is not only present with his elect but also makes them sensibly perceiue it as Simeon here did and therefore his mourning was turned into mirth and his sobs into songs Againe sometime God is present but not felt and this secret presence sustaines vs in all our troubles and temptatations it intertaineth life in our soules wheÌ„ as to our iudgment we are altogether dead as there is life in trees when they haue cast their leaues And therefore let no man bee dismaied howsoeuer dismaied for God doth neuer leaue those whom he doth loue but his comfortable spirit is a secret friend and often doth vs most good when wee least perceiue it Esay 41. 10 c. 43. 2. According to thy word If God promise we may presume for he is not like man that he should lie neither as the sonne of man that he should repent This should teach vs to be hoiie as God our Father is holy being followers of him as deare children As he doth euer keepe his word with vs so let vs euer keepe our othes and promises one with another It is well obserued that aequinocation and lying is a kind of vnchastitie for the mouth and minde are coupled together in holie mariage Matth. 12. 34. Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh And therefore when the tongue doth speake that which the heart neuer thought our speech is conceiued in adulterie and hee that breedes such bastard children offends not only against charity but also against chastitie Men say they must lie sometime for aduantage but it is a good conclusion both in religion and common experience that honestie is the best policie and truth the only durable armour of proofe The shortest way commonly the foulest the fairer way not much about Lord who shall dwell in thy tabernacle or who shall rest vpon thine holy hill euen he that speaketh the truth from his heart he that vseth no deceit in his tongue hee that sweareth vnto his neighbour and disappointeth him not For mine eyes haue seene thy saluation I haue seene the Messias in whom and by whom thy saluation is wrought and brought vnto vs. As Simeon saw Christs humanitie with the eies of his body so he saw Christs Diuinity long before with the pearcing eies of faith He knew that the little babe which he lulled in his armes was the great God whom the heauen of heauens could not containe and therefore beleeuing in the Lord of life hee was not afraid of death but instantly breakes forth into this sweete song Lord now lettest thou thy seruant depart in peace for mine eyes haue c. Death is vnwelcome to carnall men as Aristotle said Of all Terribles the most Terrible They crie out vpon the miseries of life and yet when death commeth they doe as little children who all the day complaine but when the medicine is brought them are nothing sicke as they who all the weeke runne vp and downe the house with paine of the teeth and seeing the Barbor come to pull them out feele no more torment as tender bodies in a pricking plurisie call and cannot stay for a Surgeon and yet when they see him whetting his lancet to cut the throte of the disease pull in their armes and hide them in the bed And the true reason hereof is want of faith because they doe not vnfainedly beleeue that Christ Iesus hath led captiuitie captiue that he hath swallowed vp death in victorie by his death and opened vnto vs the gates of eternall life The blessed theefe vpon the Crosse died ioyfully because hee saw Christ and beleeued also that he should passe from a place of paine to a paradise of pleasure S. Stephen died ioyfully because he saw the heauens open and Christ standing at the right hand of the Father Here Sâ—meon departed ioyfully because his eyes saw the saluation of the Lord. As there are two degrees of faith so two sorts of Christians one weake another strong The weake Christian is willing to liue and patient to die but the strong patient to liue and willing to die That a man may depart in peace two things are requisit 1. Preparation before death 2. A right disposition at death Both which are procured onely by faith in Christ. If a man were to fight hand to hand with a mightie Dragon in such wise that either he must kill or be killed his best course were to bereaue him of his poison and sting Death is a Serpent and the sting wherewith he woundeth vs is sinne so saith S. Paul The sting of death is sinne Now the true beleeuer vnderstands and knowes assuredly that Christ Iesus hath satisfied the law and then if no law no sinne and if no sinne death hath no sting well may death hisse but it cannot hurt when our vnrighteousnes is forgiuen and sinne couered Christ both in life and death is aduantage Philip 1. 21. Faith also procureth a right disposition and behauiour at death for euen as when the children of Israel in the wildernes were stung with fierie Serpents and lay at the point of death they looked vp to the Brasen Serpent erected by Moses according to Gods appointment and were presently cured so when any feele death draw neere with his fiery sting to pearce the heart they must fixe the eye of a true faith vpon Christ exalted on the Crosse beholding death not in the glasse of the Law which giueth death an vglie face but in the Gospels glasse setting foorth death not as death but as a sleepe only Faith is the speare which killeth our last enemie for when a man is sure that his redeemer liueth and that this corruptible shall put on incorruption and this mortall immortalitie well may he sing with old Simeon Lord now lettest thou thy seruant depart in peace and triumph ouer y e graue with Paul O death where is thy sting O hell where is thy victory The sting of death is sin the strength of sin is the law but thanks be giuen vnto God which giueth vs victorie through our Lord Iesus Christ. And thus much of the reason why Simeon was not afraid of death namely for that he did hold in his armes and behold with his eyes the Lord Christ who is the resurrection and the life he could say with a true heart vnto God thou art my God and his soule did heare God saying vnto him by his word I am thy saluation Which thou hast prepared before the face of all people The second part of this Hymne concerning the generall good our Sauiour brought to the whole world Wherein two points are to be noted especially 1. What are his benefits 2. To whom they belong The benefits are saluation light and glorie So that the world without Christ lieth in damnation darknesse and shame Iesus is a Sauiour neither is there saluation in any other he is the light
Psalme 18. 47. Matth. 22. 39. So that Zacharias here remembring a great benefit begins his Hymne with thanks Benedictus Dominus Hereby signifying that it is our first and chiefe duty to be thankfull to blesse God who doth so wonderfully blesse vs in all the changes and chances of this mortall life to say with Iob The Lord giueth and the Lord taketh blessed be the name of the Lord. God be praised and the Lord be blessed is the language of Canaan whereas vnthankfulnesse is the diuels text and the blasphemies of wicked men are Commentaries vpon it The Lord For as Aristoâ—le said Praise is onely vertues due but none is good except God Other are to be praised in him so faâ—re forth as they haue receiued any gift or good from him onely the Lord worthy to be praised in and for himselfe God of Israel So called in two respects first in regard of his loue towards them as being his peculiar incloser out of the Commons of the wholeworld Deut. 7. 6. Psalme 76. Esay 5. Secondly in regard of their seruice to him hee is God of other will they nill they Psal. 99. 1. The Lord is King be the people neuer so impatient he sitteth betweene the Cherubims be the earth neuer so vnâ—uiet but Israel willingly submitted her selfe to serue him cheerefully with all her heart The Diuell is prince of the world because the wicked of the world be ready to giue place to his suggestions but the Lord is God of Israel that is of all good men because they resist Satan and yeeld to his gouernment desiring daily that his kingdome may come and his will be done in earth as it is in heauen He doth vse this title rather then another in generall to describe the true God and to distinguish him from the gods of the Gentiles who were not gods but 〈…〉 that is Diuels as Euthymâ—â—s obserues In particular this title did best fit his occasion because Christ the redeemer of the world was promised vnto the Iewes Abraham and his seed for euer and therefore blessed be the Lord God of Israel Why First for promising then for performing The promises of God touching the Messias are twofold 1. Made by himselfe to Adam Abraham Isaac vers 72. 73. 2. Made by his seruants As he spake by the mouth of his holy Prophets which haue been since the world began vers 70. He spake The Prophet is but the voice God himselfe is the speaker as Iohn Baptist said I am the voice of him that crieth in the wildernesse By thâ— mouth In the singular number for albeit they were many yet they spake but one thing from one spirit as it were with one mouth Which haue been since the world began For all the Prophets haue foretold of these daies In the transfiguration Moses and Elias are said to talke with Christ signifying hereby saith Origen that the Law and the Prophets and the Gospell agree all in one And therefore Peter was vnwise to make three Tabernacles for one Holy Prophets holy by Place separated froÌ„ the prophane vulgar and consecrated to this high calling Grace for being hallowed and elected to this office they spake by the holy Ghost endued also with gifts of sanctification in so much that Prophets and holie men heretofore were voces conuertibiles as it is obserued out of the old Testament Gen. 20. 7. and new Luk. 7. 16. Ioh. 9. 17. This may teach the Prophets in our time to be walking Sermons Epistles and holy Gospels in all their cariage toward the people Praedicat viua voce qui praedicat vita voce He doth preach most that doth liue best As it is said of Iohn the Baptist Cum miraculum nullum fecerit perpetuum fuit ipse miraculum So a good man doth alway preach though hee neuer comes in pulpit Whereas such a Minister as is no where a Minister but in the Church is like Achitophel who set his house in order and then hanged himselfe The word preached is as Aarons rod if in the Preachers hand it is comely but if he cast it from him it will happily proue a Serpent That which God hath ioyned together let no man put asunder Holinesse and Prophecie O Lord indue thy Ministers with righteousnesse that thy chosen people may be ioyfull As God is mercifull in making so faithfull in keeping his promise for he visited and redeemed his people Visited In the better part for visitation in mercie not in iudgement as Psal. 8. 4. Gen. 21. 1. If Christ did visit vs in our person let vs visit him in his members All of vs are his stewards and the good things he hath lent vs are not our owne but his either the goods of the Church and so wee may not make them Impropriations or else the goods of the Common-wealth and wee may not inclose them He is the best subiect that is highest in the Subsidie booke so he the best Christian that is most forward in subsiaijs in helping his brethren with such gifts as God hath bestowed vpon him The whole world saith S. Iohn lieth in wickednes sicke very sicke vnto death All wickednesse is weaknes euery sinne is a sore Couetousnes an insatiable dropsie Pride a swelling tympanie Lasinesse the Gentlemans gout Christ therefore the great Physition of the world came to visit vs in this extremitie we did not send for him hee came of his owne loue to seeke and saue that which was lost It is a great kindnes for one neighbour to visit another in sicknes but a greater kindnes to watch and pray with the comfortlesse yet the greatest kindnesse of all is to helpe and heale him Euen so and much more then so Christ loued y e world he came not only to see it but to saue it not only to liue among men but also to die for men as to visite so to redeeme The Lord did endure the crosse that the seruant might enioy the crowne the Captaine descended into hell that the souldier might ascend into heauen the Physition did die that the patient might liue Bernard pithily Triplici morbo laborabat genus humanum principio medio fine idest natiuitate vita morte Venit Christus contra triplicem hunc morbum attulit triplex remediuÌ„ Natus est vixit mortuus est eius natiuitas purgauit nostram mors eius destruxit nostram vita eius instruxit nostram As S. Paul in two words He died for our sinnes and rose againe for our iustification that is saith Aquinas he died to remoue from vs all that which was euill and rose againe to giue vs all that which was good All is infolded in the word Redeeme the which as Interpreters obserue generally doth implie that wee are deliuered from the hands of all our enemies and they be principally foure The World Flesh.
Diuell Death Christ ouercame the world on earth the flesh on the Crosse the diuell in hell death in the graue now being the Churches head and husband hee tooke her dowrie which was sinne for she had nothing else of her owne and indowed her with all his goods I am my welbeloueds and my welbeloued is mine So that Christ was borne for vs and liued for vs and died for vs rose againe for vs and therefore though the diuell cry ego decipiam the world cry ego deficiam the flesh cry ego inficiam death cry ego interficiam it makes no matter in that Christ crieth ego reficiam I will ease you I will comfort you I will visit and redeeme you See Gospell on whit sonday His people The Iewes as sent to them first and principally whom he did visit in his own person whereas all other diocesses of the world were visited by Commissaries I say first for afterward all people were hiâ—â—â—ople Visitaâ—it omnes gentes quomam omnes egentes In 〈◊〉 we are all one there is neither Iew nor Grecian neither bond nor free neither male nor female Gal. 3. 28. Augustine sweetly The belieuing Gentiles are more Israel then Israel it selfe for the Iewes are the children of Abraham according to the flesh only but we are the children of Abraham after the spirit they be the sonnes of Abraham who doe the works of Abraham But what was Abrahams chiefe worke The Scripture tels vs Abraham belieued and it was imputed vnto him for righteousnes So that as Paul concludes all belieuers are true Israelites Abrahams seed and heires by promise See Nunc dimittis But shall we now sinne because grace doth abound God forbid He hath deliuered vs from the hands of all our enemies that we might serue him without feare in holinesse and righteousnes all the daies of our life Sine timore inimici non sine timore domini Behauing our selues in this present world religiously towards God righteously towards our neighbor soberly towards our selues Examine these fiue circumstances exactly 1. Who did redeeme The Lord God of Israel factor â—errae factus in terra yea fractus in terra 2. Whom Such as sate in darknes and in the shadow of death His enemies aliants from his common wealth and open traitors to his kingdome 3. From what From the hands of all our enemies 4 With what With his owne pretious bloud the least drop whereof had bin meriti infiniti yet his death only was meriti definiti 5. For what That being deliuered from sinne we should liue in righteousnes Consider these points and thinke not this Hymne too much vsed in our Liturgie but sing with Zacharias daily Benedictus Dominus and say with Dauid Quid retribuam domino pro omnibus quae tribuit mihi Primò nihil eram fecit me perâ—eram quaesiuit me quaerens inuenit me captiuum redemit me emptum liberauit me de seruo fratrem fecit me We owe our soules our selues to God for creating vs more then our selues for redeeming vs. Concerniâ—g Iohn Baptist and his office which is the second generall part of this excellent song see the Gospell Dominic 3. 4. Aduent Iubilate Deo Psal. 100. THe Church doth adioine this Psalme to the Benedictus as a parallel and that not vnfitly for as the one so the other is a thanksgiuing vnto God inforced with the same reasons and arguments in so much as Zacharias is nothing else but an expounder of Dauid or Moses As Augustine wittily The new Testament heth hidden in the old and the old is vnclasped in the new Lex antiqua nouam firmat veterem noua complet in veteri spes est in nouitate fides O be ioyfull in the Lord saith the Prophet blessed be the Lord God of Israel saith our Euangelist Why because the Lord hath made vs and not we our selues we are his people and the sheepe of his pasture That is he hath visited and redeemed his people For Augustine Hierome Caluin Turrecrematensis other old and new writers interpret this of our Regeneration rather then of our Creation According to that of S. Paul We are his workmanship created in Christ Iesus vnto good works c. The Lord is gratious his mercy is euerlasting That is he promised euermore by the mouth of all his holy Prophets since the world began that wee should be saued from our enemies and from the hands of all that hate vs. His truth indureth from generation to generation That is hee did in due time performe the mercie promised to our forefathers he remembred his holy couenant and kept that oth which hee swore to our father Abraham and his seed for euer To what end That we might serue God with gladnesse as Dauid in his text that is serue him all the daies of our life without feare as Zacharias in his glosse God insinuated himselfe to the Iewes as a Lord Exod. 20. 2. but to the Christians as a father Mat. 6. 9. And therefore seeing wee are translated from the bondage of seruants vnto the liberty of sonnes hauing in stead of the Law which was exceeding grieuous a burthen which is light and a yoke which is easie let vs serue the Lord with gladnes and come before his presence with a song Non in amaritudine murmurationis sed in iocunditate dilectionis as Augustine vpon the place The whole Psalme doth afford many profitable doctrines and vses in that the Prophet doth double and treble his exhortation O be ioyfull in the Lord serue him with gladnesse with a song Go into his gates with thanksgiuing into his courts with praise be thankfull speake good of his name he doth insinuate our sloth and dulnes in that behalfe and therefore it behoueth all men especially teachers of men in season and out of season to presse this duty It teacheth all people to praise God with a good heart cheerfully vers 1. Not in priuate onely but in the publike assembly also for publike benefits receiued of the Lord vers 3. Our bodily generation and ghostly regeneration are not of our selues but only from God vers 2. See Epist. Dom. post Pasc. Who is alway the same in his truth and goodnesse towards vs abeit we be variable in our loues and promises one to another vers 4. See Nunc Dimittis The Creed THis Apostolicall Creed is pronounced after the Lessons and the Nicene Confession after the Gospell and Epistle because faith as Paul teacheth is by hearing and hearing by the word of God We must first heare then confesse for which cause the Churchâ— of Scotlana also doth vsually repeate the Creed after the Sermon I beleeue in God c. Albeit the Creed be not protocanonicall Scripture yet as Ambrose speakes it is the key of the Scriptures and as Augustine a plaine short absolute summe of all holie
name Catholike my surname So Rome was England is a Catholike Church But it properly signifieth vniuersall as here because extended to all places and all times and all persons not only those who are now liuing but also those who haue been from the beginning and shall be to the end of the world So that to say the Roman Catholike Church is like the by-word of Kent and Christendome all one as to say the particular or the speciall generall Church From this naturall acception ariseth that other borowed as in the Creed of Athanasius Haec est fides Catholica that is quod vbique quod semper quod ab omnibus creditum est The Catholike faith is that which is taught all men Matth. 28. 19. Mark 16. 15. in all places Rom. 10. 18. at all times 2. Cor. 1. 19. And Psal. 119. Thy word O Lord indureth for euer and thy truth also from generation to generation Fides est vides in vs quae non vides an euidence of things not euident So that the Church we must beleeue is Catholike not sensible subiect to view but inuisible an object of faith Communion of Saints The Churches third propertie which expoundeth the two former I beleeue the Catholike Church to wit the communion of Saints If a communion then Catholike if Saints then holy This communion hath two parts fellowship Of the members with the head because euery Christian hath interest in all the benefits of Christ who is not a garden flower priuate for a few but the Rose of the field common to all and therefore S. Iude calles his grace the Common saluation Of the meÌ„bers one with another and it is either of the Liuing with the liuing Dead with the liuing As in the naturall body so in the Church Christs mysticall body there is a peâ—petuall sympathie betwen ethe parts if one member suffer all suffer with it if one be had in honour all reioice with it Martin Luther said well and wittâ—â—y that a Christian is a freeman and bound vnto none And againe that he is a diligent seruant and vassall vnto all Vere vir omnium hâ—rarum omnium operum omnium personarura becoming all things vnto all men that he may winne them vnto Christ. As that Antichristian in stile so the Christian is in deed Serâ—us seruorum Dei There is a knot of fellowship also betweene the dead Saints and the liuing They pray to God for our good in generall and we praise God for their good in particular I say we praise God in his Saints particularly for giuing Mary Peter Paul such eminent graces on earth and now such vnspeakable glory in heauen In affection and heart we conuerse with them alway desiring to be dissolued and to be with Christ. Remission of sinnes All of vs are borne in sinne orius damnati quam nati saith Bernard and after increasing we grow from euill to worse vntill our sinnes are remitted by Gods grace conueied vnto vs in the Church by his holy word and Sacraments it is a remission not a satisfaction a worke not of our merit but of Gods mercy who beholding vs in Christ reputes our sinnes as no sinnes I haue put away thy transgressioÌ„s as a cloud thy sins as a mist so remitted as if they neuer were committed Agaus Dâ—i qui tollit peccata mundi dimittendo quae facta sunt adiuuando ne fiant perducendo ad vitam vbi emnino fieri non possunt Sinnes in the plurall be they neuer so many for quantitie neuer so grieuous for qualitie Say not with Caiâ—e My sinne is greater then can be pardoned but with Paul All things worke for the best vnto them who loue God Remember saith Luther the speech of God to Rebecca Maior seruiet minori The greater shall serue the lesser Our spirituall enemies are stronger and our sinnes are greater then we yet they shall serue for our good the greater shall serue the lesser I beleeue the râ—mission of sinnes A very great benefit because this pardon is our soules life Where the wages of sin is death of Bodie which is the temporall Soule which is the â—â—â—rituall Body soule which is eternall death See the Epistle Dom. 7. post Trinit Resurrection of the bodie The whole Creed in grosse and euery parcell argueth a resuâ—rection as Erasmus aptly This one article is the Basis of all the rest for if there be a God almightie then hee is iust and if iust then another reckoning in another world where good men shall be rewarded and euill condignely punished If a Iesus Christ who is our Sauiour then hee must dissolue the workes of Satan which are sinne and death if an holy Ghost then all his hallowed temples who did glorifie him heere shall bee glorified of him hereafter If a Church which is holy then a remission of sinnes a resurrection of the bodie a life euerlasting that all such as haue been subiects in his kingdome of grace may likewise bee Saints in his kingdome of glory for as God is principium effectiuum in creatione refectiuum in redemptione so perfectiuum in retributione Life euerlasting The chiefe good and last end which we gaine by being in the Church All men on earth haue life but not euerlasting the damned in hell endure that which is euerlasting yet not a life but an eternall death as being perpetually tied vnto torments enforced euer to suffer that they would not neither can they doe any thing that they would only the Church elected by the Father redeemed by the Sonne sanctified by the holy Ghost shall enioy life euerlasting not by purchase or inheritance but by donation and franke almaine The spirituall hand which apprehends this deede of gift is faith and therefore begin well with I beleeue in God and continue well in being a member of his Holy Catholike Church and thou shalt be sure to end well with euerlasting life Amen Our assent to the Creed signifying hereby that all which we haue said is true and certaine O Lord increase our faith Ruth 2. 4. THe Nouelists haue censured this and other like Suffrages as short cuts or shreddings rather wishes then prayers A rude speech which sauoureth of the shop more then of the schoole for our Church imitated herein the meeke Publicane O God be mercifull to me a sinner and the good womaÌ„ of Cannan Haue mercie on me O Lord and deuout Bartiâ—â—us O sonne of Dauid take pitie on me These short shreddings and lists are of more value then their Northren broad cloath the which as wee see shrinkes in the wetting whereas our ancient custome hath continued in the Church aboue 1200 yeeres for Augustine writes epist. 121 that the ChristiaÌ„s of Egypt vsed in their Liturgy many prayers euery one of theÌ„ being very short raptim quodammodo
application of Christs merits against all Papists who teaâ—h that a generall confused implicite faith is enough without any further examination of Scriptures or distinct beleefe Contrarie to the practise of Christ who prayed in our nature and name Deus meus Deus meus Of Dauid Thou art my God of Thomas My Lord of Mary My Sauiour The second part of this Hymne containeth a reason why she did magnifie the Lord namely for his goodnes Toward Her selfe He hath regarded the lowlines of his handmaid he hath magnified me From henceforth all generations shall call me blessed Other Regarded God is said in Scripture to regard three waies as Augustine notes vpon this place secundum Cognitionem Gratiam Iudiciuâ— 1. His eye of knowledge regardeth all things Heb. 4. 13 There is not any creature which is not manifest in his sight but all things are naked and open vnto him 2. His fauourable countenance and gratious eye is vpon them who feare him and vpon them who trust in his mercie 3. God in iudgement will only regard his elect For he will say to the reprobate Verily I know ye not God regarded here Mary with his gratious eie vouchsafeing to make her both his childe and his mother The one is a benefit obtained of very few the other denied vnto all It was only granted to Mary to be the mother of Christ whereas it was denied vnto all men to be the father of Christ. This was so great a grace to Mary that as in this Hymne her selfe doth prophecie From hencefoorth all generations shall account her blessed An Angell of heauen said that she was full of grace Gratia plena in se non à se in her selfe but not of her selfe And therefore her soule did magnifie the Lord and her spirit reioyced in God her Sauiour not in regard of her owne greatnes but in respect of his goodnesse For so she saith He hath regarded The loâ—linesse God cannot looke aboue himselfe because he hath no superiour nor about himselfe for that he hath no equall he regards only such as are below him and therefore the lower a man is the neerer vnto God the more exposed to his sight who lookes from aboue Who is like vnto the Lord our God that hath his dwelling so high and yet humbleth himselfe to behold the things in heauen and earth He taketh vp the simple out of the dust and lifteth the poore out of the mire And Psal. 138. vers 6. Though the Lord be high yet hath he respect vnto the lowly but as for the proud he beholdeth them a far off The most high then hath especiall respect to such as are most low Now lowlinesse in holy Scripture is vsed both Actiuely for humilitie Passiuely for humiliation basenesse and affliction Origen Beda Bernard construe this of Maries humilitie but I thinke with the most and best that she meant by lowlinesse her base degree For Humilitas dum prodâ—â—ur perditur He that brags of his humilitie loseth it It is saith Hierome the Christians Iewell Now saith Macarius he is a foolish begger who when he findes a Iewell instantly proclaimes it Inueni inueni for by this meanes he that hath lost it will demand it againe so likewise when we boast of any good gift the Lord who lent will resume it It is improbable then that Mary spake this of her humilitie for as somâ— Popish writers obserue she did in this song ascribe all her happinesse to Gods mercy and nothing to her owne merit It is true that as death is the last enemie so pride the last sinne that shall be destroied in vs. Inter omnia vitia tu semper es prima semper es vltima nam omne peccatum te accedente commuttitur te recidente dimittitur Augustine told Dioscorus Vitia caetera in peccatis superbia verò etiam in benefactis timenda When other sinnes die secret pride gets strength in vs ex remedijs generat morbos euen vertue is the matter of this vice in such sort that a man will be proud because he is not proud But this was not Maries mind to boast in that she did not boast but as the word and coherâ—nce more then insinuate she did vnderstand by lowlinesse her meane estate and â—ualitie Quod me dignatus in altum erigere ex humili celsam So doth her selfe construe the word vers 52. He hath put downe the mightie from their seat and hath exalted the humble and meeke where humble is opposite to mightie as in this verse the lowlinesse of Mary to Gods highnesse I presse this point because some Papists as Erasmus affirmes haue gathered out of this place that Mary through her modest carriage worthily deserued to bee the mother of Christ. Whereas besides the reasons alleaged the words of this verse and the drift of the whole song confute them abundantly For 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 vsed by Luke signifieth properly basenesse whereas humilitie is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and albeit the vulgar Latine reade respexit humilitatem yet 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is aspexit as in our English Bibles hee looked on the poore degree of his handmaid And this is not only the criticall Annotation of Erasmus but their owne Iansenius and Maldonatus obserue the same for her intent was not to magnifie her selfe but to magnifie the Lord. Heere then wee may behold Maries exceeding great miserie and Gods exceeding great mercy the good Ladies infelicitie who descended of a noble house yea a royall blood was notwithstanding a distressed sillie maiden so poore that as we reade Luke 2. 24. she was not able to buy a young lambe for an offering See the Gospell on the Purification Let not the wiseman glory in his wisdome nor the strong man glory in his strength neither the rich man glory in his riches nor the Nobleman of his parentage for one generation passeth and another commeth and as we haue heard so haue we seen some who came from the scepter to hold the plough and other who came from the plough to manage the scepter And the reason is reÌ„dred in this Hymne The Lord hath put downe the mightie from their seate and exalted the humble and meeke hee hath filled the hungry with good things and the rich he hath sent emptie away This was his exceeding great goodnesse toward Mary to raise her out of the dust so to magnifie her as that all generations account her blessed From henceforth all generations shall call me blessed In the verse before Magnificat Elizabeth called her blessed now the Virgin opposeth all men to Elizabeth and all times to the present saying as Theophylact doth note that not Elizabeth only but all men and women as at this time so for euer also shall account me blessed All generations that is all men in all generations as the Schoole doth vsuallie distinguish genera
you To behold the Lambe of God who taketh away the sinnes of the world and so by the grace of Christ thou shalt vnderstand the loue of God thou shalt perceiue his wisedome power Maiestie sweetned and tempered to thy capacitie thou shalt finde the saying of Paul to be most true that in Christ are hid all the treasures of wisedome and knowledge that Christ in our iustification is all in all and therefore good reason he should haue the first and most place in this argument that his grace should be named first and last The loue of God is the fountaine of all goodnes as Diuines speake gratiarum gratia from which originallie proceeds euery perfect gift and grace For almightie God hath not elected vs in regard of our works or other worth but coÌ„trariwise because God loued vs we do that which is acceptable in his sight I obtained mercie of the Lord saith Paul to be faithfull Vt fidelis essem non quia fidelis eram as Lombard aptly The nature of this short treatise will not endure that I should wade farre into this Abyssus I remember Pauls exclamation O the deepnes of the riches both of the wisedome and knowledge of God how vnsearchable are his iudgements and his waâ—es past finding out And the glosse of Augustine Volentes disputare de deâ— profundo mersi sunt Or as other Versi sunt in profundum I come therefore to the Communion of the holy Ghost a point more comfortable then ordinarily felt and yet more felt then can be disputed It is said Gal 4. 6. God hath sent the spirit of his Sonne crying in our hearâ—s Abba father he said not calling but crying and Rom. 8. 26. hee calleth this crying vnspeakeable groaning When a man is tempted and afflicted hee feeleth the strength of his enemies and the weaknesse of his flesh he feeleth the fierie darts of Satan the terrors of death the wrath of God all these cry out against him horribly so that the perplexed soule sees nothing but sinne threatning heauen thundering the diuell roring the earth trembling hell mouth open and ready to swallow him vp But yet in the midst of all these Gods holy spirit crieth in our hearts and this cry doth outcry the clamors of the law the bellowes of hell and howlings of infernall fiends it pearceth the clouds and ascends vp to the eares of God insomuch that the blessed Angels seeme to heare nothing else but this cry The spirit helpeth our infirmities and the strength of Christ is made perfect through our weaknesse For Christ is most powerfull when as we are most fearfull euen when we can scarsely groane marke the words of Paul The spirit maketh intercession for vs in our temptation not with many words or long praiers he crieth not aloud with teares haue mercie on me O God but only giues a little sound and a feeble groaning as ah father this is but one word yet notwithstanding comprehends all things Indeed the mouth speaketh not but the good affection of the soule crieth aloud after this manner O Lord God of compassion and father of mercies although I am grieuously vexed on euery side with affliction and anguish yet am I thy child and thou art my father in Christ. This little word or rather no word but a poore thought conceiued aright passeth all the flowing eloquence of Demosthenes and Tully yea Tertullian and all the Orators that euer were in the world for this matter is not expressed with words but with groanings and these groanings are from the blessed Spirit Thus you see the large extent of Pauls affection in regard of the thing wished vnto the Corinthians The grace of Christ the loue of God the communion of the holy Ghost The second extension is in regard of the persons be with you all for the Pastor must wish well not only to the best or to the worst but this praier ought to be made for euery one as well as for any one There is none so bad but hath receiued some grace none so good but hath need to receiue more grace Wherefore pray we still that the grace of Christ may be with vs all The Church of England addes a third extension in regard of the time for euermore the which is implied in the text also for the Corinthians as we reade in the former epistle were Saints by calling and so doubtlesse had receiued already the grace of Christ and had tasted of the loue of God through the fellowship of the holy Ghost He doth therefore now desire that the good worke begun in them may be perfect that the grace receiued may continue with them and increase daily vnto the end and in the end that the loue of God which cannot be greater secundùm essentiam may be greater secundùm efficientiam appearing growing abounding in them more and more for euermore Amen Amen is vsed in holy Scripture three waies as Gabriel and Gerson speake Nominaliter Aduerbialiter Verbaliter As a nowne for truth Apoc. 3. 14. These things saith Amen the faithfull and true witnesse and so it is added in the conclusion of euery Gospell and of the whole Bible as a seale to confirme that which is written In the beginning is the first Amen the last word of holy writ a stately beginning a strange ending For what is more stately then antiquitie what more strange then truth Hereby teaching vs that the Scriptures haue vetera and vera which are not together in any other writing For in humane learning many things are vncertainly true and more certainly vntrue onely the word of God is sealed with Amen Secondly as an Aduerbe for verily so Christ often ii the Gospell Amen Amen dico vobis Thirdly as a Verbe signifying so be it Deut 27. 15. Dicet omnis populus Amen and so it is vsed in Pauls praier expounded before and in all our Collects insinuating our earnest desire that those things which we haue faithfully asked may be effectually obtained And this custome of answering the Minister in the Church Amen is ancient as it appeareth in the 1. Cor. 14. 16. Iustin Martyr Apolog. 2. Hieron prolog lib. 2. in epist. ad Galat. Augustin epist. 107. Vsum respondendi Amen antiquissimum esse patet saith Bellarmine lib. 2. de Missa cap. 16. Here is open confession I would the Church of Rome would make open restitution also For if the people must answere the Priest Amen then the Priest must pray to the peoples vnderstanding and how shall they vnderstand except common praier be said in a common tongue A conclusion agreeable not onely to the Scriptures as Bellarmine acknowledgeth and to the practise of the Primitiue Church as Iustin Martyr and Lyra report and to the paternes of other Liturgies in South India Moscoâ—ia Armenia but euen to their owne constitutions and Masse booke for their owne Clement and their owne Missale giue order that