life And truely let vs expresse in the beginning of our prayer the persons by name and let vs consider what is the property of ech of them that may be discerned from all creatures and let our true prayer bee discerned from the praier of the heathen and although it is here meant that the reuiuing is giuen and made by all the three persons yet this is done by order The sonne who gathereth a Church immediately by the preaching of the gospel moueth our hearts sheweth the Father and giueth the holyghost Therfore saith this psalme in the last verse God shall blesse vs that is Emanuel God with vs the sonne of God who tooke vpon him our nature to become our mediator redeemer iustifier and sauiour Againe the euerlasting high priest of the church alwayes making intercession for vs giuing the word of the gospel and remission of sinnes Also a king he is gathering keeping and preseruing and protecting his church giuing his holie spirit and restoring vs to life and righteousnesse euerlasting The euerlasting Father then blesseth or reuiueth vs the Guyde the Sonne as the Giuer and the holighost as the performer That is the euerlasting Father is the fountaine of all benefites because he made the decree touching our redemption testifying of the same publikely in the ministerie of the gospâ—ll and priuately in the heartes of them which are conuerted vnto God and which doe support and comfort themselues with the voyce of the gospel I haue spoken touching so great matters not as I ought but as I could for as a certaine godly Emperour said We speake not so much as we ought but so much as we are able FINIS Praised be God 1. Samuel 2.30 2 Sam. 8.17 Ieâ—â—mie 44.19 Isay 49.2 The effectes of this Psalme The rewardes of wicked amitie Of patience and hope in God when we are afflicted Sathans extreme outrage against the church in her old age â—mulation in princes courts c. Who be iust and who be vniust The want of a gooâ— thing maketh it more to be desired S. Iohn Chrysostome his woâ—des vppon the first chapter of Saint Paul to the Romanes appliable to this place A repetition of Dauids praier and fiue reasoâ—â— thereof Dauid praieth for the destruction of his enemies His protestation of thankfulnesse towardes God Apelles his description of Slander with her adherentes Apelles accused of moouing sedition by Antiphilus how he was acquited thereof and the reward of them both Trueth the conquerour of Falshood The effect of this Psalme A thankesgiuing to God for the estate ecclesiasticall 〈◊〉 oeâ—â—nomâ—call Three degrâ—â— of enemies to those states Doctrine of Iustification A thankesgiuing to God for the preseruation of the prince and present state of gouernment The blessings of peace The miscries of warres A notable saying of Plautus the Heathen poet The monthly and fruitfull properties throughout the yeare The cloudes diâ—â—ill the dewes from heauen The benefites which the eaâ—th bringeth vs. * Which was either a musicall instrument or a solemn tune vnto the which thâ—s Psalme was sung The effects of the Psalme â—ratulatâ—â—ie and Exhortatorie S. Augustines saying touching Gods presence with his people An explanatioâ— of the myracle how when and where the Isâ—aelites passed ouer Iordan Dauid Chytraeus in his chronicle reporteth this to be done in the yere of the world 2493. and before Christ was baptiâ—â—d by S. Iohn in the same Iorden iust 150â— yeeres Herodotus lib. â— Iuuenal Satyr 1â— Claudianus lib 1 The great oddes betweene this life and the life euerlasting The reioycing of the faithfull euen in greatest dangers three wayes Vnthankefulnes of mankind Dauids thankefulnesse The humanitie and diuinitie of Christ the Sonne of God The Gentiles for their vnthankfulnesse compared vnto hogges and dogges Hypocritâ—â— Difference of the law and the gospel The wickednesse of the heathen people in time past Their regeneration by Christ in the time of grace The fruitfull 〈◊〉 of Preachiâ—g One God in essence 3. distinct persons The effectuall blessings of God in Trinitie