seruant that vnderstandeth is acceptable to the king he that is vnprofitable shal susteyne his anger ANNOTATIONS CHAP. XIIII 12. A vvay vvhich semeth iust If anie Iewes Turkes or Heretikes lead a moral good life in this world it semeth both to themselnes and to other rude people tha◠they are in a right way of saluation but their error in faith leadeth them to eternal damnation 30 Health of the hart As soundnes of the hart conserueth the rest of the same bodie in life so a pure intention often excuseth from mortal sinne as in errours committed of probable not of grosse nor affected ignorance But secrete enuie in the hart infecteth and putrifieth mans actions and destroyeth the workes that semed good which can no more endure strict examination in the day of iudgement then a rotten cloth can abide washing CHAP. XV. A soft answer breaketh anger and a hard word rayseth vp furie †The tongue of the wise adorneth knowlege the mouth of fooles boyleth forth follie †In euerie place the eies of our Lord behold the good and the euil †A peaceable tongue is a tree of life but that which is immoderate shal breake the spirite †A foole scorneth the discipline of his father but he that regardeth reprehensions shal become more prudent In abundant iustice there is greatest force but the cogitations of the impious shal be rooted out †The house of the iust is very much strength and in the fruites of the impious is perturbation †The lippes of the wise shal sow knowlege the hart of fooles shal be vnlike †The victimes of the impious are abominable to our Lord the vowes of the iust are acceptable †The way of the impious is abomination to our Lord he that foloweth iustice is beloued of him †The doctrine is euil of them that forsake the way of life he that hateth reprehensions shal dye †Hel and perdition are before our Lord how much more the hartes of the children of men †The pestilent man loueth not him that rebuketh him nor goeth to the wise †A glad hart cheereth the face in pensifnes of minde the spirit is cast downe †The hart of the wise seeketh doctrine and the mouth of fooles is fed with vnskilfulnes †Al the dayes of the poore are euil a secure minde is as it were a continual feast †Better is a litle with the feare of our Lord then great treasures and vnsatiable †It is better to be called to herbes with charitie then to a fatted calfe with hatred †An angrie man stirreth brawles he that is patient appeaseth those that are raised †The way of the slothsul is as an hedge of thornes the way of the iust is without offence †A wise sonne maketh the father ioyful and the foolish man despiseth his mother †Follie is ioy to a soole and the wiseman directeth his steppes †Cogitations are dissipated where there is no counsel but where manie counsellers are they are confirmed †A man reioyceth in the sentence of his mouth and a word in due time is best †The path of life aboue the lerned that he may decline from the lawest hel Our Lord wil destroy the house of the proude and wil make sure the borders of the widow †Euil cogitations are an abomination to our Lord and pure speach most beautiful shal be confirmed of him †He that pursueth auarice disturbeth his house but he that hateth giftes shal liue By mercie and faith sinnes are purged and by the feare of our Lord euerie one declineth from euil †The minde of the iust meditateth obedience the mouth of the impious redoundeth with euils †Our Lord is far from the impious and he wil heare the prayers of the iust †The light of the eies reioyceth the soule a good name fatteth the bones The eare that heareth the reprehensions of life shal abide in the middes of the wise †He that reiecteth discipline despiseth his soule but he that yeldeth to reprehensions is a possessour of the hart †The feare of our Lord the discipline of wisdom and humilitie goeth before glorie CHAP. XVI IT “ perteyneth to man to prepare the hart and to our Lord to gouerne the tongue †Al the wayes of man are open to his eies our Lord is the weigher of spirites †Reueale thy workes to our Lord and thy cogitations shal be directed †Our Lord hath wrought al thinges for himself the impious also to the euil day †Euerie arrogant man is an abomination to our Lord although hand shal be to hand he is not innocent The beginning of a good way is to doe iustice and it is more acceptable with God then to immolate hostes †By mercie and truth iniquitie is redemed and in the feare of our Lord euil is auoided †When the wayes of man shal please our Lord he wil conuert also his enemies to peace †Better is a litle with iustice then much fruite with iniquitie †The hart of man disposeth his way but it perteyneth to our Lord to direct his progresse †Diuination is in the lippes of the king his mouth shal not erre in iudgement †Weight and balance are iudgements of our Lord and his worke al the stones of the bagge †They are abominable to the king that doe impiously because the throne is established by iustice †The wil of kinges are iust lippes he that speaketh right thinges shal be beloued †The kings indignation messengers of death and the wise man wil pacifie it †In the cherfulnes of the kings countenance is life and his clemencie is as the later showre †Possesse wisdom because it is better then gold and gette prudence because it is more precious then siluer †The path of the iust auoideth euils the keper of his soule kepeth his way †Pride goeth before destruction and before ruine the spirit shal be exalted †It is better to be humbled with the meeke then to diuide spoyles with the proude †The lerned in word shal finde good thinges and he that hopeth in our Lord is blessed †He that is wise in hart shal be called prudent and he that is sweete in speach shal finde greater thinges †A fountaine of life the lerning of him that possesseth it the doctrine of fooles foolishnes †The hart of the wife shal instruct his mouth and shal adde grace to his lippes †Wel set wordes are a honie combe swetnes of the foule the health of the bones †There is a way that seemeth to a man right and the later endes therof lead to death †Thee soule of him that laboureth doth labour to himself because his mouth hath compelled him
be done †Nothing vnder the sunne is new neither is anie man able to say Behold this is new for it hath already gone before in the ages that were before vs. †There is no memorie of former thinges but neither of those thinges verily which hereafter are to come shal there be remenbrance with them that shal be in the later end †I Ecclesiastes haue bene king of Israel in Ierusalem †and haue proposed in my mind to seke and search wisely of al thinges that are done vnder the sunne This very euil occupation hath God geuen to the children of men that they might be occupied in it †I haue sene al thinges that are done vnder the sunne and behold al are vanitie affliction of spirit †The peruerse are hardly corrected and the number of fooles is infinite †I haue spoken in my hart saying Loe I haue bene made great and haue gone beyond al in wisdom that were before me in Ierusalem and my minde hath contemplated manie thinges wisely and I haue lerned †And I haue geuen my hart to know prudence and doctrine and errors and follie and I haue perceiued that in these also there was labour and affliction of spirite †for that “ in much wisdom there is much indignation and he that addeth knowlege addeth also labour ANNOTATIONS CHAP. I. 18. In much vvisdom is much indignation How much more anie man profiteth in wisdom so much more he is angrie with himself for the euils which he hath done so much better he knovveth the strict iudgement of God which he must passe so much more he vnderstandeth the vvant of perfect vvisdom so much more he seeth that labour is required to procede in vertue and to conserue that smal portion vvhich he hath gotten Neither is anie man ordinarily assured that he hath gotte anie part of true vvisdom for he knovveth not vvhether he be vvorthie of loue or hate Eccle. 9. CHAP. II. Humane deligthes are al vaine 4. as gorgious buildinges fruitful vinyards plentie of fish cattle seruantes siluer gold musike 11. not satisfying mans desire 18. Neither can anie man know how his heyre wil behaue himself ISayde therfore in my hart I wil goe flow in delightes and enioy good thinges And I saw that this also was vanitie †Laughter I haue reputed errour and to ioy I haue saide Why art thou deceiued in vaine †I haue thought in my hart to withdraw my flesh from wine that I might transferre my minde to wisdom and might auoid follie til I might see what should be profitable for the children of men what is nedeful to be done vnder the sunne in the number of the dayes of their life †I haue magnified my workes I haue built me houses planted vineyards †I haue made gardens and orchards and set them with trees of al kindes †and I haue made me ponds of waters to watter the wood of springing trees †I haue possessed menseruants and wemenseruants and haue had a great familie heardes also and great flockes of shepe aboue al that were before me in Ierusalem †I haue heaped together to myself siluer and gold and the substance of kinges and prouinces I made me singingmen singingwemen and the delightes of the children of men cuppes and goblets to serue to powre out wines †and I surpassed in riches al that were before me in Ierusalem wisdom also hath perseuered with me †And al thinges that myne eies desired I haue not denied to them neither haue I stayed my hart but that it enioyed al pleasure delighted itself in these thinges which I had prepared and this I estemed my portion if I did vse my labour †And when I had turned myself to al the workes which my handes had done to the laboures wherin I had swette in vaine I saw in al thinges vanitie and affliction of minde nothing to be permanent vnder the sunne †I passed further to contemplate wisdom and errors and follie what is man quoth I that he can folow the king his Maker †and I saw that wisdom so much excelled follie as light differeth from darknes †The eyes of a wiseman are in his head the foole walketh in darknes and I haue lerned that there was one death of both †And I sayd in my hart If the fal of the foole myne shal be one what doth it profite me that I haue bestowed greater labour for wisdom And speaking with my minde I perceiued that this also was vanitie †For there shal be no memorie of the wise in like maner as of the foole for euer and the times to come shal couer al thinges together with obliuion the lerned dieth in like maner as the vnlerned †And therfore I haue bene wearie of my life seing al thinges vnder the sunne to be euil and al thinges vanitie and affliction of spirite †Againe I detested al myne industrie wherwith I haue laboured vnder the sunne most studiously being like to haue an heyre after me †whom I know not whether he wil be a wiseman or a foole and he shal rule in my labours wherewith I haue swette and haue bene careful and is there anie thing so vaine †Wherfore I ceased and my hart hath renounced to labour anie more vnder the sunne †For whereas one laboreth in wisdom and doctrine and carefulnes he leaueth the thinges gotten to an idle man and this therfore is vanitie and great euil †For what profite shal be to a man of al his labour and affliction of spirite wherwith he is vexed vnder the sunne †Al his daies are ful of sorowes and miseries neither by night doth he rest in minde and is not this vanitie †Is it not better to eate and drinke and shew vnto his soule good thinges of his laboures this is of the hand of God †Who shal so deuour and flow with delightes as I †To a man good in his sight God hath geuen wisdom and knowlege and ioy but to the sinner he hath geuen affliction and superfluous care to adde and to gather together and deliuer it to him that hath pleased God but this also is vanitie vaine carefulnes of the minde CHAP. III. Contrarie thinges succede in their seasons and passe away 9. wherof man getteth no perfect knowlege how long soeuer he liueth and laboreth to know them 16. neither wil there be equitie where it ought to be in this world 21. but in the next good and euil shal be separated and iudged according to their desertes AL thinges haue a time and in their spaces al thinges passe vnder heauen †A time to be borne a time to dye A time to plant a time to pluck vp that which was planted †A time to kil and a time to heale A time to destroy and a time to builde †A time to wepe a time to laugh A time to mourne
that neither running is of the swift nor warre of the strong nor bread of the wise nor riches of the lerned nor grace of the artificers but time and chance in al. †Man knoweth not his owne end but as fishes are taken with the hooke and as birdes are caught with the snare so men are taken in the euil time when it shal sudenly come vpon them †This wisdom also I haue sene vnder the sunne and haue proued it to be very great †A litle citie and few men in it there came against it a great king and compassed it and builded fortes round about and the siege was perfired †And there was found in it a man poore and wise and he deliuered the citie by his wisdom and no man afterward remembred that pooreman †And I sayd that wisdom is better then streingth how then was the wisdom of the pooreman contemned his wordes were not heard †The wordes of the wise are heard in silence more then the crie of a prince among fooles †Better is wisdom then weapons of warre and he that shal offend in one point shal lose manie good thinges CHAP. X. Considering the great difference betwen wisdom and follie 4. it behoueth to resist vehement tentations diligently 5. As when euil ignorant men haue auctoritie ouer the wise 8. The wicked often fal into their owne snares 10. are hard yet not vnpossible to be corrected 11. Detracters are like serpents 12. wise graue princes are profitable childish are hurtful to the commonwealth 18. which by their negligence tendeth to ruine 20. yet subiectes ought not to iudge euil of them FLIES dying marre the sweetnes of ointment Wisdom and glorie is more precious then a litle and temporal follie †The hart of a wiseman is in his righthand and the hart of a foole is in his lefthand †Yea and the foole walking in the way wheras himself is vnwise estemeth al men fooles †If the spirite of him that hath powre ascend vpon thee leaue not thy place because carefulnes wil make the greatest sinnes to cease †There is an euil that I haue sene vnder the sunne as it were by errour proceding from the face of the prince †a foole set in high dignitie and the rich to sitte beneth †I haue sene seruants vpon horses and princes walking on the ground as seruants †He that diggeth a pitte shal fal into it and he that breaketh the hedge a serpent shal bite him †He that remoueth stones shal be afflicted in them and he that cutteth trees shal be wounded of them †If the iron shal be blunt and that not as before but shal be made blunt it shal be sharpened by great labour and after industrie shal wisdom solow †If a serpent bite in silence nothing lesse then it hath he that detracteth seoâ—etly †The wordes of the mouth of a wiseman grace and the lippes of the vnwise shal throw him downe headlong †The beginning of his wordes is follie and the later end of his mouth is most wicked errour †A foole multiplieth wordes A man is ignorant what hath bene before him and what shal be after him who can tel him †The labour of fooles shal afflict them that know not to goe into the cittie †“ Woe to thee ô land whose king is a childe and whose princes eate in the morning †Blessed is the land whose king is noble whose princes eate in their time to refection and not to riotousnes †In slouthfulnes the roofe of the house shal goe to ruine in the infirmitie of the handes the house shal droppe through †They make bread for laughter and wine that liuing they may make merie and to money al thinges obey †In thy cogitation detract not from the king and in the secret of thy chamber curse not the richman because euen the birdes of the ayre wil carie thy voice and he that hath winges wil declare the sentence ANNOTATIONS CHAP. X. 16 VVoe to thee o land vvhose king is a childe S. Ierom as in most part of his commentaries vpon this booke expoundeth this passage in two senses simply according to the first apparance of the letter and mystically concerning the Church The wiseman semeth in dede sayth he to reproue the principalitie of yongmen and to condemne luxurious iudges for that in the one by want of age is infirme wisdom in the other mature age is weakened by delicacies And contrary wise he approueth a prince of good partes liberal education commendeth those Iudges which do not preferre voluptuousnes before publique affayres but after great labour and administration of the commonwealth are constrained as by necessitie to take meate Yet to me saith this great Doctor something more sacred semeth to lye hidde in the letter that in Scripture they are called yongmen who forsake old auctoritie and contemne ancient precepts of forefathers who neglecting Gods commandment desire to establish traditions of men Touching which points our Lord threatneth Israel by Isaias for that this people hath refused the water of Siloe that runneth with silence and hath turned away the old fishpond choosing the streames of Samaria and gulfes of Damascus I wil geue yongmen to be their princes and deluders shal rule ouer them Read Daniel Thou shalt finde God ancient of dayes Read the Apocalips of S. Iosu Thou shalt finde the head of our Sauiour white as snow and as white wool Ieremie also because he was wise and grauitie was reputed in his wisdom was forbid to cal himself a childe VVoe therfore to the land whose king is the diuel who alwayes couering nouelties rebelled in Absalom against the father VVoe to that land whose Iudges and Princes loue the pleasures of this vvorld VVho vntil the day of death come say Let vs eate and drinke for to morow we shal dye Contrarivvise blessed is the land of the Church vvhose King is Christ the Sonne of the freeborne descending from Abraham Isaac and Iacob the stock of Prophetes and of al Saintes ouer vvhom sinne ruled not and for that cause they vvere truly free of vvhom vvas borne the holie Virgin Marie more free hauing no shrubbe nor branch out of the side but her vvhole fruite sprungforth into a floure saying in the Canticles I am the floure of the filde the lillie of the valles The princes also of this land are the Apostles and al sainctes vvho haue their king the sonne of the freeborne the sonne of the freevvoman not of the bondvvoman Agar but borne of the freedom of Sara Neither do they eate in the morning nor quickly For they seke not pleasure in this present vvorld but shal eate in their due time vvhen the time of revvard shal come and they shal eate in fortitude and not in confusion Al the good of this present vvorld is confusion but of the future vvorld is perpetual fortitude Thus farre
banket he remembred the maister of the cupbearers and the chiefe of the bakers †And he restored the one into his place to reach him the cuppe †the other he hanged on a gibbet that the truth of the interpreter might be approued †And yet notwithstanding the chiefe of the cupbearers prosperous thinges succeeding forgat his interpreter ANNOTATIONS CHAP. XL. 8. Doth not interpretation belong to God Dreames do come of diuers causes Some of natural complexion or disposition wherby Philosophers or Phisitions may probably iudge of the state of mans bodie Some are rather effects of things past then signes of anie thing to come Of which sorte the wise man saith Dreames do folovv manie cares Eccle 5. Some are suggested by euil spirites either to flatter worldlings with great pretenses or to terrifie weake mindes with dangers and afflictions or to vexe and truble those in sleepe whom they can not easely moue waking as S. Gregorie discourseth li. 8. Moral in cap 7. Iob Some dreames are of God as in Iacob Ioseph these Eunuches Pharao Nabuchodonosor and others both good and euil men But to discerne and assuredly to iudge of some dreames whether they be from God by holie Angels or illusions of euil spirites is a special gift of God as also the interpretation therof belongeth to God as Ioseph here testifieth VVhosoeuer therfore wil be secure must relie either vpon expresse Scripture or iudgement of the Church as in ominous speaches was noted before chap. 24. Otherwise the general rule is not to obserue dreames Deut. 18. CHAP. XLI Pharao dreaming of fat and leane kine 5. also of ful and thinne eares of corne 8. no other being able to interprete 9 Ioseph is remembred 25. who interpreting the same â—8 is made ruler ouer al Aegypt 50. marieth and hath two sonnes Manasses and Ephraim AFTER two yeares Pharao saw a dreame He thought he stood vpon a riuer †out of the which came vp seuen kine faire and fat exceedingly and they fed in marish places †Other seuen also came vp out of the riuer foule and caryan leane and they fed on the very banke of the riuer in grene places †and they deuoured them that had the merucylous beautie and good state of bodies Pharao after he waked †slept againe and saw an other dreame Seuen eares of corne grew forth vpon one stalke ful and faire †there sprang also other eares as many thinne and blasted with adustion †deuouring al the beautie of the former Pharao awaking vp after his rest †and when morning was come being frighted with feare he sent to al the interpreters of Aegypt and to al the wise men and they being called for told them his dreame neither was there anie that could interprete it †Then at length the maister of the cupbearers remembring himselfe said I confesse my sinne †The king being angrie with his seruantes commanded me and the chiefe of the bakers to be cast into the prison of the captaine of the souldiers †where in one night both of vs saw a dreame portending things to come †There was there a young man an hebrew seruant to the same captaine of the souldiers to whom telling our dreames †we heard whatsoeuer afterward the euent of the thing proued to be so for I was restored to my office and he was hanged vpon a gibbet †Forthwith at the kinges commandment Ioseph being brought out of the prison they polled him and changing his apparel brought him vnto him †To whom he said I haue seene dreames and there is not anie that can expound them which I haue heard thou doest most wisely interprete †Ioseph answered Without me God shal answere prosperous thinges to Pharao †Pharao therfore told that he had seene Me thought I stoode vpon the banke of the riuer †and seuen kine came vp out of the banke of the riuer exceeding faire and ful of flesh which grazed on greene places in a marish pasture †And behold there folowed these other seuen kine so passing il fauored and leane that I neuer saw the like in the land of Aegypt †which hauing deuoured and consumed the former †gaue no token of their fulnes but with the like leanenes and deformitie looked heauelie Awaking and fallen againe into a deepe sleepe †I sawe a dreame Seuen eares of corne grew forth vpon one stalke ful and verie faire †Other seuen also thinne and blasted with adustion sprang of the stalke †which deuoured the beautie of the former I told the dreame to the coniecturers and there is no man that can declare it †Ioseph answered The kinges dreame is one God hath shewed to Pharao the thinges that he wil doe †The seuen faire kine and the seuen “ ful eares be seuen yeres of plentifulnes and both conteine the selfe same meaning of the dreame †Also the seuen leane and thinne kine that came vp after them and the seuen thinne eares and blasted with the burning winde are seuen yeares of famine to come †Which shal be fulfilled in this order †Behold there shal come seuen yeares of great fertilitie in the whole Land of Aegypt †after which shal folowe other seuen yeares of so great sterilitie that al the abundance before shal be forgotten for the famine shal consume al the land †and the greatnes of the scarsitie shal destroy the greatnes of the plentie †And in that thou didest see the second time a dreame perteining to the same thing it is a token of the certeintie for that the worde of God shal come to passe and be fulfilled spedely †Now therfore let the king prouide a wise man and industrious and make him ruler ouer the Land of Aegypt †that he may appointe ouerseers ouer al countries and gether into barnes the fifth part of the fruites during the seuen yeares of the fertilitie †that now presently shal ensewe and let al the corne be laid vp vnder Pharaoes handes and let it be reserued in the cities †And let it be in a readines against the famine of seuen yeares to come which shal oppresse Aegypt and the land shal not be consumed with scarsitie †The counsel pleased Pharao and al his seruants †and he spake to them Can we find such an other man that is ful of the spirite of God †He said therfore to Ioseph Because God hath shewed thee al things that thou hast spoken can I find a wiser and one like vnto thee †Thou shalt be ouer my house and at the commandment of thy mouth al the people shal obey only in the throne of the kingdome I wil goe before thee †And againe Pharao said to Ioseph Behold I haue appointed thee ouer the whole land of Aegypt †And he tooke his ring from his owne hand and gaue it into his hand and he put vpon him a silke roabe and put a chaine of gold about his necke †And he
that the people of God should offer sacrifice though for special purposes certaine particular sacrifices were some times appointed but this dutie obligation presupposed our Lord first admonishing to offer the best and perfectest things in euerie kind prescribeth with what rites and ceremonies it shal be done As in offering an holocaust of the heard it must be a male vvithout spotte and be offered at the dore of the tabernacle the offerer putting his handes vpon the head of the hoste the priests must offer the bloud povvring it in the circuite of the altar plucke of the skinne cut the ioyntes in peeces lay them in order the entrales and feete being vvashed burne al vpon the Altar And the like in other sacrifices al for iust and reasonable causes without which the wisdome of God doth nothing Sap. 7. Psal 103. v 24. 3. An holocaust In respect of diuers things offered the diuers maner and causes of offering there were manie sortes of Sacrifices but al are reduced to three kindes The first was Holocaust in which al was burned in the honour of God and resolued into vapour which ascendeth vpwards in signe that al we haue is of God The second was Sacrifice for sinne that of diuers sortes for the varietie of sinnes and persons and part of this sacrifice was burned the other part belonged to the Priests The third was Pacifique sacrifice wherof one part was burnt an other pertayned to the Priests and an other to them that gaue the oblation And of this kinde there were two sortes one of thanksgeuing for benefites receiued the other to procure fauoure in anie good enterprise or desire Al the which did prefigure and forshew one only Sacrifice of Chtists bodie and bloud offered by him in two maners bloudie on the Crosse once for euer wherof S. Paul expressy speaketh Heb. 9. vnbloudie in formes of bread and wine wherof the same S. Paul speaketh Heb. 13. v. 10. shewing that Christians haue an Altar and consequently a Sacrifice farre excelling those of the Tabernacle and our Sauiour him selfe Math. 26. v. 25. speaking of the contents in the chalice said it was his bloud of the nevv Testament which he then instituted and dedicated as is there noted And the ancient Fathers by Caluins confession in Heb. 9. generally vse this distinction of the same Sacrifice offered in bloudie in vnbloudie maner They likewise teach that al lawful Sacrifices of the Law of nature and of Moyses did end and were complete in this one which is our daylie Sacrifice our immaculate lâ—mâ—e our manna our libament our holocaust our Sacrifice for sinne our Pacifique Sacrifice for al purposes and in steede of al old Sacrifices So S. Augustin lib 8. c. 27. lib. 17. c. 20. de ciuit lib. 3 de Bapis c. 19. lib. 1. cont aâ—uâ—rs lâ—g ptophet c. 18. 20. S. Chrysost in Psal 95. S. Leo. ser 8. de Pass and other fathers teach 9. Svvetesauour Not that the sauour of corporal things though it were sweter then of burnt flesh and bones delighteth Gods most pure substance but for that mans frailtie in some good sorte performing his dutie is very acceptable to his diuine goodnes For otherwise he required not these Sacrifices nor other external Rites for him felf but he would haue his people for their owne good to be exercised therein especially for three causes First to kepe them from Idolatrie wherto they were very prone as appeareth by their often falling notwithstanding continual admonitions to the contrarie For being as it were burdened with manie ceremonies pertaining to Gods true seruice they might haue lesse mind leysure and occasion to serue Idols Secondly for so much as man consisteth of soule and bodie as the soule must interiorly vvorship God in spirite and veritie so the bodie must also honour him exteriorly seruing iustice vnto sanctification that is by external good workes to increase iustice and sanctitie when by them the mind is instructed and inuited to know and honoure God For otherwise saieth S Dionyse c. 1. â—alest Hiâ—rer vnles mans vnderstanding vse the helpe of corporal things diuine veritie can not be attained And S. Augustin lib. 10. c. 5 ciuit teacheth that God commanded external Sacrifices thereby to lead his seruants vnto mortified spirites contrite and humbled harts to mercie and compassion towards others In briefe c. 3. Enchir to the true and perfect seruing of his Diuine powre by faith hope and charitie Thirdly that these external Sacrifices and Rites might prefigure and signifie greater more excellent and more effectual Mysteries of the new Testament For as S. Paul speaketh Heb. 10. the lavv of Moyses hauing a shadovv of good things to come not the verie image of the things brought not to perfection nor tooke avvay sinnes by the bloud of oxen or goaâ—es but being asisâ—â—id a shadovv rather shaded then perfectly shewed the great benefites which the new law as a perfect image liuely representeth especially Christs passion which is the verie fountaine of grace and mercie And wheras the old law could not iustifie Gal. 3. the law of Christ doth in dede iustifie as the Gospel witnesseth saying Ioan 1 v. 17. The lavv vvas geuen by Moyses grace and veritie vvaâ— made by Iesus Christ CHAP. II. How to offer flovvre 4. loaues wafers with oile and incense without leauen or honie 12. also first fruictes 13. And salt in euerie oblation VVHEN a soule shal offer an oblation of sacrifice to our Lord fine flowre shal be his oblation and he shal poure oyle vpon it and put franckincense †and shal carie it to the sonnes of Aaron the priests of whom one shal take a handful of the flowre and the oile and al the franckincense and shal put it a memorial vpon the Altar for a most sweete sauour to our Lord. †And that which shal be left of the sacrifice shal be Aarons and his sonnes Holie of holies among the oblations of our Lord. †But when thou offerest a sacrifice baked in the ouen of flowre to wit loaues without leauen tempered with oyle and wafers vnleauened layd ouer with oyle †If thine oblation be of the frying panne of flowre tempered with oyle and without leuen †thou shalt diuide it in litle peeces and shalt poure oyle vpon it †And if the sacrifice be from the gridiron in like maner the flowre shal be tempered with oyle †which offering to our Lord thou shalt deliuer to the handes of the priest †Who hauing offered it shal take a memorie of the sacrifice and burne vpon the altar for a swete sauour to our Lord †and whatsoeuer is left shal be Aarons and his sonnes Holie of holies among the oblations of our Lord. †Euerie oblation that is offered to our Lord shal be made without leauen neyther shal any leauen and honie be burned in the sacrifice of our Lord. †The first fruites only of them and
the long circuites of the way †who were al circumcised But the people that was borne in the desert †during the fourtie yeares of the iourney in the wide wildernes was incircumcised til they were consumed that had not heard the voice of our Lord and to whom he had sworne before that he would not shew them a land flowing with milke and honie †The children of these succeded in the place of the fathers and were circumcised of Iosue for they were in the prepuce euen as they were borne neither had any circumcised them in the way †And after that they were al circumcised they abode in the same place of the campe vntil they were whole †And our Lord said to Iosue This day haue I taken away the reproch of Aegypt from you And the name of that place was called Galgal vntil this present day †And the children of Israel abode in Galgal they made the Phase the fourtenth day of the moneth at euen in the champion of Iericho †and they did eate of the corne of the Land the next day azyme loaues and poleÌ„t of the same yeare †And Manna failed after they did eate of the corne of the Land neither did the children of Israel vse that meate any more but they did eate of the corne of the present Land of Chanaan †And when Iosue was in the field of the citie of Iericho he lifted vp his eies and saw a man standing against him holding a drawen sword and he went to him and said Art thou ours or our aduersaries †Who answered No but I am a prince of the host of our Lord and now I come †Iosue fel flatte on the ground And “ adoring he said What speaketh my Lord to his seruant †“ Loose sayth he thy shoe from thy feete for the place wherein thou dost stand is holie And Iosue did as it was commanded him ANNOTATIONS CHAP. V. 15. Adoring Iosue knowing that the person which appeared was an Angel and not God nor a man neither adored him with godlie honour for that had bene idolatrie nor with ciuil for that perteineth to wordlie and temporal excellencie and is not competent to sacred thinges especialy to immortal and glorious spirites and therfore the honour he did to this Angel was religious honour infinitly inferior to diuine and yet much greater then ciuil 16. Loose thy shoe The Angel did not only accept of the honour donne vnto him but also required more shewing that the verie place was holie for his presence being otherwise the common field of Iericho CHAP. VI. Some priestes carying the arke others sounding Iubilee trumpetes â—râ—ed mâ—â— going before and the rest of the people folowing goe euerie day once six dayes together and the seuenth day seuen times round about Iericho 16. at last al making a great shoote the walles fal downe and they entering 〈◊〉 kil and destroy al 22. sauing Rahab and her kinred The gold siluer brasse and iron are brought into the treasurie 26. And he is cursed that shal build the citie againe AND Iericho was shut and â—ensed for feare of the children of Israel and no man durst goe out or come in †And our Lord said to Iosue Behold I haue geuen into thy handes Iericho and the king therof and al the valiant men †Goe round about the citie al you that be men of warre once a day so shal you doe six daies †And the seuenth day the priestes shal take vp the seuen trumpettes which are vsed in the Iubilee and shal goe before the arke of the couenant and you shal goe about the citie seuen times and the priestes shal sound with trumpetes †And when the voice of the trumpet shal sound in length and with a broken tune and shal sound in your eares al the people shal crie together with a verie greate shoote and the walles of the citie shal fall to the ground and they shal enter in euerie one at the place against which they shal staÌ„d †Iosue therfore the sonne of Nun called the priestes and said to them Take vp the arke of the couenant and let seuen other priestes take vp the seuen truÌ„peâ—tes of the iubilees and march before the arke of our Lord. †To the people also he said Goe and coÌ„passe the citie the armed going before the arke of our Lord. †And when Iosue had ended his wordes and the seuen priestes sounded with seuen trumpettes before the arke of the couenant of ouâ— Lord †and al the armed hoste went before the rest of the commoÌ„ people folowed the arke and al places sounded with the trumpettes †But Iosue had commanded the people saying You shal not crie neither shal your voice be heard nor any word goe out of your mouth vntil the day come wherin I shal say to you Crie and shoote †Therfore the arke of our Lord went about the citie once a day and returning into the campe abode there †Iosue therfore rysing in the night the priestes tooke the arke of our Lord †and seuen of them seuen trumpettes which are vsed in the iubilee and they went before the arke of our Lord walking and sounding and the armed people went before them and the rest of the common people folowed the arke and they sounded with trumpettes †And they went round about the citie the second day once and returned into the campe So did they six daies †But the seuenth day rysing vp early they went about the citie as it was ordained seuen times †And when in the seuenth going about the priestes sounded with the trumpettes Iosue said to al Israel Make a shoote for our Lord hath deliuered to you the citie †and let this citie be anathema and al thinges that are in it to our Lord. onlie Rahab the harlot let her liue with al that be with her in the house for she hidde the messengers whom we sent †But you beware you touch not ought of those rhinges that are commanded and be guiltie of preuarication and al the campe of Israel be vnder sinne and be trubled †But whatsoeuer gold or siluer there shal be and of brasen vessels and yron let it be consecrated to our Lord layd vp in his treasures †Therfore al the people making a shoote and the trumpettes sounding after that the voice and the sound thundred in the eares of the multitude the walles forthwith fell and euerie man went vp by the place that was against him and they tooke the citie †and killed al thinges that were in it from man to woman from the infant to the old man The oxen also and sheepe and the asses they stroke in the edge of the sword †But to the two men that had bene sent for spies Iosue said Goe into the house of the woman the harlotte and bring her forth and al thinges that be hers as you assured her by oath †And the young men
speake against vs. These thinges did Dauid and this was decreed of him al the daies that he dwelt in the countrie of the Philistians †Achis therefore did credite Dauid saying Manie euils hath he wrought against his people Israel Therefore he shal be my seruant for euer CHAP. XXVIII The Philistians fighting against Saul Dauid promiseth fidelitie to Achis 3. Saul destroyeth magicians 6. but God not answering him 7. seeketh a woman that hath a Pithon spirite 12. willeth her to raise vp Samuel 15. who appearing fortelleth him that he and his sonnes shal die the next day AND it came to passe that in those daies the Philistijms gathered together their companies that they might be prepared to battel against Israel and Achis sayd to Dauid Knowing know thou now that thou shalt goe forth with me in the campe thou and thy men †And Dauid sayd to Achis Now thou shalt know what thy seruant wil doe And Achis sayd to Dauid And I wil appoint thee keper of my head al daies †And Samuel was dead and al Israel mourned for him and buried him in Ramatha his citie And Saul tooke al the magicians and soothsayers out of the land †And the Philistijms were gathered together and came and camped in Sunam and Saul also gathered together al Israel and came into Gelboe †And Saul saw the campe of the Philistijms and feared and his hart was afrayd excedingly †And he consulted our Lord and he answered him not neither by dreames nor by priestes nor by prophetes †And Saul sayd to his seruantes Seeke me a woman that hath a pithonical spirite and I wil goe to her and wil aske by her And his seruantes sayd to him There is a woman that hath a pithonical spirite in Endor †He therefore changed his habite and was clothed with other garmentes and he went himselfe and two men with him and they came to the woman in the night and sayd to her Deuine vnto me in the pythonical spirite and raise me vp whom I shal tel thee †And the woman sayd to him Loe thou knowest what great thinges Saul hath done and how he hath raysed the magicians and sothsayers out of the land why therefore doest thou lye in waite for my life that I may be slaine †And Saul sware vnto her in our Lord saying Our Lord liueth there shal no euil happen vnto thee for this thing †And the woman sayd to him Whom shal I rayse vp to thee Who sayd Raise me vp Samuel †And when the woman had seene Samuel she cried out with a loud voice and sayd to Saul Why hast thou deceiued me for thou art Saul †And the King sayd to her Feare not what sawest thou And the woman sayd to Saul I saw Goddes coming out of the earth †And he sayd to her What maner of forme hath he who sayd An old man is come vp and he is clothed with a mantel And “ Saul vnderstood that it was Samuel and he bowed himselfe vpon his face on the earth and adored †And Samuel sayd to Saul why hast thou disquieted me that I should be raised vp And Saul sayd I am in great distresse for the Philistijms fight against me and God is departed from me and would not heare me neither in the hand of prophetes not by dreames therefore I haue called thee that thou shouldest shew me what I shal doe †And Samuel sayd Why askest thou whereas our Lord is departed from thee and is passed to thine aduersarie †For our Lord wil doe to thee as he spake in my hand and he wil cut thy kingdome out of thy hand wil geue it to thy neighbour Dauid †because thou hast not obeyed the voice of our Lord neither didst thou the wrath of his furie in Amalec Therefore that which thou sufferest hath our Lord done to thee this day †And our Lord wil geue Israel also with thee into the handes of the Philistijms and to morow thou and thy sonnes shal be with me yea the campe also of Israel wil our Lord deliuer into the handes of the Philisthijms †And forthwith Saul fel stretched forth on the ground for he feared much the wordes of Samuel and there was no strength in him because he had not eaten bread al that day †That woman therefore went vnto Saul for he was very much trubled and sayd to him Behold thy handmaide hath obeied thy voice and I haue put my life in my hand and I heard the wordes which thou spakest to me †Now therefore heare thou also the voice of thy handmaide and I wil set before thee a morsel of bread that eating thou mayest recouer strength and be able to goe on thy iourney †Who refused and sayd I wil not eate But his seruantes and the woman forced him and at length hearing their voice he arose from the ground and sate vpon the bed †And that woman had a pasture fed calfe in the house and sâ—e made hast and killed him and taking meale kneded it and baked azimes †and sette before Saul and before his seruantes who when they had eaten rose vp and walked al that night ANNOTATIONS CHAP. XXVIII 14. Saul vnderstood that it vvas Samuel It is not defined nor certaine whetherthe soule of Samuel appeared or an euil spirit tooke his shape and spake to Saul S. Augustin li. 2. q. 3. ad Simplician proposeth both the opinions as probable VVhere first he sheweth that Samuels soule might appeare either brought thither by the euil spirite which is not so much to be merueled at as that our Lord and Sauiour suffered him self to be sette vpon the pinnacle of the temple and to be caried into a high mountaine by the diuel yea to be taken prisoner bound whipped and crucified by the diuels ministers or els that the spirite of the holie prophet was not raised by force of the inchantment or anie powre of the diuel but by Gods secrete ordinance vnknowen to the pythonical woman and to Saul and so appeared in the kings presence and stroke him with diuine sentence Againe he answereth that there may be a more easie and readie sense of this place to wit that Samuels spirite or soule was not in deede raised but an imaginarie illusion made by the diuels inchantment which semed to be Samuel and which the Scripture calleth by the name of Samuel as pictures or images are commonly called those persons or thinges which they represent So when we behold pictures in a table or on a wal we say this is Cicero that is Salust that Achilles that is Rome To this effect S. Augustin discourseth more at large in the place before cited But in an other worke written after de cura pro mortuis gerenda c. 15. teaching that soules of the dead appeare sometimes to the liuing he saieth expresly Samuel the prophet being dead foretold suture thinges to King Saul yet liuing Though some be of
opinion saieth he that Samuel himself appeared not but some euil spirit tooke his similitude And this last iudgement of S. Augustin is much confirmed first by the wordes of this text literally and plainly affirming that Samuel appeared and spake to Saul and Saul to him and that Saul vnderstood orâ—nevv not only thought imagined or supposed that it vvas Samuel Secondly this apparition came sooner preuenting the inchantment and in better order then the pithonical woman expected as appeareth by her answer saying she saw God or an excellent person ascending in comelie maner and attyre whereas euil spirites vsed to appeare as the Rabbins testifie in vglie bodies with the heeles into the ayer and head downward Thirdly the Author of Ecclestasticus ch 46. amongst the prayses of Samuel the prophet saieth he slept or died and certified the King and shevved to him the end of his life VVhere it semeth clere that the same person that died denounced Gods wil and sentence to Saul Moreouer if it had bene an illusion of an euil spirite it would hardly seme anie praise at al. Fourthly the diuel could not naturally foretel that Saul and his sonnes with manie of the people should be slaine the next day and Dauid reignâ— after him neither is it probable that God reueiled such secretes to euil spirites wherby men might take more occasion to folow nicromancie Fiftly most Fathers and Doctors are of the same iudgement S. Iustinus Martyr Dialogo cum Triphone S. Basil Epist 80. ad Eustathium S. Ambrose li. 1. in Luc. 1. S. Hierom. in Isaiae 7. Iosephus li. 6. c. 15. Antiq. and manie other old and late writers The chiefest argument for the other opinion is the authoritie of Tertullian li. de anima Procopius and Eucherius vpon this place and the vncertaine authors Questionum apud Iustinum q. 52. lib. de mirabil Sac. Script and Quest vet Testamenti q. 27. apud Augustinum tomo 3. et 4. As for the Protestantes denying that soules once parted from their bodies can appeare to anie aliue S. Augustin confuteth them both by this example of Samuel supposing the booke of Ecclesiasticus to be Canonical Scripture and of Moyses being dead and Elias yet liuing whom they hold also to be dead both appearing with Christ in his transfiguration Mat. 17. CHAP. XXIX Dauid going with the Philistijms towards the warre 4. the princes vrge and force the king to send him back THEREFORE al the companies of the Philistijms were gathered together into Aphec and Israel also camped vpon the fountaine which was in Iezrahel †And the princes in dede of the Philistijms marched in hundreds and thousandes but Dauid and his men were in the last companie with Achis †And the princes of the Philistijms sayd to Achis What meane these Hebrewes And Achis sayd to the princes of the Philistijms Doe you not knowe Dauid which was the seruant of Saul the king of Israel and is with me manie daies or yeares and I haue not found any thing in him since the day that he fled to me vntil this day †But the princes of the Philistijms were angrie against him and sayd to him Let this man returne and abide in his place wherein thou hast appointed him and let him not goe downe with vs into battel lest he become an aduersarie to vs when we shal beginne to fight for how can he otherwise pacifie his lord but in our heades †Is not this Dauid to whom they sang in dances saying Saul hath strooke his thousandes Dauid his ten thousandes †Achis therefore called Dauid and sayd to him The Lord liueth thou art iust and good in my sight and thy going out thy coming in is with me in the campe and I haue not found in thee anie euil since the day that thou camest to me vntil this day but thou pleasest not the nobles †Returne therefore and goe in peace and offend not the eies of the princes of the Philistijms †And Dauid sayd to Achis For what haue I done and what hast thou found in me thy seruant since the day that I haue beene in thy sight vntil this day that I may not come and fight against the enemies of my lord the King †And Achis answering spake to Dauid I know that thou art good in my sight as an Angel of God but the princes of the Philistijms haue sayd He shal not goe vp with vs into battel †Therefore arise in the morning thou and the seruantes of thy lord which came with thee and when you are risen in the night and it shal beginne to waxe light goe foreward †Dauid therefore arose in the night he and his men that they might sette foreward in the morning and returne to the land of the Philistijms and the Philistijms went vp into Iezrahel CHAP. XXX Dauid returning to Siceleg findeth it burned and spoiled and himself in danger of the people 7. By our Lords warrant be pursueth the enemie 11. taketh a guide 17. recouereth al that was taken away 22. and rewardeth the souldiars also those that stayed with the baggage 25. making it a lawe for the time to come shat the keepers of the baggage shal haue like share with those that fight in battel AND when Dauid and his men were come to Siceleg the third day the Amalecites had made an inuasion on the south side into Siceleg and had strooken Siceleg and burnt it with fire †And had led away wemen captiue out of it from the lesse vnto the great and had not killed any man but had led them with them and went on their iourney †When Dauid therefore and his men were come to the citie and had found it burnt with fire and their wiues and their sonnes and their daughters to be led away captiue †Dauid and the people that was with him lifted vp their voices and mourned til teares fayled them †For the two wiues also of Dauid were led away captiue Achinoam the Iezraelite and Abigail the wife of Nabal of Carmel †And Dauid was strooken very sad for the people would haue stoned him because the soule of euerie man was bitterly affected vpon their sonnes and daughters but Dauid was strengthened in our Lord his God †And he sayd to Abiathar the priest the sonne of Achimelech Applie vnto me the Ephod And Abiathar applied the Ephod to Dauid †and Dauid consulted our Lord saying Shal I pursue these theeues and shal I take them or no And our Lord sayd to him Pursue them for thou shalt take them without doubt take from them the praye †Dauid therefore went himselfe and the six hundred men that were with him and they came vnto the Torrent Besor some being wearie stayed †But Dauid himself and foure hundred men pursued for two hundred stayed who being wearie could not passe the Torrent Besor †And they found an Aegyptian in the field and brought him to Dauid and they gaue
forth to the people †and sayd One Hebrewe woman hath made confusion in the house of king Nabuchodonosor for behold Holofernes lyeth vpon the ground and his head is not vpon him †Which when the princes of the power of the Assyrians had heard they al rent their garmentes and intollerable feare and dread fel vpon them and theit mindes were trubled excedingly †And there was made an incomparable crie in the middes of their campe CHAP. XV. The Assyrians flee for feare 3. the Hebrewes pursue them 7. and are enriched by the spoyles 9. The high priest with others come from Ierusalem and prayse Iudith 14. The goodes of Holofernes are genen so her AND when al the armie heard that Holofernes was beheaded courage and counsel fel from them and being shaken with trembling onlie and feare they helpe them selues by flight †so that none spake with his neighbour but hanging the head al thinges leaft behind they made hast to escape the Hebrewes whom they heard to come armed vpon them fleing by the waies of the fieldes and the pathes of the hilles †The children of Israel therfore seing them fleing folowed them And they went downe sounding with trumpettes and shouting after them †And because the Assyrians were not vnited together they went headlong into flight but the children of Israel pursewing in one companie discomfited al that they could find †Ozias therfore sent messengers through al the cities and countries of Israel †Euerie countrie therfore and euerie citie sent chosen youth armed after them and they pursewed them in the edge of the sword vntil they came to the extremetie of their borders †And the rest that were in Bethulia entered into the campe of the Assyrians and tooke away the praye which the Assyrians fleing had leaft and were loden excedingly †But they that were returned conquerers to Bethulia tooke away with them al thinges that were theirs so that there was no number in cattel and beastes and al their moueables that from the leaft vnto the greatest al were made rich of their prayes †And Ioachim the high Priest came from Ierusalem into Bethulia with al his ancientes to see Iudith †Who when she was come out to him they al blessed her with one voyce saying Thou art the glorie of Ierusalem thou the ioy of Israel thou the honour of our people †because thou hast done manfully and thy hart was strengthened for that thou hast loued chastirie and after thy husband not knowne any other therfore also the hand of our Lord hath strengthened thee and therfore shalt thou be blessed for euer †And al the people sayd So be it so be it †And for thirtie daies scarse were the spoyles of the Assyrians gathered of the people of Israel †Moreouer al thinges that were proued to be the peculiar goodes of Holofernes they gaue to Iudith in gold and siluer and garmentes and pretious stones and al stuffe and al the thinges were deliuered her of the people †And al the people reioysed with wemen and virgins and yongmen on instrumentes and harpes CHAP. XVI Iudith singeth a canticle of thanks geuing to our Lord. 22. The people goe to Ierusalem and offer sacrifices 25. She in great honour liueth a widow til her death in good old age 30. the people haue long peace and a feaâ—â—â—ual day is instituted in perpetual memorie of her fact THEN sang Iudith this song to our Lord saying †Beginne ye to our Lord in timbrels sing ye to our Lord in cymbals tune to him a new psalme reioyse and inuocate his name †Our Lord confoundeth battels Lord is his name †Who hath set his campe in the middes of his people that he might deliuer vs from the hand of al our enemies †Assur came out of the mountaynes from the North in the multitude of his strength whose multitude stopped vp the torrentes and their horses couered the valles †He said that he would set my borders on fyre and kil my yongmen with the sword to geue my infantes into praye and virgins into captiuitie †But our Lord omnipotent hath hurt him and hath deliuered him into the hands of a woman and hath pearsed him †For not by yongmen is their mightie one fallen neither haue the sonnes of Titan strooken him neither did the high giantes set them selues vpon him but Iudith the daughter of Merari in the beautie of her face dissolued him †For she put from her the garmentes of widowhood and put on her the garmentes of ioy in the reioysing of the children of Israel †She anoynted her face with oyntment and tyed together her lockes with a crowne she tooke a new stole to deceiue him †Her sandals rauished his eies her beautie made his soule captiue she with a sword cut of his head †The Persians did quake at her constancie and the Medes at her boldnesse †Then did the campe of the Assyrians howle when my humble ones appeared withering in thirst †The sonnes of yongwemen haue pearsed them and they haue killed them as boyes fleing away they haue perished in battel before the face of the Lord my God †Let vs sing an hymne to our Lord let vs sing a new hymne to our God †Adonai ô Lord great art thou and noble in thy power and whom no man can ouercome †Let euerie creature of thyne serue thee because thou saydst and they were made thou didst send thy spirit and they were created and there is none that can resist thy voyce †The mountaynes with the waters shal be moued with the foundations the rockes shal melt as waxe before thy face †But they that feare thee shal be great with thee in al thinges †Wo be to the nation that ryseth vp vpon my kinred for our Lord omnipotent wil be reuenged on them in the day of iudgement he wil visite them †For he wil geue fyre and wormes into their flesh that they may be burnt and may feele for euer †And it came to passe after these thinges al the people after the victorie came into Ierusalem to adore our Lord and forthwith as they were purified they al offered holocaustes and vowes and their promises †Moreouer Iudith offered for an anathema of obliuion al the instrumentes of warre of Holofernes which the people gaue her and the canopie that her self had taken away out of his chamber †And the people was pleasant according to the face of sainctes and for three monethes the ioy of this victorie was celebrated with Iudith †And after those daies euerie man returned into his house and Iudith was made great in Bethulia and she was more glorious to al the land of Israel †There was also chastitie ioyned to her vertue so that she knew not man al the daies of her life “ after that Manasses her husband was dead †And on festiual daies she came forth with great glorie â€
“ 60 nor personally be present with them in the exercise of their false pretended religions PSALME XXVI Dauid being in great distresse through persecution and hauing assured confidence in God describeth the great securitie of Gods protection 7. sheweth the same experienced in him self 12. prayeth for continuance therof 13. and incorageth his owne soule in hope of life euerlasting to perseuer in vertue †The Psalme of Dauid before he was annoynted OVR Lord is my illumination and my saluation whom shal I feare Our Lord is the protectour of my life of whom shal I be afrayd †Whiles the harmeful approch vpon me to eate my flesh Mine enemies that truble me them selues are weakened and are fallen †If campes stand together against me my hart shal not feare If battel rise vp against me in this wil I hope †One thing I haue asked of our Lord this wil I seeke for that I may dwel in the house of our Lord al the dayes of my life That I may see the pleasentnes of our Lord and visite his temple †Because he hath hid me in his tabernacle in the day of euils he hath protected me â—in the secrete of his tabernacle †In a rocke he hath exalted me and now he hath exalted my head ouer mine enemies I haue gone round about and haue immolated in his tabernacle an host of iubilation I wil sing and say a Psalme to our Lord. †Heare ô Lord my voice wherwith I haue cried to thee haue mercie on me and heare me †My hart hath sayd to thee my face hath sought thee out thy face ô Lord I wil seeke †Turne not away thy face from me decline not in wrath from thy seruant Be thou my helper forsake me not neither despise me ô God my Sauiour Because my father and my mother haue forsaken me but our Lord hath taken me †Geue me a law ô Lord in thy way and direct me in the right path because of mine enemies †Deliuer me not into the soules of them that truble me because vniust witnesses haue risen vp against me and iniquity hath lyed to it selfe †I beleue to see the good things of our Lord in the land of the liuing †Expect our Lord doe manfully and let thy hart take courage and expect thou our Lord. PSALME XXVII Dauid prayeth to be defended from the eternal destruction of the wicked which by way of imprecation or conformitie to Gods iustice he prophecieth 6. Feeling by inspiration that his prayer is heard rendereth thankes to God 9. and prayeth for al the people A Psalme to Dauid him selfe TO THEE ô Lord wil crie my God keepe not silence from me lest at any time thou hold thy peace from me and I shal be like to them that goe downe into the lake †Heare ô Lord the voice of my petition whiles I pray to thee whiles I lift vp my handes to thy holie temple †Draw me not together with sinners and with them that worke iniquitie destroy me not Which speake peace with their neighbour but euils in their hartes †Geue them according to their workes and according to the wickednesse of their inuentions According to the workes of their handes geue vnto them render them their retribution †Because they haue not vnderstood the workes of our Lord and in the workes of his handes thou shalt destroy them and not build them vp †Blessed be our Lord because he hath heard the voice of my petition †Our Lord is my helper and my protectour in him my hart hath hoped and I was holpen And my flesh florished againe and with my wil I wil confesse to him †Our Lord is the strength of his people and he is the protector of the saluations of his annoynted †Saue thy people ô Lord and blesse thine inheritance and rule them and extol them for euer PSALME XXVIII The royal prophet seing in spirite the most sacred Mysteries brought by Christ into this world inuiteth al to offer their best thinges euen themselues wholly as sacrifice of thankes for so excellent benefites preached with magnificence 5. VVherby innumerable are gethered into his Church here replenished with grace and in heauen with glorie †The Psalme of Dauid “ in the consummation of the tabernacle ANNOTATIONS 1. In consummation of the tabernacle The seuentie Interpreters testifie by adding this title that king Dauid made this Psalme as he did also some others when the Arke of God was brought into the tabernacle which he had pitched for it in Sion 2 Reg. 6. 1. Paral. 16. VVherin he saw by prophetical spirite and here vttereth other farre greater mysteries more excellent benefites brought into the world by Christ and preached by him and his Apostles then agreed to the Arke or the time of the old Testament but are verified in the admirable fruite of innumerable people of al nations and of manie great Potentates conuerted to Christianitie BRING to our Lord ye children of God bring to our Lord the sonnes of rammes †Bring to our Lord glorie and honour bring to our Lord glorie vnto his name adore ye our Lord in his holie court The voice of our Lord vpon waters the God of maiestie hath thundered Our Lord vpon manie waters †The voice of our Lord in powre the voice of our Lord in magnificence †The voice of our Lord breaking ceders and our Lord shal breake the ceders of Libanus †And he shal breake them in peeces as a calfe of Libanus and the heloued as the sonne of vnicornes The voice of our Lord diuiding the flame of fire †The voice of our Lord shaking the desert and our Lord shal moue t the desert of Cades The voice of our Lord v preparing hartes and he shal discouer thicke woodes and in x in his temple al shal say glorie †Our Lord maketh y to inhabite the floud and our Lord z shal sit king for euer Our Lord a wil geue strength to his people our Lord b wil blesse his people in peace PSALME XXIX King Dauid by voice and instrument rendereth thankes to God for his peaceable state in the kingdom 5. inuiteth others to reioyce in Gods benefites teaching by his owne example that God sometimes geueth more conforth sometimes sheweth his wrath but al for our good †A Psalme of Canticle in the dedication of Dauids house I WIL exalt thee ô Lord because thou hast receiued me neither hast e delighted myne enemies ouer me †O Lord my God I haue cried to thee and thou hast healed me †Lord thou hast brought forth my soule out of hel thou hast saued
ye and see that our Lord is sweete blessed is the man that hopeth in him †Feare ye our Lord al ye his sainctes because there is no lacke to them that feare him †The rich haue wanted and haue bene hungrie but they that seeke after our Lord shal not be diminished of any good †Come children heare me I wil teach you the feare of our Lord. †Who is the man that wil haue life loueth to see good daies †“ Stay thy tongue from euil and thy lippes that they speake not guile †Turne away from euil and do good seeke after peace and pursewe it †The eies of our Lord vpon the iust and his eares vnto their prayers †But the countenance of our Lord is vpon them that doe euil things to destroy their memorie out of the earth †The iust haue cried and our Lord hath heard them and out of al their tribulations he hath deliuered them †Our Lord is nigh to them that are of a contrite hart and the humble of spirit he wil saue †Manie are the tribulations of the iust and out of al these our Lord wil deliuer them Our Lord keepeth al their bones there shal not one of them be broken The death of sinners is verie il and they that hate the iust shal offend Our Lord wil redeme the soules of his seruantes and al that hope in him shal not offend ANNOTATIONS PSALME XXXIII 1. He changed his countenance S. Augustin by holie Dauids changing of his countenance and by changing the king of Geth his name who in the booke of kinges where the historie is recorded is called Achis and here Abimelech gethereth that here is an hidden and great Mysterie VVhich he explicateth partly by interpretation of the Hebrew names but more especially by Dauids changing of his countenance which prefigured Christ eternal God becoming also man and so making great changes in the world For as Dauid killed Goliath and for his good act gotte enuie so Christ killing the diuel and humilitie in Christs meÌ„bers killing pride are persecuted by the wicked For Christ was both to the ruine and Resurrection of manie He changed Sacrifice and Priesthood The Iewes had sacrifice according to the order of Aaron in victims of cattle and this was in mysterie For there was not then the Sacrifice of the bodie and bloud of our Lord which the faithful and those that haue read the Gospel do know which Sacrifice is now spread in al the round earth Aâ—litle after the Sacrifice of Aaron is taken away and the Sacrifice according to the order of Melchisedech begane to be He therfore I knovv not vvho changed his countenance Let it not be I knovv not vvho for our Lord Iesus Christ is knowen He would haue our health to be in his bodie and bloud From whence did he commend his bodie and bloud from his humilitie For vnles he were humble he would neither be eaten nor druncke Behold his highnes In the beginning was the vvord and the vvord was with God and God the vvord Loe the euerlasting meate and Angels eate it supernal powres eate it celestial spirites eate it and they eate and are fatted and the thing remaineth whole which satiateth and reioyceth them How then hath the vvisdome of God fedde vs vvith the same bread the word was made flesh and dwelt in vs It were too long to recite this great Doctors vvhole discourse He further sheweth that Christ dismissed the Ievves and vvent from them to the Gentiles Thou seekest novv Christ saith he among the Ievves and findest him not because he hath changed his countenance For they sticking to the sacrifice according to the order of Aaron held not the Sacrifice according to the order of Melchisedech and haue lost Christ and the Gentiles haue begunne to haue him Againe this holie father vvilleth vs to remember the Gospel VVhen our Lord Iesus Christ spake of his bodie he said Vnles you eate the flesh of the Sonne of man and drinke his bloud you shal not haue life in you because he had changed his countenance this semed as furie and madnes vnto them to geue his flesh to be eaten of men his bloud to be drunke therfore Dauid vvas reputed madde before Achis vvhen he said you haue brought this madde man vnto me Doth it not seme madnes Eate ye my flesh and drinke my bloud He semed to be madde thus S. Augustin Neuer imagining the figuratiue interpretation of our nevv Sacramentaries vvho say Christ gaue no more but a figure of his bodie bloud for then it had bene easily vnderstood by the Capharnaites and no such contradiction nor murmuring had happened Yet S. Augustin saith more plainly if more plaine may be Christ caried himselfe in his ovvne handes And hovv this can be done bretheren in man vvho can vnderstand For vvho is caried in his ovvne handes A man may be caried in the handes of others no man is caried in his ovvne handes VVe find not hovv it can be vnderstood in Dauid according to the letter but in Christ vve find it For Christ vvas caried in his ovvne handes vvhen geuing his verie bodie he said This is my bodie for he caried his bodie in his ovvne handes 14 15. â—tay thy tongue c. Both these verses and frequent other places in the Psalmes shevv plainly that iustice consisteth not only in faith but in abstayning from euil and doing good yet requiring and presupposing true faith vvithout which no workes are aualable to iustice nor to euerlasting life PSALME XXXIIII Dauid in figure of Christ prophetically by way of inuocating Gods helpe forsheweth his persecution and the iust reuenge vpon his persecutors 9. with praise to God 13. his charitie towards his cruel aduersaries 17. whom neuertheles God punisheth 20. for pretending peace in wordes and in fact persecuting 23. rendering to al as they deserue To Dauid himself IVDGE ô Lord them that hurt me ouerthrow them that impugne me †Take armour and shield and rise vp to helpe me †Bring forth the sword and shut vp against them that perfecute me say to my soule I am thy saluation †Let them be counfounded ashamed that seeke my soule Let them be turned backward and be confounded that thinke euil against me †Be they made as dust before the face of winde and the angel of our Lord straictning them †Let their way be made darkenesse and slippernes and the angel of our Lord pursewing them †Because they haue hid the destruction of their snare for me without cause in vaine haue they vpbrayded my soule †Let the snare which he knoweth not come on him and the net which he hath hid catch him and let him fal into the verie same snare †But my soule shal reioyce in our Lord and shal be delighted vpon his saluation †Al
and at the tribulation of the sinner Because they haue wrested iniquities vpon me in anger they were trublesome to me †My hart is trubled in me and the feare of death is falne vpon me †Feare and trembling are come vpon me and darkenes hath couered me †And I said Who wil geue me wings as of a doue and I wil fly and rest †Loe I haue gone far flying away and I abode in the wildernes †I expected him that saued me from pusillanimitie of spirit and tempest †Precipitate ô Lord and diuide their tongues because I haue sene iniquitie and contradiction in the citie †Day and night shal iniquitie compasse it vpon the walles therof and labour in the middest therof and iniustice †And there hath not ceased out of the streetes therof vsurie and guile †For if myne enimie had spoken euil to me I would verely haue borne it And if he that hated me had spoken great thinges vpon me I would perhaps haue hid myselfe from him †But thou a man of the same minde my guide and my familiar †Which diddest take swete meats together with me in the house of God we walked with consent †Let death come vpon them and let them goe downe quicke into hel Because there is wickednes in their habitations in the middes of them †But I haue cried to God and our Lord wil saue me †In the euening and morning at midday I wil speake and declare and he wil heare my voice †He wil redeme my soule in peace from them that approch to me because among manie they were with me †God wil heare and he which is before the worldes wil humble them †For there is no change with them they feared not God he hath streached forth his hand in repaying †They haue contaminated his testament they are diuided by the wrath of his countenance and his hart hath approched His wordes are made softer then oile and the same are dartes †Cast thy care vpon our Lord and he wil nourish thee he wil not geue fluctuation to the iust for euer †But thou ô God wilt bring them downe into the pitte of destruction Bloudy and deceitful men shal not liue halfe their daies but I wil hope in thee ô Lord. PSALME LV. Dauid being in danger before Achis king of Geth confidently implereth Gods helpe against the great malice and powre of his enimies 8. foretheweth their ruine his owne exaltation 12. and offereth praises and thankes Vnto the end for a people that is made far from the Sainctes Dauid in the inscription of the title when the foreners held him in Geth 1. Reg. 12. v. 12. HAVE mercie on me ô God because man hath troden vpon me al the day impugning he hath afflicted me Myne enimies haue troden vpon me al the day because they are manie that warre against me †From the height of the day I shal feare but I wil trust in thee In God I wil praise my wordes in God haue I hoped I wil not feare what flesh may do to me †Al the day did they detest my wordes against me al their cogitations are vnto euil †They wil inhabite and keepe secret they wil obserue my heele As they haue expected my soule †for nothing shalt thou saue them in wrath thou wilt breake peoples O God †I haue shewed my life to thee thou hast set my teares in thy sight As also in thy promise †then shal mine enemies be turned backeward In what day soeuer I shal inuocate thee loe I haue knowne that thou art my God †In God I wil praise the word in our Lord wil I praise thee saying I haue hoped in God I wil not feare what man can do to me †In me ô God are thy vowes which I wil render praises to thee †Because thou hast deliuered my soule from death and my feete from falling that I may please before God in the light of the liuing PSALME LVI The Prophet prayeth in tribulation 4. testifieth Gods helpe 6. praiseth his greatnes 8. promising and inuiting al nations to praise him Vnto the end destroy not to Dauid in the inscription of the title when he fled from the face of Saul into the caue HAVE mercie on me ô God haue mercie on me because my soule hath trusted in thee And I wil hope in the shadow of thy winges vntil iniquitie passe †I wil crie to God the highest God that hath done me good †He sent from heauen and deliuered me he hath geuen into reproche them that trode vpon me God hath sent his mercie and his truth †and hath deliuered my soule out of the middes of Lions whelpes I slept trubled The sonnes of men their teeth are weapons and arrowes and their tongue a sharpe sword †Be exalted aboue the heauens ô God and thy glorie vpon al the earth †They prepared a snare for my feete and bowed downe my soule They digged a pit before my face and they are falne into it †My hart is readie ô God my hart is readie I wil sing and say a Psalme †Arise my glorie arise psalter and harpe I wil arise early †I wil confesse to thee among peoples ô Lord and I wil say a Psalme to thee among the Gentiles †Because thy mercie is magnified euen to the heauens and thy truth euen to the cloudes †Be axalted aboue the heauens ô God and thy glorie vpon al the earth PSALME LVII Holie Dauid inueigheth against dissembling wicked men 7. describeth their manifold punishment 11. wherin the iust shal be comforted †Vnto the end destroy not to Dauid in the inscription of the title IF in very dede you speake iustice iudge right thinges ye sonnes of men For in the hart you worke iniquities in the earth your handes forge iniustice †Sinners are alienated from the matrice they haue erred from the wombe they haue spoken false thinges †They haue furie according to the similitude of a serpent as of the aspe that is deafe and stoppeth his eares †Which wil not heare the voice of the inchanters and of the sorcerer inchanting wisely †God shal breake their teeth in their mouth the checke tooth of the lions our Lord wil breake in peeces †They shal come to nothing as water running downe he hath bent his bow til they be weakened †As waxe that melteth shal they be taken away fyre hath falne on them and they haue not seene
and from him withdraw not thy hand because he that feareth God neglecteth nothing †Wisdom hath streingthned the wise aboue tenne princes of the citie †For there is no iust man in the earth that doth good and sinneth not †But to al wordes also that are spoken do not applie thy hart lest perhaps thou heare thy seruant cursing thee †For thy conscience knoweth that thou also hast cursed others †I haue proued al thinges in wisdom I haue sayd I wil become wise it departed farder from me †much more then it was and a depe profunditie who shal finde it †I haue vewed al thinges with my minde that I might know and consider and might seke wisdom and reason and that I might know the impietie of the foole and the errour of the imprudent †and I haue found that a woman is more bitter then death who is the snare of hunters and her hart a nette her handes are bandes He that pleaseth God wil auoide her but he that is a sinner wil be caught of her †Loe this haue I found sayd Ecclesiastes one thing and an other that I might finde reason †which yet my soule seketh and I haue not found it A man of a thousand I haue found one a woman of al I haue not found †Only this I haue found that God made man right and he hath intangled himself with infinite questions Who is such a one as the wise and who hath knowne the resolution of the word CHAP. VIII A signe of true wisdom appereth in obseruing Gods commandments 6. in this shorte time of meriting eternal reward 9. Rule of others 11. and want of feare hurt manie 14. Why God suffereth the wicked to prosper and the iust to be afflicted in this life no mortal man can know THE wisdom of a man shineth in his countenance and the most mightie wil change his face †I obserue the mouth of the king and the precepts of the oath of God †Hasten not to depart from his face nor continew thou in an euil worke because al that he pleaseth he wil doe †and his word is ful of powre neither can anie man say to him Why dost thou so †He that kepeth the precept shal finde no euil The hart of a wiseman vnderstandeth time and answer †There is a time for al busines and opportunitie and much affliction of man †because he is ignorant of thinges past and thinges to come he can know by no messenger †It is not in mans powre to prohibite the spirite neither hath he powre in the day of death neither is he suffered to rest when warre is at hand neither shal impietie saue the impious †Al these thinges I haue considered and gaue my hart on al the workes that are done vnder the sunne Sometime man ruleth ouer man to his owne hurt †I saw the impious buried who also when they yet liued were in holie place and were praised in the citie as men of iust workes But this also is vanitie †Because sentence is not speedely pronounced against the euil the children of men committe euils without anie feare †But yet a sinner by this that he doth euil an hundred times by patience is borne withal I know that it shal be good to them that feare God which dread his face †Let there be no good to the impious neither let his dayes be prolonged but as a shadow let them passe that feare not the face of our Lord. †There is also an other vanitie which is done vpon the earth There are iust men to whom euils happen as though they had done the workes of the impious and there are impious men which are so secure as though they had the dedes of the iust But this also I iudge most vaine †I therfore haue praised mirth that there was no good thing for a man vnder the sunne but that he should eate and drinke and be glad and this only he should take away with him of his labour in the dayes of his life which God hath geuen him vnder the sunne †And I haue set my hart to know wisdom and to vnderstand the distraction that is in the earth There is a man that dayes and nightes taketh no slepe with his eyes †And I vnderstood that man can sinde no reason of al those workes of God that are done vnder the sunne and the more he shal labour to seke so much the lesse he can finde yea if the wisman shal say that he knoweth he is not able to finde it CHAP. IX None knoweth certainly and ordinarily whether they be in Gods grace or no. 4. The euil are in worse case dead then aliue 11. neither can we know the euent of temporal thinges nor the terme of our life nor how gratful others wil be towards vs. 16. Sure it is that wisdom is better then streingth AL these thinges haue I discoursed in my hart that I might curiously vnderstand them there are iust men and wise and their workes are in the hand of God and yet man knoweth not whether he be worthie of loue or hatred †but al thinges are reserued vncertaine for the time to come because al thinges do equally chance to the iust and impious to the good and the euil to the cleane and vncleane to him that immoleth victimes and him that contemneth sacrifices As the good so also is the sinner as the periured so he also that sweareth truth †This is a very euil thing among al which are done vnder the sunne that the same thinges chance to al men Wherby also the hartes of the children of men are filled with malice and with contempt in their life and after that they shal be brought downe to hel †There is no man that may liue alwayes and that can haue confidente of this thing better is a dog liuing then a lion dead †For the liuing know that they shal dye but the dead know nothing more neither haue they reward anie more because the memorie of them is forgotten †Loue also and hatred and enuies haue perished together neither haue they part in this world and in the worke that is done vnder the sunne †Goe therfore and eate thy bread in ioy drinke thy wine with gladnes because thy workes please God †At al time let thy garments be white and let not oyle fal from of thy head †Enioy life with thy wife whom thou louest al the dayes of the life of thy instabilitie which are geuen to thee vnder the sunne al the time of thy vanitie for this is the portion in life and in thy labour wherwith thou laborest vnder the sunne †Whatsoeuer thy hand is able to doe worke it instantly for neither worke nor reason nor wisdom nor knowlege shal be in hel whither thou dost hasten †I turned me to an other thing and I saw vnder the sunne
light of starres by night †and she transported them through the Redsea and caried them ouer through a great water †But their enemies she drowned in the sea and from the depth of hel she brought them out Therfore the iust tooke the spoyles of the impious †and they sang thy holie name ô Lord and thy victorious hand they praised together †because wisdom hath opened the mouth of the dumme and the tongues of infants she hath made eloquent CHAP. XI Other benefites of wisdom protecting the Israelites in the desert 3. ouerthrowing their enimies 4. geuing them water out of a rocke 8. plaguing the Aegyptians 21. yet not al sudenly but by often admonitions that they might haue repented if they would SHE directed their workes in the handes of a holy prophet †They made a iourney through the deserts that were not inhabited and in desert places they pitched cottages †They stood against the aduersaries and reuenged themselues of the enemies †They thirsted and inuocated thee and water was geuen them out of a most high rorcke and quenching of their thirst out of the hard stone †For by the thinges wherby their enemies suffered punishment for defect of their drinke and therein when the children of Israel abunded they did reioyce †by these thinges when others lacked the same it went wel with them †For in steede of the fountaine of an euerlasting riuer thou gauest mans bloud to the vniust †Who when they were diminished in the destruction of the murdered infants thou gauest them abundant vnlooked for †shewing by the thirst that then was how thou didst exalt thine didst kil their aduersaries †For when they were tempted and in deede with mercie taking discipline they knew how the impious being iudged with wrath did suffer torments †These certes admonishing as a father thou didst proue but them examining as a hard king thou didst condemne †For the absent and the present were tormented alike †For duble tediousnes had taken them and sighing with the memorie of good thinges past †For when they vnderstood by their punishement that it went wel with them they remembred our Lord merueling at the end of the euent †For whom before they derided being cast forth in that wicked laying out to perish him they merueled at in the end of the euent not thirsting in like maner to the iust †but for senseles cogitations of their iniquitie for that some erring did worshippe dumme serpents and superfluous beasts thou didst send vpon them a multitude of dumme beasts for reuenge †that they might know that by what thinges a man sinneth by the same also he is tormented †For thine omnipotent hand which made the world of inuisible matter was not vnable to send vpon them a multitude of beares or fierce lyons †or vnknowen beasts ful of anger of a new kind or breathing the vapour of fires or casting forth the sauour of smoke or shooting horrible sparkes from their eies †of which not onlie their hurt was able to destroy them but also their sight to kil them for feare †Yea and without these with one spirit they might haue beene slaine suffering persecution of their owne factes and dispersed by the spirit of thy powre but thou hast disposed al thinges in measure and number and weight †For to be of great force rested alwaies in thee onlie who shal resist the powre of thyne arme †Because as the least weight of the balance so is the round world before thee and as a droppe of the dewe before day that falleth vpon the earth †But thou hast mercie on al because thou canst do al thinges and dissemblest the sinnes of men for repentance †For thou louest al thinges that are and hatest nothing of those which thou hast made for thou didst not ordaine or make any thing hating it †And how could any thing continew vnles thou wouldest or be preserued which was not called of thee †But thou sparest al because they are thine ô Lord which louest soules CHAP. XII Gods wisdom and mercie in destroying the wicked inhabitants of Chanaan by parts 10. that they might haue amended whom he could haue slaine sudenly 15. In that God neuer condemneth the iust 19. his people are instructed to confide in him 25. and sinners to turne vnto him O how good and sweete is thy spirit ô Lord in al †And therefore those that erre by partes thou doest chastise and doest admonish and speake to them concerning the thinges wherin they sinne that leauing naughtines they may beleue in thee ô Lord. †For those old inhabitantes of thy holie land whom thou didst abhorre †because they did workes odious to thee by sorceries and vniust sacrifices †and the murderers of their owne children without mercie and eaters of mens bowels and deuourers of bloud from the middes of thy sacrament †and the parents authors of aydelesse soules thou wouldst destroy by the handes of our parents †that they might receiue a peregrination worthie of the children of God which is a land of al most deare to thee †But them also as men thou didst spare and didst send forerunners of thine host waspes that by litle and litle they might destroy them †Not because thou wast vnable in battel to subdewe the impious to the iust or with cruel beastes or with a sharpe word to destroy them together †but iudging by partes thou gauest place of repentance being not ignorant that the nation of them is wicked and their malice natural that their cogitation could not be changed for euer †For it was a cursed seede from the begynning neither fearing any didst thou geue pardon to their sinnes †For who shal say to thee what hast thou done or who shal stand against thy iudgement or who in thy sight shal come reuenger of the wicked men or who shal impute it to thee if the nations perish which thou hast made †For there is no other God but thou who hast care of al that thou mayst shew that thou doest not geue iudgement vniustly †Neither king nor tyrant in thy sight shal enquire of them whom thou hast destroyed †For so much then as thou art iust thou doest dispose al thinges iustly thou also estemest it disagreable from thy powre to condemne him who ought not to be punished †For thy powre is the begynning of iustice and for this that thou art Lord of al thou makest thyself to spare al. †For thou shewest powre which art not thought to be absolute in powre and thou conuincest the boldnes of them that know thee not †But thou dominatour of powre iudgest with tranquilitie and with great reuerence disposest of vs for it is in thy powre when thou wilt to be able †And thou hast taught thy people by such workes
incredulous to his word †After this God looked vpon the earth filled it with his good thinges †And the soule of euerie liuing thing shal shew before the face thereof and into it againe is their returne CHAP. XVII God creating man to his owne image gaue him gifies 9. and precepts 14. chose the Israelites for his peculiar people 18. Workes of mercie are commended to al men 20. Repentance to sinners 28. mercie is offered to al. GOD created man of the earth and after his owne image he made him †And againe he turned him into it and conformable to himselfe clothed him with strength †He gaue him a number of daies and time and gaue him power of those thinges that are vpon the earth †He put his feare ouer al flesh and he had dominion of beastes and fowles †He created of him an helper like to himself he gaue them counsel and tongue and eies eares and hart to deuise and he filled them with the discipline of vnderstanding †He created in them the knowlege of the spirit he filled their hart with vnderstanding and euil and good he shewed them †He set his eie vpon their hartes to shew them the great thinges of his workes †that they might praise the name of sanctification and glorie in his meruelous workes that thy might declare the glorious thinges of his workes †He added discipline vnto them and made them inherite the lawe of life †He made an euerlasting testament with them he shewed them iustice and his iudgementes †And their eie saw the glorious thinges of his honour and their eares heard the honour of his voice and he said to them Beware of euerie vniust thing †And he gaue them commandment euerie one concerning his neighbour †Their wayes are before him alwaies they are not hid from his eies †Ouer eucrie nation he appointed a ruler †And Israel was made the manifest portion of God †And al their workes as the sunne in the sight of God and his eies without intermission looking on their wayes †The testamentes were not hid by their iniquitie and al their iniquities are in the sight of God †The almes of a man is as a seale with him and shal preserue the grace of a man as the apple of the eâ—e †And afterward he shal arise and shal render them reward to euerie one vpon their head and shal turne into the inner partes of the earth †But to the penitent he hath geuen the way of iustice and he hath confirmed them that faile to susteine and hath appointed to them the lot of truth †Turne to our Lord and forsake thy sinnes †pray before the face of our Lord and diminish offences †Returne to our Lord and turne away from thine iniustice and hate excedingly abomination †and know the iniustices and iudgementes of God and stand in the lot of thy purpose and of praier of the most high God †Goe into the partes of the holie world with the liuing and them that geue praise to God †Tarie not in the errour of the impious before death confesse From the dead as nothing confession perisheth †Thou shalt confesse liuing aliue and in health thou shalt confesse and shalt praise God and shalt glorie in his mercies †How great is the mercie of our Lord and his propitiation to them that turne to him †For al thinges can not be in men because the sonne of man is not immortal and they haue delighted in the vanitie of malice †What is brighter then the sunne it shal faile Or what more wicked then that which flesh and bloud hath inuented and this shal be reproued †He beholdeth the powre of the height of heauen and al men be earth and ashes CHAP. XVIII Gods wonderful workes excede mans capacitie 7. Our weaknes is streingthened by grace 15. wherto man must cooperate 19. by purging his conscience 22. by prayer 24. by meditating Gods iudgements 30. and by mortifying his owne concupiscence HE that liueth for euer created al thinges together God onlie shal be iustified and remaineth an inuincible king for euer †Who is sufficient to declare his workes †For who shal search out his glorious thinges †and who shal shew forth the powre of his greatnesse or who shal adde to declare his mercie †It is not possible to diminish nor adde neither is it possible to finde the glorious workes of God †When a man shal haue done then shal he beginne and when he shal rest he shal worke †What is man and what is his grace and what is his good or what his euil †The number of the daies of men at the most an hundred yeares as droppes of the water of the sea they are reputed and as the grauel stone of the sand so a few yeares in the day of eternitie †For this cause God is patient toward them and powreth out his mercie vpon them †He hath senne the presumption of their hart that it is naught and hath knowen their subuersion that it is euil †Therefore hath he fulfilled his propitiation toward them and hath shewed them the way of equitie †Mans compassion is touching his neigbour but the mercie of God is vpon al flesh †He that hath mercie teacheth and instructeth as a pastour his flocke †He hath mercie on him that receiueth the doctrine of compassion and he that hasteneth in his iudgementes †Sonne in good deedes geue no blame and in euerie gift geue not the sadnes of an euil word †Shal not the dew colle heate so also a word better then a gift †Is not a word aboue a good gift but both are with a iustified man †A foole wil vpbraide bitterly and the gift of one vntaught maketh the eies to drie away †Before iudgement prepare thee iustice and before thou speake lerne †Before sickenes take medicine and before iudgement examine thyself and in the sight of God thou shalt finde propitiation †Before sickenes humble thy self and in time of infirmitie shew thy conuersation †Be not hindered to pray alwayes feare not to be iustified euen to death because the reward of God abideth for euer †Before praier prepare thy soule and be not as a man that tempteth God †Remember the wrath in the day of consummation and the time of reward in conuersation of the face †Remember pouertie in the time of abundance and the necessities of pouertie in the day of riches †From morning vnto euening time shal be changed al these are sowne in the eies of God †A wise man in al thinges wil feare in the daies of offences wil be ware of sloth †Euerie subtile man knoweth wisdom and to him that findeth her he wil geue prayse †The wise in wordes and they also haue done wisely and haue vnderstood truth and iustice
princes nor by priestes and prophets of that time The same vve might deduce of innumerable other places of this other Prophetes but it is not our * purpose to explicate much in this Edition 1. Reigne in iustice and rule in iudgement Here also to auoide prolixitie vve may once note that these vvordes Iudgement and Iustice haue a saâ—â—e other higher and more excellent signification in holie Scriptures vvhere they most frequently occurre then in prophane vvritings and natural or moral philosophical discourses For Philosophers such as Plato and Aristotel could reach no further then to natural reason vvhich they called right iudgement and to moral equitie vvhich in general they named iustice But the Holie Ghost by these vvordes reueleth most high spiritual mysteries knovven by faith most comfortable to mens soules releeuing and refreshing the consciences of penitents in this life replenishing the iust vvith vnspeakable gladnes in eternal glorie Therfore in the sense vsual in holy Scripture Iudgement is the act of the mind or vnderstanding discerning what is right iust agreing to reason And Iustice is the rectitude of the vvil doing conformably to right direction of the mind or vnderstanding And so these wordes are applied to signifie both Gods and iust mens actions As that vvhich God mercifully decreed in eternitie and promised after the fal of man to do for mankind as conuenient for his Diuine Povvre VVisdom Iustice Mercie Goodnes vvith al the meanes vvhich he ordained for effecting the same is called his Iudgement and the performing and accomplishment therof so saâ—re as is of his part is called his Iustice Also that vvhich anie man discusseth discerneth and determineth in his vnderstanding as right or reasonable in supernatural thinges is called his spiritual iudgement and that vvhich he doth of his freevvil according to the same right iudgement is called his iustice So in this place the Prophet forshevveth that Christ our Kingvvil reigne in iustâ—â—â— that is performe and fulfil al that he as God vvith the Father the Holie Ghost decreed for Redemption Iustification and Salâ—ation of men And the princes his Apostles and other Pastors shal rule in iudgement that is discerne and iudge vvhat is right and good for themselues and the people in respect of their soules and eternal saluation CHAP. XXXIII Sennacherib beseeging and threatning Ierusalem shal be ouerthrowne by Angels 13. that both wicked arrogant infidels may feele the hand of God and faithful sinners repenting after great terror be comforted VVOE to thee that spoilest shalt not thy selfe also be spoiled and that despisest shalt not thy self also be despised when thou shalt haue ended spoyling thou shalt be spoyled when being wearied thou shalt cease to contemne thou shalt be contemned †O Lord haue mercie vpon vs for we haue expected thee be our arme in the morning and our saluation in the time of our tribulation †At the voice of the Angel the peoples fled and at thy exaltation the nations are dispersed †And you spoiles shal be gathered together as the locust is gathered as when the ditches shal be ful therof †Our Lord is magnified because he hath dwelt on high he hath filled Sion with iudgement and iustice †And there shal be fayth in thy times riches of saluation wisdom and knowlege the feare of our Lord that is his treasure †Behold they that see shal crie without the angels of peace shal weepe bitterly †The wayes are dissipated the passenger by the path hath ceased the couenant is made frustrate he hath reiected the cities he hath not estemed the men †The land hath moorned and languished Libanus is confounded and become foule and Saron is made as a desert and Basan is shaken Carmel †Now wil I rise vp sayth our Lord now wil I be exalted now wil I be lifted vp †You shal conceiue heate you shal bring forth stubble your spirit as fire shal deuoure you †And the peoples shal be as ashes of a great fyre thornes gathered together shal be burned with fyre †Heare ye that are far of what thinges I haue done and ye that are neere know my strength †The sinners are terrified in Sion trembling hath possessed the hypocrites Which of you can dwel with deuouring fyre which of you shal dwel with euerlasting heates †He that walketh in iustices and speaketh truth that casteth away auarice of oppression and shaketh his handes from al gift that stoppeth his eares lest he heare bloud and shutteth his eyes that he may see no euil †This man shal dwel on high the munitions of rockes shal be his highnes bread is geuen to him his waters are faithful †His eies shal see the king in his beautie they shal see the land farre of †Thy hart shal meditate feare where is the lerned where is he that pondereth the wordes of the law where the teacher of litle ones †The vnwise people thou shalt not see the people of profound speach so that thou canst not vnderstand the eloquence of his tongue in whom there is no wisdome †Looke vpon Sion the citie of our solemnitie thine eies shal see Ierusalem a rich habitation a tabernacle that can not be transferred neither shal the nailes therof be taken away for euer and al the cordes therof shal not be broken †because onlie there our Lord is magnifical a place of floudes riuers most brode and wide no shippe of rowers shal passe by it neither shal the great galley passe thereby †For the Lord is our iudge the Lord is our lawmaker the Lord is our king he wil saue vs †Thy cordes are loosed and they shal not preuaile thy mast shal be so that thou canst not spred the signe Then shal the spoiles of manie prayes be diuided the lame shal take the spoile †Neither shal the neighbour say I am feble The people that dwelleth therein iniquitie shal be taken away from them CHAP. XXXIIII A prophecie of the destruction of the whole world at the day of Iudgement 5. and in particular of I dumeâ— 9. Ierusalem as figures therof COME neere ye Gentiles and heare and ye peoples attend let the earth heare the fulnes therof the round world and euerie spring therof †Because the indignation of our Lord is vpon al Gentiles and furie vpon al their hostes he hath killed them geuen them into slaughter †Their slaine shal be cast forth and out of their carcasâ—es shal rise a stinche the mountaines shal melt with their bloud †And al the host of the heauens shal melt away and the heauens shal be folded together as a booke and al their host shal fal away as the leafe falleth from the vine and from the figge tree †Because my sword is inebriated in heauen behold it shal descend vpon Idumaea and vpon the peoples of my slaughter to iudgement †The sword of
Lord of hostes is his name thy redemer the holie one of Israel shal be called the God of al the earth †For as a woman forsaken mourning in spirit hath our Lord called thee and as a wife cast of from her youth hath thy God sayd †For a moment a litle while haue I forsaken thee in great mercies wil I gather thee †In a moment of indignation haue I hid my face a litle while from thee and in mercie euerlasting haue I had mercie on thee sayd thy redeemer our Lord. †As in the daies of Noe is this thing to me to whom I sware that I would no more bring in the waters of Noe vpon the earth so haue I sworne not to be angrie with thee and not to rebuke thee †For the mountaines shal be moued and the little hilles shal tremble but my mercie shal not depart from thee and the couenant of my peace shal not be moued sayd our Lord thy miseratour †Poore litle one shaken with tempest without al comfort behold I wil lay thy stones in order and wil found thee in sapphires †and I wil put the iasper stone for thy munitions and thy gates into grauen stones and al thy borders into stones worthie to be desired †Al thy children taught of our Lord a multitude of peace to thy children †And in iustice thou shalt be founded depart far from calumnie because thou shalt not feare and from dread because it shal not approch to thee †Behold the borderer shal come which was not with me thy stranger sometime shal be ioyned to thee †Behold I haue created the smith that bloweth the coles in the fire and bringeth forth a vessel for his worke I created the killer to destroy †Euerie vessel that is made agaynst thee shal not prosper and euerie tongue resisting thee in iudgement thou shalt iudge †This is the inheritance of the seruants of our Lord and their iustice with me sayth our Lord. CHAP. LV. God promiseth abundance of spiritual graces to the faithful 4. that shal beleue in Christ of al nations 7. and sincerely serue him ALYE that thirst come to the waters and you that haue no siluer make hast bye eate come bye without siluer and without any exchange wine and milke †Why bestow you siluer not for bread your labour not for saciety Hearing heare ye me and eate that which is â—â—d and your soule shal be delighted in fatnes †Incline your eare come to me heare and your soule shal liue and I wil make an euerlasting couenant with you the faythful mercies of Dauid †Behold I haue geuen him for a witnes to the peoples for a prince and master to the Gentiles †Behold thou shalt cal the nation which thou knowest not and the nations that knew not thee shal runne to thee because of the Lord thy God and the holie one of Israel because he hath glorified thee †Seeke ye our Lord whiles he may be found inuocate him whiles he is neere †Let the impious forsake his way and the vniust man his cogitations and returne to our Lord and he wil haue mercie on him and to our God because he is bountiful to forgeue †For my cogitations are not your cogitations nor your wayes my wayes sayth our Lord. †For as the heauens are exalted aboue the earth so are my wayes exalted aboue your wayes and my cogitations aboue your cogitations †And as the showre cometh downe and the snow from heauen and returneth no more thither but inebriateth the earth and watereth it and maketh it to spring and geueth seede to the sower and bread to him that eateth †so shal my word be which shal proceede from my mouth it shal not returne to me voyde but it shal doe what thinges soeuer I would and shal prosper in these thinges for which I sent it †Because you shal goe forth in ioy and in peace shal you be conducted the mountaines and the litle hilles shal sing prayse before you and al the wood of the countrie shal clap the hand †For the shrubbe shal come vp the firre tree and for the nettle shal grow the myrtle tree and our Lord shal be named for an euerlasting signe that shal not be taken away CHAP. LVI God inuiteth al men in thought and dede to kepe his law 4. promiseth blessing and reward to those that professe and kepe perpetual chastitie 9. and reproueth euil pastors THYS sayth our Lord Keepe ye iudgement and doe iustice because my saluation is nere to come and my iustice to be reueled †Blessed is the man that doth this thing and the sonne of man that shal apprehend this keping the Sabbath that he pollute it not keping his handes that he doe no euil †And let not the sonne of the stranger that cleaueth to our Lord say By seperation the Lord wil diuide me from his people †And “ let not the eunuch say Behold I am a drie tree Because thus sayth our Lord to the eunuches They that shal kepe my Sabbathes and shal choose the thinges that I would and shal hold my couenant †I wil geue vnto them in my house and within my walles a place and a name better then sonnes and daughters an euerlasting name wil I geue them which shal not perish †And the children of the stranger that cleaue to the Lord to worshipe him to loue his name to be his seruants euerie one that kepeth the Sabbath not to pollute it and that holdeth my couenant †I wil bring them into my holie mount and wil make them ioyful in the house of my prayer their holocaustes and their victims shal please me vpon mine altar because my house shal be called the house of prayer to al peoples †Sayth our Lord God that gathereth the dispersed of Israelâ— As yet wil I gather vnto it the gathered together therof †Al ye beasts of the fielde come to deuoure al ye beastes of the forest †His watchmen al blind haue bene ignorant dume dogges not able to barke seing vaine thinges sleeping and louing dreames †And most inpudent dogges they haue knowne no sacieâ—ie the pastors themselues haue bene ignorant of vnderstanding al haue declined into their owne way euerie one to his owne auarice from the highest euen to the last †Come let vs take wine and be filled with drunkennes and it shal be as today so also to morow and much more ANNOTATIONS CHAP. LVI 4. â—â—â— not the Eunuch say I am a drie tree To be barren vvithout children vvas ignominious amongst the Iewes in the old testament because God hauing then chosen that only nation for his peculiar people the conseruation and increase of his Church depended much vpon their multiplication But seing the Church of Christ in the nevv testament should be gathered
thou shalt finde eate eate this volume and going speake to the children of Israel †And I opened my mouth and he fed me with that volume †and he said to me Sonne of man thy bellie shal eate and thy bowels shal be filled with this volume which I geue thee And I did eate it and it was made in my mouth sweete as honie †And he said to me Sonne of man goe to the house of Israel and thou shalt speake my wordes to them †For not to a people of profound speach and of an vnknowne tongue art thou sent to the house of Israel †Neither to manie peoples of profonnd speach of an vnknowne tongue whose wordes thou canst not heare and if thou were sent to them they would heare thee †But the house of Israel wil not heare thee because they wil not heare me for al the house of Israel is of a shameles forehead and hard harted †Behold I haue made thy face stronger then their faces and thy forehead harder then their foreheads †As the adamant and as the flint stone haue I made thy face feare them not neither be afrayd of their face because it is an exasperating house †And he said to me Sonne of man al my wordes which I speake to thee take in thy hart and heare with thine eares †And goe enter into the transmigration to the children of of thy people and thou shalt speake to them and shalt say to them Thus saith our Lord God if perhaps they wil heare and be quiet †And the spirit tooke me vp and I heard behinde me the voice of a great commotion Blessed be the glorie of our Lord from his place †and the voice of the winges of liuing creatures striking one against an other the voice of wheeles folowing the liuing creatures and the voice of a great commotion †The spirit also lifted me tooke me vp I went away bitter in the indignation of my spirit for the hand of our Lord was with me strengthening me †And I came to the transmigration to the heape of new corne to them that dwelt by the riuer Chobar and I sate where they sate and I taried there seuen dayes mourning in the middes of them †And when seuen dayes were passed the word of our Lord was made to me saying †Sonne of man a watchman to the house of Israel haue I geuen thee and thou shalt heare the word out of my mouth and shalt tel it them from me †If when I say to the impious Dying thou shalt dye thou tel him not nor speake that he may be turned away from his impious way and liue the same impious man shal dye in his iniquitie but his bloud I wil requyre at thy hand †But if thou denounce to the impious and he be not conuerted from his impietie and from his impious way he verely shal dye in his iniquitie but thou hast deliuered thy soule †Yea and if the iust shal be turned from his iustice shal doe iniquitie I wil lay a stumbling blocke before him he shal dye because thou hast not told him he shal dye in his sinne and his iustices which he hath done shal not be in memorie but his bloud I wil require at thy hand †But if thou warne the iust that the iust sinne not and he doe not sinne liuing he shal liue because thou hast warned him and thou hast deliuered thy soule †And the hand of our Lord was made vpon me and he said to me Rising goe out into the fielde and there I wil speake with thee †And rising I went out into the filde and behold the glorie of our Lord stood there as it were the glorie which I saw by the riuer Chobar and I fel on my face †And the spirit entered into me and set me vpon my feete and he spake to me and sayd to me Goe in and be shut vp in the middes of thy house †And thou sonne of man behold bandes are geuen vpon thee and they shal binde thee in them and thou shalt not goe forth from the middes of them †And I wil make thy tongue cleaue to the roofe of thy mouth and thou shalt be dumme not as a man controwling because it is an exasperating house †But when I shal speake to thee I wil open thy mouth and thou shalt say to them Thus saith our Lord God He that heareth let him heare and he that is quiet let him be quiet because it is an exasperating house CHAP. IIII. The future siege of Ierusalem is discribed in a bricke 4. The time of captiuitie of Israel and of Iuda is signified by sleeping 390. dayes on the left side and fourtie on the right 9. Famine is also signified by bread sprinkled with dung AND thou sonne of man take thee a bricke thou shalt put it before thee and thou shalt draw in it the citie of Ierusalem †And thou shalt lay siege against it and shalt build munitions and cast vp a bancke and pitch campes against it and place engines round about †And thou take thee an yron frying panne and thou shalt set it as an yron wal betwen thee the citie and thou shalt set thy face stedely toward it and it shal be besieged and thou shalt compasse it which is a signe to the house of Israel †And thou shalt sleepe vpon thy left side and shalt put the iniquities of the house of Israel vpon it according to the number of the daies that thou shalt sleepe vpon it and thou shalt take their iniquitie †And I haue geuen thee the yeares of their iniquitie according to the number of daies three hundred and ninetie daies and thou shalt beare the iniquitie of the house of Israel †And when thou hast accomplished these thinges thou shalt sleepe vpon thy right side the second time and thou shalt take the iniquitie of the house of Iuda fourtie daies a day for a yeare a day I say for a yeare I haue geuen thee †And thou shalt turne thy face to the siege of Ierusalem and thine arme shal be streched out and thou shalt prophecie against it †Behold I haue compassed thee with bandes and thou shalt not turne thy self from thy side vnto the other side til thou accomplish the daies of thy siege †And thou take thee wheate and barley and beanes and lintiles and millet and fitches and thou shalt put them into one vessel and make thee loaues according to the number of the daies that thou shalt sleepe vpon thy side three hundred and ninetie daies shalt thou eate it †And thy meate that thou shalt eate shal be in weight twentie staters a day from time to time thou shalt eate it †And water by measure thou shalt drinke the sixt part of an hin from time to time thou shalt drinke it †And as hearth baken barley bread thou shalt eate
geuen thee a portending signe to the house of Israel †I did therfore as he had commanded me I caried my vessels as the vessels of one flitting by day and at euen I digged to me through the wall with my hand and I went forth in the darke and was caried on shoulders in their sight †And the word of our Lord was made to me in the morning saying †Sonne of man hath not the house of Israel the exasperating house sayd to thee What doest thou †Say to them Thus sayth our Lord God This burden vpon the prince that is in Ierusalem and vpon al the house of Israel which is in the middes of them †Say I am your portending signe as I haue done so shal it be done to them into transmigration and into captiuitie shal they goe †And the prince that is in the middes of them shal be caried on shoulders he shal goe forth in the darke they shal digge through the wal to bring him out his face shal be couered that he may not see the earth with his eye †And I wil strech forth my nette vpon him and he shal be taken in my net and I wil bring him into Babylon into the land of the Chaldees and he shal not see it and there he shal dye †And al that are about him his gard his troupes I wil disperse into euerie wind and I wil draw the sword after them †And they shal know that I am the Lord when I shal haue dispersed them in the Gentils and scattered them in the landes †And I wil leaue of them a few men from the sword the famine and the pestilence that they may declare al their wicked deeds in the Gentils to which they shal enter and they shal know that I am the Lord. †And the word of our Lord was made vnto me saying †Sonne of man eate thy breade in truble yea and drinke thy water in hast sorowfulnes †And thou shalt say to the people of the land Thus sayth our Lord God to them that dwel in Ierusalem in the land of Israel Their bread they shal eate in carefulnes and their water in desolation they shal drinke that the land may be made desolate from the multitude therof for the iniquitie of al that dwel therin †And the cities that are now inhabited shal be desolate and the land desert and you shal know that I am the Lord. †And the word of our Lord was made to me saying †Sonne of man what is this prouerbe with you in the land of Israel saying The dayes shal be differred to a long time al vision shal perish †Therfore say to them Thus sayth our Lord God I wil make this prouerb cease neither shal it anie more be commonly sayd in Israel and speake to them that the dayes are at hand and the word of euerie vision †for al vision shal no more be in vaine nor diuination ambiguous in the middes of the children of Israel †Because I the Lord wil speake and what word soeuer I shal speake shal also be done it shal not be prolonged anie more but in your dayes ye exasperating house wil I speake the word wil doe it sayth our Lord God †And the word of our Lord was made to me saying †Sonne of man behold the house of Israel they that say The vision that this man seeth is for manie dayes and this man prophecieth long times †Therfore say to them Thus sayth our Lord God Euerie word of mine shal be prolonged no further the word that I shal speake shal be accomplished sayth our Lord God CHAP. XIII God threatneth false prophetes 5. that flatter the people with lies 10. without the feare of God 17. Likewise false prophetisses that deceiue themselues and others with flaterie 19. for worldlie gayne AND the word of our Lord was made to me saying †Sonne of man prophecie to the prophetes of Israel that prophecie and thou shalt say to them that prophecie of their owne hart Heare ye the word of our Lord †Thus sayth our Lord God Wo to the foolish prophetes which folow their owne spirite and see nothing †As foxes in the desertes were thy prophetes ô Israel †You haue not ascended against nor opposed a wal for the house of Israel that you might stand in battel in the day of our Lord. †They see vayne thinges and they diuine lies saying Our Lord sayth whereas our Lord sent them not and they perseuered to confirme the word †Why haue you not seene vayne vision and spoken lying diuination and you say Our Lord saith wheras I haue not spoken †Therfore thus saith our Lord God Because you haue spoken vaine thinges and haue seene lies therfore behold I to you saith our Lord God †And my hand shal be vpon the prophetes that see vaine thinges and diuine a lie in the counsel of my people they shal not be and in the scripture of the house of Israel they shal not be written neither shal they enter into the land of Israel and you shal know that I am the Lord God †For that they haue deceiued my people saying Peace and there is not peace and he builded the wal and they daubed it with morter without straw †Say to them that daube without tempering that it shal fal for there shal be a shower ouerflowing and I wil geue very great stones falling violently from aboue and the wind of a storme dissipating †for in dede behold the wal is fallen shal it not be sayd to you Where is the dawbing that you dawbed †Therfore thus sayth our Lord God And I wil make the spirite of tempests to breake forth in myne indignation and there shal be an ouerflowing shower in my furie and great stones in my wrath vnto consumption †And I wil destroy the wal that you haue dawbed without tempering and I wil make it euen with the ground and the fundation therof shal be reueled and it shal fal and shal be consumed in the middes therof and you shal know that I am the Lord. †And I wil accomplish myne indignation in the wal in them that daube it without tempering and I wil say to you The wal is not and they are not that daube it †The prophetes of Israel which prophecie to Ierusalem and see vision of peace for it and there is not peace sayth our Lord God †And thou sonne of man put thy face against the daughters of thy people which prophecie of their owne hart and doe thou prophecie vpon them †and say Thus sayth our Lord God Wo to them that sow cushions vnder euerie cubite of the hand and make pillowes vnder the head of euerie age to catch soules and when they caught the soules of my people they did viuificate their soules †And they violated me to my people for a handful of barley and a
wayes and their inuentions haue I iudged them †And they went in to the Nations vnto which they entered and haue polluted my holie name when it was said of them This is the people of the Lord and out of his land they are come forth †And I haue spared my holie name which the house of Israel polluted among the Gentiles to which they entered in †Therfore thou shalt say to the house of Israel Thus saith our Lord God not for your sake wil I doe it ô house of Israel but for my holie name which you haue polluted in the Nations to which you entered †And I wil sanctifie my great name that is polluted among the Gentiles which you haue polluted in the middes of them that the Gentils may know that I am the Lord saith our Lord of hostes when I shal be sanctified in you before them †For I wil take you out of the Gentils and wil gather you together out of al the landes and wil bring you into your land †And I wil powre out vpon you cleane water and you shal be clensed from al your contaminations from al your idols wil I clense you †And I wil geue you a new hart and wil put a new spirit in the middes of you and wil take away the stonie hart out of your flesh and wil geue you a fleshie hart †And I wil put my spirite in the middes of you and I wil make that you walke in my precepts keepe my iudgements and doe them †And you shal dwel in the land which I gaue to your fathers and you shal be my people and I wil be your God †And I wil saue you from al your contaminations and I wil cal for corne and wil multiplie it and wil not put famine vpon you †And I wil multiplie the fruite of the tree and the ofsprings of the filde that you beare no more the reproch of famine among the Gentils †And you shal remember your most wicked wayes and your studies not good and your iniquities and your wicked deedes shal displease you †Not for you wil I doe it saith our Lord God be it knowne to you be ye confounded and ashamed vpon your wayes ô house of Israel †Thus saith our Lord God In the day that I shal clense you from al your iniquities and shal make the cities to be inhabited and shal repayre the ruinous places †and the desert land shal be tilled which once was desolate in the eyes of euerie wayfaringman †they shal say This land vntilled is become as a garden of pleasure and the desert cities and destitute and vndermined haue sitten fenced †And the Nations whatsoeuer shal be left round about you shal know that I the Lord haue builded the destroyed thinges and planted the vntilled places that I the Lord haue spoken and done it †Thus saith our Lord God As yet in this shal the house of Israel finde me that I wil doe for them I wil multiplie them as a flocke of men †as a holie flocke as the flocke of Ierusalem in the solemnities therof So shal the desert cities be ful of flockes of men and they shal know that I am the Lord. CHAP. XXXVII By dead bones rising to life which also signifieth the general resurrection 11. is prophecied the reduction of the Iewes from captiuitie 15. the kingdoms of Iuda and Israel shal be reduced into one kingdom 23. in figure that al Nations shal be vnited in Christ. THE hand of our Lord was made vpon me and brought me forth in the spirite of our Lord and left me in the middes of a filde that was ful of bones †And he led me about through them on euerie side there were verie manie vpon the face of the filde and exceeding drie †And he sayd to me Sonne of man thinkest thou these bones shal liue And I sayd Lord God thou knowest †And he sayd to me Prophecie of these bones and thou shalt say to them Drie bones heare ye the word of our Lord. †Thus saith our Lord God to these bones Behold I wil put spirite into you and you shal liue †And I wil geue sinowes vpon you and wil make flesh to grow vp ouer you and wil strech a skine on you and I wil geue you spirite and you shal liue you shal know that I am the Lord. †And I prophecied as he had commanded me and there was made a sound when I prophecied and behold a commotion and bones came to bones euerie one to his iuncture †And I saw and behold vpon them sinowes and flesh was growen vp and a skinne was strerched out in them aboue and they had noe spirite †And he sayd to me Prophecie to the spirite prophecie sonne of man thou shalt say to the spirite Thus saith our Lord God Come spirite from the foure windes and blow vpon these slaine and let them be reuiued †And I prophecied as he had commanded me spirit entered into them they liued they stood vpon their feete an armie passing great †And he sayd to me Sonne of man Al these bones are the house of Israel They say our bones are withered our hope is perished and we are cut of †Therfore prophecie and thou shalt say to them Thus sayth our Lord God Behold I wil open your graues and wil bring you out of your sepulchers ô my people and wil bring you into the land of Israel †And you shal know that I am the Lord when I shal haue opened your sepulchres and shal haue brought you out of your graues ô my people †and shal haue geuen my spirite in you and you shal liue and I shal make you rest vpon your ground you shal know that I the Lord haue spoken and done it saith our Lord God †And the word of our Lord was made to me saying †And thou sonne of man take thee one peece of wood and write vpon it Of Iuda and of the children of Israel his felowes and take an other peece of wood and write vpon it Of Ioseph the wood of Ephraim and of al the house of Israel and of his selowes †And ioyne them one to the other for thee into one peece of wood and they shal be into an vnion in thy hand †And when the children of thy people shal say to thee speaking Doest thou not declare vnto vs what thou meanest by these †Thou shalt speake to them Thus saith our Lord God Behold I wil take the peece of wood of Ioseph which is in the hand of Ephraim and the tribes of Israel that are adioyned to him and I wil geue them together with the peece of wood of Iuda and wil make them into one peece of wood and they shal be one in his hand †And the peeces of wood wherupon thou shalt write in thy hand
that the beast was slaine and the bodie therof was perished and was committed to the fyre to be burnt †The power of the other beasts also was taken away and times of life were appointed them vntil time and time †I beheld therfore in the vision of the night and loe with the clowdes of heauen there came in as it were m the sonne of man and he came euen to the ancient of dayes and in his sight they offered him †And he gaue him powre and honour and kingdom and al peoples tribes tongues shal serue him his powre an eternal power that shal not be taken away and his kingdom that shal not be corrupted †My spirit trembled I Daniel was made sore afrayd at these thinges and the visions of my head trubled me †I came to one of the assistants and I asked the truth of him concerning al these thinges who told me the interpretation of the wordes and taught me †These foure great beasts are foure kingdoms which shal rise vp out of the earth †And they shal take the kingdom of the holie God most high they shal obteine the kingdom euen to world world of worldes †After this I would diligently lerne of the fourth beast which was very vnlike from al and exceding terrible his teeth and clawes of yron he did eate and breake in peeces the rest he stamped with his feete †and of the tenne hornes that he had on his head and of the other that had growen vp before which the three hornes fel and of that horne that had eyes and the mouth speaking great wordes and was greater then the rest †I beheld and loe that horne made warre agaynst the saints and preuailed ouer them †til the ancient of dayes came gaue iudgement to the saintes on High and the time came and the saintes obteyned the kingdom †And thus he sayd The fourth beast shal be the fourth kingdom in the earth which shal be greater then al the kingdoms and shal deuoure the whole earth and shal conculcate and breake it in peeces †Moreouer the tenne hornes of that same kingdom shal be tenne kinges and an other shal rise vp after them and he shal be mightier then the former and he shal bring downe three kinges †And he shal speake wordes agaynst the High one and shal destroy the saintes of the Highest and he shal thinke that he can change times lawes and they shal be deliuered into his hand euen n to a time times half a time †And iudgement shal sitte that might may be taken away and be broken and perish euen to the end †And kingdom and power and the greatnes of the kingdom that is vnder al the heauen be geuen to the people of the saintes of the Highest whose kingdom is an euerlasting kingdom and al kinges shal serue him and shal obey him †Hitherto the end of the word I Daniel was much trubled with my cogitations and my face was changed in me but the word I kept in my hart CHAP. VIII Daniel seeth a ramme with two hornes ouercomen by a goate with one horne 8. Which shal also be broken and foure lesse rise in place therof one of them prophaneth the temple in Ierusalem and taketh away the daylie sacrifice 15. And Gabriel the Archangel expoundeth the vision IN the third yeare of the reigne of Baltassar the king a vision appeared to me †I Daniel saw in my vision after that which I had sene in the beginning when I was in Susis the castel which is in the prouince of Aelam and I saw in the vision that I was ouer the * gate Vlai †I lifted vp mine eyes and saw and behold one ramme stood before the marrice hauing highe hornes one higher then an other growing vnder †Afterward I saw the ramme pushing with the hornes against the Weast against the North and against the South and al beasts could not resist him nor be deliuered out of his hand and he did according to his wil was magnified †And I vnderstood and behold a buckgoate came from the West vpon the face of the whole earth he touched not the ground Moreouer the buckgoate had a notable horne betwen his eyes †And he came euen to that ramme with the hornes which I had sene standing before the gate he ranne towards him in the violence of his strength †And when he had approched nere the ramme he was wood against him and stroke the ramme and he brake his two hornes and the ramme could not resist him and when he had cast him on the ground he trode him and no man could deliuer the ramme out of his hand †And the buckgoate became exceding great and when he was growne the great horne was broken and there rose vp foure hornes vnder it by the foure windes of heauen †And out of one of them came forth g one litle horne and it was made great against the South and against the East and against the strength †And it was magnified euen vnto the strength of heauen and it threw downe of the strength and of the starres and trode them †And it was magnified euen vnto the prince of the strength and from him it tooke the continual sacrifice and threw downe the place of his sanctification †And strength was geuen against the continual sacrifice because of sinnes and truth shal be throwen prostrate on the ground and he shal doe and shal prosper †And I heard h one of the saincts spea king one sainte sayd to an other I know not to whom that spake How long the vision and the continual sacrifice and the sinne of the desolation that is made and the sanctuarie and the strength shal be conculcate †And he sayd to him Vnto the euening morning two thousand three hundred the sanctuarie shal be clensed †And it came to passe when I Daniel saw the vision and sought the vnderstanding behold there stood in my sight as it were the forme of a man †And I heard the voice of a man betwen the bankes of Vlai and he cried and sayd Gabriel make this man vnderstand the vision †And he came and stood nere where I stoood and when he was come trembling I fel on my face he sayd to me Vnderstand k sonne of man that in the time of the end the vision shal be accomplished †And when he spake to me I fel flat on the ground and he touched me and sette me vp in my standing †and sayd to me I wil shew thee what thinges are to come in the last of the malediction because the time hath his end †The ramme which thou sawest haue hornes is the king of the Medes and Persians †Moreouer the buckgoate is the king of the Graecians and the great horne that was betwen his
voice Great art thou ô Bel and there is not any deceite with thee †And Daniel laughed and he held the king that he should not goe in and he sayd Behold the pauement marke whose steppes these are †And the king sayd I see the steppes of men wemen and of infantes And the king was angrie †Then apprehended he the priests their wiues their children and they shewed him secrete litle doores by which they came in consumed the thinges that were on the table †The king therfore them he deliuered Bel into the powre of Daniel who ouerthrewe him his temple †And there was a great dragon in that place the Babylonians worshipped him †And the king sayd to Daniel Loe now thou canst not say that this same is not a liuing god adore him therfore †And Daniel sayd The Lord my God I doe adore because he is the liuing God †but thou ô king geue me licence and I wil kil the Dragon without sword and clubbe And the king sayd I geue thee licence †Daniel therfore tooke pitch fatte and heares and sod them together he made lumpes and gaue into the Dragons mouth the Dragon burst in sunder And he sayd Loe whom you worshipped †Which when the Babylonians had heard they were wrath excedingly and being gathered together against the king they said The king is become a Iewe. Bel he hath destroyed the Dragon he hath killed he hath slaine the priests †And they sayd when they were come to the king Deliuer vs Daniel otherwise we wil kil thee thy house †The king therfore saw that they pressed vpon him vehemently and compelled by necessity he deliuered Daniel to them †Who cast him into the lake of lions and he was there six dayes †Moreouer in the lake were seuen lions there were geuen to them two bodies euerie day two sheepe and they were not geuen vnto them that they might deuoure Daniel †And there was d Habacuc a prophete in Iewrie he had boyled broth had broken bread in a bowle and he went into the field to carie it to the reapers †And the Angel of our Lord sayd to Habacuc Carie the dinner which thou hast into Babylon to Daniel who is in the lake of lions †And Habacuc sayd Lord Babylon I haue not sene and the lake I know not †And the Angel of our Lord tooke him by the toppe of his head and caried him by the heare of his head put him into Babylon ouer the lake in the force of his spirit †And Habacuc cried saying Daniel take the dinner that God hath sent to thee †And Daniel sayd Thou hast remembred me ô God and hast not forsaken them that loue thee †And Daniel rysing vp did eate Moreouer the Angel of our Lord restored Habacuc forth with in his place †The king therfore came the seuenth day to lament Daniel and he came to the lake and looked in and behold Daniel sitting in the middes of the lions †And the king cried out with a lowd voice saying Great art thou ô Lord the God of Daniel And he drew him out of the lake of lions †But those that had bene the cause of his perdition he cast into the lake and they were deuoured in a moment before him †Then the king sayd Let al inhabitants in the whole earth feare the God of Daniel because he is the Sauiour doing signes meruels in the earth who hath deliuered Daniel out of the lions denne THE ARGVMENT OF THE TWELVE LESSE PROPHECLES VVHY Isai Ieremie Ezechiel and Daniel are called the foure greater Prophetes and these twelue the lesse there semeth no other certaine and proper reason but because they writte more largely and these more brifely For otherwise without essential difference al the sixtene as also Baruch whose booke is inserted with Ieremies and Moyses Samuel the Royal Psalmist Dauid Nathan Elias Elizeus Esdras Nehemias and manie others some writing bookes some not were absolutly true Prophetes of God indued with the holie spirite of prophecie had the like reuelations with the same assurance of truth in great part of the same Mysteries as wel perteyning to the old Testament as to the New And so these twelue contracted into the straitnes of one volume sayth S. Ierom multò aliud quam sonant in litera praefigurant Prefigurate a farre other thing then they sound in the letter Sygnifying as he elswhere explicateth that they do foreshew manie important thinges not only perteyning no the Iewes and some other peoples of those former times but also of al nations to be conuerted to Christ They were not al at one time but O see Ioel Amos Abdias Ionas and Micheas prophecied before the captiuitie of the tenne Tribes Nahum Habacuc and Sophonias after that captiuitie and before the captiuitie of the two Tribes And the other three Aggaeus Zacharias and Malachie after the relaxation from captiuitie Neither did they al prophecie in the same places nor concerning the same people and so haue their particular arguments as we shal briefly note of euerie one as they folow in order Here vve may note for instruction of the vulgar reader that the Prophetes commonly vse one of these names when they direct their speach of the kingdom of two Tribes Iuda Beniamin Ierusalem or The house of Dauid Because Iuda vvas the chiefe and most vvorthie tribe Beniamin the other only tribe besides Leui that ioyned vvith Iuda Ierusalem the Metropolitan and Royal citie vvhere both the Temple and Kinges palace vvere situated The House of Dauid is the familie vvherof succeded al the kinges of that kingdom so long as it stood and of vvhich some remayned in more estimation then anie other euen to Christ Likevvise they vse some of these other names vvhen they speake of the kingdom of tenne Tribes Ephraim Ioseph Samaria Iezrahel Bethel or Bethauen For that their first king Ieroboam vvas of the tribe of Ephraim and so descended from Ioseph Samaria and Iezrahel vvere the chifest cities of that kingdom Bethel vvas one of the places Dan the other vvhere Ieroboam set vp the tvvo calues VVhich place vvas othervvise more truly called Bethauen the house of the idol or of vanitie or iniquitie The names also of Israel and Iacob were more commonly vsed for the tenne tribes who being more in number vsurped and appropriated to themselues the names of their general Progenitor and Patriarch Yet sometimes these names importe al the tvvelue tribes including also Leui. And sometimes especially after the captiuitie of the tenne tribes these names signifie the tvvo tribes only vvhich more imitated Iacobs steppes and vertues then the tenne THE PROPHECIE OF OSEE OSEE borne in Belomoth as writeth S. Epiphanius of the tribe of Issachar prophecied in the reigne of Ozias otherwise called Azarias Ioathan Achaz Ezechias kinges
and hath spared his people †And our Lord answered and sayd to his people Behold I wil send you corne and wine and oyle and you shal be replenished with them and I wil geue you no more to be a reproch in the Gentils †And him that is from the North I wil make far from you and I wil expel him into a land vnpassable desert his face against the east sea and his extreme part to the last sea his stinke shal ascend his rotennes shal ascend because he hath done proudly †Feare not ô land reioyce be glad because our Lord hath magnified to doe †Feare not ye beastes of the region because the beautiful thinges of the desert are sprung because the tree hath brought his fruite the figtree and the vine haue geuen their vigour †And ye children of Sion reioyce and be ioyful in the Lord your God because he hath geuen you a doctor of iustice and he wil make the early and the late showre to descend to you as in the beginning †And the floores shal be filled with wheare and the presses shal ouerflow with wine and oyle †And I wil render you the yeares which the locust the bruke and the blast and the eruke hath eaten my great strength which I haue sent vpon you †And you shal eate eating and shal be filled and you shal praise the name of the Lord your God that hath done meruels with you and my people shal not be confounded for euer †And you shal know that I am in the middes of Israel I the Lord your God and there is none besides and my people shal not be confounded for euer †And it shal be after this I wil powre out my spirit vpon al flesh and your sonnes your daughters shal prophecie your ancients shal dreame dreames and your yong men shal see visions †Yea and vpon my seruants and handmayds in those dayes I wil powre out my spirit †And I wil geue wonders in heauen and in earth bloud and fire and vapour of smoke †The sunne shal be turned into darkenes and the moone into bloud before the great and horrible day of the Lord doth come †And it shal be euerie one that shal inuocate the name of the Lord shal be saued because in mount Sion and in Ierusalem shal be saluation as our Lord hath sayd and in the residew whom our Lord shal cal CHAP. III. After the conuersion of the Iewes to Christ 2. shortly foloweth the general Iudgement 3. where euerie one according to their desertes shal receiue expressed here in parabolical speach 7. 19. the wicked euerlasting paine 18. 20. and the blessed eternal ioy BECAVSE loe in those dayes and in that time when I shal conuert the captiuitie of Iuda and Ierusalem †I wil gather together al Nations wil lead them into the valley of Iosaphat and I wil plead with them there vpon my people and myne inheritance Israel whom they haue dispersed in the nations and haue diuided my land †And vpon my people they haue cast lot and boy they haue geuen to be a strumpet and wench they haue sould for wine that they might drinke †But what is to me and to you ô Tyre and Sidon and al the border of the Palesthines what wil you render me reuenge and if you doe reuenge against me I wil soone render you quickly recompence vpon your head †For my siluer and my gold you haue taken and my desiderable thinges and most beautiful you haue caried into your temples †And the children of Ierusalem you haue sold to the children of the Greekes that you might make them far of from their coasts †Behold I wil rayse them vp out of the place wherin you haue sold them and I wil turne your retribution vpon your owne head †And I wil sel your sonnes your daughters into the handes of the children of Iuda and they shal sel them to the Sabaeans a nation far of because our Lord hath spoken †Proclaime ye this in the Gentils sanctifie battel rayse vp the strong let them come let al the men of warre come vp †Cut your ploughes into swordes and your spades into speares Let the weake say That I am strong †Breake out and come al ye nations from round about and be gathered together there wil our Lord make al thy strong ones to be slaine †Let them arise and let the Gentils ascend into the valley of Iosaphat because there I wil sit to iudge al nations round about †Put in the sithes because the haruest is ripe come and descend because the presse is ful the presses runne ouer because their malice is multiplied †Peoples people 's in the valley of d concision because the day of our Lord is nigh in the valley of concision †The sunne and the moone are darkened and the starres haue withdrawen their shining †And our Lord wil roare out of Sion and out of Ierusalem he wil geue his voice and the heauens the earth shal be moued and our Lord the hope of his people and the strength of the children of Israel †And you shal know that I am the Lord your God dwelling in Sion my holy mount and Ierusalem shal be holie strangers shal passe through it no more †And it shal be in that day the mountaines shal distil sweetnes and the hilles shal flow with milke and through al the riuers of Iuda shal runne waters a fountaine shal issue out of the house of the Lord and shal water the torrent of thornes †Aegypt shal be into desolation Idumea into a desert of perdition for that they haue done vniustly against the children of Iuda and haue shed innocent bloud in their land †And Iewrie shal be inhabited for euer and Ierusalem vnto generation and generation †And I wil clense their bloud which I had not clensed and the Lord wil dwel in Sion THE PROPHECIE OF AMOS AMOS a heardesman of Thecua in the tribe of Zabulon was indued with the spirite of prophecie about the same time with Osee and Ioel in the reigne of Ozias king of Iuda and of Ieroboam sonne of Ioas king of Israel in Metaphores and other obscure speaches agreable to his pastoral education but profound in sense prophecieth especially against the kingdom of Israel and diuers Gentiles partly also against Iuda foreshewing their afflictions for their sinnes but at last the vocation of al Nations to Christ with abundance of spiritual graces in his Church CHAP. I. In the reigne of Iozias in Iuda and of Ieroboam in Israel this prophet Amos 3. threatneth Damascus 6. Gaza 8. Azotus and other Philistians 9. Tyre 11. Idumea 13. and Ammon for their obstinacie in sinne abusing his long patience THE wordes of Amos who was among the pastours of Thecua Which he saw vpon
your beds in the morning light they doe it because their hand is against God †And they haue couered fildes and violently taken and houses forcibly taken away and oppressed the man and his house the man and his inheritance †Therfore thus saith our Lord Behold I purpose euil vpon this familie whence you shal not take away your neckes and you shal not walke prowd because it is a very euil time †In that day a parable shal be taken vp vpon you and a songue shal be sung with sweetnes of them that say With depopulation we are wasted part of my people is changed how shal he depart from me wheras he returneth that wil diuide our regions †For this cause thou shalt haue none casting the cord of lot in the assemblie of our Lord. †Speake ye not speaking It shal not droppe vpon these confusion shal not apprehend them †The house of Iacob saith Way is the spirit of our Lord abridged or are his cogitations such Are not my wordes good with him that walketh rightly †And on the contrarie my people is risen vp as an aduersarie from aboue the cote you haue taken away the cloke them that passed simply you turned into battel †The wemen of my people you haue cast out of the house of their delicacies from their litle ones you haue taken my praise for euer †Arise and goe because you haue no rest here For the vncleannes therof it shal be corrupted with a sore putrefaction †Would God I were not a man hauing the spirit and that I did rather speake a lie I wil distil to thee into wine and into drunkennes and it shal be this people vpon whom it is distilled †Gathering I wil gather thee wholly together ô Iacob I wil bring together the remnant of Israel into one I wil put them together as a flocke in the fold as cattel in the middes of sheepcotes they shal make a tumult by reason of the multitude of men †For he shal ascend opening the way before them they shal diuide and passe through the gate and shal enter by it and their king shal passe before them and our Lord in the head of them CHAP. III. For the sinnes of the rich opressing the poore 5. of falfe prophets flatering for lucre 9. and of Iudges peruerting iustice 12. Ierusalem and the temple shal be destroyed AND I sayd Heare ye princes of Iacob ye dukes of the house of Israel Why is it not your part to know iudgement †which hate good and loue euil which violently take away their skinnes from them and their flesh from their bones †Which haue eaten the flesh of my people and haue stead their skinne from them and haue broken and cut their bones as in a kettle as it were flesh in the middes of a potte shal they crie to our Lord and he wil not heare them and he wil hide his face from them at that time as they haue done wickedly in their inuentions †Thus sayth our Lord vpon the prophets that seduce my people that bite with their teeth nnd preach peace and if a man geue not something in their mouth they sanctifie battel vpon him †Therfore there shal be nigt to you for vision and darkenes to you for diuination and the sunne shal goe downe vpon the prophets the day shal be darkened ouer them †And they shal be confounded that see visions and the diuiners shal be confounded and al shal couer their faces because there is no answer of God †But yet I am replenished with the strenght of the spirit of our Lord with iudgement and power to declare vnto Iacob his wickednes and to Israel his sinne †Heare this ye princes of the house of Iacob and ye iudges of the house of Israel which abhorre iudgement peruert al right thinges †Which build Sion in bloud and Ierusalem in iniquitie †Her princes iudged for gifts and her priests taught for wages and her prophets diuined for money they rested vpon our Lord saying Why is not our Lord in the middes of vs euils shal not come vpon vs. †For this because of you Sion shal be ploughed as a filde and Ierusalem shal be as an heape of stones and the mount of the temple as the high places of forests CHAP. IIII. Manie Gentiles shal beleue in Christ 6. and lastly the multitude of Iewes 8. In the meane time the two tribes shal be caried into captiuitie and be deliuered againe AND it shal be In the later end of dayes there shal be the mount of the house of our Lord prepared in the toppe of mountaines and high about the hilles and peoples shal flow to it †And manie nations shal hasten shal say Come let vs goe vp to the mountaine of our Lord to the house of the God of Iacob he wil teach vs of his wayes and we shal goe in this pathes because out of Sion shal the law goe forth and the word of our Lord out of Ierusalem †And he shal iudge betwen manie peoples and he shal rebuke strong nations vnto a far of and they shal cut their swordes into culters and their speares into spades nation shal not take sword against nation and they shal no more learne to make battel †And euerie man shal sitte vnder his vine vnder his figtree and there shal be none to make them afrayd because the mouth of the Lord of hosts hath spoken it †Because al peoples wil walke euerie one in the name of his God but we shal walke in the name of the Lord our God for euer and euer †In that day saith our Lord I wil gather her that halteth and her that I had cast out I wil gather vp her whom I had afflicted †And I wil make her that halted into a remnant and her that had laboured into a mightie nation and our Lord wil reigne ouer them in mount Sion from this time now and for euer †And thou the towre of flocke clowdie of the daughter of Sion shal come to thee and the first powre shal come the kingdom to the daughter of Ierusalem †Now why art thou drawne together with pensifnes why is there not a king to thee or is thy counselor perished because sorow hath apprehended thee as a woman in trauel †Sorow thou labour ô daughter of Sion as a woman in trauel because now shalt thou goe out of the citie and shalt dwel in the countrie and shalt come euen to Babylon there thou shalt be deliuered there our Lord wil redeme thee out of the hand of thine enemies †And now manie nations are gathered together vpon thee which say Let her be stoned and let our eye looke vpon Sion †But they haue not knowne the cogitations of our Lord and haue not vnderstood his counsel
I WIL BRING MY SERVANT THE ORIENT †Because loe the stone that I layd before Iesus vpon one stone there be seuen eyes behold I wil graue the grauing therof sayth the Lord of hosts I wil take away the iniquitie of that land in one day †In that day sayth the Lord of hosts euerie man shal cal his frende vnder the vine and vnder the figtree CHAP. IIII. In a vision of a candlestike and candles 3. and of two oliue trees is prophecied the vocation of the Gentils 11. and lastly of the Iewes AND the Angel returned that spake in me and he raysed me vp as a man that is raysed out of his sleepe †And he sayd to me What seest thou And I sayd I saw and loe a candlesticke al of gold and the lampe therof vpon the head of it and the seuen lights therof vpon it and seuen funnels for the lights that were vpon the head therof †And tow oliue trees vpon it one on the right hand of the lampe and one on the left hand therof †And I answered and I sayd to the Angel that spake in me saying What are these thinges my Lord †And the Angel that spake in me answered and sayd to me Why knowest thou not what these thinges are And I sayd No my Lord. †And he answered and sayd to me saying This is the word of our Lord to Zorobabel saying Not in an host nor in strength but in my spirit sayth the Lord of hosts †Who art thou ô great mountayne before Zorobabel into a plaine and he wil bring forth the principal stone and wil make grace equal to the grace therof †And the word of our Lord was made to me saying †The handes of Zorobabel haue founded this house and his handes shal perfite it and you shal know that the Lord of hosts hath sent me to you †For who hath despised litle dayes and they shal reioyce and shal see the stone of tinne in the hand of Zorobabel These are the seuen eyes of our Lord that runne through out the whole earth †And I answered and sayd to him What are these two oliuetrees on the right hand of the candlestike and on the left hand therof †And I answered the second time and sayd to him What are the two branches of oliuetrees that are beside the two beaks of gold in which are the funnels of gold †And he sayd to me saying Why knowest thou not what these are And I sayd No my Lord. †And he sayd These are two sonnes of oyle which assist the dominatour of the whole earth CHAP. V. In a vision of a flying booke theeues and sweares are threatned 5. in an other vision is foreshewed that the Iewes shal be blind and obdurate AND I turned and lifted vp myne eyes and I saw and behold a volume flying †And he sayd to me What seest thou And I sayd I see a volume flying the length therof of twentie cubits and the breadth therof of ten cubits †And he sayd to me This is the malediction that goeth forth vpon the face of the earth because euerie theefe as is there written shal be iudged and euerie swearer by it in like maner shal be iudged †I wil bring it forth sayth the Lord of hosts and it shal come to the house of the theefe and to the house of him that sweareth by my name falsly it shal abide in the middes of his house and shal consume it and the timber therof and the stones therof †And the Angel went out that spake in me and he sayd to me Lift vp thine eyes and see what is this that goeth forth †And I sayd What is it And he sayd This is an amphore going forth And he sayd This is their eye in al the earth †And behold a talent of lead was caried and loe one woman sitting in the middes of the amphore †And he sayd This is impietie And he threw her in the middes of the amphore and cast a lumpe of lead vpon the mouth therof †And I lifted vp mine eyes and saw and behold two wemen coming forth and spirit in the winges of them and they had winges as the winges of a kite and they lifted vp the amphore betwen the earth and the heauen †And I sayd to the Angel that spake in me Whither do these carie the amphore †And he sayd to me That a house may be built for it in the land of Sennaar and it may be established and set there vpon the foundation therof CHAP. VI. In a vision of chariots is foreshewed the succession of foure monarchies 11. In crownes set on the high priests head the Kingdom and Priesthood of Christ 15. and the rewards of them that receiue him AND I turned and lifted vp mine eyes and saw and behold foure chariots coming forth from the middes of two mountaines the mountaines mountaines of brasse †In the first chariot red horses in the second chariot blacke horses †and in the third chariot white horses and in the fourth chariot speckled horses strong †And I answered and sayd to the Angel that spake in me What are these thinges my Lord †And the Angel answered and sayd to me These are the foure windes of heauen which goeforth to stand before the Dominatour of al the earth †That in which were the blacke horses went forth into the land of the North and the white went forth after them and the speckled went forth to the land of the South †But they that were strongest went out and sought to goe and to runne about through out al the earth And he sayd Goe walke through out the earth and they walked through out the earth †And he called me and spake to me saying Behold they that goe forth into the land of the North haue made my spirit to rest in the land of the North. †And the word of our Lord was made to me saying †Take of the transmigration of Holdai and of Tobias and of Idaias and thou shalt come in that day and shalt enter into the house of Iosias the sonne of Sophonias who came out of Babylon †And thou shalt take gold and siluer shalt make crownes and thou shalt set on the head of Iesus the sonne of Iosedec the grand priest †and thou shalt speake to him saying Thus sayth the Lord of hosts saying BEHOLD A MAN ORIENT IS HIS NAME and vnder him shal spring vp and shal build a temple to our Lord. †And he shal build a temple to our Lord and shal beare glorie and shal sit and rule vpon his throne and he shal be a priest vpon his throne and the counsel of peace shal be betwen them two †And the crownes shal be to Helem and Tobias and Idaias and Hem the sonne of Sophonias a memorial in the
temple of our Lord. †And they that are far shal come and shal build in the temple of our Lord and you shal know that the Lord of hosts sent me to you But this shal be if hearing you wil heare the voice of our Lord your God CHAP. VII The fast of the fift and seuenth moneth obserued in the captiuitie being good 5. was vnperfect 8. fasting from sinne is alwayes more necessarie AND it came to passe in the fourth yeare of Darius the king the word of our Lord was made to Zacharie in the fourth of the ninth moneth which is Casleu †And Sarasar and Rogommelech and the men that were with him sent to the house of God to besech the face of our Lord that they should say to the priests of the house of the Lord of hosts and to the prophets saying Must I weepe in the fifth moneth or must I san ctifie myself as now I haue done manie yeares †And the word of the Lord of hosts was made to me saying Speake to al the people of the land and to the priests saying when you fasted and mourned in the fifth and the seuenth for these seuentie yeares did you fast a fast vnto me †and when you did eate and drinke did you not eate for your selues and drinke for your selues †Why are they not the wordes which our Lord spake in the hand of the former prophets when Ierusalem as yet was inhabited and was welthie it self and the cities round about it and toward the South and in the champine there was dwelling †And the word of our Lord was made to Zacharie saying †Thus sayth the Lord of hosts saying Iudge ye true Iudgement and doe ye mercie miserations euerie man with his brother †And the widow and the pupil and the stranger and the poore doe not calumniate and let not a man thinke in his hart euil to his brother †And they would not attend and they turned away the shoulder departing and they aggrauated their eares not to heare †And they made their hart as the adamant lest they should heare the law the wordes which the Lord sent in his spirit by the hand of the former prophetes and there was great indignation made from the Lord of hosts †And it came to passe as he spake and they heard not so shal they crie I wil not heare sayth the Lord of hosts †And I dispersed them through out al kingdoms which they know not and the land was left desolate of them for that there was none passing returning and the land to be desired they layd into a desert CHAP. VIII God wil geue abundance of spiritual benefites to al nations by Christ 7. to whom shal be conuerted 13. manie Iewes 20. but manie more Gentiles AND the word of the Lord of hosts was made saying †Thus sayth the Lord of hostes I haue bene ielous for Sion with great zeale and with great indignation haue I bene ielous for it †Thus sayth the Lord of hosts I am returned to Sion and I wil dwel in the middes of Ierusalem and Ierusalem shal be called the Citie of truth the Mount of the Lord of hosts the sanctified mount †Thus sayth the Lord of hosts As yet shal old men dwel and old wemen in the streets of Ierusalem and euerie mans stafe in his hand for multitude of yeares †And the streets of the citie shal be filled with infantes and girles playing in the streets therof †Thus sayth the Lord of hosts If it shal seme hard in the eyes of the remnant of this people in those dayes Why shal it be hard in mine eyes sayth the Lord of hosts †Thus sayth the Lord of hosts Behold I wil saue my people from the land of the East and from the land of the Going downe of the sunne †And I wil bring them and they shal dwel in the middes of Ierusalem and they shal be my people and I wil be their God in truth and in iustice †Thus sayth the Lord of hosts Let your handes be strengthned you that heare in these dayes these words by the mouth of the prophets in the day that the house of the Lord of hosts was founded that the temple might be built †For before those dayes there was no hyre for men neither was there hyre for beasts neither was there peace to the comer in nor goer out for tribulation and I did let goe al men euerie one against his neighbour †But now not according to the former dayes wil I doe to the remnant of this people sayth the Lord of hosts †but the seede of peace shal be the vine shal geue his fruite and the earth shal geue her spring and the heauens shal geue their dew and I wil make the remnant of this people to possesse al these thinges †And it shal be as you were a malediction among the Gentils ô house of Iuda house of Israel so wil I saue you and you shal be a benediction feare not let your handes be strengthned †Because thus sayth the Lord of hosts As I purposed to afflict you when your fathers had prouoked me to wrath sayth our Lord †and I had no mercie so conuerting I haue meant in these dayes to doe good to the house of Iuda and Ierusalem feare not †These then are the wordes which you shal doe Speake ye truth euerie one with his neighbour truth and iudgement of peace iudge ye in your gates †And thinke ye not euerie man in your hart euil against his frend lying othe loue ye not for al these things are such as I hate sayth our Lord. †And the word of our Lord of hosts was made to me saying †Thus sayth the Lord of hosts The fast of the fourth and the fast of the fifth and the fast of the seuenth and the fast of the tenth shal be to the house of Iuda into ioy and gladnes into goodlie solemnities truth onlie and peace loue ye †Thus sayth the Lord of hosts vntil peoples come dwel in manie cities †and the inhabitants goe one to an other saying Let vs goe and besech the face of our Lord and let vs seeke the Lord of hosts I also wil goe †And manie peoples shal come and strong nations to seeke the Lord of hosts in Ierusalem to besech the face of our Lord. †Thus sayth the Lord of hosts In those dayes wherein ten men of al the tongue of the Gentils shal take hold and they shal take hold of the skirt of a man that is a Iewe saying We wil goe with you for we haue heard that God is with you CHAP. IX The bordering enimies of the Iewes shal beleue in Christ 9. who wil first come to the Iewes in mekenes yet in solemnitie riding on an asse 11. deliuer the godlie from the lake 12. geue great thinges to the
†For there was a certaine pensiuenes powred about the man and horrour of the bodie wherby the sorow of his hart was made manifest to them that beheld him †Others also came flocking together out of their houses praying with publicke supplication for that the place was to come into contempt †And the wemen hauing their breast girded with heareclothes came together through the stretes Yea and the virgins that were shut vp came forth to Onias and some to the walles but some looked through the windowes †and al stretching forth their handes vnto heauen prayed †For the expectation of the confuse multitude and of the grand priest being in an agonie was miserable †And these certes inuocated almightie God that the thinges committed to them might be performed with al integritie for them that had committed the same of trust †But Heliodorus exercised that which he had decreed in the same place himself present with his gard about the treasurie †But the spirit of almightie God made great euidence of his appearing so that al which had presumed to obey him falling by the vertue of God were turned into dissolution and feare †For there appeared to them a certaine horse hauing a terrible rider adorned with very rich harnesse and he with feircenes stroke Heliodorus with his forefoote and he that sate vpon him seemed to haue armour of gold †There appeared also two other yong men comely for strength excellent of glorie and beautiful in attyre which stood about him and on both sides whipped him beating him with manie stripes without intermission †And Heliodorus sodenly fel on the ground they tooke him being couered round about with much darkenes and being set in a seate portatiue they thrust him forth †And he that with manie currers and men of his garde entered into the foresayde treasurie was caried no man geuing him succourse the manifest powre of God being knowne †And he in deede by the powre of God lay dumbe and depriued of al hope and health †But they blessed our Lord because he magnified his place and the temple that a little before was ful of feare and tumult almightie God appearing was filled with ioy and gladnes †And then certaine of the freindes of Heliodorus forth with desired Onias that he would inuocate the highest to geue him life who was at the very last gaspe †And the high priest considering least perhaps the king might suspect some malice on the Iewes part downe aboute Heliodorus offered for the health of the man an healthful host †And when the high priest by prayer obteyned the selfe same yong men clothed with the same garments standing by Heliodorus sayd Geue thankes to Onias the priest for him hath our Lord geuen thee life †But thou being scourged of God declare vnto al men the great workes and the powre of God And these thinges being sayd they appeared no more †And Heliodorus hauing offered an host to God and hauing promised great vowes to him that granted him to liue and geuing thankes to Onias taking his armie againe returned to the king †And he testified to al men those workes of the great God which he had seene before his owne eyes †And when the king had asked Heliodorus who was meete to be sent yet once more to Ierusalem he sayd †If thou haue anie enemie or traytour to thy kingdome send him thither and thou shalt receiue him againe scourged if yet he escape because there is vndoubtedly in the place a certaine powre of God †For he that hath his dwelling in the heauens is the visiter and helper of that place them that come to doe euil he striketh and destroyeth †Therefore concerning Heliodorus and the keping of the treasurie so the matter standeth CHAP. IIII. Onias defamed molested by Simon repayreth to the king to procure peace 7. Seleucus dying Antiochus reigning lason by promising money to the king getteth the office of highpriest from his brother Onias 10. and peruerteth religion 12. setteth vp a wicked schoole wherby manie are corrupted 8. sendeth money for sacrifice to be offered to Hercules which is imployed in making gallees 21. Antiochus is receiued with great pompe into Ierusalem 23. Menelaus by promise of more money getteth the high priesthood from Iason 29. He also is deposed and his brother Lisimachus put in the place 32. Andronicus trayterously murdereth Onias 36. and for the same is slaine by the kings commandment 39. and Lysimachus by the people 43. Menelaus iustly accused escapeth by bribing and the innocent are slaine BVR Simon the foresayde betrayer of the money and of his countrie spake il of Onias as though he had stirred vp Heliodorus to these thinges and had bene the mouer of the euils †and the prouider for the citie and defender of his nation and the emulatour of the law of God he presumed to cala secret betrayer of the kingdom †But when the emnities proceeded so far that murders also were committed by certaine of Simons familiars †Onias considering the peril of the contention and that Appollonius being gouernour of Caelesyria and Phaenicia was outragious which encreased the malice of Simon went to the king †not as an accuser of the citizens but considering with himself the common profite of the whole multitude †For he saw that without the kings prouidence it was vnpossible that peace should be made in those matters that Simon would not cease from his follie †But after Seleucus departure out of life when Antiochus that was called the Noble had taken the kingdom vpon him Iason the brother of Onias ambiciously sought the highpricsthood †going to the king promising him three hundred three score talents of siluer and of other reuenewes foure score talents †aboue this he promised also an hundred fiftie more if leaue might be granted him to make a schole and a place for youth and to intitle them that were at Ierusalem Antiochians †Which when the king had granted and he had obteyned the princedom forth with he began to transport his countrie men to the heathen rite †And these thinges being taken away which of fauoure had bene decreed by kinges vnto the Iewes and through Iohn the father of the Eupolemus who was embassadour with the Romans concerning amitie and societie he disanulling the lawful rites of the citizens made wicked ordinances †For he presumed vnder the verie castle to set vp a schoole and to put al the goodliest youthes in brothel houses †And this was not the beginning but a certaine increase and going forward of the heathen and strange conuersation through the abhominable neuer heard before of Iason the impious and not a priest †So that the priestes were not now occupied about the offices of the altar but the temple being contemned the sacrifices neglected they hastened to be pertakers of the gamme of wrastling and of the
wombe Ch. 33. v. 14. Behold the dayes wil come sayth our Lord and I wil rayse vp the good word v. 15. I wil make the spring of iustice to bud forth vnto Dauid he shal do iudgement and iustice in the earth Ieremies Lamentations are in greatest part of Christ and his Church And some part can hardly be applied to anie other ch 3. v. 30. He shal geue the cheke to him that striketh him he shal be filled with reproches ch 4. v. 20. Christ our Lord is taken in our sinnes Baruch 2. v. 35. God promising to reduce the people from Babylon addeth And I wil establish vnto them an other testament euerlasting by Christ whose kingdom is for euer that I be their God and they shal be my people Ch. 3. v. 36. This is our God and there shal none other be esteemed against him v. 38. After these thinges he was sene vpon the earth and was conueâ—sant with men Ezechiel peculiarly called by an Angel the sonne of man was therin a special figure of our Sauiour who so calleth him self And the same prophet hath in plaine termes foreshewed the office of Christ the true Pastor of al pastors eh 34. v. 25. I wil sayth God by this prophet rayse vp ouer them one Pastor who shal feede them my seruant Dauid that is Christ prefigured by Dauid His admirable visions in the three first chapters and nine last perteyne properly and principally to the new Testament of Christ and his Church shewing the abundance of grace and glorie geuen by him to the elect Daniel 7. v. 13. With the cloudes of heauen there came in as it were the Sonne of man and he came euen to the ancient of dayes and in his sight they offered him He came euen to the ancient of dayes because in his Diuinitie he is equal to the Father and in his humanitie he is offered to God in Sacrifice v. 14 His powre is eternal and his kingdom shal not be corrupted ch 9. v. 24. Seuentie wekes of yeares are abridged that sinnes may be forgeuen grace be infused prophecies be fulfilled and the Holie one of holies be annointed Al which belong only to Christ. v. 26. After sixtie two wekes Christ shal be slaine Aggeus 2. v. 8. The desired of al nations shal come Zach. 3. v. 8. I wil bring my seruant the Orient ch 13. v. 7. Strike the Pastour and the shepe shal be dispersed fulfilled in Christs Passion Mat. 26. v. 21. Malaâ—h 3. v. 2. Forthwith shal come to his temple the Dominator whom you seke the Angel of the testament whom ye desire The booke of wisdom ch 2. v. 12. describeth the malice of the wicked against Christ Let vs say they circumuent the iust because he is vnprofitable to vs and he is contrarie to our workes and reprochfully obiecteth to vs the sinnes of the law v. 13. He boasteth that he hath the knowlege of God and nameth him self the Sonne of God Ecclesiasticus 24. v. 34. God appointed to Dauid his seruant to raise vp a king of him most strong and sitting in the throne of honour for euer Which eternal king proceeding from Dauid can be none but Christ our Sauiour And al the praises of Paâ—riarches and Prophetes in the last eight chapters consist in their fayth and expectation of Christ Likewise the Priestes and people 1. Mach. 14. v. 28. 35. and 49. shewed their fayth of Christ to come when they established Simon and his progenie in the gouernment and highpriesthood for euer til there rise the faithful Prophet to witte the Prophet of whom al the prophetes did speake Luc. 24 v. 27. Amongst the rest Ieremie ch 31. v. 23. and Ezechiel ch 44. v. 2. make also especial mention of some singular priuileges of the most excellent virgin Mother of God Of whom also Iudith and Esther were apparent figures who receiued special graces for the benefite of their nation and so did this singular Virgin receiue of God most eminent giftes aboue al other mere creatures for the benefite of the whole Church Of Angels the celestial spirites is frequent mention in the holie Scriptures of this age Their multitude is innumerable and therfore are insinuated to men by general termes Daniel 7. v. 10. Thousandes of thousandes ministered to him and tenne thousand hundred thousandes assisted him And their powre is most great and to men most profitable An Angel defended the three children in the fornace walking with them in the fire Daniel 3. v. 49 95. Another defended Daniel from the lions ch 6. v. 22. The same or an other caried Habacuc from Iurie into Babylon Dan. 14. v. 35. and restored him in his place againe v. 38. The Archangel Gabriel instructed Daniel ch 8. v. 16. 17. ch 9. v. 21. And ch 10. v. 13. 20. Other Angels the Patrones or Guardians of the Persians and Grecians prayed for those countries and S. Michael v. 21. for the Iewes An Angle spake in Zacharie ch 1. v. 9. An other Angel went to mete him ch 2. v. 3. And in respect of Angelical offices both S. Iohn Baptist and our Sauiour himself are figuratiuely called Angeles Malach. 3. v. 1 No meruel therfore that Iudas Machabeus and his armie 2. Machab. 11. v 6. prayed for the assistance of a good Angel which was granted them v. 8. And so they went promptly hauing an helper from heauen v. 10. Their like prayer had the same effect in an other battel 2. Machab. 15 v. 27. Contrarie to these glorious Angeles are other spirites at first created in grace which falling into pride and most obstinate malice are perpetual enimies to God their Creator and to al mankind continually calumniating the workes of God and of al his seruantes wherof they are called Diuels or calumniators They neuer cease tempting al they can to euil so to bring men to eternal death For by the enuie of the diuel Sap. 2. v. 7. death both of soule bodie came into this world The iust stipend of sinne Al sinnes offend God and please the diuels But more particularly they desire to be honored as God with Sacrifice Which therfore they require to themselues and their idols And for this sinne of Idolatrie aboue al others God is most prouoked to wrath for the same most especially punished his people as the Prophet Baruch chap. 4. v. 6. signifieth to the people saying You are sold to the Gentils c. You are deliuered to their aduersaries and geuing the reason why he addeth v. 7. For you haue exasperated him that made you the eternal God immolating to diuels And not to God The same al the Prophetes teach and withal that Sacrifice is the souereigne seruice due to God only and not to any creature how excellent soeuer But of Sacrifice there is so much written that it were ouer long and nedeles to recite the places It importeth more
ouer al the earth †And it came to passe when it reigned an end came to it and the place therof appeared not and the next rose vp reigned that held much time †And it came to passe when it reigned the end of it also came that it appeared not as the former †And behold a voice was sent forth to it saying †Heare thou that hast held the earth of long time Thus I tel thee before thou beginne not to appeare †None after thee shal hold thy time no nor the halfe therof †And the third lifted vp it selfe and held the principalitie as also the former and that also appeared not †And so it chanced to al the other by one by one to haue the principalitie agayne to appeare nowhere †And I saw and behold in time the rest of the winges were sent vp on the right side that they also might hold the principalitie and of them there were that held it but yet forth with they appeared not †For some also of them stoode vp but they held not the principalitie †And I saw after these thinges and behold the twelue winges and two litle winges appeared not †and nothing remayned in the bodie of the eagle but two heades resting and six litle winges †And I saw and behold from the six litle winges two were diuided and they remayned vnder the head that is on the right side For foure taried in their place †And I sa 〈…〉 d behold the vnderwinges thought to set vp them selues and to hold the principalities †And I saw and behold one was set vp but forth with it appeared not †And they that were second did sooner vanish away then the former †And I saw and behold the two that remayned thought with them selues that they also would reigne †and when they were thincking thereon behold one of the resting heades which was the midde one awaked for this was greater then the other two heades †And I saw that the two heades were complete with themselues †And behold the head with them that were with him turned and did eate the two vnderwinges that thought to reigne †And this head terrified al the earth ruled in it ouer them that inhabite the earth with much labour and he that held the dominion of the whole world aboue al the winges that were †And I saw after these thinges and behold the midle head sodenly appeared not as did the winges †And there remained two heads which reigned also themselues ouer the earth and ouer them that dwelt therein †And I saw and behold the head on the right side deuoured that which was on the left †And I heard a voice saying to me Looke against thee and consider what thou seest †And I saw behold as a lion raysed out of the wood roaring and I saw that he sent out a mans voyce to the eagle And he spake saying †Heare thou and I wil speake to thee and the Highest wil say to thee †Is it not thou that hast ouercome of the foure beastes which I made to reigne in my world and that by them the end of their times might come †And the fourth coming ouercame al the beastes that were past and by might held the world with much feare and al the world with most wicked laboure and he inhabited the whole earth so long time with deceipte †And thou hast iudged the earth not with truth †For thou hast afflicted the meeke and hast trubled them that were quiet and hast loued lyers hast destroyed their habitations that did fructifie and hast ouerthrowen their walles that did not hurt thee †And thy contumelie is ascended euen to the Highest and thy pride to the Strong †And the Highest hath looked vpon the proud times and behold they are ended and the abominations therof are accomplished †Therfore thou eagle appeare no more and thy horrible winges thy litle winges most wicked and thy heades malignant and thy talons most wicked and al thy bodie vayne †that al the earth may be refreshed and may returne deliuered from thy violence and may hope for his iudgement and mercie that made it CHAP. XII The eagle vanisheth away 5. Esdras prayeth 10. and the former visions are declared to him AND it came to passe whiles the lyon spake these wordes to the eagle I saw †and behold the head that had ouercome and those foure winges appeared not which passed to him and were set vp to reigne and their reigne was smal and ful of tumult †And I saw and behold they appeared not and al the bodie of the eagle was burnt the earth was afrayd excedinly and I by the tumult and traunce of minde and for great feare awaked and sayd to my spirit †Behold thou hast geuen me this in that that thou searchest the wayes of the Highest †Behold yet I am wearie in minde and in my spirit I am very feeble and there is not so much as a litle strength in me for the great feare that I was afrayd of this night †Now therfore I wil pray the Highest that he strengthen me euen to the end †And I sayd Lord Dominatour if I haue found grace before thine eyes and if I am iustified before thee aboue manie and if in deede my prayer be ascended before thy face †strengthen me and shew vnto me thy seruant the interpretation and distinction of this horrible vision that thou mayst comfort my soule most fully †For thou hast counted me worthie to shew vnto me the later times And he sayd to me †This is the interpretation of this vision †The eagle which thou sawest coming vp from the sea this is the kingdom which was sene in a vision to Daniel thy brother †But it was not interpreted to him therfore I do now interprete it to thee †Behold the dayes come and there shal rise a kingdom vpon the earth and the feare shal be more terrible then of al the kingdomes that were before it †And there shal twelue kinges reigne it it one after an other †For the second shal beginne to reigne and he shal continew more time then the rest of the twelue †This is the interpretation of the twelue winges which thou sawest †And the voice that spake which thou heardst not coming forth of her heads but from the middes of her bodie †this is the interpretation that after the time of that kingdom shal rise no smal contentions and it shal be in danger to fal and it shal not fal then but shal be constituted againe according to the beginning therof †And wheras thou sawest eight vnderwings cleauing to the wings therof †this is the interpretation eight kinges shal arise in it whose times shal be light and yeares swift and two of them shal perish †But when the middest time approcheth foure shal be kept til a time
Ser 1. de S. Andrea S. Beda 〈◊〉 4. S. Aug. cont Faust S. Greg. in li. 1. Reg. et in Iob. Inuocation of Patriarches S. Hiere Ep. 12. ad Gauden Obiections answered by holie Scriptuâ—es Iob. 4â— How Sainctes knâ—w mens prayers Titles geuen to men in office and to Sainctes lib. de mortalitate Angels adâ—â—ed Reliqués Images Exequies fâ—â— the dead Purgatorie To. 2. in sept Psal paeuitent Limbus pattâ— No entrance into heauen before Christ Resurrection Iudgement Eternal paine of the damned and glorie of the blessed 1. Co◠◠〈◊〉 dowries of glorified bodies presigured 1 Cor. 〈◊〉 Cathâ— câ—â—s Rom p. 1. c 12. q 9. The Church more knowen to other nations then before The Ecclesiastical and temporal states more distinguished Succession of High Priestes Distinction of offices in Priestes Leuites Succession of temporal princes interrupted Dukes Iudges Kinges M 〈…〉 Church Murmure Idolatrie 〈…〉 e. 〈…〉 〈…〉 * Iudic. 3. Ordinarie meanes of conseruing the Church No participation with infiâ—els No 〈…〉 But one Tabernacle One Altar 〈◊〉 〈…〉 8. Chris orat 1. aduers Iudeos One supreme Iudge of controuersies Al bound to obey him His sentence infallible The Church of Christ preserued from â—â—â—ing in Religion Math. 16. 28. Luc. 22. Ioan 14. 16. Eph. 4. â— Tâ—m 3. Not anie temporal but Christs kingdom is in al nations and perpetual S. Aug. li. 17. â—â— de â—â—uit S. â—â—pipâ—â— here 's 2â— The Church of Christ vniuersal Act. 4. in hunc Psalm The Iewes wil not see Christ 2. Cor. 3. And Heretikes wil not see the Church which yet is alwayes visible S. Aug. in Psal 30. câ—nâ— 2. Collat. Carthag at cont Donatist Ibidem The beginning of the fifth age * Firmnes * in strength :: A vessel so 〈…〉 for the 〈…〉 being 〈…〉 :: â—atus contayned 〈…〉 :: Had designed and dedicated to holie vses :: There was no more with in the arke Deut. 10. but on the outside was the rodde of Aaron Nu. 17. Heb. 9. the golden potte with Manna Exod 16 Heb 9. and the booke of the law repeted by Moyses Deut. 31. :: Prices blesse their people parentes their children :: Salomon knew wel Gods conditional promise but perseuered not in keping his coÌ„mandments and therfore a great part of the kingdom was takeÌ„ from his children yet the right of the kingdom of Iuda remayned to his seede euen to Christ our Sauiour :: Reward of good workes :: External workes of penance except they proceede from the hart suffice not for remission of sinne :: External worship is not acceptable to God except it procede from internal sinceritie and dâ—â—odon VVherfore S. Augustin sayth God is worshipped in faith hope and charitie Enchirid c. â— :: Salomon did not â—el these cities for he could not alienate them but let the king of Tyre haue the vse and reuenewes in payment for timber for the gold which he sent * dirtie or disples sing :: a monument :: Part of Arabia is called Saba nere to Iurie but this Saba is beyond Arabia as S. Hierom testifieth in Esaiae 60 li. 17 it semeth to be in Aethiopia for our Sauiour saith Mat. 12. The quene of the South came froÌ„ the endes of the earth to heare the vvisdom of Salomon :: As this quene had no spirite when she saw Salomons wisdom so the Church gathered of gentiles knowing Christs grace finding the masters of Euangelical doctrin casting away the spirite of pride and laying of al hautinesse of mind lerned to distrust in her self and to trust in the great mercie of her king S. Greg in Psal 7. paâ—â—ten to 2. * A wonderful thing that a Quene vpon fame of a mans wisdom traueled so farre to heare him speake and to see his gouernment but it was Gods inspiration to signifie by this figure that the Church of Christ should be gathered of the Gentiles in al nations Kiges Quenes noâ— potent Princes also submitting themselues to Christ Isaae c. 49. :: Though pluralitie of wiues was then alowed yet it was forbid to multiplie manie Deut. :: The tribe of Iuda :: By Ierusalem is vnderstood the tribe of Beniamin wherin it stood so there remained two tribes to Salomons heyres 2. Reg. â— â—â— Reg. 10. :: From the time that Salomon fel to idolatrie he was more impugned by three perpetual aduersaries Adad Razon and Hieroboam mystically signifying the flesh the world and the diuel :: This fact coÌ„firmed his wordes that he spoke seriously fained not :: VVhether he repented and was saued or no is vncertaine The third part The diuision of the Kingdom Seueral reigues of certaine kinges and preaching of special prophetes :: This pharaise noteth the sequel not the final cause As chap. 14. â— â— :: A diuelish policie to make a religion conformable to the temperal state :: For such a religion such priestes were fittest :: Places on hilles where they sacrificed calues and other thinges to the images of calues :: This foreshewing long before the name of a childe that should be borne importeth that he should do great thinges See 4. Reg. 2â— :: This man of Bethel was indeede a prophet of God but in this lied wickedly and so deceiuing the other prophet made him to breake Gods commandment for which he was slaine VVhervpon Hieroboam swhom the wiked prophet sought to please was lesse afeard to procede in idolatrie :: Not only the deceiuer but also he that is deceiued is guiltie and punishable for breakiÌ„g Gods coÌ„mandment :: By this it appeareth to be Gods worke and punishment :: Ieroboam did not wittingly and of purpose set vp false goddes to the end he might prouoke God to anger for his intention only was to kepe the people froÌ„ going to Ierusalem left by that occasion they should returne to Roboam their Lord king of Iuda ch 12. v. 27. But by settiÌ„g vp idols he did prouoke God consequently to anger So here and in other places this phrase that he might prouoke that it might be fulfilled and the like signifieth not the final cause but the sequele of other factes without direct intention :: Dauids postetitie conserued for his sake :: Those altares which Salomon had made for his wiues that were idolaters Asa destroved not but al which RoboaÌ„ and Abias had made or suffered to be made for their owne people he pulled downe Iosias afterward destroyed also those which Salomon had made 2. â—â—â—â—l 34. :: The aâ—â—â—ouâ— of schisme punished in his posteritie :: Al those that were in the campe chose their general to be their king and preuailed therin though an other half of Israel chose and folowed an other for a time :: Thebni being then dead he reigned peaceably for he began his reigne the 27. yeare of Asa â— 15. 16. and reigned in al 12. yeares :: VVhen Hiel began to build Iericho his eldest sonne died so the rest successiuely that the last died when he finished the building because God by the mouth of
Iosue had forbid the building therof Iosue â— The Epistle 〈◊〉 Teusday in the 2. weke of Lent The epistle 〈◊〉 Friday in the 4. weke of Lent To this question sayth S. Augustin the prophet answered in spirite No. For God killed not this childe to afflict so good a mother but to confirme her in true religion comforte her by raysing him from death So Lazarus died not to remaine dead but to be raysed to life for Gods more glorie Ioan. 11. v. 4. S. Aug li. 2. q. 5. ad Simplicia :: Abdias adored Elias as the prophete of God and a holie man not with ciuil honour for in the world Abdias was the greater person nor with diuine honour for that had benne idolatrie It was therfore religious honour called dulia due to spiritual excellencie of Gods seruantes :: Such zelous expostulation is necessarie to al Nentrals in religion who are neither hoto nor cold but luke vvaâ—me such as Angels detest Apoc. 3. :: VVhen miracles are attempted for trial of the truth the diuels powre is restrayned only the truth is testified Our Lord vvorking â—â—â—thal confirming the doctrin vvith sigâ—â—â— folovving 〈◊〉 vlt. :: Elias knew no other at that instant in the tenne tribes that were not partakers in idolatrie but there were in deede seuen thousand v. 18 that bowed not their knees to Baal And the whole kingdom of Iuda obserued true religion where Asa then reigned and after him Iosaphat both good kinges chap. 15. v. 11. 22 v. 43. 2. Par. 15. 17. :: Elias prophecied that these two should be kinges and cast his cloke ouer Elizeus v. 19. Elizeus declared to Hazael that he should be king 4. Reg. 8. an other prophet annointed Iehu 4. Reg. 9. Those that are girded strongly armed do not wisely in trusting their owne strength and contemning their aduersaries for by so doing they are often ouerthrowne And those that distrusting them selues trust in God one way or other alwaies preuaile A necessarie lesson both in temporal and spiritual warfayre :: Manie victories and other benefites were besiâ—wed vpon Achab to make him knowe God but he coÌ„temning them al remained in his impietie and finally was slaine ch 22 v. 38. :: Foolish pittie in sparing a dangerous common enimie is offensiâ—â—e to God seuerely punished by his iustice :: If no subiect were lord of anie land but only at the kings pleasure kinges were proper lordes of al the landes in their kingdomes then Achab might haue taken Naboths vinyard especially geuing him a better or money for it Neither was it a vaine scruple in Naboth to conserue his ancesters inheritance For both his denial is here iustified and Achabs extortion coâ—â—â—mned S. Ambrose li. 3. offic c. 9. counteth Naboth a Martyr See Annot. 1. Reg. 8. :: To auoide horrore of blasphemie holie scripture often vseth the terme blessing for cursing * chap. 22. v. 38. :: So addicted to wickednes as if he had solde him selfe to the diuel for some temporal profite or pleasure In your iniquities you are solde Isaiae 50. S. Aug. q. 102. ex vtro test S. Greg. 〈◊〉 10. in Ezech. :: The godlie King Iosaphat iustly suspecting the schismatical sâ—â—â—e prophetes aduised the other King to coÌ„sult a true prophet of God :: Fals prophetes imitate true prophetes in some exterior thinges to make their prophecies seme more authentical Such hornes appeared in a prophetical vision to Zacharie the prophet Zach. 1. v 18. :: The prophet geueth not this for a resolute answer but seing the king wil goe he prayeth he may go prosperously And the king conceiueth no otherwise of his answer and therfore vrgeth him to answer resolutly in the next wordes I adiure thee c. :: The coherence of the text sheweth that God only permitted but commanded not the diuel to deceiue Achab So S. Augustin li. 2. q. vlt. ad Simplic S. Greg. li. 2. c. 21. Moral and other fathers explicate this like places VVhen this false prophet heard that the kiÌ„g was slaine he hidde him selfe fearing the kings sonnes that they would kil him Iosephus li. 8. c. 14 Antiq :: It happened by chance in respect of the archers intentioÌ„ but otherwise by Gods prouidence directing his hand So Achabs craftic perswading Iosaphat to put on his kinglie attyre v. 30. him self fighting in vulgar armour saued him not from iust reuenge The kingdom of Iuda conserued in Dauids seede Many royal families beguÌ„ne and destroyed in the kingdom of Israel This booke diuided into two partes The first part Of thinges donne in both kingdomes with the declination and â—â—ine of Israel :: Elias was knowen by his much hayre and distinct habite from ordinary men :: In zele of iustice Elias procured fire from heauen to burne these proud capitaines and their men as he procured fire to burne the holocaust and then â—lew the falsprophetes 3. Reg. 18. apud Aug. li. 2. c. 20. de mirabil â— Script * ayre or lovver heauen VVhither Elias was carried being taken vp into the ayre is vncertain but certaine that he yet liueth and must dye As S. Augustin teacheth li. 9. c. 6. de Gen. ad lit See Annot. in Gen. 6 Apocalip 11. :: He desired not duble spirite to his master but the duble spirite of prophecying and of working miracles which Elias had v. â—5 :: They adored him for his ho lines and because God had geuen him the spirit of so great a prophete not for wordlie but spiritual excel lencie therfore not with ciuil but religious honour :: It was forbiâ— Deut. 20. to cut downe fruict trees in the land of Chanaan which the Israelite should possesse but the land of Moab perteyned not to them and â—oâ— was â—ot prohibited to anâ—y that countrie vpon iust offence The Epistle on Teusday in the third weke of Lent The Epistle on Thursday in the 4. weke of Lent :: God sent his law by his seruant and it auailed not to mankinde dead in sinnes But he coming accommodating himself to our infirmitie participating our death we are quicned So S Augusting mystically applieth this figuratiue miracle to Christ and his Church li. 1â— c. â—5 cont Fast Manich and manielike thinges of the old Testament he sheweth to be figures of the new The Epistle on Munday in the 3 weke of Lent :: In respect of Gods special electing and saÌ„ctifying the land of Chanaan by his true religion Naaman rightly estemed that earth fitter for an altar then the earth of his owne countrie :: Giezi prefigured Iudas the false Apostle of Christ and al those that buy or sel spiritual thinges for money who by their auarice lose Gods grace and gaine infamie in this world and eternal damnation in the next S. Aug. ser 208. de tempore The case of going to heretical seruice and Naamans going to the temple of an idol differ in diuers respectes Difference of times Mat. 10. Of places Rom. 1. 2. Pet. 1. Of
life we must desire more and more knowledge of true doctrin h from the first vse of reason at which time manie are careles i negligent to lerne how to serue God k As God is sweete in geuing good motions l so he is seuere to them that resist his grace m God mercifully p euenteth with his grace n and iustly rewardeth good workes o Gods law is his couenant with man p and testimon e of his wil. q sinne in respect of auersien from God is great nedeth â—e grace r He that feareth God which is the beginning of wisdome receiueth fiue spiritual commodities here mentioned 1 God iustructeth him by his law 2 bestoweth al necessaries vpon him 3 others shalimitate his good example 4 God wil protect him 5 According to Gods couenant he shal enioy the manifest sight of God for his eternal reward â—mans weaknes without Gods helpe t TribulatioÌ„s can not be aâ—oâ—deâ— but must necessarily be suffered therfore ô God gâ—ue vs grace to passe through them without sinne v myn affliction w take away the cause and affliction wil be mitigated Ioan. 15. x wicked men of â—â—ured do end â—our to draw others into sinne y Those that hope in God shal neuer be confounded z Al The letters of the Alphebet being complete in this Psalme this last verse beginneth with Pere Redeeme praying God to redeme and deliuer Israel that is the whole Church from tribulations Dauids prayer distressed in persecution The 8. key a This Psalme is also a counenient prayer for anie Christian in tribulation b Be thou ô God arbiter of the cause bet 〈…〉 Saul and me thou knowest myn innocencie in this behalfe though I am uniustly charged by Saul and his freindes c Lest perhaps I be not so innocent as I desire and as in respect of Saul I hope that I am do thou O God proue me as thou wilt by tribulations d Dauid in confidence of a good conscience and zele against the wicked alleageth his sincere proceding more then ordinarie men may do God so inspiring him extraordinarily e The rest of this Psalme euerie Priest reciteth in Masse before he offer the holie Sacrifice professing putting him selfe in memorie that he must only communicate with the innocent or of pure conscience f and so approch to the Altar prefigured Leuit. 16. v. 4. g Shutting the eares of my hart from euil and vaine thoughtes I wil attend to godlie inspirations h and so with mental prayer and external voice as the holie order of this sacred office requireth praise thee ô God in thy meruelous workes Epi. â—â—â— c. 11. i I can not but singularly loue the excellencie of this place dedicated to thy seruice where is true faith vnitie and charitie of thy people the guard of holie Angels the administratioÌ„ of sacred mysteries assistance of the Holie Ghost real presence of Christ our Lord al replenished with Diuine maiestie k This representeth vnto me the glorious heauenlie kingdom of God and al Sainctes l Suffer me not therfore to be contaminate by the wicked nor to be deuoured with them m They are stil readie to committe more and more iniquities n themselues being corrupted endeuour by giftes of wordly commodities to corrupt others o Euerie one ought so to purge his conscience that he may be innocent or free from great sinne p deliuer me from this necessitie of dwelling among the wicked q I intend to walke right r I desire â—â— praise thee amongst thy true faithful seruantes A singular great afflictioÌ„ to be hindered from Gods true seruice Christians must abhorre and abstaine from al conuenticles of Heretikes and other Infidels An other confident prayer of Dauid in tribulation The 3. Key a Before his second annointing as is probable 2. Reg. 2. b Against ignorance God illuminateth his seruantes c against infirmitie he geueth streingth d so he nedeth not to feare anic mans malice suteltie nor force Luc. 21. v. 15. e How special a benefite Dauid estemed it to be in the Catholique Church the only true house of God! f Albeit the spiritual or carnal enemie seke to ouerthrow me yet I am secure in the Catholique Church g God either suffereth not the enemie to find his seruant h or not to be able to hurt him spiritually i wheÌ„ a martyr or confessour dieth then he getteth the victorie against the perseâ—ntors k Diligently recounting al thy benefites I render thankes by sacrifice and praise l not only in hart but also singing with loud voice and instrument m In my inward sincere cogitation I desire and seeke that I may see thee n face to face 1. Cor. 13. v. 12. o In the meane time ô Lord grant me thy fauour p leaue me not though thou be angrie with me q He speaketh in the person of orphanes r Though car nal parentes forsake the iust man in tribulation yet God hath then most special care of him Å¿ Establish my hart in thy law t conserue me in the right way which thou hast already taught me and it is the more necessarie because myne enemies labour to peruert me v the willes vv false witnesses accused Dauid others accused Christ Mat. 26. others do stil accuse the iust Mat 5. x the wicked please themselues in lying but the chief hurt finally turneth vpon themselues y The prophet and al iust men are comforted by God and hope of reward in heauen z The iust exhorteth his owne soule to patience a fortitude b and longanimitie Psal 30. An other prayer of Dauid for deliuerie from euils The 8. key a Omitte not to comfort me b Suffer me not to be ouercome for God tempteth none to euil Iac 1. c The iust in zele of iustice pray that sinne may be punished d Ignorance doth not excuse when men may and wil not vnderstand e God saueth not without our cooperation with his grace f being comforted in spirite my bodie is as it were refreshed g freely and gladly h God protecteth and prospereth the kings good endeuoures for his people i As Psal 19. and often elswhere the subiectes pray for their Superior so mutually the superior prayeth for the subiectes The Church of Christ endowed with excellent mysteries The 6. key a 2. Reg. 6. v. 17. 1. Par. 16. v. 1. â—04 105. c Mysteries of the Catholique Church prophecied in this Psalme b Offer sacrifice of thankes for the singular benefites after recounted in this Psalme c Rammes were of the more principal thinges that were offered in the law of Moyses But the sonnes of rammes importe in mystical sense better hostes then rammes d The first thing in sacrifice is to glorifie honour and adore God in sinceritie of spirite e in his holie Catholique Chuâ—h f Here is a greater matter intimated then happened in the bringing of the Arke into a tabernacle prepared in Sion when Dauid danced and offered hostes for sacrifice others ioyning with
spirite the perfections which he wisheth in Christ in maner of congratulating describeth his fortitude fighting against the diuel for the Church n purposing o prosecuting p and perfecting the conquest and so establishing thy spiritual kingdome q Not vvith warlike armour of this world but by assaulting the aduersarie with truth r defending thyseâ—fe and thy souldiers with the shield of mildnes Å¿ and striking the enemie with the sword of iustice VVhich right force of spiritual fight hath meruelous good successe t Preaching of Christs Gospel his grace mouing the hartes of the hearers is liuelie and forcible more pearcing then anie two edged sword v The example of people conuerted shal moue the hartes of the aduersaries to come also vnto the truth w Christs kingdom shal haue no end Luc 1. v. 33. x Thou defendest and rewardest the good finally forsakest and punishest the wicked y more peculiarly the God of Christ by hypostatical vnion z Diuers kinges as Dauid him selfe Iosaphat Ezechias and Iosias were as godlie as Salomon and perseuered good to the end which is doubted Salomon did not but Christ incomparably was annointed indued with al graces aboue al kinges a Mortification which conserueth from putrifying b humilitie aswaging pride c being smal in the first spring grovveth great d humanitie assumpted and sanctified persons in vvhom Christ dwelleth as in cleane shining odoriferous houses e sincere faithful soules more deare to their spouse Christ then daughters of temporal kinges f The Catholique Church in faith purified as gold g vvith varietie of states as Clergie Laity and diuers sortes of religious Orders and other professions al vnited in the same faith hope and charitie h carifully al that Christ thy spouse speaketh to thee by his Spirite i diligently put the same in practise k vvith al obedience and readines and returne not to former infidelitie noâ— to corrupt life l Christ loueth the Church adoined with his giftes m and mutually his true children loue and serue him n Manie of al nations submitle themselues and al that they haue to Christ o Internal vertues are most especial ornaments p exterior are required to edifie others in diuers sortes of vertues q By this meanes manie more are conuerted to christianitie r and one countrie inuiteth and draweth another Å¿ As Apostles came in place of Patriarches and Prophetes so stil Bishops and Priestes succede in the Church pastors and gouernours therof t These pastores shal stil teach the true Christian doctrin v and stil there shal be Christian people that wil folow and professe the same Caluin expoundeth this Psalme contratie to S. â—aul No saluation out of the Church Perpetual succession of Byshops in place of the Apostles The Church prospereth also in persecution The 6. key a Belonging to the Church of Christ b As wel the cause vvhy God suffereth his Church to be persecuted at his assured protection in difficulties are hidden secretes to the world c Al refuge is not secure for one man is not able alwayes to defend an other but God is a sure and strong refuge d euer able and in conuenient time vvilling to helpe e This whole vvorld is ful of tribulations but the Church suffered the greatest in the first persecutions shal suffer as great in the time of Antichrist English Catholiques suffer most of al nations in this age and can not be suppressed but stil increase in number and fortitude f Therfore al Catholiques may assuredly know that the whole Church can not faile g though very manie as now in England h and very eminent persons as some noblemen and some Priestes haue reuolted yet al vvil not i Such bad examples make the good to recollect themselues more diligently and to reiâ—ycâ— in Gods grace by which they stand fast k before the heate of persecution shal inuade al for the elect the dayes of tribulation are shortned l Sometimes one nation or kingdome rebelleth against the Church but can not destroy it m by the spirite of Christ Antichrist and al his members shal be destroyed n The Church sometimes hath great peace and tranquilitie o God himselfe restrayneth the wicked suddainly abating their furie or cutting of their forces Vocation of Gentiles The 6. key a For Christians that leaue the sinnes of their fathers and reioyce in Christ crucified See Annotation Psal 41. b True ioy of the hart sheweth it selâ—e both in voice of exultation and also in gesture of body by clapping of handes dancing as king Dauid did before the Arke 2 Reg â— likevvise vvith instruments c To al the wicked d not only of one or few kingdoms but of al the earth e VVhen kinges and countries become Christians they are made subiectes to the Church that vvas before not heades and rulers therfore f Christ God man after his Passion rose from death and ascended g not leauing his Church desolate but making her ioyful by an other comforter the Holie Ghost h The same Christ is our God by his Diuinitie i and our king by his Humanitie k Doe your endeuour to vnderstand vvhat you sing read or heare in Gods word At least to know the principal Mysteries and pointes of Christian doctrin euerie one according to their capacitie and state or profession l The faithful of the old and nevv Testament are vnited in the seruice of one and the same eternal God m In respect of the Blessed Trinitie holie Scripture here and in manie places vseth names of the plural number as Eloim Goddes not diuiding Gods substance vvhich is one but insinuating distinction of Diuine Persons The Father the Sonne and the Holie Ghost VVhich Mysterie is more expresly mentioned in Baptisme and professed by Christian gentils then it was by the people of the Ievves The Church founded and protected by God The 6. key a Voices beginning the musike instruments prosecuted b especially for the second day of the weke the day after the sabbath which is our Sunday called Dominica our Lords day c Ierusalem and mount Sion were most obliged to praise God for greatest benefites receiued so the Catholique Church therby prefigured and hauing receiued farre greatter is most of al bonden to be gratful d This can not be affirmed of Sion or Ierusalem but is only verified of the Catholique Christian Church e whose coastes do extend to the North and to al quarters of the round earth f The same one God one Christ one Faith and one Religion in al particular Churches of the vvhole militant Church g And this Vniuersalitie and Vnitie shal be after that Christ taking mans nature shal be ascended and shal send the Holie Ghost to found beginne this Church h For the assured certaintie of that is foreshewed the Prophet speaketh in the preteâ—â—ence as if it vvere already done in his time which he then savv in spirite i Nothing more moueth he hart affecteth al the bodie and soule then spiritual cogitations of faith and religion and therfore it is compared to a woman traueling with child who hath moâ—â— careful and greuous paines k In vvhich great confflict
dignitie vvisdome or other like qualitie but their iust merites :: A prayer of iust zele e Shal most wicked men stil be suffered to speake so insolently :: A description of heathnish and heretical crueltie :: Scarse anie Atheistes are so blind as thus to thinke but manie sinners so behaue them selues as if God saw not knew not or at least cared not vvhat they do f So vnpossible is it that God should be ignorant or careles vvhat men do that he also knovveth and obserueth most secret thoughtes g Mitigate and temper his afflictions that by patience and fortitude the iust may perseuere and not be ouerwhelmed h The whole Church shal neuer be reiected nor forsaken i Iustice is conuerted into iudgement vvhen iust meaning is put in vvorke and practise that it may appeare in iudgement Also God vvho doth suffereth al iustly vvil conserue his inheritance the Church euen vnto the day of iudgement k The sense is easie by transposing the vvordes al that are right of hart are nere it that is shal like and approue Gods iustice vvhen the vvicked shal repine and blaspheme it l when I felt and complained that I was in danger thou didst assist me m Onlie faith sufficeth not but careful laboure in keping Gods commandmnts is required n The iust do hope for eternal saluation to which God wil bring them o And God the reuenger of wronges wil at last cast the wicked into eternal torments Christ our Lord and king the 5. key a Praise songue with voices b inspired to Dauid written by him This Inuitation is most fitly ordayned by the Church for the proeme or beginning of Mattins c VVith great and solemne exultation d God our Creator is also our Protector Sauiour e Let vs be more diligent and preuent our accustomed time For no man can preuent Gods grace with anie good worke who first preuenteth vs els we can neither doe nor thincke anie good thing f not only in singing his praise with voice but also with musical instruments g So also Isaias c. 45. v. 23. and S. Paul Philip. 2. teach that kneeling or bowing the knees as an external religious ceremonie is acceptable to God h It is most iust and necessarie that we adore God because he made vs and al this world for vs hath also redemed vs and made vs his people as shepe of his pasture and as a Pastor feedeth and gouerneth vs. i of his making k Though some haue often repelled and resisted Gods grace yet if they receiue it being offered againe it wil auaile them to remission of sinnes l The Israelites in the desert tempted God by desiring water and flesh of voluptuous concupiscence without necessitie For Manna did both extinguish their thirst and tasted vnto them whatsoeuer they desired Exo. 16. That also which was left vngathered when the sunne waxed hotte melted v. 21. and serued their cattel for drincke So this tentation was a figure of those which require to communicate vnder both kindes as if one did not conteine as much as both m By this mention of the offence of fourtie yeares as long before passed is conuinced that Moyses writte not this Psalme who died in the very fourtith yeare of their abode in the desert And S Paul citing the wordes of this Psalme Heb. 4. manifestly acknowlegeth Dauid the writter therof and that it was written long after Moyses time in these wordes v 7 Againe he limiteth a certaine day To day in Dauid saying after so long time as is aboue saide To day if you shal heare his voice do not obdurate your hartes For if Iesus that is Iosue had geuen them rest he would neuer speake of an other day afterward n Being greatly offended I approched nere vnto them in punishing the offenders o Those that murmured died in the desert and entered not into the promised land euen so those that finally offend Christ shal not enter into euerlasting rest Heb. 3. 4. It is in mans freewil to resist good motions Concil Triden Sess 6. c. 5 Christs diuine powre the 5. key a Inspired to Dauid and written by him b prophecying the restauration of the temple after the future captiuitie And that in figure of the vniuersal redemption of mankind by Christ from the captiuitie of the diuel â— 1. Par. 16. v. 23. c For a new benefite farre greater then the deliuerie of Israel from Aegypt d The same wordes Sing to our Lord thrise repeted signifie the Blessed Trinitie as some Fathers note Likewise v. 7. and 8. Bring ye to our Lord c. in both places concluding in the singular number blesse his name bring to his name importing one God e VVhat creatures soeuer spiritual or corporal visible or inuisible the paganes serue for goddes stil they â—e diuels that deceiue them and diuers wayes vsurpe diuine honour making such idolaters to thinke that there is diuine powre where none is f He only is true God who is Creator of heauen and of al creatures For no creature can create anie thing at al that is make anie thing of nothing but only God g Diuers ancient Doctors read more in this place Our Lord hath reigned from the wood to witte Christ by his death on the crosse conquered the diuel sinne and death and thence begane to reigne S. Iustinus Martyr dialogo aduers Triphonem Tertullian li. aduers Iudaeos c. 9. 13 aduers Marcionem li. 3 c. 19. 21. S Augustin in this place according to the old Roman Psalter Before him Arnobius and after him Cassiadorus and others wherby it is probable that it was sometimes in the Hebrew text and blotted out by the Iewes h The Psalmist in abundance of spirite inuiteth al creatures to praise God as Daniel in his Canticle c. 3. i Christ iudgeth now in the world by his ministers discerning and deciding causes rewarding and punishing but especially he wil iudge al in the last day The last iudgement the 9. key a In figure of Christ b whose bodie rose the third day after his death to whom manie returned beleuing in him after his resurrection which fel from him in his passion and to whom al thinges shal be subdued as to their true Lord in the day of iudgement c Holie Dauid and other Prophetes hauing great ioy to see long before in spirite only Christs kingdom extended in the whole earth yea to the Ilandes we Ilanders haue great cause to be gladde that God hath not only so blessed vs long since but as yet conserueth seede wherby we trust the whole Iland shal be againe restored vnto him d As in a cloud with terror God gaue his law to the Iewes so in a cloud with greater terror and maiestie he wil iudge the world e not as manie corrupted seates of iudgement in this world but as a corrected tribunal where iustice and right iudgement shal be practised :: These thinges are denounced as if they were alredy donne
and long The name Cedar is interpreted blackenes and obscuritie which signifieth darkenes of error and sinne g The wicked afflict those that geue no cause of offence Gods protection the 3. key a Towardes Ierusalme and towards heauen b Al helpe cometh from heauen that is from God who of his diuine ordinance especially heareth prayers made in holie places 3. Reg 7. c The iust speaketh and wisheth wel to his owne soule Especially the vvhole Church reioyceth in Gods assured protection d The militant Church e Prosperitie f nor aduersitie can ouerthrow the Church g spiritual life Ioyes of heauen promised to the iust the 10. key a Diuers Prophetes told the Iewes in captiuitie that they should returne to Ierusalem Al Prophetes Christ also and his Apostles and Priestes preach the entrance and ioyes of heauen to the iust Al vvhich the Psalmist savv in prophetical spirite and reioyced b The Ievves coÌ„sider that sometimes they vvere ioyful in the Temple of Ierusalem Christians reioyce in the comforte they haue in the militant Church c Communitie and participation of spiritual graces is a great ioy to Catholiques vvherof the â—amâ— Prophet speaketh Psal 118. v. 6â— and often elsvvhere d Al the tvvelue Tribes frequented Ierusalem e and al nations of the vvorld do come to the Catholique Church f Seates of Iudgement vvere placed in Ierusalem g and seates of Iudgement in the Catholique Church h of Christ i Christ exhorteth to aâ—ke k and promiseth to geue that is rightly asked Christians also inuite each other to pray for the Church Matt. â—â— v. 22. l Christ prayeth for his Church m and gaue his peace to the Apostles and in them to their successors n For in heauenlie Ierusalem al good thinges are prepared are geuen to Sainctes reigning there foreuer A praâ—eâ— in afflict oâ— the 7. key a Seruantes expecting necessaries at their masters handes are commonly very attentiue to receiue that vvhich they hope for so must the faithful praying God be very attentiue and not distracted in their prayers b An other example of handmaides who generally are more diligent then men c Though God suffer his seruantes to sustaine some affliction and reprech yet he heareth and deliuereth them before they be oppressed d Seing persecution stil increase or continevv long the faithful are then specially to conceiue hope of speedie â—â—l eâ—c Gods protection the 3. key a If God had not sent his helpe and defence to vs b we could not haue escaped the force of our enimies c The vvord perhaps doth not here import a doubt or vncertanitie but in modest maner of asseueration leaueth the iudgement of the euent that should hapen if God did not protect his seruantes to their ovvne consideration vvhich is an vsual phrase in most languages d So sudainly should the vveake vvithout Gods protection be destroyed as men are deuoured svvalovved vp by rauening vvild beasts euen before they be throughly dead So vvas Ionas svvalovved into the vvhales bellie e Furious persecution f Suddaine great trubles g Mans subteltie often deceiueth an other man but there is no counsel able to circumuent God Gods protection the 3. key a Thâ—se that confidently trust in God are in such securitie as is mount Sion vvhich is a hil defended also vvith other hilles round about b An other thing required to this securitie is to dvvel vvithin Ierusalem not the terrestrial citie for as S. Augustin obserueth the levves that dwelt therin are destroyed or made captiues and hitherto reiected of God but in the Catholique Church c God wil not alwayes nor finally leaue his seruants in tribulation but only a vvhile for their good d This prayer is also an asseueration for it is certaine that God wil defend and reward the good and right of hart e And no lesse assuredly God wil punish not only the notorious wicked and principal auctors of wickednes but also al those that for feare or for commoditie or for anie other cause decline into obligations bondes couenants or anie vvay consent in external shew with the wicked against God as in outward profession of Heresie or Schisme though such temporizers do not thincke in their hart that the pretended religion is true wherto they are drawne to yeld external conformitie For as the Psalmist here teacheth our Lord wil bring al such accessarie offenders to the same iudgement and punishment vvith the principal vvorkers of iniquitie f Al vvhich being punished then Ierusalem the Catholique Church shal haue peace The deliuered from captiuitie reioyce the 7. key a The Ievves released from captiuitie vvere excedingly and almost incredibly comforted as men for great and vnexpected sundaine ioy thinke it rather a dreame then a truth that they are deliuered from miseries So S. Peter vvhen he vvas deliuered out of prison by an Angel thought it rather a vision then a true deliuerie Such spiritual ioy deuoute soules haue vvhen they are deliuered from sinne Act. 1â— b VVheras in the tvvo former verses and very commonly the Prophet speaketh in the preter tense for the assurance of that he foreshevveth as if it vvere already donne yet here he vt eâ—eâ—h his prophecie in the future tense that the Gentiles wil confesse that God dealeth magnifically vvith his people c The people also themselues gratfully confesse that God dealeth magnifically vvith them d The Prophet forseing al this in spirite prayeth for the performance hereof e And that it may spedely be done as a torrent that runneth in the south part of the vvorld is commonly very great much desired but scarse expected f This is the ordinarie disposition of God that his seruants shal make their seeding vvhich is doe good vvorkes saith S. Augustin vvith teares in tribulation vpon earth g and reape a plentiful haruest the revvard of their suffering and vvel vvorking in the next life In assured hope vvherof the Psalmist and the vvhole Church joyfully conclude this Psalme vvith the tvvo verses folovving Gods helpe in al good vvorkes the 3. key a God not permitting Dauid to build the Temple promised that his sonne should build it and therfore besides other good admonitions geuen to his sonne Salomon he directeth this Psalme to him to be songue vvith others in the dedication of the Temple 3. Reg. 8. 2. Par. 5. b Vnlesse God be the principal Agent no vvorke can prosper c It is vaine to atempt anie thing vvithout Gods grace assisting d they that so doing thincking they haue done something rest e after their painful trauel must rise againe beginne anevv because that vvhich they seme to haue done vvel is nothing vvorth nor shal haue revvard f Contrarivvise vvhere God geuing grace those that truly loue him do good vvorkes g vvith great ease and dilight as they take their sleepe h they merite inheritance in heauen i for their good vvorkes k the revvard is promised to the true children of God borne to him in the
arguments proued himself to be Messias by his vvorkes If ye beleue not me sayth ouâ— B. Sauiour beleue my vvorkes Ioan. 10. v. 38. Mat. 15. Mar. 7. â—â—c 7. :: That which the prophet had foretold by way of prophecie now he recordeth by way of historie therfore these foure next chapters are inserted in the fourt booke of kinges ch 18. 19. and 20. almost in the same vvordes an abridgement therof 2. Paral. 32. 4. Reg. 18. 2. Par. 32. :: Such is the blindnes and malice of infidels that they confound thinges donne to destroy idolatrie as if the same were against God :: Doe that is profitable for you 4. Reg 18. v 31. :: Manie in Samaria serued false goodes which could not defend them others serued God almightie who for their good suffered them to be afflicted :: Renting of cutting of garments was aâ—â— ceremonie to shew internal sorow :: And sackcloth was an habite of ponitents for sinnes 4. Reg. 19. 2. Par. 32. :: That which happened to al these â—nfidel kinges fel also vpon Sennacharib king of Assyrians shortly after he had thus bragged or rather greatter ruine and miserie v. 36. 38. :: He turneth his speach to Ezechias Iob. 1. Eccli 48. 1. Mac. 7. 2 Mac. 8. Merites of Sainctes do profite the liuing The Protestantes euasion Bible 160â— God promised to protect the citie of Ierusalem from certaine dangers but not perpetually 4. Reg. 25. The Protestants glosse is il grounded This similitude doth not proue but explaine the truth otherwise proued :: After the Assyrians were slaine king Ezechias was visited vvith dangerous sicknes to keepe him in the feare of God leâ—t much ioy should bring him into oblâ—â—â—on of his dutie 4. Reg. 20. 2. Par. 32. :: It was first reueled to the Prophet that the kings sicknes was deadlie :: Secondly that God would adde 15. yeares to his life which could not be sayde to be added except his life according to natural causes had bene at an end S. Aug. li. 6. c. 17. de Gen ad â—â—â— :: In this Canticle the king reciteth his afflictions of mind for that he should part out of this world in the flowre of his age And without children for Manasses was borne three yeares after being 12. yeares old when he begane to reigne 4. Reg. 21. :: The prophet ordayned this medicine :: and the king also demanded a signe before he song the Canticle 4 Reg. 20. :: In this honorable embassage Ezechias reioyced immoderatly and vnwisely shewed his treasures which therfore the prophet reprehended And vpon this occasion prophecied that the Babylonians should carie away al that treasure and his children into captiuity :: Not for want of affection towards his posteritie but seing he durst not request more he prayed for peace in his owne dayes The sixt part Of the deliuerie from sinne by Christ :: The prophet alludeth to the comforte of the Iewes when they should be deliuered from captiuitie of Babylon but principally prophicieth of mans deliuerie from sinne by Christ :: An euident prophecie of S. Iohn Baptist Mat. 3. Mar. 1. Luc. 3. Ioan. 1. Iac. 1. 1. Pet. 1. :: This is also manifest of Christs preaching in the mountaine of his Apostles and Apostolical preachers Mat. 5. Ioan. 10. :: Gods powre and beneuolence in creating gouerning al this world is a signe that he both can and wil bestow these great benefites of grace vpon al nations Rom. 11. 1. Cor. 2. * least dust or atomus Act. 17. :: From the beginning the law of nature afterwards the law of Moysestaught that he which made the world is God :: VVisest Philosophers know nothing neither can consist but by him Psa 14â— :: Gods expostulation with Ilandes other Gentiles liuing in idolatrie which implieth a prophecie of their conuersion to Christ perteyneth amongst others â—â—ry particularly to our great Brit 〈…〉 the grea 〈…〉 most â—â—nâ—wmed Iâ—anâ— of Europe See D. Bristoâ—â— Mot. 11. Apoc. 1. 22. :: You that are as abiectes contemned as dead men in the world feare not because Christ hath care to protect to reward you :: Only God and those to whom he reueleth can tel thinges to come and therfore idols can not foreshew what shal be neither could tel before hand thinges that are already come to passe :: Christ according to his humanitie is the seruant of God by whom al other seruantes are redemed none els being able to satisfie for themselues much lesse for others Mat. 1â— Mat. 12. :: Such hautie and couetous mindes as expect their Messias to be a worldlie and warlike conquerour that wil aduance his folowers to kingdomes or princedomes and to abundance of temporal riches shal be frustrate of their vaine hopes Vvheras Christ our Sauiour both by example and doctrine teacheth the contrarie willing his folowers to lerne of him to be poore in spirit meke humble in hart their reward shal be great in heauen not in earth they shal be happie not in external but in eternal glorie :: Christ calleth and indâ—eth sinners with grace without anie precedent good worke or desire in them euen as he createth of nothing :: In al tribulations and persecutions Christ protecteth his seruantes not suffering them to be tempted further then they may resist â—f they wil. VVherby the Church stil remaneth incontaminate and shal neuer be destroyed God made Cytus conquerour of Babylon not for his owne sake but for Israel that hâ— might release their captiuitie For God perpetually disposeth of kingdomes for the good of his Church 2 Cor 5 Apo. 21. :: The sinne of Adam contaminating al mankind was not purged by anie :: Al Patriarches Priestes Prophetes al others sinning til Christ the innocent lambe came to take away the sinne of the world Iere 30. 48. :: Gods election preuenteth mans good endeuoure for without grace none could returne to God :: Idolaters are foolish in leauing God who is eternal and to trust in idoles that neither can shew vvhat was from the beginning nor prophecie thinges to come Apoc 1. 2â— :: Al that is here sayd of the vanitie of idoles foolish impietie of idolaters may be referred saith S. Ierom in this place vnto heresie and heretikes who artificially deuise the fictions of their owne doctrines and lying and adore the thinges which they knovv were feaned by themselues neitheir are so content but draw the simple to embrace and adore the same inuentions A litle after he sheweth that the Catholique Church of Christ shal be euer free from such idolatrie quite coÌ„trarie to Protestantes assertion that the Church should haue fallen bene in idolatrie manie hundred yeares together Sup. â—â— :: In al this prophecie of the Church of Christ the prophet alludeth to the historie of Ierusalem to ben destroyed by the Chal dees and reedified by permission of Cyrus Darius in the times of Aggeus Zacharias The 7. part The deliuerie of
good thinges not commanded deserue greater reward Mat. 21. Mar. 11. Luc 19. :: The prophet foreseing in spirit the careles negligence of some pastores of iust zele charitie inueigheth against them watning them of their greeuous punishment Iere. 6. 8. Sap. 2. Issue of children was a blessing of the old Testament Virginitie is a greater blessing in the Church of Christ Exo. 2â— Deut. â— Protestantes expositions of this place not true Bible 1603. The ancient fathers vnderstand this prophecie of vowed chastitie Preferring it before Mariage a Ipsi sunt qui habent in câ—â—lo praemia â—aeteris prestantiora b Gloriam prepriam excellentemque nec erit quid commune cum multis c In aeternae mansione silijs preferuntur :: Iust men dying seme to the vvicked to perish :: But they are gathered to the happie society of other blessed soules And commonly God so taketh away the iust when he wil punish the wicked people that they may not in this world see the general calamitie of others Isa 62. 7. 10. :: To the humble contrite penitents God sheweth al benignitie and granteth vvished good thinges as prosperous windes to sea faâ—ring traueâ—ers the like :: Those that persist obstinate can haue no remission of sinne Isa 46. v. 22. :: Many sinners are so fast a sleepe in their wickednes that they can not or rather wil not heare ordinarie admonitions to such therfore Gods preachers must crie and not cease to crie as with a loude trumpette exalt their voice opportunely importunely with al patience and longamitie til they make the dease to heare to beleue the truth and the duÌ„me to speake that is to prosesse vertue in word dede Mar. 7. Zach. 7. Ezec. 18. â—at 25. Isa â—1 Protestants de tract from the praise profite of fasting Cultus Des. Luc. 2. v. 37. Leuit 16. 33. This seripture reproueth not fasting but admonisheth to fast especially from sinne Num. 29. v. 6. 7. v. 8 Christs fast an example of the 40. dayes fast in Lent Dan 9. Ione 3. 3 Reg. 19. Exo. 24. 34. Num. 11. Isa 50. :: No defect is in God spowre nor wil that he deliuereth not the faithful from afflictions but their sinnes are the impedimen t for vvhich he punisheth them that they may repent then he wil deliuer them v. 20. Iob. 15. Prou. 1. Rom. 7. :: No pure man being able to redeme and deliuer mankind from captiuitie of sinne God became man to accomplish this worke Ephes 6. 1. Thes 5. Rom. â—â— :: The Church hath stil the spirit of truth and therfore can neuer erre :: God preuenting with his grace euerie one must cooperate by gratfully accepting this benefite and so dispose him self to iustification :: Only those that come into the Church receiue the light of true faith al others are in darkenes Isa 49. :: This prophecie began to be fulfilled when the 3. Sages came on swift beastes to adore Christ and offered giftes Mat 2. :: This is fulfilled in great Britanie Ireland other ilandes as Tertullian Origen S. Beda proue against the Iewes and S. Chrysostom against the Gentiles Apoc. 21. â— 25. :: This was accomplished when the Romane Emperours and other Monarches and nations receiued the faith of Christ :: S. Ierom compelled as he saith to leaue the histo rical sense because it is not conuenient to say the walles and sundation of Ierusalem were adorned with precious stones and the temple which should be most glorious was made of wood expoundeth this place of excelleÌ„t men The holie mosteloquent man Cyprian the Mar tyr and the confessor of our time Hilarius do they not seme to thee the high trees that haue built the Church of God Apoc. 21. v. 23. Apoc. 22. v. 5. :: Our Sauiour was not neither needed to be visibly annoynted as Aaron Dauid others were but inuisibly by God vvith oyle of gladnes aboue al others Ps 44. v. 8. vvith the Holie Ghost and with powre Act. 10. v. 39. of vvhose fulnes al others receiue Ioan. 1. v. 16. Luc. 4. v. 18. :: It was a griefe and sorow to the Apostles first preachers of Christs Gospel that both the Iewes departed from God Gentiles stâ—l folowed idolatrie but shortly after manie were conuerted :: And preferred their owne happie lotte before al other Iewes Gentiles :: True preachers and pastors cease not from preaching the truth for anie threates terrour or torment But say with this prophet For Sion that is for the good of the Church I vvil not cease c with S. Paul The vvord of God is not tied 2. Tim. 2. :: The Church of Christs is perpetually visible in her watchmen the pastors gouerners therof Mat. 21. Zach. 9. :: S. Dionyse Hâ—erâ—r caelest c 7. supposeth this to be the quaestion of the hieghest order of Angels admiring Christs beauty to be so excellent not withstanding that he is embâ—ewed with bloud ascending from Edom which signifieth terrestrial from Bosra a vvalled citie ouerthrovven that is from Ierusalem into heauen vvith triumph after a bloudie victorie Apoc. 19. v. 13. :: The Angel guardian of the Church which standeth before the face of God Christ testifying that also the particular guardians do alwayes see the face of his Father Mat. 18 Exo. 14. Deut. 26. â—a% 2. :: God is neuer the cause of error or harnes of hart but by indulgence not punishing sinners harden their ovvne hartes so S. Ierom. The Ievves supposed that for their sinnes the Patriarches did not acknovvlege them for their children Yet hoped that God of his mercie vvould releue them in distresse How the old patriarches knevv the state of men in this vvorld â—ap 15. Luc. 16. Sainctes in glorie see more cleâ—ly then Prophets in this life li. 22. c. 29. ciuit That Sainctes know helpe mortal mens necessities is certaine but the maner how is obscure â—ura pro mort c. 16. :: The good people with Priestes and Prophetes of the old Testament most feruently desired Christs comming 1. Cor. â— :: And signifieth for as Gen. 14 v. 18. And the English Bibles translate for in this place though the Hebrew text hath vaâ— that is and. But vve vvith S. Ierâ—m and other ancient Fathers folow the authentical Latin which hath eâ— in this place enim in the other :: Likewise the same particle and signifieth yet as if he had said yet vve â—â—al be saued Psal 78. :: This can not be meant of the Ievves but necessarily of the Gentiles Rom. 10. :: But this is euidently spoken of the Iewes and so S. Paul testifieth of both these places Ro. 10. v 20. 21. Prou. 1. Iere. 7. :: Nothing can be more plain lyvttered then is here the doctrine of mans freewil :: Likevvise of revvard punishment of good and euil workes :: The name of Iewes shal be exectable * Othe of execration :: And Gods seruantes shal be called Christians Apoc. 21. ::