Prophet Esay he saith can a woman forget her childe and not have compassion in the sonne of her wombe Though they should forget Zach 2. yet will not J forget thee Zachary also saith he that toucheth you toucheth the apple of his eye For God hath said they shall be my people and I will be their God Such care likewise beare all the godly towards their God they love him with all their soule with all their heart with all their strength they reverence him as their father they are grieved with any blasphemy and with any contempt of his holy name But as every man be he never so wicked yea even he that saith in his heart there is no God which is become filthy and abominable in all his doings yet in his talke outwardly saith he hath a God and that he believeth in him even so there is none so wicked or so forsaken of God in his heart but he perswadeth himselfe he hath the zeale of God and what he doth in selfe-love of his owne fantasie he will beare in hand he doth it for the loue of God The overthrowers wasters of the Church will seem to shew a speciall care for the Church dissemblers hypocrites despisers scorners even such as sin against the holy Ghost which deny the truth of God after they have knowne it which witting and knowing fight against the truth which say of Christ we will not have him to rule over us which worke that sin which will never be forgiven in this world nor in the world to come yet notwithstanding will pretend and seem to have the zeale of God Thus the Scribes Pharisees set up their bristles against Christ thy Disciples keepe not the common fast thou sufferest them to pull and to eat the eares of corne thou sufferest them to eat with unwashed hands thou breakest the tradition of the Elders thou breakest the law of God which he gave us by Moses thou art a seditious teacher thou art a Schismatick thou art an Heretick They said We fast twice in the week we have Abraham to our Father we are Moses Disciples Therefore when they heard Stephen speaking those heavenly words Act 7. Behold I see the heavens open and the Sonne of man standing at the right hand of God through zeale they gave a shout with a lowd voice and stopped their eares and ran upon him all at once Mark 14. When Christ had said Yee shall see the Son of man sit at the right hand of God and come in the clouds of heaven the high Priest through zeale rent his cloathes and said yee have heard the blasphemie this naughty man speaketh blasphemy against God he called a Councell the Scribes and Pharisees met together not one man amongst them but of themselvs they looked about them as if they only were the pillars buttresses of the Church and were only zealous and carefull for the house of God But their meeting was as David forespake and as Peter declareth and as We know against the Lord and against his anointed they were touched with the zeale of their own glory and not with the zeale of Gods truth they sought their own praise but not the praise which is of God they made cracks that they knew the Scriptures that they were the Temple of God that they had the consent of all Antiquity as others have done since that time and as wee see many doe this day in very deed these men have now even as much as they had then as by proofe and triall it will appeare There are others which have a feeling of God and a great care for his Church but such a feeling and care as cometh either of their own fantasies or of some opinion credit they have in their fathers which were before them not of the understanding of Gods pleasure Such are they which offend God not of malice or wilfulnesse but onely for lack of teaching understanding Such were they which withstood S. Paul in all his preaching for that they took him for an Heretique and thought his preaching was against God Rom 10. I beare them witnes saith he that they have the zeale of God but not according to knowledge Such a zeal have many who forbid that which God commandeth command that which God forbiddeth such a zeale had Paul himselfe I was a blasphemer and a persecutor 1. Tim. 1. and an oppressor but I was receaved to mercy for I did it ignorantly without beliefe Such a zeale have they who think they doe God good service when they kill and murther the righteous and good servants of God Such a zeale have they who as saith Nazianzen defend Christ against Christ and defend the Church against the Church And these things doe they not of malice nor of wilfulnesse nor against their conscience but because they know not God the father nor his Christ whom he hath sent therefore they stumble at Christ and spurne away the Gospell of God and think ill and speak evill of the word of life because they know not the Gospell of God nor the word of life Thus they perswade themselves that they defend the Church that they honour the sonne of God that they doe God great service and that they have the zeale of God But this pride was ever in the heart of man and it appeared even in our grandsire Adam whatsoever liketh us well we think that cannot but please God Such is the opinion we fondly conceive in our fantasies in trust whereof whatsoever we doe we think our selves sure and safe Origen in 10. Rom. lib. 8. Origen writing upon the place of the Apostle Zelum Dei habent sed non secundùm scientiam they have the zeale of God but not according to knowledge saith similiter potest dicere Apostolus de aliis quòd timorem Dei habeant sed non secundùm scientiam de aliis c. in like manner the Apostle may say of others they have the feare of God but not according to knowledge of others they have the love of God but not according to knowledge of another hee hath the faith of God but not according to knowledge and another may be said to fast but not according to knowledge And so in all things whatsoever we doe unlesse we have knowledge and understanding it may be said unto us that we have the zeale of a good wâ—rke but not according to knowledge Ideo danda est praecipuè opera scientiae neres nobis infeliciter accidat ut in fide positi frustremur à fide zelum habentes bonorum decidamus à bonis Therefore all heed is chiefly to be given to the attaining of knowledge least it goe not well with us least we faile from our faith when we think we believe thinking we have a zeale of good works we be found void of all good works The wise man saith Wisd 14 this was not enough for them that they erred in the
Cura sine Beneficio Charge or cure without Benefice J speak not this of myselfe many here present know I speak the truth and my selfe know the places which have continued still these many yeares without a Minister resident among them and have provided themselves as they might with their own mony Your Graces subjects had hope of amendment in your Graces late Visitation but yet it standeth still in case as miserable as it did before I know your Grace heareth not of these matters And I hope God will work in Your Gracious heart to provide some remedy against them For otherwise the Schools will be forsaken the Church desolate the people wild and dismaied the Gospell discredited otherwise we shall see that wrought against the house of God that never any Jeroboam or Julian or Licinius could have brought to passe against us This noble Realme which ever was famous for the name of Learning is like thereby to come to such Ignorance and Barbarisme as hath not bin heard of in any memory before our time I know that there are grievous complaints made that the Bishops appoint Priests Ministers that are ignorant and have no understanding in the Latine tongue Would God it were not true or would God that they which be the causers hereof would somewhat help to amend it But alas are we able to make learned men upon the sudden Or can we make others then such as come unto us or will come to live in misery But there are many which can say such as be Ministers in the Church should teach freely without hope of recompence or hire for their labour Our preachers are no better then Peter and Paul and the other Apostles they are no better then the holy Prophets who lived poorely poverty is a commendable estate So say some in like devotion as did Judas What needed this wast this might have been sould for much given to the poore not that he cared for the poore but because he was a theife and had the bag and bare that which was given J doubt not there are many which teach Christ for Christs sake which say in their soule the Lord is my portion who in that heavy time from which God delivered thē if they might have received their life only for a recompence would have been glad to take the paines who seek you and not yours which have forsaken all they had to follow Christ I doubt not there are such But for the hope of posterity I report me to all you which are Fathers have childrē for whom yee are carefull Although your selves have a zeale and care for the house of God yet will you breed them up keep them at schoole untill 24 yeares old to your charges that in the end they may live in glorious povertie that they may live poorly naked like the Prophets and Apostles Our posterity shall rue that ever such fathers went before them and Chronicles shall report this contempt of Learning among the punishments murraines other plagues of God They shall leave it written in what time under whose raigne this was done Or if we grow so barbarous that we consider not this or be not able to draw it into chronicle yet forraine nations will not spare to write this publish it to our everlasting reproach and shame In the mean time what may be guessed of their meaning which thus ravin and spoile the house of God which decay the provisiō thereof so basely esteem the Ministers of his Gospell they cannot say to God the zeal of thy house hath eaten me up Howsoever in other things they doe well howsoever they seem to rejoyce at the prosperity of Sion and to seek the safety and preservation of the Lords anointed yet needs must it be that by these meanes forraigne power of which this Realme by the mercy of God is happily delivered shall again be brought in upon us Such things shall be done unto us as we before suffered the truth of God shall be taken away the holy Scriptures burnt and consumed in fire a marvellous darknesse and calamity must needs ensue For if the tempest be so dark in the sea that the load-star loose her light and the needle faile to give token of the North Pole no marvell though the ship lose her course and be swallowed up in the sands The Gospell of Christ is the fountaine of light and of knowledge It cannot be maintained by ignorance and darknesse these be the props of their kingdome which take away the Scriptures which hold the people in blindnesse which fly the light which have their Common-prayers administer the Sacraments marry bury their dead in a strange tongue that the people may understand nothing which make a famine of hearing the word of God which stop up the springs of the water of life which take away the keyes of the kingdome of heaven neither enter in themselves nor suffer them that would enter which say ignorance is the mother of devotion and the Church is then in best order and the people most devout when they are hood-winkt and blinded see nothing These are not fit instruments wherewith we may overcome the adversaries this is not the sword of the Spirit these are not the spirituall weapons which cast downe holds and every high thing that is exalted against the knowledge of God What man that would keep out his enimie will pull downe his holds What Captain that meaneth to give a forcible assault upon the enimy will discourage his fighting souldiers but our souldiers are out of courage our Castles are falne therefore that which we feare will fall upon us The Oxe that treadeth out the corne is mussled he that goeth to warfare receiveth not his wages the cry hereof goeth up into the eares of the Lord of hosts He will not abide so great contempt of his word and preachers his owne name is thereby dishonoured Our Saviour saith Luk. 10. 1. Thess 4. he that despiseth you despiseth me And St Paul he that despiseth these things despiseth not man but God And think we that he will suffer his holy name to be despised nay his wrath is already kindled he hath already begun his judgements therfore many places are left desolate There is none that can warn them of their sin none that can move them to repentance none that can preach unto them forgivenesse through Christ none that can instruct them in the comfort of everlasting life because they work such things against the Lord the hearts of many are astonished though they heare they understand not they scorn jest at the word of salvation it is unto them a savour of death unto death they are earthly minded whose God is their belly whose glory is their shame For this cause you liue still in your sins in adultery in covetousnes in pride without any feeling of conscience without any feare of God Your daughters your Heires to whom you shall
lesse then Nothing and Vanity Verse 2. The Kings of the Earth stand vp and the Rulers take counsell together against the Lord and against his Annoynted Before was Fury and Folly and both in the People now the Prophet shewes vnto vs that the Magistrates themselues began to take the matter in hand So that where formerly there was small likelyhood of bringing ought to passe in that kind the People but an head-strong multitude and vnable to performe their Designes now Wit and Cunning and Policy begin to play their parts and a Body would now thinke that all should be as they would haue it Loe here an Vnity such at it was but Vnit as Facinoro sorum as o Bernard de Assumpt Mariae Ser. 5. speakes St Bernard an Vnity not of Saints but of Sinners Peruersa execranda talis Vnitas such an Vnity as that saith he is both praeposterous and execrable Amat Auaritia Vnitatem Quod amat bonum est sed vbi amandum sit nescit Euen Couetousnes it Selfe p Aug. de Verb. Dom. Ser. 20. saith St Austen doth loue an Vniting together Now the thing she loueth is good but she knowes not where to place her Loue. Right so is it a blessed thing that the Magistrate and the People should both agree together but when they shal agree in that which is notoriously bad as here they do in this place it aggrauates eithers fault and bâ—th are lyable to the more exception And that so they do here in this place witnes the words of this Verse for it is First against the Lord Secondly his Annointed First concerning the Lord though commonly in holy Scripture LORD be put for the second Person in Trinity God the Sonne yet here is it set for God the Father who is the Lord as the Prophet Amos q Amos. 5.16 speakes and the God of Hosts It is in the Originall the Name 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and God is therfore called Lord because as S. Ambrose r Ambros in ep 〈◊〉 Câ—loâ—s c. 4. saith he hath dominion both ovâ—r our Bodies ouer our Soulâ— because as Å¿ â—act â—nâ—it l. 4 c. 3. Laectantius hee hath the greatest power that can be both in correcting and punishing And our Saviour indeed instructing vs how great his Power is Feare not them which kill the Body t Mat 10.28 saith he but are not able to kil the Soule but rather feare him which is able to destroy both Soule and Body in Hell St Gregory speaking of the diverse Appellations that are in holy Scripture giuen to God When he will be feared u Greg in Cant. Cantic Prol. saith he then doth he name himselfe LORD when he will be honoured FATHER when he will be beloued HVSBAND though in the Old Testament the two Appellations Fâ—th r and Huâ—bâ—nd are seldome mentionâ—d Lord most often Many thinâ—s x Aug. de Ser. Dom. in Mont. l. 2. such S. Austen are dâ—liuered in holy Scripture to be spoâ—â—n in Gods praises 〈◊〉 sâ—all â—ou find it to â—aue beene commanded to the Pâ—â—plâ— oâ— Isrâ—el that sâ—eaâ—â—â—g vnto God they sh uld s y OVR â—ATHER or that they should pâ—ay vnto God aâ— a Grâ—tius Nomen est Pietaâ—â— quà m Poteâ—at Tertull. Apolog c. 34. FATH R but he is 〈…〉 LORD to put them in mind 〈…〉 Servants to â—im And yet our Sâ—â—â— ur Câ—â—isâ— God and Mâ—n Heâ—câ—fâ—rth I call you not 〈◊〉 y Ioh. 15.15 sâ—iâ—h he for the Sâ—â—uâ—nt kâ—â—weth not what hiâ— Lâ—rd 〈…〉 I hâ—â—â— câ—lle◠〈◊〉 FRâ—NDS for all things that I â—auâ—â—â—â—rd of my Father I haue made knowne vnto you Secondly concâ—â—ning Anâ—ointâ—d that is here set for the Second Person indeed Chrâ—st Iesus our Saviour who was to be our Prophet our Priest and Prince and therefore is said in holy Scripture to bee Annointed by God Not that at any time hee was Annointed with materiall Oyle z Act. 4.27 but as S. Peter in one place a Act. 10.38 With the Holy Ghost with Power And as our b Ps 45.8 Psalmist in another With the Oyle of Gladnesse aboue his Fellowes The time of this his Annointing was no doubt in the time of his Conception even before he was bâ—rne and therefore he was no sooner borne but an Angell said vnto the Shepheards c Luc. 2.10 Behold I bring you good Tydings of great ioy which shal be to all People for vnto you is borne this day in the City of David a Saviour which is Christ the Lord CHRIST that is Annointed And thus is this Scripture alleaged by the Church in the Acts of the Apostles who vpon the report Peter and Iohn made of their vsage by the Rulers of the Iewes they lift vp their voice to God with one accord said d Act. 4 2â— Lord thou art God which hast made Heaven and Earth and the Sea and â—ll that in them is Who by the mouth of thy Seruant David hast said why did the Heathen rage and the People imaginâ— vaine things The Kings of the Earth stood vp and the Rulâ—rs were gathered together against the Lord and against his Christ For of a truth against thy holy Child Iesus whome thou hast annoinâ—ed both Herod and Pontius Pilate with the Gentiles and the People of Israel were gathered together for to doe whatsoeuer thy Hand and thy Counsell determined before to be done Thus was it e Exod. 14.26 Ioh. 19.36 said of the Paschal Lambe that not a Bone thereof should be broken and it was applyed to our Saviour by the Evangelist S. Iohn It was said of the Israelites Hos 11.2 Mat. 2.5 Out of Egypt haue I called mâ— Sonne and it was aâ—plied to our Saviour by the Evangelist S. Mâ—thew It was said of King Solomon 2 Sam. 2 14. Hâ—b 1.5 I will be his Father and he shall be my Sonne and it was applyed to our Saviour by the Apostle S. Paul These two Senses of the Scriptures there are that call them the one a Literall the other a Mysticall Sence but h Dion Carth. in Mat. 2. Art 5 Dionysius Carthusianus i Tost in Deut. 18. qu. 6 Tostatus and the l Rhem. in 2. King 7.14 in marg Rhemists in the Doway Bible doe make them both Literall Tostatus giues the Reason Nam vna Litera benè potest importare duos sensus quando vnus subordinatur alteri Hauing spoken of a place of Scripture that might be vnderstood either of our Saviour or of his Prophets Sensus literalis est vterque Either saith he is the Literall sense For one and the self same Letter in Scripture doth wel import two Senses when one is subordinate to the other And of this mind with them was that worthy Professor of ours most worthily afterwards Bishop of Salisbury m D. Abbots Sermon vpon 1. Cor. 10.32 not printed D. Abbots who in a Sermon of his to the Vniversitie not only hath the Premisses but hee
Learned First for the Wisdome here meant it is no Machiavellian Wisedome that 's Hypocrisie Satis est Principem externâ specie pium religiosum videri etiamsi ex animo non sit It is sufficient for a Prince y Machiavel de Princ. c. 18. saith Machiavel to seeme in outward shew Deuout and Religious though in Heart he be not so and hee had wont to bee the Oracle of Princes But he that so palpably taught Hypocrisie in those dayes no vnlikelyhood but hee hath by this time his Portion with Hypocrits z Mat. 24.51 where is Weeping and Gnashing of Teeth The next way to obtaine true Wisdome indeed is to follow that Counsell which the Lord gaue to Ioshua This Booke of the Law a Iosh 1.8 saith God shall not depart out of thy Mouth but thou shalt meditate therein Day and Night that thou mayst obserue to do all that is written therein for then thou shalt make thy Way prosperous and then thou shalt haue good successe or as it is in the Margent as agreeing to the Originall And then thou shalt doe wisely Secondly for Learning here it is not that high Speculation or Humane Knowledge or Skill in the Liberal Arts and Sciences that in this Place is required which yet is very necessary in time and place but the Instruction and Reformation of their mindes in b Rom. 15.4 Godlinesse and indeed the c Ephes 4.20 Doctrine of CHRIST Where by the way what shal we say of them that so generally haue maintained that d Vid. B. Iewels Defence of the Artic. Art 27. Ignorance is the Mother of Devotion No Ignorantia Iudicis plerunque est Calamitas Innocentis The Party Innocent e Aug. de Civ Dei l. 19. c. 6. saith St Austen many times smarts for the Ignorance of the Iudge and Origen speaking of Divels Possident omnes qui versantur in Ignorantiâ They possesse themselues of all f Orig. in Num. Hom. 27. saith he that remaine in Ignorance Indeed concerning the Heathens Mysteries it was the saying of g 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Vid. Casaub Exerc. 16. c. 43. p. 550. Synesius Ignoratio Mysteriorum est illorum veneratio proptereà Nocti creduntur Mysteria The Ignorance of those Mysteries was the Honour and Reverence of them and therefore were they alwayes performed in the Night but it is not so in Heavenly Mysteries Nay euen in their owne Vulgar they may read it themselues h 1 Cor. 14.38 Si quis ignorat ignorabitur Who so knoweth not shall not bee knowne I cannot here forget how this parcell of Scripture wee haue in hand was alleaged by S. Austen against the Donatists in behalfe of Christian Princes for dealing in Church Affaires Gaudentius the Donatist of old as Papists now adaies taking much exception against it Our Lord Christ i Aug. Cont. 2. Gaudent Epist l. 2. c. 26. saith he the Saviour of Souls sent Fishermen not Souldiers for the propagation of his truth God never expected the ayd of worldly Warriers seeing it is he onely that can iudge both of the Liuing and of the Dead To whom as S. Austen then answered so may we to our Adversaries in like case Heare therefore the holy Prophets as also the holy Fishermen and you shall not find religious Princes obnoxious to you For I haue shewed before saith he that it appertained to the care of a King that the Ninivites appeased God whose anger the Prophet Ionas had declared to them before And therefore as long as you your selues doe not hold that Church which the Fishermen foreshewed the Apostles planted so long Kings that hold the Church iudge it most rightly to appertaine to their care that you scape not scot-free in rebelling against the same And againe a little after God expecteth not the ayd of worldly Warriers seeing to Kings he giues this benefit that he inspires into them a care that his Lawes be kept in their Kingdomes For they to whom it is said Be wise now therefore O ye Kings be learned ye that are Iudges of â—he Earth serue the Lord in Feare acknowledge that their Power ought so to serue the Lord that they ought to be punished by that Power which will not obey the will of the Lord. But whereas you bring their Souldiers into envy doubtles if this care appertaine to Kings as in holy Scriptures hath now beene shewed by whom shall those Kings performe so much either against rebellious Circumcellions and their mad Complices or Ring-leaders but only by Souldiers that are their Subiects Vers 11. Serue the Lord in feare and reioice vnto him with reverence A specifying of that Wisdome as also of that Learning that was spoken of before namely Feare Reverence Wisdome and Learning are no other but each of these Feare and Reverence A seruing with Feare a Reioycing with Reverence First for Feare it is the Alpha and Omega the Beginning and End of Wisdome the Beginning as l Ps 111.10 David the Father teacheth vs the End as m Eccles 12.13 Solomon the Sonne in his Ecclesiastes or the Preacher But it is no Servile Feare The Apostle S. Iohn speaking of that Feare There is no Feare in Loue n 1. Ioh. 4.18 saith he and Feare hath Torment No but this is a Filial Feare it is a pleasant Garden of Blessing and there is nothing so beautifull as it as the Sonne of Syrach o Ecclus. 40.27 tells vs. Of this kinde of Feare S. Gregory speaking As Feare in the way of this World p Greg. Mâ—â—â— l. 5. c. 13. saith he begetteth Weaknesse so in our Iourny and Course towards Heaven Feare begetteth Fortitude Now this kinde of Feare is so farre from hauing Torment that it hath Reioycing annexed with it as wee see in the next words Secondly for Reverence it is in a maner the same with â—eare for it is a holy Feare of the Heart towards God witnessed by all seemely Behauiour Gesture Attire Countenance Attention and such like And Reioycing is here annexed with it as it were to season every of these to shew indeed they are all done not Formidine Poenae for Feare of After-claps but Virtutis Amore in Loue to Vertue as the q Horat. Epist l. 1. ep 16. ad Quint. Poet obserueth well making a difference in this respect betweene the Good and the Bad. I cannot before I goe from this Verse but remember those excellent Passages which S. Austen hath herevpon How doe Kings serue the Lord with Feare r Aug. Ep. 50. saith he but by forbidding and punishing with a religious severity those things which are done against the Lawes of God He maketh instance in the King of Ninive in Darius in King Nabuchodonosor and then goes forward in these Tearmes For the King serueth God one way as a Man another way as a King As a Man by liuing faithfully as a King by making Laws with convenient Vigour to command that which
worthie if God should examine it without any Mercy at all And Iust men Å¿ Greg. Moral l. 8. c. 9. vid. D. Abb. Apol. against Bishop Part. 1. c. 8. p. 255. p. 293. saith St Gregory knowe before hand that perish they must without remedy if God in the iudging of them set Mercy aside because even that which seemeth our iust Life is but Sinne if Gods Mercy when he iudge that doth not excuse the same Behold t Iob 4.18 saith Iob he put no trust in his Servants and his Angels he charged with â—olly how much lesse on them that dwell in Hâ—uses of Clay whose Foundation is in the duâ—â— which are crushed before the moth The Party to whom the Petition is made is God aboue who is styled by the Apostle S. Paul a 2. Cor. 1.3 The Father of Mercies which though it be a sufficient Reason why this Petition is made to him yet the Prophet here implies another namely for that the Lord had set him at liberty when ever he was in trouble As b 1. Sam. 19.12 First when Michol saued him c 1. Sam. 20.38 Secondly when Ionathan d 1. Sam. 21.8 Thirdly when his owne Pollicy e 1. Sam. 23.28 Fourthly when the Messenger by bringing tydings to King Saul that the Philistians invaâ—ed the land f 2. Sam. 17.11 Fiftly and lastly when Hushai holpe him Hushai and the Messenger and his owne Wit and Pollicy and Ionathan and Michol his Wise being but so many severall Instruments which it pleased the Lord to vse in sauing of him g Ps 115.1 Not vnto vs O Lord not vnto vs but vnto thy Name giue the Praise for thy louing Mercy and for thy Truthes sake I but how comes it here to passe that the Prophet in these words styles the Lord The God of his Righteousnesse Heare me when I call O God of my Righteousnes Doubtles it was not in respect of any Righteousnesse of his owne Not his Speeches are to well knowne even in this his Booke of Psalmes for any confidence hee had in that respect As for example where he saith h Ps 19.12 Who can tell how oft he offendeth O cleanse thou me from my secret Faults And againe i Ps 130.3 If thou Lord wilt be extreame to marke what is done amisse oh Lord who may abide it And yet againe l Ps 143.2 Enter not into iudgement with thy Servant for in thy sight shall no man liuing be iustified What is his meaning then in these words DEVS IVSTITIAE MEAE O God of my Righteousnesse It may be taken two waies as First Thou O God who art the Redresser of my Right or Revenger of my Wrong or Secondly in regard of some righteous Cause hee had in hand mistaken by his Adversaries Much like to that which hee saith in another place m Ps 7.3 O Lord my God if I haue done any such thing or if there be any wickednesse in my hands If I haue rewarded evill to him that dealt frendly with me yea I haue deliuered him that without any cause is mine Enemy Then let mine Enemy persecute my Soule take me yea let him tread my Life downe vpon the Earth and lay mine Honour in the Dust So that in regard of those many Slanders raised against him by the Wicked he calls God to witnesse of his Integrity in those points and therefore may seeme to style him here The God of his Righteousnesse Our Reioycing n 2. Cor. 1.12 saith the Apostle is this the testimonie of our Conscience that in simplicity and godâ—y Synceritie we haue had our Conversation in the World And Conscience if it be bad as it is a continuall Torture so is a good one a continuall o Secura Mens quasi iuge Convivium Prov. 15 15. Vulg. Feast The great Benefit of a good Conscience S. Chrysostome declares by this Similitude As if you let fall a little sparkle p Chrys ad Pop. Antioch Hom. 25. saith hee into a large plash of water you presently extinguish it so all our Griefe and Sorrowe if so bee it light on a good Conscience it is most easily driuen away Verse 2. O yee Sonnes of Men how long will yee blasphâ—ame mine Honour and haue such pleasure in Vanity and seeke after Leasing It may seeme somewhat strange that hauing spoken in the Words before to God alone hee should now leaue speaking with God as it were and apply himselfe to the Sonnes of Men. But this is no novelty with David throughout his whole Booke of Psalmes who speaketh sometimes to the Lord sometimes to Himselfe sometimes to the Godly sometimes to the Vngodly and then to the Lord againe and that in one and the selfe-same Psalme The lesse cause had Cartwright and such as followed his steps to finde fault with our Church-Service for intermingling Reading of Scriptures and Prayers one with another We q T. C. vbi supra saith he haue no such Formes in the Scripture as that we should pray in two or three lines and then after hauing read a while some other thing come and pray asmuch more and so the twentith or thirtith time with pawses betweene If a man should come to a Prince and keepe such order in making his Petitions the Prince might well thinke that either he came to aske before he knewe what hee had need of or that he had forgotten some peece of his Suit or that he were distracted in his vnderstanding or some other such like cause of the disorder of his Supplication Loe here a Prayer euen in two or three lines after that as it were a Lesson namely an Instruction to his Adversaries Lastly somewhat concerning Himselfe namely how ioyfull in Heart Himselfe was and secure in hauing nothing when his Enemies had the World at will Shall we now say that David was distracted in this case God forbid Nay hee spake forth the Words of Truth and Sobernesse euen as did the Apostle S. Paul when hee also was r Act. 26.25 challenged by Noble Festus in like sort As for the Similitude hee brings of petitioning before a Prince and how vnsavory it would be to make Requests in such sort it is well Å¿ Hooker Eccles Pol. l. 5. §. 34. answered by Reuerend Hooker and retorted vpon himselfe and al his Complices how much more vnsavory it would proue to pray in their fashion who so much mislike ours Cartwright got nothing by that Similitude But now concerning the Words First for the Appellation here O yee sonnes of Men it is in the Hebrew t As there is difference betweene Home and Vir in Latine Non sentire mala sua non est Hominis non ferre non est Viri Senec. de Consolat ad Polyb. c. 36. so in the Hebrew betwixt Adam and Ish BENI ISH not ADAM wherein S. Ierom was mistaken as u Drus Observ l. 3. c. 19. Drusius obserues so that the
c. 2. saith S. Austen if vnhappy Sheep as I was wandring from the Fould and carelesse of thy Custody I becâ—mâ— so infected as I was all ouer my Body But to returne vnto my purpose Lead me in thy Righteousnes What may that be or how in thy Righteousnes The Prophet explaines himself elsewhere for saying in an other Psalme n Ps 35.24 Iudge me O Lord my God according to the Righteousnes In thy Righteousnes here in this place is according thereunto So that it is as if the Prophet had said Lord because thou art Righteous protect me with thine Aide that so I may avoide all the wicked Plots of mine Enemies the very meaning of these Words Lead me in thy Righteousnes because of mine Enemies But what is that which here followeth Make thy Way plaine before my Face Is not the Lords Way plaine The Lord himselfe o Ezech. 18.25 saith in Ezechiel Are not your Wayes vnequall And he repeats the same againe p V. 29. O House of Israel are not my Wayes equall are not your Wayes vnequall The trueth is the Lords Wayes are equall and plaine ynough but it is to those that tread them with Faith and relye wholy vpon the Lord. No doubt in regard of the Wicked they are so full of Hils and Dales so fraught with such variety of Dâ—â—bts and â—â—ffâ—culties that it is odds but they miscarry As for example there is Rom. 8.35 Tribulation Distres Persecution Famine Nakednes Perill and Sword First for TRIBVLATION it is a very deepe Dale and DISTRESSE is an other r Ovid Tâ—iâ—t 〈◊〉 2. Quantae diducâ—o subsidunt Aequore â—alles I am 〈◊〉 tacturos Tartara nigra putes Nay by meanes of Tribulation and Distresse David oftentimes thought himselfe in very Hell Å¿ Ps 18.4 The Paâ—â—es of â—eli came about me saith he the Suares of Death ouertooke me PERSECVTION that 's a Mountaine so S. Austen Quid sunt Montes nisi Tumores Terrarum What are Mountaines Aug. â—â— Psal 24. saith S. Austen but the Swellings and Râ—sings of the Earth Nero Domitian Traian Antoninus Severus Maximinus and the â—esâ— what were they but so many Mountaines The persecuting heathen Emperours t Mr Gâ—â—â—â—n his Trumpet of Waâ—â—e saith a good â—ivine were very great Mountaines that stood very high and very stiffe in the Churches Way but the â—aith of the Church according to the Promise of our u Mat. 17.20 Saviour hath remoâ—ued them all FAMINE and NAKâ—Dâ—â—S what are they but so many Bryars and so many Thornes x â—â—veral Saâ— 3 Haud facile emergunt quorum Virtutibus â—â—slat Res angust a domi They that are cumbred with these Guests will finde more a doe to come to their iournies end the Tully had in finding out by reason of Bryars and Thornes the Toomb of y Cic. Tusc Quaest l. 5. Archimedes Lastly PERILL and SWORD what are they but Hedge and Ditch Thicke and Thinne and not such an Hedge such a Ditch as by the benefit of a good Horse may be easily sprung over but such a Ditch as in Queene Maries time our Oxford Ditch was where that mâ—st Reverend Arch-bishop and Councellor of State Craâ—mâ—r learned Kidly and old Latimer were all of them Buâ—nt that like a Golgotha nay worse then that the very Place migâ—t breed an horror in the Minds of Men against them Thus as with the Arrians of old Non Canicies apud Iudices iniquitatis Venerabilis erat Neither Age and an hoare white Head as z Bas Ep. 70. speakes S. Basil neither Godlinesse nor â— Life most Vertuously led had any reverence at all with those bloudy Burreaus But to returne where I left Not the least of all the Premisses but with-holds a Worldling from walking this Way whereas vnto the Godly every of these is made so plaine that as the Apostle S. Paul giues out a Rom. 8 37. Wee are more then Conquerers through â—â—m that loued vs. So that as the Earth is said to be round notwithstanding so great Height of Hills such Plainnesse of Downes because as Pliny b Plin. Nat. Hist l. 2. c. 6â— tells vs that if tâ—e Compasse thereof might bee taken by lines the Ends of those L nes would meete iust in Circuit and proue the Figure of a iust Circle so let the Lords Way bee once Leueld by the Line of his Word nothing more Eeuen nothing more Plaine vnto vs then the Way of the Lord. Vers 9. For there is no Faithfulnes in his Mouth their inward parts are very Wickednesse A liuely description of the Wicked Iâ—tus in Cuse both Within and Without Their Mouthes their Hearts in this Verse for their Hearts are these inward Parts their Throats Tongues in the next No Apelles can better paint them then the Spirit of God here sets them forth In confesso est Orationem si explicandi vim ac facultatem habeat non minus quae velit ponere ob oculos posse quà m Viros manuum artificio praestantes It it apparant c Aelian Var. Hist l. 3. c. 1. saith Aelian that Speech if it hath the Force and Faculty of expressing that which it takes in hand deliuereth it no lesse vnto the Eye then the Hand of a skilfull Workman First for their Mouthes there was no Faithfulnesse in them Truth was vtterly banished thence It should seeme they were all of Lysanders constitution d Plutarch Apopth Pueros Talis Viros Sacramentis decipi oportere that Children were to be deceiued wiâ—h Chery-stones and Men with Oathes But the Apost e S. Paul giues vs better Counsaile Putting away Lying e Ephes 4.25 saith S. Paul speake every Man truth with his Neighhour for we are Members one of another Where hee not onely giues vs good Counsaile but a Reason of the same Namely that as in our Naturall Bodies the Mouth deceaues not the Hand nor the Hand the Mouth nor the Head the Feet nor the Feet the Hands for the whole Body it selfe should loose by the bargaine if there were any such Deceit amongst them as is to bee seene by that elegant Fable of Mâ—nenius Agrippa in f Liv. d ee 1. l. 2. Livy concerning the Members of thâ— Body so â—â—e deceiues himselfe that deceaues his Christian Brother nor doth he put vp thereby so much in h s Purse as he is damnified in his Conscience Lucrum in Arca Dam â—um in Conscientia His Cofers perhaps are fild g Aug. de Temp. Ser. 215. S. Austen but his Conscience Smarts for it But of Lying and Dâ—ceit I haue spoken h Expos on Ps 4.2 p. 93. before Concerning their Hearts intimate there by their Inward Parts they are said to be Wâ—â—kednesse in the Abstract nay in the Hebrew it is more it is Wickednesse in the Plurall as if the Abstract and Plurall both were both little enough to explicate the Wick dnesse of the Heart But of the Heart I haue spoken
great difficulty in obtaining of Pardon as it is written l 1. Pet. 4.18 saith hee in another place If the Righteous scarcely be saued where shall the Vngodly and the Sinner appeare Verse 4. Turne thee O Lord and deliuer my Soule Oh saue me for thy Mercies sake Himselfe being now converted to the Lord his Petition to the Lord now is that the Lord would be converted vnto him according vnto that of the Lord himselfe in the Prophet Zachary Turne yee vnto me m Zach. 1.3 saith the Lord of Hoasts and I will turne vnto you saith the Lord of Hoasts Now what hee here meant by the Lords Turning vnto him hee explicateth in the Words that follow namely in deliuering his Soule and sauing him for his Mercies sake First for his Soule likely ynough that his Life is meant thereby being now as it were at the last cast and vpon the Coâ—fines of Death For howsoeuer the Soule is sometimes taken for that Spirituall and best Part of Man whereby we vnderstand and discourse of things sometimes for the Will and Affections whereof the Soule is the Seat yet here in this place considering the Sequences it may be taken for Life by the Figure Metanomia for that the Soule is Cause of Life Secondly where he petitioneth to be Saued and that is the Summe of his Request he tooke no doubt the right course in making his Repaire vnto God For as this our Prophet acknowledgeth elswhere that he is the n Ps 17.7 Saviour of them that put their trust in him so the Lord saith of himselfe o Esay 43.11 I euen I am the Lord and besides me there is no Saviour And againe p Esay 45.21 There is no God els beside me a iust God and a Saviour there is none beside me The like hath the Prophet q Hos 13.4 Hosea True it is that the Word to SAVE is applyed to Others to either Spiritually or Corporally as Paul to Timothy r 1. Tim. 4.16 Take heed vnto thy selfe and vnto the Doctrine continue in them for in doing this thou shalt both saue thy selfe and them that heare thee and S. Iames to this purpose Å¿ Iam. 5.19 Brethren if any of you doe erre from the Truth let him know that he which converteth a Sinner from the Error of his Way shall saue a Soule from Death So Ministers by Preaching Magistrates by Protecting Christians by Admonishing doe saue But thus to saue is to serue Gods Providence onely as a meanes in the preservation of others as Instruments vnder God who for their Service herein honoureth them with the Title belonging to Himselfe Thirdly where he pleads not Merit but Mercy which Merit no doubt he might haue pleaded aswell as any our Merit-mongers whatsoeuer it teacheth vs what wee in like case should bring as a Present to the true IOSEPH our Governour not a t Gen. 43.11 little Balme and a little Hony Spices and Mirrhe Nuts and Almonds of our owne Workes and Deeds but only his owne MERCY Periculosa habitatio eorum qui in Meritis suis sperant periculosa quia ruinosa Dangerous is their Dwelling u Bern. in Psal Qui habitat Ser. 1. saith S. Bernard that trust in their owne Merits it is a Dangerous for it is a Ruinous Dwelling When an House is ready to tumble downe x Plin. Nat. Hist l. 8. c. 28. saith Pliny the Mice goe out of it before and first of all the Spiders with their Webbes fall downe and surely we should bee more brutish then either Spiders or Mice should we trust to such ruinous Dangers as such Confidence would bring vpon vs. Vers 5. For in Death no man remembreth thee and who will giue thee thankes in the Pit Two Sorts of Men haue liued in the World would God we might say Haue liued as Tully y Plut. in Cic. said Vixerunt of Some whom he had caused to bee executed as Traitours for so are these against God but two Sorts of Men haue liued in the World that deny the z Zanch. de Oper Dei Part. 3. l. 2. c. 8. Immortality of the Soule the One of them absolutely the Other by a Consequence Of those which doe it absolutely we haue now no cause to speake cause we shall haue sufficient when we come to the Fourteenth Psalme They which doe it by a Consequence are such as hold that the Soules dye when as the Bodies doe dye and that they rise not till the Bodies rise againe They dare not deny flatly a Zanch Ib. saith Zanchius the Soules Immortality for that it is so manifest throughout the whole Scriptures but what they dare that they doe they depriue it of all Sence of all Knowledge of all Affection and Operation stifly maintaining that it sleepeth forsooth till the Day of the Bodies Resurrection and then that it shall bee wakened and not till then Among the severall Parcels of Scripture which they haue heaped vp to this purpose this of this Psalme is one and as many besides in the Psalmes as describe Man to bee of such a Condition as that hee cannot after Death praise the Name of the Lord any more As namely where David b Ps 88.10 saith Doest thou shewe Wonders among the Dead or shall the Dead rise vp againe and praise thee Shall thy louing Kindnes be shewed in the Graue or thy Faithfulnes in Destruction Shall thy wondrous Workes be knowen in the Darke and thy Righteousnes in the Land where all things are forgotten And againe c Ps 115.17 The Dead praise not thee O Lord neither all they that goe downe into the Silence but we that is we which liue will praise the Lord from this time forth for euermore And yet again d Ps 30.9 What profit is there in my Bloud when I goe downe to the Pit Shall the Dust giue Thankes vnto thee or shall it declare thy Truth But there is as Zanchius e Zanch. vbi supra obserues a twofold Praise the One when in this World we shew forth vnto Others the Lords Goodnes towards vs that Others also by our example may be stirred vp to put their Confidence in God and to worship God in like sort and of this kind of Praises are the foresaid Places to be vnderstood The Other when the Praises of God are reserved for the World to come to be perfourmed by the blessed Saints that shall at that time praise the Lord. And that they praise the Lord in the World to come witnes those severall places in the Revelation that might bee brought to this purpose f Rev. 5.13 Euery Creature which is in Heauen and in the Earth and vnder the Earth and such as are in the Sea and all that are in them heard I saying BLESSING HONOVR GLORY AND POWER BE VNTO HIM THAT SITTETH VPON THE THRONE AND VNTO THE LAMB FOR EVER AND EVER Againe g Reu. 14.2 I heard a Voyce from Heauen at the