Of the Title of the Psalme.

A Psalme: THis Psalme containeth a pittifull complaint, a feruent praier, a promise and prophesie of thankefulnesse, and yet the Prophet penned it in the forme of a Psalme: whence thus much may be noted, that it is not vnlawefull to sing doctrine, exhortation, complaints, supplication, pro­phesies, and such like matters, as well as thankesgiuings: briefly to sing any portion of holy Scripture, so be that vnderstanding and edificatiō be not hindred: and this col­lectiō ariseth out of this place [Page 35]by analogie.

The Prophet Dauid is here to be considered. Of Dauid. 1. in his owne person 2. sustaining the person of a godly man. 3. as a type of Christ, whose sufferings and glorie, whose priesthood in his sacrifice and intercession, with his prophe­ticall office in teaching, and kingdome in gathering and guiding his Church in all a­ges, places, and times, are here not obscurely figured: whēce we may note that kings and mightie men of the earth are not to scorne religious exer­cises, as Dauid did not, the whole booke of the Psalmes witnesseth, but with the Pro­phet to acquaint themselues with holy meditatiōs, of their owne estate, howe the matter is betwixt God and their own [Page 36]soules: of the condition of the Church which shall suffer with Christ, before it be glori­fied with him, and of the doctrine of the Gospell in the offices of Christ, the summe of the Psalme.

to the cheif or master musiti­on.The Musitians & Singers office principally consisted in setting & singing the Psalmes of the Prophets, for the in­struction and edification of the church: as also in keeping these holy writings safe for the vse of the Church in time to come, in regard of which office the Church is called the pillar and ground of trueth: wherefore when the Prophets had composed any Psalmes, they sent them to the singers and musitians, specially to the principal Musitian of any or­der, who had the ouersight of [Page 37]the rest of his order, that they might bring them in publike for the comfort and instructi­on of the whole church: whence this collection might be made, that if musicke were lawfull for the Iewes, it is now for vs: and if vocall musicke be lawefull by consent of all, why not instrumentall also? alwaies remembring that edi­fication must not be hindered but furthered: for musicke beeing one of the liberall arts, why is there not vse of mu­sicke in furthering vs in the worship of God, as wel as of Grammar, Rhetoricke, or Logycke, &c: and musicke is not a parcell of the ceremoni­all lawe: and the Lord com­manded it in the Church, and it was vsed by Christ and his Apostles.

Againe hence might be ob­serued, that it is lawful to pray the prayers composed by o­ther men; which was custo­mable to the Church of the Iewes: who vsed to bring o­ther mens psalmes, which sometime were prayers, into the publique assemblie, as for example this psalme: and if it be said that they, were vsed only dogmatically; the answer is, that is not so: for they prai­sed God with the words of Da­uid and Asaph, and they bow­ed themselues and worshipped as it is euident. 2. Chron. 29.30. where besides the medi­tation of the matter, no doubt they had holy desire & wish­es sutable to the wordes of the prayers or thanksgiuings, as the wordes of bowing and worshipping do plainly im­port [Page 39]in the place alleadged: and therefore (howsoeuer some think) it seemeth to be very lawfull, to pray accor­dingly to a set forme: and so to say and pray the Lords prayer: so be that we insinu­ate our vnderstanding & af­fectiōs into the matter of that set prayer which we vse, ma­king it our owne when we pray it.

Concerning the morning starre.To thinke these wordes (aijeleth hasshachar) to be the name of an instrument is nei­ther warrantable nor re­proueable, but coniectural: I know not what can be said for it or against it.

To think them the tune of a common song, or the tune of some ciuill ballad seemeth to be to accuse the holy ghost for not keeping decorum, [Page 40]which is when holy psalmes are song in the tunes of com­mon, and it may be prophane ballads also.

To translate with Tremelli­us and Iunius ad primordium aurorae, is very good, for the words may beare that reading and then they import the time of vsing the psalme, the early morning, the time of the morning sacrifice, so that this psalme was an exposition and cōmentarie of the sacrifice: the sacrifice was a type of Christ; this Psalme teacheth the signification of the sacri­fice: & so this Psalme annexed to the sacrifice did euery day traine vp the Church of the Iewes with a continuall me­ditation and expectation of the promised Messias, whose sufferings and glorie are in [Page 41]psalme expressed.

Yet notwithstanding there is another exposition which may best befit the argument of the psalme, which is this (concerning the Morning star) and aijeleth signifieth Stellam matulinā as well as, ascensum aurorae. Nowe seeing that this Psalme is a prophecie of Christ, and that Christ is ex­presly called the Bright Mor­ning starre, Apoc. 22.16. the day starre by the Apostle, 2. Pet. 1.19. and the day spring from an high, Luk 1.78. The argument of the Psalme, and this translation will very well sort together as we see.

Of the complaint the first part of the psalme.

In the complaint compri­sed [Page 42]in these two verses may be obserued thesed sixe seuerall points to be handled, My God, my God why hast thou forsaken &c. which will cleare vnto vs the true meaning of the words, which are darke, and darkened more by some.

• 1 How Christ could pray vnto God, he beeing himselfe God equall to the father.
• 2 How Christ could pray in faith, seeing he could not beleeue in himselfe?
• 3 How it can be said that Christ was not heard by God when he prayed?
• 4 How Christ can be said to be forsaken of God?

These foure points apper­tayne to Christ, the other two concerne Dauid, & the god­ly.

• 5 How god forsooke Da­uid; and how he may be said [Page 43]to forsake his children?
• 6 Lastly the properties of faith here exprest.

The prophet Dauid was either annointed or crowned king without question when this psalme was penned, and yet we se he was thus sham­fully abused by wicked men; Christ himselfe the most holy and righteous man and the most excellent and worthie persō that euer the earth cari­ed, yet we se is exposed to the contumelious mocks of wret­ched mē; For this is the portiō [Page 84]of Gods children (as it was one part of Christs sufferings) to be dishonoured, contem­ned, and derided: the historie of the Gospell is plentifull in this point, they dishonor him in charging him with blas­phemie, with breach of the Sabbath, with surfetting and drunkennesse, with Sa­maritanisme, which is to cast out deuils by the deuill, &c. when he was condemned to die they mocke him, attiring him despitefully as a king, with a crowne of thornes, with a garment of purple, with a scepter of a reede: as if he had beene a king a­mongest fooles, boyes, or Pigmies: they buffet him, they spit vpō him, they smite him, whip him, and in summe, they mocke at his kingdome and [Page 85]propheticall office: this befell Christ the head of the church, the master of the house: and shall his mēbers or hou-shold seruants thinke to escape? it is enough for the seruant to be as his master is: and the foote must not thinke to es­cape the piercing with nailes, when the head was crowned and wounded with thornes.

Now the reason why Christ was thus content to be abased was, that he might deliuer vs from eternall shame and con­fusion, which is the due de­sert of sinne: and to sanctifie the euill name and slaunder, which we sustaine now for his sake, and for our owne good, that though an euill name be euill, and a curse, yet the Lord hath by his reproach taken a­way the malignitie of reproch [Page 86]and slaunder from vs: yet he hath left shame for vs still to sustaine, that we might fulfill the remnant of the afflictions: he hath drunke the full cup, and we must pledge him in the bottome of the cuppe: we must therefore learne to deny our selues, and namely (as this argument implieth) our good name and fame: not that a mā may not by al good meanes preserue his good name, but that a man be not too popular without measure and by vnlawfull meanes to seeke a good name, many mē beeing too greedie (as Ae­sops dogge) catch at the sha­dowe and loose the sub­stance, while they seeke fame and report, they leese a good name: for he that immoderate­ly and vnlawefully seeketh [Page 87]to get and keepe his credit with all sorts of persons, shall get a fame from the wicked, which is but the shaddowe, and leese a good name from the godly, which is the substance. A good name is the reward of humi­litie and the feare of God: Prou. 22.4. and God will ho­nour them that honour him: 1. Sam. 2.3. And by faith we shall obtaine a good report as the Elders did, Hebr. 11.2. By such meanes we may seeke to get a good name, which will be a good oint­ment to the children of god refreshing them with com­fort of a godly life, Eccles. 7.1. But if any of Gods children are too curious of their credit, and too much addicted to be popular, [Page 88]the Lord will really teach the to denie themselues in this point, and by causing wicked men to slaunder them, will teach them by a reall sermon that which by the word and instruction they cannot learn: which is to forsake their cre­dit for Christs sake, as Christ did forsake his owne excel­lencie, and deiected himselfe to the greatest indignities that a man could suffer, for our sakes: in so much as the scripture saith, he did annihi­late himselfe, that is, he was content to be in no account; that we might be pretiously esteemed.

[...] and nod the head.The wrying of the mouth, and nodding the head are vn­ciuill, foolish, and despitefull gestates, such as ciuil, discreet, and moderate men would [Page 89]haue beene ashamed to vse: but if malice haue got the bri­dle in the necke, howe will not wicked men transgresse the lawe of ciuill and courte­ous behauiour? yea the fence of nature and humanitie they will trample flat to the groūd, as if they lost both ciuilitie and manhood: which point may further appeare in the mocking speeches which they vtter against Christ now hanging vpon the crosse: Let him deli­uer him, &c. which mocking gestures and speeches shewe more then barbarous despight, and bru­lish malice: for a person that is condemned to die, yea nowe in execution is pittied and praied for by all the behold­ders, yea euen the hearts of Adamant then will soften to here a man in extremitie of [Page 90]paine readie to die, yet then these monsters of men and nature are neuer a whit asswa­ged towards him, but reioyce then at his woe, and scoffe at his fall: saying: God hath forsaken him, he loueth him not, he neuer did trust in god, as he pretended: for then surely God would not suffer him to perish, but would de­liuer him: or if he himselfe were a sauiour he would saue himselfe and others and come downe from the crosse, that we might know him to be the sauiour and beleeue in him: but we are to know these things are otherwise, for God may loue a man, and a man may trust in God, and yet still continue in affliction: so we se the martyrs die for Christ and periss;h in regard of the [Page 91]outward man, & that the loue God, and God loueth thē stil: and so was it with Christ a which may serue to mussel the mouths of the wicked world­lings, that presently think gods children, forsaken of god, and that they are naughty persons because they sustain the crosse & sometime fall vnder it: nay cōtrariwise they should thinke it a signe of Gods hatred not to be vnder the crosse as it fa­reth with many wicked men, that thus the Lord fatteth thē for the day of slaughter.

Vers 9 & 10 But thou didst draw me out: of the womb: thou gauest me hope as my mothers breast.

I was cast vpon thee euē from the womb: thou art my god from my mothers belly.

Howsoeuer these murder­ers [...] of Chirst [...] [Page 92]with him that he assureth himselfe of Gods fauour and mercifull protection still, see­ing that he had so graciously preserued him, euen from the birth, the womb, and the con­ception: For God did by an especial prouidence watch ouer Christ in all ages and times of his life, yea euen at his conception, when he was to be framed in his mothers womb: which thing may a li­tle be considered of in this manner following.

The Lord preserued Christ in his conception from the contagion of sinne, he beeing framed of the substance of the virgin by the power or the holy ghost without the helpe of m [...]n, by reason whereof the course of originall sinne was stayed which is deriued to vs [Page 93]in generation: wherefore in this sēce Christ had no father.

In [...]his birth also hee was preserued by the speciall pro­uidence of God, that he pe­rished not, though hee was borne in the stable and laid in the cratch, and wanted the o­ther ordinary helpes which women in such cases haue for their childe at there natiuite: for it is probable they wanted a fire, the stable beeing no fit place for that purpose, besides the vnhealthsome sauor of the stable &c.

In [...]his education and nou­rishing, he was kept from the conspiracy of Herod that sought his life, when his mo­ther fled into Egipt to saue his life: also when the innocents were slayne: when he was lost by his parents and found a­gaine [Page 94]disputing with the doctors in the temple. In [...]his life when he was called forth to the execution of the medi­atorship after his baptisme, he was preserud from many con­spiraces of the high priest and the pharises, and the rulers of the people, who sought to haue slayne him, but he was preserued by the Lords pro­uidēce till the appointed time.

Wherefore seeing god had watched ouer him all his daies hitherto hee nowe fully as­sureth himselfe of Gods pro­tection and assistance at this brunt also.

And as this is true in Christ the head so also after a certaine manner is it true in his members, all the chil­dren of God, ouer whome the Lord watcheth by his [Page 95]gracious preseruation, and that in there conception Iob. 10.10.11. and Psal. 139.13.14.15.16. which two places beeing viewed doe largely expresse this point: as also in there whole life: Psal. 121. to­to. Which may serue to com­fort the poore members of Christ, that peraduenture might think by reason of there base respect themselues vn­worthy to be regarded by God, seeing the world so litle regard them; surely they are to knowe that he hath nombred there bones, and all there mē ­bers are written in his booke, yea he knoweth the nomber of the heares of their head: & therefore in this regard they may be comforted: Lazarus was poore and yet the Lords angels ministred to him. lu. 16

Lastly from the force of the argument, vsed here to con­firme the faith of the prophet in assurance of future mercy grounded vpon former ex­perience thereof we are ad­monished to crōicle & record vp, and as it were hang vp­on the file, all the fauour of Gods mercy vouchsafed vs, that from thence in time of need, we may gather faith & comfort: for our faith is weak, and a litle thing will not com­fort vs in extremitie, we had need therefore to write a booke of remembrance of all the former experience of Gods mercy thereby to sup­port our infirmity: so Dauid did when he was animated to encounter with Goliah.

The request or petiton of the Prophet propoun­ded.

Out of this verse two things may be gathered: first that a Godly man may be troubled and helples: as was Christ, & the prophet in this place. All Christs apostles forsoke him, euen Peter that professed the contrary, and at the first see­med more forward then the rest by fighting for him: yea & Iohn whome Christ loued came away without his coate where Christ was apprehen­ded: The Apostle Paul. 2. Tim. 4.16 saith that when he [Page 98]was to appeare before Caesar all men forsooke him: for indeede there be very few or none to be found that dare and will stand out boldlie to helpe in time of neede, that dare che­rish a man that is persecuted for the truth: although they wish the cause and the person well, yet they dare not be seen throughly in the matter, but then Christ shal shift for him­selfe, if his life be once called in question: now therefore if we se gods children thus af­flicted and helpeles, con­demne them not, conclude not there vpon that they are naught, for the deare children of God, yea Christ himselfe was afflicted and desolate that that is helplesse.

Secondly heare note we, that though the world offoard [Page 99]no helpe to Gods childrens though all forsake them, yet the Lord will not for­sake them: so saith the Apo­stle, 2. Timoth. 4.17. So saith Christ, Ioh. 16.32. though Christ were alone and de­solate in regarde of mans helpe and comfort, yet he was not alone, but the father was with him, and though Paul was helpelesse when he appeared before Nero the Emperour, yet God deliue­red him out of the Lyons mouth; for God wil either deliuer, or giue strength and patience to beare the affli­ction: which is matter of con­solation: this the three chil­dren knew right wel, Dan. 3.17, 18▪ which were threatned with the fierie furnace, which [Page 100]ministred comfort to them in deadly danger: with this the Prophet encouraged him­selfe. Psal. 23. To walke fear­lesly through the valley of the shaddowe of death, considering Gods presence with him.

The affliction that immediately seazed vpon Christs soule.

The Apostle Peter: 1. Pet. 5.8. calleth the deuill a roa­ring lyon, who goeth about con­tinually seeking whome he may deuour: and in this place the Prophet saith, that his ene­mies gaped vpon him like a ramping and roaring lyon: whence probably may bee coniectured (the two proper­ties of a lyon fitting so wel to­gither both here in the Pro­phet, and also in the Apostle) that the enemies that now af­flicted Christ were, the deuill and his angels.

1. Pet. 5.8. [...].

Psal. 22.13. arich—shoag—toreph.

Wherefore we will take it as graunted, that in this place the Prophet foretelleth the sufferings that directly and properly and primarily befell Christs soule: which may fur­ther be prooued by the strange effects which the pro­phet rehearseth, vers. 14.15. that followed his affliction: as the dissolution of al the facul­ties of the soule, or the inter­mitting their functions, which the compassing and inclosure and gaping of his enemies, could not worke in him: & a­gaine whereas in the v. 21. he desireth to be deliuered from the lyons mouth, how can this be expounded but of the po­wer of Gods wrath, nowe vr­ged & enforced by the deuill against him: in regard where­of he desireth to be deliuered: [Page 103]all these things compared to­gither carie me easily to think that here the affliction proper to Christs soule is expressed. Therefore the might, malice, and mischeife of the deuils are here to be considered, who in this place are called mightie Bulls, and a raping & roaring lyon, there being one deuil the cheife, and the rest consenting and conspiring with him.

The power of the deuils appeares in this, that they are angels, and although through their fall they haue lost grace and glory, yet their other qua­lities which the Lord endow­ed them with in their creation remaine: as namely their strength: now the strength of an angell is wonderfull great (though not infinite:) as may appeare, in that the [Page 104]angel ouerthrewe in the hoast of the Assyrians in one night, an hundreth foure score and fiue thousand, Esay, 37.36. Also in the time of Dauid seauentie thousand in three daies, 2. Sam. 24.15. And in Egypt euill angels destroyed all the first borne of Egypt. Psal. 78.49.50.51. And as it may seeme in a peece of a night: yea surely it is likely, that if God should permit, the deuils were able to destroy all the men, and all the crea­tures in the world, and min­gle heauen and earth togi­ther.

The malice of the deuill is as great if not greater then his power, which may appeare in two particulars: first in that he setteth himselfe against God and Christ, whereas he [Page 105]knoweth he getteth nothing by it, but vengeance. Second­ly in opposing against the Church of God, and his ser­uants: whereas he knoweth he cannot hurt them, nay rather he doeth them good: he af­flicted Iob, and yet he knewe Iob by Gods own commen­dation to be Gods seruant: he tempted Christ, whome hee knewe to be the Messias and Sauiour of mankind.

The mischeife of the de­uill also is a great, as it pro­ceedeth from him, and as it seazeth vpon some persons: he brought Christ to death, Iob to beggerie: he worketh mischeiuously by the witch to destroy the goods and chil­dren of men both good and baddes he bringeth men into sinne and keepeth them in it, [Page 106]and so worketh their destru­ction and damnation, which is the greatest part of his mis­cheife, howsoeuer it is not so easily obserued.

As the deuil is thus mightie, malitious, and mischeiuous, so vndoubtedly he bestird him­selfe with all his skil to afflict Christ, and he euen to the vt­most he could doe, no doubt wrecked himself vpon Christ, to spoile him if it had bin pos­sible: & so doth he and wil do to all gods children: yea he ca­rying an vniuersall hatred to mākind & al Gods creatures, will worke what villanie he can vpon them: he carried the swine headlong into the sea: he caused the man that was possessed to beat himself with stones, &c. Here therefore we see the goodnesse of God to­wards [Page 107]vs, & toward mankind in generall, who represseth & bridleth the deuill, and chai­neth him so as he cannot doe what he list: for thē we should not keep our cattel from his hands, nor money in our pur­ses, nor any of our goods for our vse: nay our bodies should be sure to be tormēted strāge­ly, and worse then that, if god should lay the raines in his necke: all men therefore good and bad are to consider Gods goodnesse towardes them thus farre forth, that they are moderately preserued by him in their outward e­states from the deuils tyran­nie.

It may be demanded how farre forth the deuill could and nowe did preuaile a­gainst Christ in this place: They comp [...], inclose, and gape vpon me. [Page 108]or whether the deuils were the executioners of Gods wrath, now vpon our Sauiour Christ: whereto answer may be made thus; First it seemeth that the inflicting of Gods wrath vpon the creature is Gods worke onely, and there is no creature that can poure Gods wrath vpon another; for the wrath of God beeing the curse of the lawe to be inflicted vpon the transgres­sors of the law, for the breach of the lawe, whereby Gods iustice is violated, and this curse, or this wrath of God beeing the effects of his iu­stice, it is not conuenient to assigne the execution thereof to the deuill. For the deuil be­ing himselfe subiect to, and tormented with the sense and feeling thereof, and there be­ing [Page 109]no superiour power to torment the deuill, but God, he himselfe must needs be the executioner of the deuils: and there beeing a kind of infinit­nesse in Gods wrath, so at the deuill thereby is ouerwhel­med, howe shall it be said with reason, that he that is ve­ry vnable to sustaine it, should inflict it, he that can­not beare it himselfe should lay it vpon others? and as he that is hanged cannot be hangman; no more can the deuill that is tormented with Gods wrath, torment others therewithall. Therefore the Lord with his owne hand doeth immediately inflict his wrath vpon the creature, whether men or Angels: and as God had the helpe of no creature in the creati­on, [Page 110]redemption, iustificati­on, sanctification, and salua­tion of the Church, no more hath he any helpe in the damnation of any crea­ture.

Wherefore the deuils were not Gods instrumēts of pow­ring his wrath vpon Christ, and yet Christ suffered im­mediately from the deuils, as it is here recorded, for they tempt him, and terrifie him, they compasse him about, and inclose him with temp­tation, they gape vpon him with their mouthes as readie to deuoure him and teare him in peeces, that is, they vrge and enforce the wrath of God with all possible ar­gument and reason, aggraua­ting it to the vtmost of their skill. And it is euidēt that they [Page 111]tempted Christ, and no doubt Christ could not sustaine the vrging of the temptation without some sorrowe and griefe and vexation of heart, as euery godly man hath ex­perience, when he resisteth a temptation: for conclusion of this point, the deuils did not execute Gods wrath vpon Christ, but the deuils did tēpt and terrifie Christ other­wise.

I am like wa­ter powred out, my bones dissolued, &c.The effects that followed vpō the torture which Christ sustained, proueth the strāge­nesse and extraordinarinesse thereof, to omitte the ef­fects which are set downe in the story of the gospel, whēce should the dissoluing of the facultie of sense and motion proceeded in so much as that the bones beeing vntied [Page 112]were seuered each from o­ther? surely euen as Baltashar when he saw the hand writing had his ioynts, through the feeling of some diuine power that in iustice smote him for his sinnes, loosed, so as his knees beate together, the ani­mall facultie for a season bee­ing suspended, euen so was it in Christ. Againe whence came the melting of the heart like waxe, the drying vp of the strength like a potsheard, but from the intollerable heat of Gods firie wrath which nowe pearced our sauiour Christ, and consumed him as the fire that came downe frō heauen consumed the sacri­fice into ashes: which was a tipe of this fire which thus dryed and scorched our Saui­our Christ and melted his [Page 113]heart, as waxe melteth at the sunne: How came it to passe that Christs tongue claue to his Iawes? My tongue cleaueth to my Iawes. was it immoderate drought that caused it? but then it should haue bene said: to the palate: but the prophet saith to the lawes: according to the latine phrase vox fauci­bus haeret, Christ was not able to speake, but his words were halfe words, words sounding a farre of, faintly, his tongue faultred as it were in speaking it may be that Christ was drie but that drought signified in the Gospell when they gaue him viniger mingled with gal should haue beene mentioned in the 16. verse in due place when he suffered vpon the crosse, and not here where the effects of an other torture are repeated, namely of that [Page 114]which imediately affected his soule, as hath beene said; sure­ly in all likelihood of reason some extraordinary tortures are here implyed which produce so strang effects, and make such deepe impressions in al the faculties of the soule, animall, vitall, naturall, rea­reasonable: whereby the parts of the body seruiceable to the soule for the execution of her faculties are forsaken.

The vse of this doctrine is to teach vs carefully to auoid sinne which wrought such strange affectes in Christ sa­tisfying for sinne, beeing god also: alas how shall wee vild wretches be able another day if it fall to our Lott for our sinnes to sustaine the least hel­lish torment? it is no maruaile though the rich glutton in hel [Page 115]crie out of his tong, & though Baltashars knees knocke to gether, though Iudas hanged himselfe, and Cayn blasphe­med, and Saull fell vpon his sword, seeing there are such intollerable effectes followe the warth of God euen in the sonne of God himselfe as are here mentioned. Thou hast brought me into the dust of death.

Here the prophet turneth his speech vnto the Lord: & whereas before he had made a narration of the might mal­lice and mischeefe of his ene­mies how they had afflicted him, by terour and temptati­on, and how straungelie this affliction tortured him, that it caused the faculties of the soule to intermit there functi­ons in there proper parts of the bodie, now he maketh an apostrophe as it were [Page 116]vnto the Lord, and telleth him, that it was he that had brought him to his death, for though his estate nowe was in all likelihood of reason ir­recouerable and remedilesse, beeing spilt like water vpon the ground, which cannot be gathered vp againe, yet all this sorrowe did not kill him, but he changeth his speech, and saith: thou hast brought me into the dust of death: whēce two things may be obserued: the one is, that God had a stroak in the death of Christ, not onely by permitting the Iewes to kill him, which shall be handled afterward in the 16. and 17. verses, but by pou­ring his wrath vpon him, which hastened his death the sooner, in so much as the historie in the gospell saith, [Page 117]he was dead sooner then the theeues who died the same death with him, as is likely: which hastie death of Christs was caused no doubt by some inwarde cause, which was Gods wrath, that had wrought the former strange effectes in Christ: that it may be properly said that God killed Christ rather then the Iewes, though the Iewes also tortured his bodie, so as that in time he should haue died. The other thing that we note here is, that all the might, malice, and mischeife of the deuills, and the Iewes which was exprest in the tor­turing and tormenting of Christ, could not haue kil­led Christ, except God had killed him. For Christ bee­ing God, could if it had plea­sed [Page 118]him, and if the decree of god had not beene otherwise, haue retained his spirit, cured his wound, or destroyed his enemies that they should not haue beene able to wound him: in regard whereof hee saith. Ioh. 10.18. that he had power to lay downe his life and to take it vp againe, and that his life was not wrested out of his hand but seeing God had de­creed it otherwise therefore Christ must needes die, and yet the principall crucifier of Christ (that I may so speake generally) was God himselfe, who besides that he vsed the Iewes, and the Deuills as his instruments to murder Christ yet he retayneth in his owne handes one soueraigne tor­ture, the most fearefull wrath of God to bee inflicted vp­on [Page 119]Christ our surety, in re­gard whereof the propet saith of Christ, thou hast brought me into the dust of death.

Summarily (to ende the torments which immediatly tortured Christs soule) wee may here obserue that Christ was thus afflicted as is re­hearsed alreadie, both wil­lingly, and necessarily: wil­lingly in that he suffered the Deuills thus to assault him with terour and temptati­on: necessarily in that God had a hand in killing him, and bringing him to the graue which is deaths dust: and indeed Christ did wil­lingly and yet necessarily suffer all that hee suffered: hence then two conse­quents followe immediately.

1 Christ infinite loue that was content and willing to suffer such hardship for vs wretched caitifes: and.

2 That no lesse then that which Christ suffered was suf­ficient for our redemption & reconcilation to God, seeing that he suffered all that he suf­fered necessarily: for if it bee supposed that the least suffe­ring of Christ had beene en­ough to haue appeased God towards vs, then it is super­fluous and vnnecessary that Christ should come into the dust of death: should haue such straung effectes in his bodie before his death; should be subiect to the ter­our and temptations of the deuil: to the woundes and stripes of the Iewes: but be­cause it was necessary that [Page 121]Christ should suffer all these things and so enter into his glorie, therefore the least suf­fering of Christ was not suffi­cient. This also might call into question the lawe of God to his beloued sonne in that hee would bring him to the dust of death, if it were not neces­sary: and if it were necessarie that Christ should die & that by Gods owne hand (rather and more then by the Iewes woundes, and the Deuills worke) as is here noted, I would knowe what that hand of God was, if it was not the wrath of God working the former straung effectes in Christs bodie: and if Christ must of necessity die, why must he not of necessitie suf­fer Gods wrath properly? shall we say Gods loue would [Page 122]not suffer that? But Gods Iustice did require it: and Gods loue would suffer him to die: but necessitie vr­ged a despensation? What ne­cessity I pray you? euen this perhaps that if Gods wrath had seazed vpon Christ, hee would haue bene forsaken of God: why? he was forsaken of God Psal. 22.1. all comfort was secluded from him, and yet all grace was present with him: but it was impossible that Christ should suffer gods wrath? wherefore impossible? because he was God? there­fore also it was impossible that he should die, but possibility admitted his death: and why not Gods wrath? for neither the Godhead died nor suffe­red Gods wrath, but the man­hood only and the hyposta­ticall [Page 123]vnion was neuer dissol­ued & there is no daunger of fearing any absurdity to ensue vpon the suffering of Gods wrath rather then vpon the suffering of death: for des­paire, want of faith, loue, &c. are not to be feared.

The affliction that immedi­ately seazed vpon Christs bodie.

These words containe that affliction which directly and immediately was inflicted vp­on [Page 124]Christs bodie, which no doubt pierced the sensitiue part of the soule, which was inherent in the parts of the bodie wounded, for we see woundes in the parts of the bodie are sensible, and so very grieuous: the reason is; for that the obiect and the instrument of sense are ioined togither without a medium, whereas there ought to be a competent distance, and a cō ­uenient medium, which is called Cuticula.

Here in the first place the persons inflicting these bodi­ly torments vpon Christ, are to be considered, who are called dogges, whereas the deuils in the former part of Christs torments were com­pared to Buls and Lyons: & the comparison hath in it ex­cellent [Page 125]conueniencie & pro­portion, for as it is an easier matter to encounter a dog, then a mightie madde Bull, & a lyon, so the conflict which Christ had with the wicked, which were but a company of curre dogges, was nothing in comparison of the combate he had with the deuill and his angels, whose malice, might, and mischeife against Christ surpassed the villanie of the Iewes, as farre as the lyon rampeth and roareth more cruelly then the dogge bar­keth: and yet Christ suffered more then that also, which was the cōplemēt of al misery.

The wicked in the Scrip­ture are compared to dogges in respect of two properties which dogges haue, wherein wicked men are answerable to [Page 126]them: the one is churlishnes the other is filthines: for the dogge will snarle at him that beateth him for his fault, yea though he be his master, Mat. 7.6. and he will also turne a­gaine and eate the carrion which he hath vomited, 2. Pet. 2.22. which noteth out vnto vs two sorts of wicked men: one is open persecutors that reuile and persecute them that smite them with holesom reproofes, when they are faul­tie: another is temporizing hypocrites, that hauing made a shewe of godlinesse, as if they had vomited sinne out of their soules, yet at length returne again, & take vp their former sinnes, which only for a time in hypocrisie they for­sooke.

Further this place warran­teth (and innumerable more) [Page 127]that the assemble of wicked men that are temporizers or persecutors may lawefully be called dogges, or a kennell of hounds: men now a daies that serue times, and persecute the church take it in dudgin (as we say) that they shuld be cal­led dogs, or swine, or lyons, or beares, &c. & yet they haue all the properties of these brutish creatures, as if bruite beastes were metamorphized & chā ­ged into men, as the heathen haue allegorized: of such per­sons. I would demād this que­stion; whether is worse to be a dog, or to be called a dog? may not a man call a dog a dogge? Wherfore if such mē be dogs, I knowe no reason but they may be so called, especially the h. ghost going before, whose example is our instruction in the same case: either therefore [Page 128]lett such men cease to bee dogges, or if they still conti­nue dogges let them be called dogges.

Againe some take the prick whē they are not prickt at all in the ministers intentiō-althogh they are prickt in the Lords disposition: for some­time the minister intendeth in his ministerie that which neuer pearceth: & sometime God causeth that to pearce in his ministerie that which hee neuer intendeth, yet it may be knowne that Pauls plan­ting, and Apollos watring is nothing except God giue in­crease: There are men called by the names of beasts, as ly­on, fox, hart, hare, hound, or so forth, and these men are some good some bad, as our owne experience may in­forme [Page 129]vs well enough: nowe sometime it falleth out that the minister in his ministerie is occasioned by the scripture to vnfold the euill properties of wicked men in regard where­of they are cōpared to beasts as the lyons properties are prid and crueltie, the foxes craft and subteltie, the hearts fearefullnes, &c. and it may fall out that some wicked man called lyon hath the lions prid and cruelty, some wicked man called fox hath the foxes craft and subteltie &c. now if these men take themselues either named or aymed at in the mi­nisterie, where as it may be the minister neuer dreameth thereof; or if the minister in­tend such a thing, whence should a man say this procee­deth? without doubt either [Page 130]grosse folly, or an accusing conscience, or meere mallice, or brutish ignorāce bring mē into these surmises: howsoeuer it be gods word, it is a sharpe two edged sword; & the mini­ster by gods prouidēce, which to him perhaps is chance med­ley, sometime shal woūd him whome he neuer aimed at, or harden him, whome he neuer thought of: for the word of God is both a sauour of life & of death to seueral sorts of persons. These are the persōs that afflicted Christ, let vs fur­ther consider what afflictions befel him: they crucifie him, & mock him, they strip him na­ked, and dispoile him of his garments: all which are so ma­ny sufferings of Christ for our good: he was crucified, & suf­fered the most accursed death of the crosse, to deliuer vs frō [Page 131]the curse of the law, Gal. 3.13, he was mockt to make vs ho­nourable, he was robbed to make vs rich, & was stript na­ked to couer our nakednes: al these benefits we haue frō all Christs sufferings, though not each of them seuerally frō the like suffering in Christ, how­soeuer allegorically thus ap­plied.

They pierced my hands and my feet, I may tell all my bones.But one thing especially is here to be considered concer­ning the crucifying of Christ, in what sense Christ beeing vpon the tree, & there put to death, was accursed: for expo­sitiō wherof, we are to know, that to die vpon a tree is not a thing indeede accursed, either in nature or ciuill constitutiō, or of it selfe. Nature doth not teach vs, that to hang vpon a tree is a thing accursed, more thē to be thrust through with [Page 132]a sword, or to be prest to death, or to be burnt, or so forth.

Againe no positiue or ci­uill lawes of any nation vnder heauen haue accursed those persons that haue beene han­ged vpon a tree vntill their bodies haue died, indeed the death is something more base and vilde then some other kind of death is, in reputation among some persons, whence in our nation it seemeth that noble men haue some priui­ledge that way, that they die not as other sorts of persons die. And lastly, the death of the tree hath no curse in it selfe: we reade of diuers men that were godly men that died vpon the tree; as the peniten­tiarie that died with Christ, & Christ himselfe also: and ex­perience [Page 133]teacheth vs that e­euery yeare: for many men betwixt their condemnation and execution haue beene deepely humbled for there sinnes, and so haue died the true seruants of God: where fore the death of the crosse (which Christ suffered) was not thus accursed: how then was it accursed? surely by the iudiciall and ceremoniall lawe of Moses and not otherwise: that lawe which Moses gaue from God the lawgiuer of the Iewes Deut 21.23. contey­neth a prohibition with a reason annexed thereto: The prohibition is in these words: Thou shalt not suffer his bodie that is hanged vpon the tree to remaine all night vpon the tree: and this prohibition is a meare Iudiciall law of Moses [Page 134]the which the people of the Iewes onely, were bound to obserue; which lawe if the people of the Iewes had vi­olated, they sinned so against God, that the land was de­filed with the sinne, Deut. 21.23. The reason of that prohibition is in these words: For the curse of God is on him that is hanged: and this rea­son is a meere ceremoniall lawe: (for it hath bin proo­ued, that neither by the lawe of nature, by ciuill or posi­tiue lawe, or of it selfe, to be hanged vpon a tree is accur­sed;) it is therefore a meere ceremonie: but we know that Christ is the substance of e­uery ceremonie: wherefore the Lord foreseeing that Christ should die vpon a tree, & vpō the tree suffer the curse [Page 135]of the lawe due vnto our sins, as our suretie: therefore he ty­pically figured out this curse in the death of malefactours amōg the people of the Iews, that were hāged vpō the tree: so that euery malefactor that was hāged amōg the Iews, was a type of Christ, and therfore was accursed: not really (for it is want of charitie to think so) but ceremonially and typical­ly, represēting vnto vs Christ, who was truely and really ac­cursed for vs: in that he sustai­ned gods wrath which is the curse of the lawe, which we should haue sustained: where­fore seeing Christ was really accursed as hath beene proo­ued by this discourse, therfore he vndoubtedly suffered gods wrath which is the curse. Yet they be­hold & looke vpon me.

Whē they had nailed Christ [Page 136]to the crosse and wrackt his ioynts so as that his bones might bee numbered they heape vpon him all other in­dignities they can: and there­fore first they behold & look vpon him: alas it was a piti­full fight for one that had any manhood in him, to see a man nayled hands and feete with great nailes (as they must needes be seeing the hebrue word signifieth such a pear­cing, as was more like dig­gig: or such a pearcing as a lyon maketh with his clawes); to see the blood issue aboun­ly out of the woundes; to see his bodie strecht so as that one ioynt was seuered from an other which is an extreame torture, for a bodily torment; and yet they behold and look vpon him without any pitty [Page 137]at all; nay they mock and de­rid him as appeareth plaine in the historie of the Gospell, & when he would haue had a litle drinke to asswage his thirst, they gaue him viniger mingled with gaul to increase his thirst the more, gaull bee­ing a thing biter of it selfe; all these shamefull outragies they offered to Christ nowe in dying; whence we may cō ­sider; not only the barbarous crueltie of these persons, but further the nature and pro­perty of him which is to grow one from degree to degree, till it come to an heigth and a fearefull excesse; these per­sons first contemned Christ a doctrine, depraued his life, cō ­sented to his death, now most cruelly murder him, and yet that doth not satisfie them, [Page 138]but they mock at him in the middest of his misery: & will not affoard him any ease at al: It is good to gainstand sinne at the first, least if it get groūd of vs at length it conquer and subdue vs: for the Lord some­time accustometh to punish one sinne with another, and when men will not preuent small sinnes, they shall bee plunged into a sea of fearefull impietie: as the Gentiles be­cause when they knewe God they did not glorifie him as God, fell to Idolatrie and af­ter that to sinne against na­ture: and they in the seate of Antichrist because they re­ceiued not the loue of the truth, therefore are giuen o­uer to strang delusions to be­leeue lies that they might bee damned. Rom. 3.2. Thes. 2. [Page 139]when they had thus shame­fully handled Christ, They part my garments and cast lottes one my vesture. they proceede to the deuiding of his garments (for they stript him of his cloathes when they crucified him) and here wee may obserue diuers points worth our noting: for what should be the reason that the holy Ghost should thus care­fully expresse this practise of the souldiers in deuiding his garments & casting lottes for his vesture? no doubt this is some speciall matter euen in this their practise, especially seeing the Euāgelist also testi­fy the same thing to be done by the soldiers: some allego­ry the matter after this man­ner: the garmēts of Christ (say they) are the scriptures: the ve­sture of Christ is his Church, the souldiers are heretiques: [Page 140]For although the heretiques rend the scriptures with false exposition &c. yet they can­not dissolue the vnitie of the Church with there errours: This doctrine is true, but it is not intended in this place. It is a meere folly and dotage thus to abuse the scriptures, though the allegorie be neuer so wit­tie. But we are to knowe that one reason why the Euange­listes expresse these things is for the verifying of the pro­phecy: that the euent might declare the truth of the pro­phecy: other profitable con­siderations may hence be rai­sed.

1 The souldiers deale as theeues which haue gotten a bootie: they make no consci­ence of robbing a man & yet they make a scruple in deui­ding [Page 141]the spoile: the soldiers make no bones to kill Christ, and rob him of his garments, yet they are curious in the de­uiding his apparrell amongst them: for it is a right proper­tie of an hypocrite to swallow a carnell, and to strayne at a gnatt: to tith mint, cummin and annise seed, and to neg­lect Iudgement, mercy, and faith: the soldiers neuer strayne curtesy to iniury Christ, but they wil not iniury one another.

2 Againe the Holy Ghost seemeth to laie another fault among the soldiers that they cast lottes for trifles, as if men should card and dice for a coate: we neuer read in all the scriptures that lottes were vsed but in waighty matters, and it seemeth to be to take [Page 142]the name of God in vaine, to sport our selues with his immediate prouidence, as lots are.

3 Furthermore (if that bee not assented vnto) yet here is another thing flatly reproue­able, that by lottes (as it were cardes and dice) they would compasse parts of their main­tenance, getting away from another mā by lott that which before was not theirs or wher to they had no title: for one of the souldiers must needes haue the whole coate (for see­ing it was without seame they would not cut it) and so the other three soldiers lost their parts and he that gott the coat by lott, was a theefe to the o­ther three: for god hath ap­pointed men to get there goodes by labour and lawfull [Page 143]contractes not by carding and dicing and lotting, as the sol­diers doe in this place.

4 Lastly: it seemeth that Christs coate was worth som­thing, as also his garments for otherwise the souldiers would not haue regarded thē thus as they doe; and Christ was not so poore and begger­ly, as some begging fryers might peraduenture suppose him to be: neither is begging a state of perfection, better then possessing & vsing rich­es: we read that Paull had a cloake which he left at Troas, & it is like he carried another with him, except we say he borowed one or went in his Ierkin: and though some mens riches are a snare vnto them, yet that is not in their riches, but in their corupt [Page 144]harts which are set vpon their riches: some mans pouertie also is a snare vnto him but that is in the wickednes of his owne heart also rather then in pouertie.

Of the request and petition of the prophet repeated.

Hitherto the sufferinges of Christ haue beene discussed: nowe it followeth to intreat more largely of the prayer that Christ maketh, the sub­stance [Page 145]whereof is here set downe by the prohet and it accordeth with the prayer which the Euangelist setteth downe Math 26. and Ioh. 12. Let this cup passe from me. &c. saue me from this houre &c. where this question commeth to be scanned: what Christ praied for in this place, and in these two places of the Euan­gelistes: or what Christ prai­eth against: for the on of these include the other, and the supplication includeth the deprecation: for solution whereof: It must necessari­ly be granted that he praieth either against a bodily death, or against Gods wrath; if it be saide, that he praied against a bodily death, then also it must needes be that he pray­ed either that it should not [Page 146]light vpon him, or that it should not triumph ouer him; that is that the power of death should not hinder him from rising againe, that he should not be held of the sorrowes of death, Act. 2.24.

Againe if it be said that he prayed against Gods wrath, then one of these three things must of necessity be graunted: namely that he prayed.

1 Either that Gods wrath should not light vpon him.

2 Or that it might depart from him beeing alreadie vp­on him.

3 Or that it might not swallowe him vp and ouer­whelme him and eternally detayne him, and so cause him either to forfeite, or not to accomplish our redep­tion.

There beeing thus a suffi­cient enumeration of parts, let vs proceed further and in­quire against which of al these he prayed.

First therefore he prayed not against death that hee migh not tast it: for God had determined that hee should suffer death, and he knewe it very well it beeing figured in the sacrifices of the old law, whereof he was the substance prophecyed by the prophets, signified to the disciples by himselfe. Mat. 16. and to say that he prayed against that, for which he knewe he came into the world were to make him pray against his know­ledge, & against the expresse will of God reuealed in the word, which were blasphe­mous to say of Christ in whose [Page 148]mouth there was found no guile.

Secōdly also he praied not against Gods wrath, so as that it should not light vpon him: for Matth. 20.22. he saith plainely, he must taste of that cuppe: wherefore he did taste it when he praied it might passe from him, Math. 26. & the conditiō which is exprest in this praier argueth so much: for in the place of Mat. 26.42. Christ saith thus, If this cuppe cannot passe from me, but that I must drinke it, thy wil be done: which wordes plaine­ly import thus much: that whereas before the first time he praied this praier, he dire­ctly said: let this cup passe from me, adding the condi­tions: Math. 26.39. There was some opposition betwixt [Page 149]his naturall will and gods wil: nowe the second time he praied, Christs will is wholly submitted and subiected to Gods will, to drinke the cup prepared for him by God: as if Christ had said, Father if it had beene possible, and agree­able to thy will, I could wish that this cuppe of thy fierce wrath might passe away, so as that I might not tast it, but see­ing it cannot passe till I haue drunke it. I submit my selfe to thy will. And this praier in the same wordes he vttereth the third time: Math. 26.44. Where the changing of the wordes of the prayer in the verse, 42. is to be carefully no­ted: which change is retained the third time he praied, v. 44. as if Christ had now vanqui­shed nature by grace; for there [Page 150]was in Christ both nature & grace, and that this second praier was a correcting of the former: not as though his first praier were simply bad, but that nature seemed to carrie a greater sway in the first, then in the secōd, & grace through­ly corrected nature in the se­cōd: other correcting I meane none: wherefore here Christ praied not that Gods wrath might not at al light vpō him.

Thirdly therfore, & for cō ­clusion, he praied against the other 3. parts of the distributi­on mentioned before: against the dominion and continuāce of gods wrath, and death. A­gainst the dominion of death and gods wrath he praied vn­doubtedly, and that properly as our intercessor, that neither himselfe the head, nor we cō ­sequētly the members, should [Page 151]be subdued & ouerwhelmed of them: but that himselfe, and we by him might conquer & vanquish them, & triumph o­uer them: Heb. 5.7. and so he was heard frō that which he feared. One doubt will here arise, howe Christ could feare the domi­nion of death & Gods wrath, for then Christ wāted faith, & doubted, which to say were blasphemy: for answer where­of, we must distinguish be­twixt feare and doubting. A man may feare that which he assuredly knoweth shall not befall him: Adam in Paradise might feare the wrath of god, and feare his apostacie & fal­ling from God, which was in him a vertue, & yet surely A­dā had faith & a perswasiō of gods loue, & assurance to cō ­tinue in grace, if he would: so likewise Christ might feare [Page 152]least the wrath of God might ouerwhelme him and vs, and yet be fully assured of deliue­rance from it: Feare is a natu­rall affection: and no naturall affection is contrarie to grace, but subordinate to it: and Christ feared these things na­turally; and furthermore the word [...], Heb. 5.7. signi­fieth a fearefull and carefull declining and auoiding some imminent danger, by reason whereof the minde is posses­sed with a great anxietie and sollicitude, intending it selfe, with all the powers thereof to gainstand the impendent mis­cheife: and thus Christ feared the dominion of death and gods wrath, and for this pur­pose praied against it, he bee­ing carefully and reuerently bufied about the recouery of [Page 153]himselfe, and the redeeming of vs from the power of death and the sorrowes of hell: and because praier is one excel­lent meanes to furnish a chri­stian captaine against the ene­mie for obtaining the victo­rie: therefore Christ prayeth with strong crying and teares vnto him that was able to saue him from death eternall, and was heard from that which he naturally feared, or rather from that, for declining whereof he was reuerently accumbred: nature working in him feare of it, and grace stirring vp praier against it: and there is no absurditie to say, that Christ praied against that which he certainely and fully knewe should neuer be­fall his Disciples.

And as Christ praied a­gainst [Page 154]the dominion of death and gods wrath, so he praied also that the wrath of God might not stay longer vpon him, he beeing now alreadie tormented therewithall, & so he saith, let it passe from me: saue me from this houre. For further explication whereof consider 3. propositions or axioms fol­lowing.

1 Christ sustaining the ful wrath of God in his soule, was wholly busied in his whole soule, and all the faculties thereof in apprehending, fee­ling, and bearing it, so as the soule & faculties thereof were distracted from all their ob­iects, & wholly applied here­vnto: as appeareth by the strāge intermitting of the fun­ctiōs of the soule in the parts of the body, mentioned, v. 14.15.

2 We must distinguish na­ture & naturall infirmities frō sin and sinful infirmities: it is a naturall infirmitie for a man to sleepe and be wearie, and so also sustaining Gods wrath, to desire to be released frō it: but it is no sinne at all.

3 We must knowe that Christ as he was man was ig­norant of some things, as namely of the day of iudg­ment, Mar. 13.32. for some ignorance is no sinne: as for a minister to be ignorant of the manuarie trades: for a man to be ignorāt where hel is, of the orders of angels. &c.

Now for applicatiō of these three axiomes: sure it is that when Christ praied, he prai­ed without the least spotte of sinne: and either of these axiomes rehearsed will iu­stifie [Page 156]Christ praier from the least suspition of sinne: as it is thought.

The first axiome iustifieth a certaine obliuion or forget­fulnesse in Christ, when all the faculties of the soule were interrupted through the sense of Gods wrath: and wholly seazed with the intollerable paine thereof: this I dare not peremptorily say, euery way to be good and sound, neither doe I reprooue it: onely thus much, it may seeme to be a fault for a man to forget when the ought to remember; and to say that Christ had nowe a holy forgetfulnesse, when he should most of all remember, euen when he was to make the vp-shotte (that I may so speake) of our redemption, is not presently without further [Page 157]inquisition to be admitted.

In regard of the second of these axiomes it may be more probably answered, that Christ sustaining the wrath of God, and hauing the na­ture of a man in him, which desired releife frō so extreame torment (which is a naturall sinlesse worke) said to his Fa­ther, Let this cup passe, saue me from this houre, &c. and in the very selfe same moment of time that nature desireth, grace seasoneth and qualifi­eth nature, saying, Not my na­turall will, but thy will be fulfil­led: therefore came I into this houre. So here there is first a difference betwixt nature and grace; then a subordinating of nature to grace: also it may be a correcting of nature by grace, not as if nature were e­uil [Page 158]simply but a lesse good: for it is good tor the creature to preserue it selfe: it is better to obey gods wil by suffering according to his wil: especially considering the coincidence of nature & grace in the same time & praier: for nature ma­keth the request, grace addeth the conditions.

Nature saith thus:

Grace saith:

In regard of the third axi­om aforesaid, it is thus answe­red, that as Christ was ignorāt of the day of iudgmēt, so with­out errour it may seeme, we may say he was ignorāt of the [Page 159]time how long or how oft he shuld suffer the wrath of god: and so beeing vnder the hand of God, & not knowing what space of time god in his euer­lasting decree had set downe for enduring it, or how oft it should make incursion vpon him; he praied, Let it passe, &c. that is, let it depart from me, I hauing now sustained it; or let it not seaze vpon me againe, I hauing already suffered it; sure it is, that Christ did vndergoe gods wrath a competent time, and diuers times, as Ioh. 12. Once Gods wrath like light­ning did flash vpon his face; also Math. 26. The secōd time gods wrath most furiously as­saulted him, which wrought in him that strange agonie & sweat: lastly, hanging vpō the crosse, when he cried out, [Page 160] My God, my God; why hast thou forsaken me? & this third assault was the Cōplement of all his woes, for whereas be­fore in the Garden an angell comforted, and so God had not cleane forsaken him, now God vtterly withdrewe from him all comfort; and so there was nothing but wrath de­uouring him & praying vp­on him without all mercy and comfort: but exquesitely to determine howe oft, or how long at any time Gods wrath was vpon Christ, seeing the scripture hath not exprest it, is meere curiositie; and if a­ny man obiect that Christ prayed against Gods will ne­uerthelesse in praying thus; it is answered that he praied a­gainst Gods secret will it may be and that is no sinne; and [Page 125]his prayer had conditions, & so it was not against gods wil; It is no sinne for the sonne to pray for the life of his father, which shall shortly die, hee praying cōditionally. Where­fore to end all this discourse of Christs prayer; it is iusti­fiable as we see, in diuers re­spects by saying either he for­gatt through the interrupting of the soule; or that nature corrected with grace made this request; or that he prayed through ignorance, contrary to Gods secret will condition­ally.

These things beeing thus discoursed the meaning of these wordes in the psalme is very easie; as if the prophet should haue said more plain­ly and without allegory thus all the powers of darkenes▪ [Page 162]now rage against mee, (the dogge the lyon the vnicorne the sword) the Iewes, the de­uill (which is the ramping & roaring lyon:) thy wrath and the curse of the lawe: nowe father I doe not desire that I may not incounter with them but that I may not be ouer­come by them, saue me from the dominion of death & thy wrath (from the power of the dogge, frō the lyons mouth, from the hornes of the vni­cornes) lette the Iewes (the dogges) crucifie and kill mee, let the Deuill and his angels (the lyō the vnicornes) tempt and terrifie me: let thy wrath and the curse of the lawe (the sword) seeing it must needes torture me: but yet father saue me, & by me thy whole Church from perishing vn­der [Page 163]thy wrath: Yea fa­ther if I nowe haue sustai­ned thy wrath long enough and often enough (as that is hidden from me, as is the day of iudgement) release me from it: but if it must needes still rest vpon me, I am content to beare it still patiently, and that for the full and perfect redempti­on of thy Church.

From these wordes para­phrastically thus expounded may arise a doubt: V. 20. Deliuer my soule from the sword. why Gods wrath is called a sword, or howe that exposition is iustifiable: for satisfying wher­of we must cōsider the place, Zachar. 3.7. Arise o sword, and smite the sheapheard, which place is applyed by the Euan­gelist, Math. 26.31. to the death of Christ, also consider [Page 164]the phrase: the prophet pray­eth that his soule may be deliue­red from the sword: his soule doth not signifie his life, but his very soule indeede the fountaine of life: for Christ did not pray against death that he might not tast it: but that his soule might not be swallowed vp of death: there­fore this must needes be the meaning of the place: let not thy wrath ouerwhelme my soule: for we cannot say pro­perly let not death ouer­whelme my soule, but let not death ouerwhelme my bodie. The soule dieth not but the bodie onely.

Summarily then to end; this is not the meaning of the wordes: deliuer my life from death: Supra probutum.

Nor this; deliuer my soule [Page 165]from death, for the soule can­not die, it is immortall.

Nor this: deliuer my bodie frō the graue: for it is absurd and impertinent to this place.

Therefore this is the mea­ning: deliuer my soule from thy wrath (my soule from the sword) but the sword did smit the shepheard: ergo Gods wrath did torture his soule.

Desolate (soule.)The meaning of this Epi­thet (desolate) is exprest v. 1. for Christs soule was desolate, because God had nowe forsa­ken him, and neither himselfe, man or angell or any creature did comfort him but all had forsaken him.. v. 11.

My strengthAlthough Christ was deso­late of all comfort, yet he had strength and grace sufficient to beare whatsoeuer was inflicted vpon him by God [Page 166]as our suretie. And therefore neuerthelesse he intitleth god his strength, though he com­plaineth that God had forsa­ken him, and did not heare when he roared. vers. 1.

The promise of Thankefulnesse: and first of Christs Pro­phecie.

The Prophet hauing be­fore set down the sacrifice and intercession of Christ both in the torments which he sustai­ned partly in his soule direct­ly and properly from the de­uill, and from God himselfe, partly in his body frō the Iews that murthered him, as also in the vehement praier which he made, partly for himselfe, and partly for vs, seeing the fruite thereof wholly redoun­deth vnto vs: now he procee­deth to the prophecy & king­dome of Christ: and first the prophetical office of Christ is exprest in these foure verses. Vers. 22. I wil declare thy name vnto my brethren.

The principall worke of Christs prophecy is to declare [Page 168]Gods name, that is, his excel­lent attributes, and his whole wil vnto his brethrē the Iews, and so to the whole Church, for so this place is brought, Heb. 2.12. to prooue the hu­manitie of Christ: whence we consider that Christ is desig­ned by God the father for the onely Prophet, Doctour, and teacher of the Church, he is the great Bishop of our soules: God hath comman­ded vs to heare him: and he is the onely law-giuer that is able to saue and destroy: which is thus to be vnder­stood, that he alone hath re­uealed his fathers will to the Church by the ministerie of the prophets in the old Testa­ment, by his own, & the Apo­stles ministerie in the new te­stament, who spake as the H. [Page 169]ghost directed thē, for Christ Iesus hath in his brest hid all the treasures of wisdome and knowledge, who is therefore called the wisdome of God: and therefore we are not to adde to, or detract any thing from the writtē word of god, or to alter any whitte there­of, which whosoeuer presu­meth to doe, derogateth from the propheticall office of Christ: the scriptures indeede may be expounded, but they must not be altered, augmen­ted or diminished.

Hence also followeth it by due proportion: that the mi­nisters and Pastors of the Church, who stand vp in Christs stead (he being ascen­ded vp on high, and hauing giuen gifts vnto men) are to o­pen and publish Gods will [Page 170]sufficiētly reuealed by Christ in the Prophets and Apostles writings) to the people of God for their conuersion & saluation. Finally also by like analogie Christians must without feare or shame con­fesse and professe the truth of Gods word, not onely before the friends of the Church, & those specially ouer whome they haue charge, but also be­fore the enemies of the Church being called and vr­ged thereunto.

This is the principal work of Christs prophecie to teach the Church: nowe the effects thereof follow, which are the praise of God, & the conuer­sion of mens soules: which are subordinate each to o­ther: for by the conuersion of mens soules God is glo­rified.

The first effect of Christs propheticall office, V. 25. Let the seed of Iacob & Israel, feare, praise, and magnifie god. and so of the ministery of the prophets, Apostles, and Pastors of the church, is the conuersi­on of mens soules: other­wise called the gathering togither of the Saints, the edification of the bodie of Christ.

The second effect of the Prophecie of Christ, V. 22. In the middes of the congregation I will praise thee. & so of the ministerie, is the praise of God, for therefore must ministers preach & teach that God may be glorified in the conuersiō of mēs soules: thus Christ saith, I honour my fa­ther: and again, I haue glorifi­ed thee on the earth: Where the ministers, Pastors, and tea­chers of the Church are to learne in their functions to [Page 172]ayme at these endes, that they may saue soules which is a great point of wisdome, and gloryfie God which is the end of all things; where those past­ours are reproueable that seeke rather to wine their own praise by inkhorne lear­ning, by darkning and obscu­ring their preachings with the cloudes of phylosophy & the tongues, drawing as it were a vale before Christ crucyfied, and couering Moses face with a scarfe; that men should not with open face see the glory of God, then the prase of god, and the conuersion of mens soules, who are rather by this kind of preaching still kept in the dungeon of ignorance and palpable darkenes that the day starre Iesus Christ cannot arise in their hartes; [Page 173]so that this kind of preach­ing is rather to put out, then to open the eies of the blind.

Hitherto the prohet hath declared the propheticall of­fice of Christ in reuealing Gods will to the Church with the two effectes thereof, the conuersion of mens soules and the glory of God (for the hardening of the wicked is no proper effect;) now the pro­phet rendereth a reason of Christs propheticall office, wherefore he will reueale his fathers will to his Church; or wherefore the Church ought to praise God beeing conuerted because that when Iesus Christ beeing poore and in great humiliatiō sustai­ning the wrath of God for the redemption of the Church [Page 174]called vnto his father, hee heard: V. 24. He hath not despised the affliction of the poore: but heard his prayer. and did not abhorre or despise his affliction, but with a pitifull eie regarded him and at length when hee had satisfyed gods iustice de­liuered him.

Hence then we may learne two instructions.

First that the propheticall office of Christ is a fruit of his preisthood, of his re­demption, sacrifice and in­tercession: for if Christ had not died for vs, he had neuer reuealed his fathers will vn­to vs: according as the a­poste (Eph. 4.) doth reason Christ ascended vp on high and led captiuitie captiue, and gaue gifts vnto men: but before hee ascended hee discended and suffered death [Page 175]for vs.

Secondly hence wee must learne euerlastingly to▪ mag­nifie the worke of our re­demption which is the foun­taine of all our good: for without it we had still remai­ned in blindnes & ignorance without the knowledge of Gods word, and so we had groped in the palpable darke­nes of Aegipt: for the prophe­ticall office of Christ princi­pally reuealeth vnto vs the re­demption of Christ which is the principall worke of his preisthood, so that Christs sacrifice is the halfe of the mat­ter of his prophecy the doct­rine of the lawe also through Christ prophecy is restored vnto vs sound and perfect which through the transgres­sion [Page 176]of Adam was wonder­fully defaced, and the condi­tion of the lawe is qualified also by the conditions of the gospell, that the Lord doth not nowe require perfect obedience in quantity, but in quality: and so through the redemption of Christ. The Gospell is wholly reuealed, a matter altogether vnknowne to man by nature, and the law is restored, and qualified and made possible to the penitent and beleeuers.

He heard whē he called.Here a question may bee made how God heard Christ when he praied: seeing in the first and second verses it is said that god heard not: that doubt is answered before in the cō ­plaint: & therefore it is neede­lesse here to repeate it a­gaine.

In this 25. verse there are two phrases to be obserued: Vers. 25. My praise shal be of thee in the great con­gregation. first what should be meant by the great congregation: it seemeth that the Prophet hath reference to that which should bee practised by Christ in his propheticall office: we reade in the booke of the Lawe, Deuteronom. 16. that all the males were commaunded to come vp to Ierusalem thrice in the yeare, nowe that was no doubt a great congregation when all the males came thither to worshippe: nowe there is an expresse place in the E­uangelist, Iohn, 7.37. that Christ preached and prophe­sied in the last and great day of the feast of Tabernacles, which was one of those three great assemblies: and [Page 178]so that place of Iohn and this of the prophet are paral­lell in sence: A second phrase doubtfull is: what is meant by Christes vowes? My vowes will I performe. In the old testament vowes were of such matters and of such a condition as that before they were made, they were in a mans power, but after they were vowed they became ne­cessary, Eccles. 5.3.4. Act. 5.4 probably therefore it may be said that Christs vowes were that voluntary submission of Christ to become our medi­ator, our prophet and king and priest, which was most free & willing and vncompel­led in him. Ioh. 10.18.

Of Christs kingdome: or kingly office: and his subiects.

In the kingdome of Christ [Page 180]the subiects are first to be cō ­sidered who are first described by two properties: which are indeed Properties euery way, wherein the wicked haue no part nor portion at all: which are these following.

1 Humiliation 2 faith 3 peace of conscience 4 desire of increase of grace 5 Glori­fying God 6 life euerlasting: of each of them something.

Humiliation or contrition or sorrowe for sinnes is the first grace that appeareth sen­sibly in the soule of a Godly man, this is the sacrifice that is well pleasing in gods sight; v. 26 The poore. & the Lord hath promised to dwell with the man that hath a broken and contrite heart; and blessednes is promised by Christ to them that are poore in spirit; and Christ [Page 181]inuiteth all those that are wery and laden with their sinnes to come to him for refreshing; and he came to call such sin­ners to repentance, whose hearts melt at the consideratiō of their sinnes whereby they offend a God that is most mercifull and iust.

Faith is the second grace which followeth humiliaton, the property whereof is to eate Iesus Christ, Shall eate. to appre­hend and apply the sacrifice of Christ particularly to it selfe: for faith is not a vast & indistinct apprehension of Christ, or a confused and in­definite conceipt of Gods mercy to the world: but a distinct appropriating & ap­plying of gods mercie and Christs merit to my self, kno­wing in some measure, & bee­ing assured that Christ hath [Page 182]nayled, crucified, and buried my sinnes to his crosse, and in his graue, and to doe this is al the difficultie.

And be satis­fied.Third property is ioy and peace and quietnes or consci­ence, when a man is assured of the pardon of his sinnes through faith, a man know­eth that God loueth him, and doth accept of his person, and watcheth ouer him to doe him good, hee knoweth that he is freed from death, and damnation through the redemption of Christ, that life euerlasting, appertaineth to him, vnder hope whereof he reioyceth yea in the midst of affliction, though somtime this peace bee disturbed tho­rough some sins wherin to the children of God fall through temptation: this is termed here [Page 183] satisfying, not for that a man that hath it, neuer desireth grace more: but because no­thing in the world can satisfie him til he haue comfort in the assurāce of his sins pardoned, when a man is once through­ly humbled; or because a man neuer is barren and drie, and cleane void of grace and com­fort after, that once hath it.

Fourth propertie is desire of increase of grace, Seeke after the Lord. which is obtained by seeking the Lord where and howe he is to be found, that is, in the word and the meanes of grace: for he that wanteth grace can neuer desire it, onely he that hath it, and hath felt the sweetnes of it longeth for it still, like vnto the man that finding the trea­sure hid in the field, and the pearle, neuer resteth till he get [Page 184]both: by this also a man may knowe the trueth of grace in his soule: for he that neuer re­gardeth the word, neuer attē ­deth vpon instruction, nor watcheth to praier, that man wanteth grace: for the heauēly couetousnesse and dropsie of grace is insatiable: and there­fore the Church is sicke of loue vnto the Lord Iesus Christ in the Canticles.

A fifth propertie is the lea­ding of a godly life according to gods commaundements, Shall praise him. with a constant profession & confession of the trueth to the praise of God, that others may see our good works, and glo­rifie God also. Also a thanke­full heart whereby a man in himselfe blesseth God for all his goodnes, saying with the Prophet, All that is within me [Page 185]praise his holy name.

Euerlasting life is the last propertie, Your [...] shall liue for euer which is the re­ward of all the former: and which is the complement of our happinesse and felicitie.

After the description of the subiects of Christs king­dome by their properties fol­low the seuerall sorts of them: Gentiles as wel as Iews, poore as well as rich: malefactors condemned to die, as well as guiltlesse persons; the childrē as well as the parents. Yea and the kingdome of Christ consisteth of all other sortes of persons that may be re­hearsed: as bond and free, mā & woman, master and seruāt, &c. Generally hence may be noted two instructions.

First, wherefore the church is called Catholike; because it [Page 186]cōsisteth of al sorts of persons, it is in al places: it is at al times. v. 27.29.30, 31.

V. 29. All that be fatt all that goe downe into the pitt.Secondly that grace is vni­uersall no sort or estate of men excluded form Christs kingdom: ethe poore haue in­trest to grace and Christ as­well as the rich, the gentill as­well as the Iewe, women as­well as men: yet wee must knowe that the note of vni­versality must not be stretcht to euery particular man, but to euery estate and condition of man. For it is more then grosse absurdity to say that all and euery particular rich mā, and poore man shall bee a member of Christ, shall eate and worship, that is beleeue and serue God: wherefore this doctrine serueth to admo­nish first the welthie and fatt [Page 187]men of the earth not to con­temne and despise the poore, and the leane & needie soule: and the poore not to enuie the rich, and malice the weal­thie: but both to serue togither in their places, and to preserue the communion of saints mu­tually, remembering the Apo­stles rule, Iam. 1.9.10. that the poore is exalted, and the rich is made lowe in Iesus Christ: that though the rich be the poore mans masters, yet he is Christs seruant: and though the poore man be the rich mans slaue, yet he is the sonne of God, and fellow heire with him, and with Christ of the kingdome of grace and glo­ry. Besides these generall in­structions, certaine particular obseruations also are here to be noted which followe.

The Prophet saith, Vers 27. The ends of the world. The kindreds of the nations. that the Gentiles shal become subiects to Christs kingdome: which prophecie we see verified a­mongest vs at this day, where­vpon we are to be stirred vp to glorifie the mercie & truth of God, who hath cast off his owne people, and receiued vs, that were wilde branches of the wilde oliue, that were strangers and aliants from the common wealth of Israel: without God in the world: which must also teach vs not to be hie minded, but to feare, and looke to our selues that we stand fast.

Againe, the conuersion of the Gentiles is here noted out vnto vs in the 3. parts there­of.

1 They shall remember themselues, Shall remem­ber. that is, their sin­full [Page 189]and accursed estate: they shall take notice of it by the powerfull preaching of the Gospell: humiliation.

Turne to the Lord.2 They shall turne to the lord: forsaking their false way of Idolatry and other sinnes and turning their feet into the truth, & walking in obedience of Gods lawes: obedience.

3 They shall worship be­fore God, Worship be­fore thee. by partaking al the meanes of saluation, as the word, prayer, sacraments. &c. publikely and priuately as good christians: adoration.

Va [...]. Kingdome i [...] the Lords.Nowe because this may seeme a very staunge thing to the Iewes that the gentiles should be admitted into the fellowship of the Church, the partition wall beeing broken downe & one people beeing made of two: the prophet ren­dreth [Page 190]a reason hereof, desig­ning out the principall wor­ker of this conuersion of the gentiles and the meanes? the workman is the Lord: who is able to raise vp children vnto Abraham euen of the stones: who is able to put life into the dead bones in the Church­yard: and the meanes where­by God will effect and bring to passe this great worke is his rule and dominion which hee exerciseth among the nations, He ruleth a­mong the nati­on. by his word and spirit which breatheth where it listeth: whence that doctrine may be noted that was handled be­fore. v. 3. that conuersion is Gods worke.

Furthermore not only we that now liue, Vers 10. Their seed shal serue him, &c. but euē our seed & posterty that shal succeed vs in time to come shall serue [Page 191]the Lord: for the Couenant of grace stretcheth not onely to vs, but to our seede also: e­uen to the thousand generati­on on of them that loue God, doth the Lord promise mer­cie: and the promise is made to vs, and our children, and to all that are afarre off, euen to as many as the Lord our God shal cal: which giueth vs hope for our children as well as for our selues, yea for our infants that die before yeares.

Yea and here is one thing more, They shall be counted to him for euer. wherein it seemeth we haue a priuiledge beyonde the Iewes, that the Church of God shall abide among the Gentiles to the worlds ende: not as though no particular Church shall be cast off, for we see that otherwise, but that the Church shall not vtterly [Page 192]faile among the gentiles for ouer, as it did among the Iews; for although the church of E­phesus; Colossa; Gallatia &c. fayled, yet from the time of calling the gētiles hitherto there hath bin some church of the gentiles. And although the Iewes were cut of and we grafted in; yet wee shall not be cut of and they grafted in, but we shal remaine, and they shall be grafted to vs and both of vs stand and growe vp to­gether: and as they were a meanes to bring vs into the Church, so we againe shall be a meanes to bring them vnto the fellowship of the gospell (as it were a recompence vnto them.

Ver. 31 They shall declare his righteous­nesse.Againe the church of the gentiles beeing gathered shall performe one principall office [Page 193]which is, beeing come home into the bosome of Christ, by effectuall vocation and true faith, shal declare the righte­ousnes of Christ God-man, that righteousnesse which he hath wrought for vs, in suffe­ring and obeying the lawe: manfully auouching it against the Turkes and Papists that denie imputatiue righteous­nesse, and mocke at a crucified Christ: which must cheere vs vp in this spirituall conflict a­gainst that man of sinne, that we faile not in defence of Gods righteousnesse.

If any man list to vnder­stand by righteousnesse that which God exercised in the whole worke of our redemp­tion, shewing himselfe most righteous therein, he may for me.

He hath wrought it for a people to be borne.The foresaid worke of the church of the Gentiles in a­uouching Christs righteous­nesse must be performed euē to a people that is not yet borne by spirituall regenera­tion; to a people vnbaptized: for we are to labour by all possible means to bring home the Iewes and the Turkes, and all other barbarous nations where we traffique, to the knowledge and loue of the trueth: that they may partake in this righteousnesse which Christ hath wrought for as many of them as appertaine to his election.

If any man thinke better to expoūd a people to be borne, such as are not borne by na­turall generation, we may ob­serue, that it is our dutie to teach our children and poste­rity [Page 195]especially the article of iustification by faith onely, least the subtill and crafty Ie­suites the supporters and pil­lers of popery wrest it from vs, who labor to perswade the meritt of good workes and so to shoulder the Lord Iesus Christ his righteousnes out of dores.

Thus the kingdome of Christ also is described.