this distinction is not so well knowne by practise as it is by speculation For if we had this practise in deede we shoulde rightly discerne betwene the law the Gospell also betwene the disciples of the law and of the Gospel beate backe Satan with this answere that like a lying spirite he seeketh nothing else but to blind and deceiue the hart with falshood and lyes For whereas hard and stony harts be those he doth not kill or terrifie but flattereth and filleth them with hope faire promises which doe not perteyne to such harts Contrariwise where as such tender and timorous heartes be as are to much terrified already and therefore should be confirmed reised vp with the promises of the Gospell those heartes Satan most of all not onely goeth about further to afflict and terrifie but to beate them downe also to vtter discomfort Wherefore the Christian man must learne and labour by feeling and practise to make this distinction in his heart and say vnto Satan Away from me Satan with thy lyes When I am void of the feare of God secure and hard harted then come and pleade the lawe against me then will I heare thee for then that is the tyme to teach the law But since thou commest nowe vnto me with the law whereas my heart is terrified already with sinne death I wil not heare thee For thy doctrine perteyneth not vnto me but laughter and ioy not terrour and death So should Satan be aunswered when he goeth about to terrifie vs But by experience we feele that when most neede is our heart is not able thus to aunswere although we haue heard these thinges before neuer so often The cause is this that albeit heauen be ours and wide open for vs yet such is our nature and such is our infirmitie that all this can not make vs so ioyfull as the gaping gulph and horrour of hell doth terrifie vs So that one cogitation of our sinnes doth more afflict vs then all the teaching and preaching of the merites of Christ can comfort vs Wherefore we must earnestly endeuour to learne this practise or at the least to atteyne to some knowledge thereof and reyse vp our selues with these wordes that the Gospell is nothing else but laughter and ioy which properly perteyneth to the captiues that is to those that feele the captiuitie of sinne and death to the fleshy and tender heartes terrified with the feeling of the wrath and iudgement of god These are the Disciples in whose hearts should be planted laughter and ioy and whiche onely should heare the voyce of ioy and gladnes in the tabernacles of the righteous and that by the authoritie of the holy Ghost which this verse setteth foorth For it signifieth that this people was in Sion and after the outward shew of the kingdom and priesthood did mightely flourish But if a man consider them according to the spirite he shall see them to be in miserable captiuitie and that their tongue is full of heauines and mourning because their heart is terrified with the sense of sinne and death This is Moises tongue or Moises mouth full of wormewoode and of the bitternes of death wherewith he ought to kill those onely which are to liuely and full of securitie But they which feele their captiuitie should haue their mouthes filled with laughter and ioy that is the redemption and deliueraunce from sinne and death purchased by the bloode of Christ should be preached vnto them This is the sense and meaning of the holy Ghost that the mouth of such should be filled with laughter that is their mouth should sound and shew forth nothing else but great gladnes and those inestimable consolations of the Gospell with voyces of triumph and victory by Christ ouercomming Satan destroying death and taking away our sinnes This was first spoken vnto the Iewes for this laughter was first offered to that people then hauing the promises Now he turneth to the Gentiles whome he calleth to the partaking of this laughter Then shall they say among the Gentiles c. The Gentiles naturally hated and disdayned the Iewes and coulde abide nothing lesse then their religion Yet these Gentiles saith he when this laughter this ioy shall be published and preached shall maruell thereat and shall praise the great workes as the Lorde Nowe the Gentiles would not thus doe or esteeme this worke of God as a benefite excepte they also should be partakers of the same Therefore when the holy Ghoste saith that the Gentiles should publish praise and magnifie this benefite of the Iewes deliuerance out of captiuitie he plainely signifieth withall that they shoulde be partakers of this deliuerance and that they likewise shoulde extoll and magnifie this greate mercy of God this deliuerance from sinne and death To this doe almost all the Prophets beare witnesse In the 8. of Zachary it is saide that out of all languages of the nations should take hold of the skirte of him that is a Iewe and say we will goe with you for we haue hearde that God is with you Which place of Zacharie seemeth to be taken out of this Psalme In the first of Esaie likewise All nations shall flow vnto the Lord and many people shall go and say Come and let vs goe vp to the mountaine of the Lord to the house of the God of Iacob and he will teach vs his wayes and we will walke in his pathes c. These things doe make for our comfort which are not of the seede of Abraham after the flesh For albeit the promise was not made vnto vs yet when it was accomplyshed we were made partakers thereof but by the Iewes notwithstanding according to the wordes of the promise In thy seede shall all nations be blessed And salâ—ation saith Christ commeth of the Iewes Thus doe we Gentiles pertaine to this redemption although it was not due vnto vs for to vs it was not promised but came by the free mercy of God through this laughter and this ioy whiche the Prophet speaketh of published and preached not onely in Simon but emongst the Gentiles also which doe enioy all the good blessings and benefites of God togither with his holy people as it followeth Verse 3. The Lord hath done great things for vs therefore we reioyce Here you see one Church gathered togither of the Iewes and of the Gentiles and with one voyce magnifying the workes of the Lorde that as Paule saith with one minde and with one mouth God euen the father of our Lord Iesus Christ might be glorified For as the Church of the Iewes singeth The Lord hath done greate thinges for vs so singeth the Church of the Gentiles also being both partakers of one fruite both knowne by one true signe to be the people of the Gospell namely because they are the people of ioy and gladnes as these wordes declare Therefore we reioyce Consider now the kingdom of the Pope and the horrible abomination thereof
a pastour or preacher in the Church These the elect I meane the Lorde hath here and there sparsed emong the wicked as precious stones in the middes of the earth Therfore thou must not think to preach to these only which were to be wished but that can not be because they are mixed with the vngodly multitude Likewise when thou art called to be a ciuill magistrate or a gouernour of a houshold thou shalt not finde all to be precious stones gold or siluer but let it suffice thee if in a whole multitude as it chaunceth in mynes thou find but one veine of siluer or emongst a great deale of earth but one precious stone For the greatest part in the Church is hereticall godles the least part in the ciuill state obedient louing of vertue Hereof it commeth then that al things are ful of trouble to the godly pastour the Magistrate the housholder because the wicked with such successe contemne and disobey all godly orders Notwithstanding thou man of God stand in thy calling do thy duetie pray for peace exhorte counsel reproue those whom thou hast charge ouer For since that now by the word of God the church is somewhat purged of false religion superstition and idolatrie the Magistrates better instructed of their duety and office Satan rageth as a strong armed man keping his house when a stronger commeth Be strong therefore in these tentations and think that as these things are not begun by the power of Satan so though he rage against the same neuer so much thou must not be discouraged or slacke the Lords busines but first serue the Lord and then thy brethren and neighbours For their sakes the Churches must be instructed the common wealth gouerned not for the worldes sake and the vngodly multitude for it is not worthie that a theefe should be hanged an adulterer or murderer put to death but the Lord in heauen and our brethren neighbours in earth are worthy of this seruice as he addeth in the verse following Thus I expounde this verse to be a consolation for pastours ciuill Magistrates and gouernours of families against the multitude of the wicked and the trobles which by them the godly doe sustayne Verse 9. Because of the house of the Lorde our God I will procure thy wealth This is an other cause why he prayeth for the peace and prosperitie of Ierusalem for that the Sanctuary of the Lord and the feate of true religion being stablished in that citie if it prospered not the worship and seruice of God could not there continue As if he sayd The Lord our God hath stablished his seate in thee O Ierusalem and in the middes of thee hath he set vp his worship For the which cause I loue thee and thinke thee worthy of all prosperitie But why doth hee adde hereunto Our God Because God had chosen this nation to be as his own peculiar people And this also was the cause why Dauid so loued them and was not discomforted with these troubles which he for their sakes susteyned both in the Church and in the ciuill gouernment but being chosen to be a King and a Prophet to this people he constantly endured all troubles and herewithall comforted him selfe that first he serued the Lord his God then his brethren and was not an vnprofitable seruaunt but fruitefull vnto God that he might be glorified and to his neighbour and brother that he might be saued Let vs likewise pray for the welfare of our brethren and for the house of the Lord with Dauid who as this Psalme sheweth did wel vnderstand the power and glory of the word and therefore he neither giueth thankes nor yet reioyceth for the abundance of gold and siluer which notwithstanding he lacked not but for the word and true worship of the lord Where these two are not lacking all other incommodities may easily be borne For if we haue the Lord abiding with vs if we maintaine his word and his true seruice and seeke the saluation of our brethren what can we desire more But where the word true worship of God is not regarded there is no God no mercy no saluation neither doth there any thing else remaine but the cursed multitude which shal be damned in hell Therefore Dauid exhorteth vs in this Psalme aboue all things to reuerence the word and by faithfull prayer to seeke the aduauncement thereof Also to giue thankes vnto God for peace and true preachers which gouerne the Church according to his word for where these things are not there must needes be trouble and vexation vnquietnes of conscience murder adultery such other horrible sinnes which the Lord turne away from our Churches preserue that poore remnant emonges the damnable multitude which serue and worship him according to his word By these two latter verses we are admonished first how euery Christian ought to regard him which is his fellow in faith and religion that is to say as his brother and neighbour Then also why he ought to haue a harty loue and zeale to the Church and congregation of the faithful For my brethren saith Dauid and for my neighbours And againe for the house of the Lord our god These two thinges ought to be considered in the Churche of christ In it are our brethren and neighbours in it is the house of God yea rather it is the house of God it selfe in the which are the children of God and true brethren O happy is he and a right Christian in deede which beeing indued with the true knowledge and faith of Christ and also with that brotherly loue which is according to the spirit of the children of God can vnfainedly and hartely say For my brethren and neighbours and for the house of the Lord our God I both seeke and I wish the prosperitie and welfare of the Church of God. The 123. Psalme I lift vp mine eyes vnto thee c. This Psalme as ye see is but short and therefore a very fitte example to shew the force of prayer not to consist in many words but in feruency of spirit For great and weighty matters may be comprised in few words if they proceede from the spirit the vnspeakeable gronings of the heart especially when our necessity is such as will not suffer any long prayer Euery prayer is long enough if it be feruent proceede from a heart that vnderstandeth the necessitie of the Sainets not in such small matters as y world counteth great and weightie as pouerty losse of goods and such other worldly incommodities but when the Church is oppressed with violence and tyranny when the name of God is prophaned with wicked doctrine or if there be any thing else that either hindreth the glory of God or the saluation of soules These perils can not well be vttered in prayer and therfore the prayer of the faithfull is then most effectuous when with griefe of heart and affliction of spirite they see
fleshe although they be compassed about with such high and mightie mountaynes as touching the spirite as Satan can neuer surmount yet touching the flesh and the olde man they lye open on euery side to the dartes of Satan and of the worlde For God by these meanes will afflict and exercise the flesh that sinne the foolishnes of the flesh may be mortified in them and that spirituall wisedome and the inward man may encrease This is the cause why we are according to the flesh as a broken hedge and as a citie whose wals are cast downe and so lyeth open to the enemy on euerie side Wherefore there is no sort of men so vile and abiect which do not thinke that they may doe what they list against the true professors of the Gospell Hereof come such intollerable iniuries horrible blasphemies cruel torments and bloody slaughters of the Saincts of god For the flesh hath no walls no munitions to defend it but the spirite Therfore the flesh is in daunger to al stormes and tempests broken troden downe of the wicked as Esay sayth chap. 51. VVhich haue sayd vnto thy soule Bow downe that we may go ouer Thou hast layed thy body as the ground and as the streete to them that went ouer These afflictions we must needes suffer and by patience ouercome them withall we must beware that by these outward afflictions the inward man be not weakened or ouercome resting in this assured hope and trust that the Lord will neuer forsake vs but that we are in the bosome of the father and are closed within most sure and strong holds So that now although our goodes our wiues our children yea and our liues also be taken from vs yet we shall neuer be spoyled of our Christ by whome we are so surely defended that in the middes of all our tentations he will make away for vs to escape or else geue vs strength to beare them Thus we see what consolations the holy Ghost setteth forth vnto them which beleue the word For vnto such as looke for a better life then this all thinges are here full of calamities and miseries Death followeth death as Paule sayth and we continually dye One tentation followeth an other vntill at the length by the death of the flesh all miseries shall cease and haue an ende This verse therefore maketh much for our comfort admonishing vs that we must suffer many troubles yet so that at the length we shall be safe and sette at libertie from them all though not in this life yet in the life to come and in eternall life And why should we not thus boldely promise vnto our selues remayning vnder this diligent custody of the Angells yea of the Lord him selfe which is alwayes round about his people But here as before I sayd we haue neede of fayth that we may iudge herein not according to our present troubles and tentations but according to the word of promise And what should we neede any promises if there were no tentations which tentations whether they be within in the spirit or without in the fleshe the time shall come when we through Christ shall haue full victory hereof as this verse full of sweete consolation doth promise vnto vs. Notwithstanding this promise seemeth incredible both to vs which suffer and also to them which persecute and afflict vs For if we behold the same with our outward eyes what can be more false yea the contrary seemeth to be most true Behold our Sauiour Christ was he not so forsaken hanging vpon the crosse that the rod or scepter of the wicked rested vpon him Did it not rest likewise vpon the Prophets the Apostles and other holy Martyrs This matter then if we consider it with our outward eyes hath an other meaning then the wordes doe import For they promise that the scepter of the wicked shall haue no power ouer the godly and yet all stories and examples doe testifie the contrary Therefore the holy Ghost calleth vs backe to the purpose counsell of God reueiled in his word and commaundeth vs to wey and consider not what we suffer and with our outward eyes behold but what is decreed with the Lord in heauen And he that can so sequestre him selfe from the beholding of his afflictions and tentations and yeld him selfe wholy ouer to the will of God there rest is a right diuine yea he that is ignorant hereof in true diuinitie knoweth nothing at al. For what knoweth he which is ignorant that God is such a God as will not suffer the godly to be oppressed of the wicked For seeing he hath sayd I am the Lorde thy God he will neuer suffer that which is his owne to be wrested either by the world or by the gates of hell out of his hands If he then abide and continue they shall also continue for euer which are his Thus to beleeue and thus to lay hold on thinges inuisible is true diuinitie and true spirituall wisedom in deede whereupon we may ground this proposition out of the inuisible counsell of God God hateth the wicked loueth the iust ergo he will damne and destroy the wicked and wil deliuer and saue the iust And here we see that which is the chiefest thing in all the Psalmes and Prophets to spring out of the first precept I am the Lorde thy God. Now haue we to learne how we may apply this verse rightly and to our comforte For true diuinitie consisteth in vse and practise We are vexed on euery side with cruell Bishops wicked Princes and others which hate the word of God and the doctrine which we professe But these are very trifles if ye compare them with those vexations which Satan sinne and our owne infirmitie raise vppe in our consciences We must learne therefore thus to iudge of all these thinges that they are the rodde or scepter of the wicked and to set the Lorde against them reueiling his will here in his word and pronouncing that he will not suffer the scepter of the wicked to rest vpon the godly Seeing then the same Prince promiseth thus much vnto vs which hath all thinges in his hand what can we require more For the will of God is certaine that though he suffer vs to be afflicted yet will he not see vs troden vnder foote or perish Thus must we apply these sweete consolations What the rodde signifieth in the scripture it is wel knowne Children when they are yong are corrected with a rodde when they waxe bigger with a wand or a cudgell and if they will not so amende then followeth the yron rodde Hereof it commeth that the rodde signifieth all power and rule whiche is for the amendement and correction of such as doe offende So is it taken in the 110. Psalme The Lord shall send forth the rodd of thy power out of Sion That is to say thy kingdome For there he signifieth such a rodde wherby kingdoms and people are gouerned On this wise the
sort For albeit in this Psalme he ioyneth houshold gouernment or matrimony with polycie and politike gouernment and wisheth the blessing of God and peace vnto them both yet hath he here a more respect to housholde gouernment because it is as it were the fountaine and beginning of politike gouernment For the children which we bring vp and instructe at home the posteritie will afterwardes make gouerners of the common weale For of houses are made cities of cities shires of shires a common weale or kingdome Housholde gouernment therefore is called the fountaine of policie politike gouernment For where housholdes and familyes are not maintained there can be no Citie no common weale no kingdome Wherefore to this Psalme we will giue this title that it is an holy hymme or a song in the praise of matrimony whereby the Prophets comforteth such as liue in that holye state wishing vnto them and promising all felicitie and blessinges of god These things may afterwarde be also applyed vnto polytike gouernment For as God blesseth matrimony because it is the ordinance of God and a kinde of life which highly pleaseth God euen so is the Magistrate also ordayned of God and hath a certaine promise of the blessing of God. And here appeareth the wisedome of the holy Ghost which hideth from vs those thinges that in this kind of life are greuous or odious and speaketh onely of those which are most meete to perswade and are good thinges in deede The world doth the contrarie For it is not onely ignoraunt of the good things which are in matrimony but also if it see any such it estemeth them as nothing because of the troubles which presently it feeleth No maruel is it therefore that when wicked men speake of this kind of life they speake after an other sort with other words then the holy ghost is wont to speake For they follow the sense and iudgement of the flesh onely and see nothing else either in ciuill gouernment or in matrimony and housholde affaires but those things which seeme to be painfull hard and full of trouble And not onely so doe but those thinges also which in these kindes of life are diuine and heauenly in deede they doe not perceiue because of those small troubles and discommodities which touch the flesh And hereof come these sayings There is no citie without a burde◠that is without a woman A wife is a necessary euill To bury a wife is better then to marry her If we could be without women we shoulde be without great troubles And such other like sayinges tending to the dispraise and reproch of women The cause why men doe thus peruersely iudge is this that the flesh is to poysoned with originall sinne that it can not be content to beare the punishmentes of sinne It seeketh after such thinges as are sweete and pleasaunt but troubles and trauells it can not beare Wherefore either it flieth altogither from matrimony and all ciuill affaires as the Epicures and bellygods doe or else abuseth the same to his owne lust and pleasure So blind is it through originall sinne with the desire of pleasures ▪ glory and riches Necessary it was therefore to apply some medicine vnto our corrupt nature and somewhat to represse and to bridle the wanton fleshe with those troubles which are both in matrimony and in ciuill affaires Wherefore when we reade these praises of matrimony in the holy Scripture and compare them with the iudgement of man we shall see the one to be clene contrary to the other We must say therefore that these thinges are true according to the spirite but according to the flesh they are not true So where he sayth afterwards of the godly married man Thou shalt be blessed it shall be well with thee the flesh thinketh the contrary and iudgeth the married person to be most miserable and most vnhappy because he is constrayned to get his liuing with great labour and trauell For the world knoweth not the thinges that pertaine to the holye Ghost and the good things and great blessinges of God that are in matrimony it seeth not but resteth onely in the creature and seeth not God creating gouerning and blessing the creature Contrariwise the holy Ghost loketh to the creator magnifieth the blessing of God although it be ouerwhelmed with neuer so many afflictions and tentations And for the troubles and discommodities that are incidēt to these kinds of life either he couereth them or else he maketh them lesse then they be And this the world can not doe The wisest men therefore as in histories we may see did refuse to beare office in the common weale or to deale in publike affaires The same thing commeth to passe also in matrimony For yong men will hardly suffer this yoke to be layd vpon them as the olde man sayth of them in the Poet. They sayth he which are in loue he meaneth vnchast loue and fleshly lust can not abide to heare of mariage They wil not forsake their filthy pleasures to liue chastly in holy matrimony And if there be any which thorough vehement loue are brought vnder this yoke when they see no such successe thereof as they looked for but that some troubles or other doe follow which they being blinded with loue could not foresee then they complaine then they repent that euer they brought them selues into such bondage hereupon it followeth that the husband will rather beare with all wickednes in an harlot a strumpet then with any litle fault in his owne wife as also the wife except she be very godly will sooner winke at the wickednes of an adulterer then at the small offences of her owne husband For nature can not beare these yokes if men be not well instructed by the word and lightned by the holy Ghost and so looke vnto the creator who hath ordeyned both families and common weales will haue them to be gouerned and guided by this miserable and frayle flesh They that haue not this knowledge are soone prouoked to impatiencie when they see that all thinges haue not such successe as they would Wherefore euen such as are godly minded must be taught exhorted and stirred vp to behold some thing aboue beyonde these troubles reiecting the iudgement of the wise men of this world and to looke to the true and inestimable good thinges which God hath hidden in these kindes of life Then shall they more easily beare their troubles and shew their obedience vnto God when he sendeth diuerse tentations And to this ende we will enterprete this Psalme this mariage song that we may behold those spirituall good things which God hath hidden in matrimony esteme the same accordingly to the end that we be not like to this world which seeth the works of God and yet doth not vnderstand them and heareth the blessing and sweete promises of God and doth not beleue them Verse 1. Blessed are all they which feare the Lord and walke in his wayes
not in their riches their wisedom and policie Moreouer he forewarneth them what discommoditie they should finde in matrimony namely that they must worke and liue with the labor of their owne handes Nowe where there is a lust remayning in the flesh which ioyneth man and wife togither yet is not this the principall knot For such occasions and such troubles may follow whereby this knotte may soone be loosed But these are the true knots of matrimony to know that euen this labour of thy handes and care for thy family are an acceptable sacrifice vnto God that the wife when she giueth the breast vnto her infant the husband when he laboureth vntill he sweate and tyereth his body with labour to succour him and his doth such seruice vnto God as farre passeth all the seruice and all the worshippings of the Pope and his religious rout For marke I pray you what the Prophet sayth Thou shalt be blessed and it shall be well with thee This consolation therefore is very necessary against this offence and this peruerse iudgement of the world to the ende that they which are married may know that God hath ordeyned this kind of life and that in it they should labour and sweate and beare the malediction of originall sinne which malediction began in paradise and is layed vppon vs all and moreouer that they should know that the holy Ghost pronounceth them blessed which are diligent in their calling and labour cheerefully These things are suche as are able to encourage the godly to beare willingly all troubles and miseries what so euer For what canst thou desire more First thou hearest that God will so blesse thy labours that thereby he will giue thee a liuing and all things necessary for this life Moreouer thou hearest that he hath a pleasure in thy labour and approneth the same yea and accounteth it for a most acceptable sacrifice For it is not labour alone but a worke of obedience and of thy vocation These thinges the wicked know not therefore either they seeke ease and rest or else if they must needes labour they are very impatient For they doe not see with the eyes of the spirite but iudge all togither according to the eyes of the flesh which eyes can see nothing but troubles and miseries But the spirite reyseth vp and comforteth the godly with this comfort that God will both blesse them by the meanes of their labour for if he giue any thing to those which are idle and slothfull he giueth it but to their destruction and that this sweate this trauell pleaseth God highly Here are two great commodities for one discommoditie which the flesh seeth onely and no more But here we must note that this is not called labour only when the body is exercised and weeried but the care and trouble of the mind is also a labour For the Prophet vseth here such a word as signifieth not onely that labour which is done with the hande but also the discommodities the sorrowes and vexations wich in our labour and with our labour we doe susteyne Such troubles in families and housholdes doe chaunce very often Many tymes it commeth to passe that when the husband doth his duetie carefully and diligently his wife is vnquiet and ful of strife his children fal sicke his seruaunts are not onely negligent but also deceitful and vnfaithful These thinges we call not labours but sorowes and vexations and yet notwithstanding the Prophet comprehendeth both vnder the name of labour So that whether we seeme to bee afflicted either in doing or in suffering that is either in bodily labour or vexation of the mind all this shoulde we patiently endure think that God hath not giuen vs this life that we should spende it in ease in idlenes and vaine pleasures For this cause he sayth to the woman I will multiply thy sorrowes whiles thou art with child and in sorrow shalt thou bring forth children For great are the sorrowes and the troubles of a woman euen before her trauell also And in her trauell how neare death is she Likewise he saith vnto the man Cursed is the earth for thy sake In sorrowe shalt thou eate of it all the dayes of thy life Here thou seest that this labour and this sorrowe is appoynted to endure not for a day or a yeare but for all the time of thy life Here will some man say If it be so it is better to be vnmarried to liue in whoredom Proue and see whether thou canst bring thy selfe out of these troubles Nay in so doing thou shalt more miserably entangle thy self therein and heape more horrible calamities vppon thine owne heade For by this meanes thou shalt procure vnto thy selfe the wrath of God and an euill conscience and thyne owne hart shall condemne both thee and thy deuilish life For whilest thou followest the pleasures of the flesh thou shalt fall into the bitternes of the spirit and what that is thou shalt feele when the time commeth For one droppe as you would say of an euil conscience swalloweth vp a whole sea of worldly ioyes and pleasures How wilt thou then do when through thy wicked life thou shalt be compelled to suffer the torment and vexation of conscience not for one day but for many yeares On the other side where as a merry and a quiet conscience is being wel perswaded of the fauour and blessing of God there is also euerlasting ioy which doth so swallowe vppe those droppes of worldly sorrowes and troubles as the heate of the Sunne consumeth morning dewe Is it not then a greate madnes so to feare and to shunne those small droppes litle sparkes of labour when thou seest that God hath seasoned and sweetned them with moste sweete and pleasaunt sugar in that he saith here to all those that laboure and suffer the discommodities and troubles of matrimony Thou art blessed it shall be wel with thee That is where as thou art placed in this kind of life wheras thou labourest and art many wayes troubled tempted and afflicted and sufferest nowe this trouble nowe that this doth not onely please me but to thee also it is very profitable that by this meanes the flesh may be mortified and originall sinne suppressed and thou in matrimony as in a schole maist learne this heauenly wisedome namely to abyde and endure the will of God patiently and mayest haue thereby a thousand occasions to declare the patience and loue which out of matrimony and in the single life thou could neuer haue They that so liue in matrimony when they are moste miserable are euen then most happy and blessed Contrariwise they that doe not so liue are moste miserable For they suffer the labours troubles which this life can not be without in such sort that they ioyne sorowe to sorowe one calamitie to an other Hereof riseth strife and variance betwene the husband and the wife Hereof it commeth that the one so abhorreth the other that
holy place must offer vp pure and holy prayers So saith S. Paule also lifting vp pure hands c. for else ye shall pray in vaine Pure hands signifie innocencie from blood extortion spoile robbery The Prophet therfore setteth forth here two sortes of men comming to the temple praying Some there be that come and pray in innocencie and holines Some againe pray in hipocrisie hauing their hands defiled with blood The prayer of such is sinne as the Psalme sayth Paul teacheth in like maner concerning prayer Pray saith he without wrath or doubting Also our Sauiour Christ saith If thou bring thy gift to the altar and there remembrest that thy brother hath ought against thee goe thy way and first be reconciled to thy brother and then come and offer thy gift For this is a common thing that hypocrites when they haue done all the iniury they can against their brethren are not only without all remorse of coÌ„science but also they make a great shew of religion and holines bragge of the Gospell more then the true Christians doe Against these the psalme speaketh warneth them that when they pray in the holy place they ought to be pure holy For who so euer praieth is possessed with the sinne of couetousnes fleshly lust or any other deuil to him the Lord sayth VVhat hast thou to do to declare mine ordinances that thou shouldest take my couenant in thy mouth seeing thou hatest to be reformed and hast cast my words behinde thee For when thou seest a theefe thou runnest with him thou art partaker with the adulterers c. Such was the prayer of the Pharisey which departed out of the temple vniustified For this is a common euil among men that they which are most impure wicked doe glory more of God his word then such as are godly feare God in deede Wherfore the Scripture expresly declareth that such there be as take the name of God in their mouths and yet in hart life are polluted and wicked And in this place the prophet inueyeth against hipocriets whiche thinke that when they pray God seeth not the vncleannes of their hart This is therfore a necessary prayer the first God would giue vnto vs his word defend the same against all vaine spirits heresies and secondly that he would preserue vs in innoceÌ„cie keepe vs from hipocrisie Verse 3. The Lord that hath made heauen earth blesse thee out of Sion As touching Sion we haue sayd before that God would haue not only certeine ceremonies certeine persons but also a certein place for his seruice worship lest the people should wander vncerteinly and choose vnto them selues peculiar places to worship God in Now for as much as this thing was not without offence for what can be more absurd and contrary to reason then that the God of heauen and earth should be shut vppe in that darkenes therefore to confirme their mindes herein he sayth that the Lord which dwelleth in Sion is the maker of heauen and earth This haue we often declared and necessary it is that it should be often repeted lest we should chose vnto our selues straunge and peculiar kindes of worship For as in the olde Testament there was a certaine place certeine persons and certeine times to the which God had bound as you would say his seruice so we in the newe Testament do find the father in christ In Christ the father is worshipped but without Christ he can neither be worshipped nor found but what so euer is deuised for the seruice of God without Christ is damnable and accursed The summe and effect therefore of all togither is this O ye Priestes ye Pastors and Ministers of the word to you I speake you I do admonish that ye follow the word faithfully and do your office purely For whiles the word and the ministery are sound vncorrupt there is nothing that can hurt vs For although Satan the world do assaile vs what then If God be with vs who can be against vs Let this be therefore your speciall care and endeuour that the word may remaine pure and vncorrupt and pray that the Lord would assist you herein and blesse your labours for of all the blessinges of God this is the greatest Which might be sayd in moe wordes but let this suffice Now it is our duetie likewise in this light of the worde to endeuour by all meanes to doe the same lest that through our vnthankfulnes the worde be taken from vs againe and to pray for the Churches that God would blesse them for Iesus Christ his sonnes sake our Lord our Redemer Amen THE ENDE The word must be continually exercised because of the continuall tentations whereof we are in daunger The lothiÌ„g and fulnes of Gods worde After the lothing of the word commeth contempt and then Gods plague The argumeÌ„t of the Psalm The Psalmes pray in two respctes agaynst Satan Satan how he is a murtherer How he is a lyer Our first parents deceiued by lying The authors of wicked doctrine are incorrigible Arius Proteus was one that could chauÌ„ge him selfe into diuers formes as nowe into a beast nowe into a tree and now into some other thing else Against heresies we must fight especially with prayer Inward tribulation and affliction of the soule The vse and practise of faith Howe the mindes of men must be stirred vp to prayer Tribulation stirreth men vp to prayer Luther writeth that which he hath proued by experieÌ„ce The necessitie of prayer set forth vnto vs in the Lords prayer Prayer is a seruice of God. How poore afflicted consciences are to be comforted which dare not call vnto the Lord. The prayers of the Papistes Nothing more hard then to pray God the hearer of praiers The saying of Bernard God giueth not alwayes that we pray for The prayer of yong children The godly youth in that reformed church being brought vp in the nâ—rture of the lord coÌ„tinuall catechising may shame al our reformation where the youth is so godles for lacke therof Howe God heareth our prayers Wicked doctrine A liuely picture of the Deuill The commoÌ„ people are the framehowse or workehowse of the deuill Deut. 29. Coles Iuniper The fire of the heretikes is more swift then the fire of the holy Ghost Luther prophecieth Kedar and Mesech signifie the enemies of the church Luke 11. The argument of the Psalme This Psalme containeth the doctrine of faith A coÌ„paring of contraries The commendation of faith Idolatry prospereth and flourisheth for a time Humane helps and comforts The help of the Lord. Why he sayth to the hills and not to the Lord. Our mountayne Trust affiance in the helpe succour of the Lord. Remedies in afflictions The iudgement of the word in afflictions must onely be followed The history of Iulian and Athanasius The exercise of faith Experience and practise maketh a right Christian The