I will praise the Lorde with all my hart, &c. I haue chosen to interprete and speake of this CXI. Psal. for the ex­cellencie and perfitnes of the same for although it be but litle & short yet the holy Prophet com­prehendeth in it the summe of many Psal­mes. And as when he gaue his minde to the preparing of those thinges which shoulde serue to the building of the materiall tem­ple, he disposed in his mind vnto what vse this and that iewell or waight of gold and siluer and a number of other things should be applied: So I doubt not but in these Psalmes which this noble and worthy Pro­phet [Page 2] left for the ornaments of the Church of God which is his spirituall temple, he had great consideration whereunto eche Psalme should serue. So the wise and godly king appointed some to declare the vse of the Sabbath: others, to remember the be­nefits of their deliuerance: some to cele­brate the prouidence of God in all thinges: and so many other Psalmes he wrote which he consecrated as tables to the honour of God and prayse of his mercie for his deli­uerance out of his daungers, and as glasses for the children of God to see their estate in. This Psalme comprehendeth not one or two pointes, but is left vs as a most beau­tifull and precious diamond, wherein we might see almost all thinges. For first, he celebrateth the goodnes of God which ap­peareth in the whole world: then particu­lerly the benefits bestowed on his Church: Lastly, the dutie of the children of God for these benefits, with an exhortacion to the feare of God: so that this Psalme is to vs, as many Psalmes. And for this cause it see­meth that he hath laboured to penne and write it artificially. for it is made according to the Hebrewe letters euery halfe verse, as they are in order beginning with a letter vnto the two last verses, where he putteth [Page 3] three in a verse. Which art and diligence which the spirit of God in him hath vsed exhorteth vs to giue diligent heede & care to marke and vnderstand this Psalme. For if it become all flesh to stand and giue care when God speaketh, surely it becommeth vs to giue an excellent attentiuenes to the Lorde when he vseth a singular maner of writing or speaking, and to adde to our ac­customed diligence, an artificial diligence, where the Lorde speaketh by art, and, as it were, to set our cares, where he setteth his words. This for vs that are hearers. Fur­ther we are here to learne when God shall call vs to the ministerie of his worde in his Church, that we ought not to come negli­gently, to speake of the workes and mercies of God: lest by our foolishnes and negli­gence the doctrine of God come into con­tempt. But to stirre vp our mindes and sen­ses and all the powers of our witts how we may in most excellent, and frutefull kind of preaching speake and vtter it. Therefore it behoueth vs now in the daies of our youth while the Lord of his mercy giueth vs time & oportunitie, that we omit not those good healpes which are fit for our furtherance & profit in these studies, neither idly & negli­gently to let the daies & months & yeares [Page 4] passe ouer vs without consideration of ou [...] profiting from time to time: lest we become but slubberers & vnfit instruments for the Lords glory and praise by our owne naugh­ty slothfulnes and idlenes.

This is the inscription or title of this Psalme: where before he beginneth this song he calleth other into the fellowship of the same exercise with him. Wherein we se what a notable zeale the Prophet of God had, to the setting forthe of the Lordes glorye, who is not content him selfe one­ly to prayse God alone, but stirreth vppe other also thereunto. Doe we thinke that such examples are left in the Scriptures that we shoulde ouerlooke them, and not thinke that they are written for our exam­ple? Nay doubt we not, but the Lorde hath set such lights before vs, that we should take light of them, that we may also giue light to others, that by our wordes and exam­ples, we shoulde also stirre vppe and in­flame others to the prayse of God with vs. For if we haue not that affection of calling others, surely we deceiue our selues if we thinke we loue the Lorde. There­fore not in this Prophet onely we see such [Page 5] excellent and so many exhortations to o­thers to prayse the Lorde with him, but also in many places of the Prophets, and namely in the seconde of Esay, Esay. 2.3. where he prophesying of the kingdome of Christ, bringeth in the people stirring one an o­ther, and saying: Come and let vs goe vppe to the Mountayne of the Lorde, to the house of the God of Iacob, and he shall teache vs his vvaye [...], and we will walke in his pathes. Heb. 10.29 So thApostle to the Hebrewes sheweth that it becommeth the children of God to stirre vppe one an other to the feare of God, wherevnto he applyeth that sen­tence, Comfort one an other, and streng­then the weake knees (which is spoken of in the Prophet Esaye) to all the fayth­full. Heb. 12.12. Esay 35.3. So that we may not rest in our selues, if we be in companye, and heare and see the Lordes name abused, or our brethren and companions abuse them selues in a­nye sorte, but that in a Christian and god­ly manner we ought to admonishe them, if not openly, yet at the leaste secretely: and not to be glad onely if we see their deformitie, considering that it is well with vs in comparison, but (if we haue the spi­rite of God) we are bounde to seeke their amendement also. But what doe I speake [Page 6] of admonishing others? Ala [...] [...]yther we are mockers, and vnpacient of all admonition, or els we are not fit to speake to others, be­ing our selues so farre behinde. Therefore we see heere what we ought to labour to at­tayne vnto, euen to be filled with zeale and godlinesse, with knowledge and wisdome, that as the sea is full of waters, so we mayn be full and plentifull in all goodnes, so that we may water others with our fulnes. And thus much the title of the Psalme teacheth vs, for although it was then (when the Psalme was made) spoken to the singers, yet now it is spoken to vs and all that since that time haue bene before vs, or shall come af­ter vs.

I will praise the Lorde with my whole harte. Here followeth nowe that noble and ex­cellent protestation and profession of the praise of God which Dauid doth promise for the manifold mercies of God. And al­though (as I haue partly shewed) the thing which he speaketh of are in deede wonder­full and excellent, and worthy to be pray­sed, yet Dauid had no more cause to praise God for them, then any of vs. For he remē ­breth no priuate benefite to him selfe, but euen those which he hath common either with all the world, or els with all the house [Page 7] of Israel. It is therefore no lesse required of vs to whom these benefits doe equally be­long, or vnto whom the Lord hath shewed much more exceeding mercye then vpon Dauid and the house of Israell, that we pro­mise the same vowe and pay it to the Lord. For Dauid desired to see the dayes that we see, yet God otherwise dispensed according to his wisedome that we shoulde see them, who yet do not esteeme them. But if Dauid had liued in these times wherein the king­dome of Iesus Christ is so manifest, he woulde no doubt haue so farre passed that zeale and knowledge that he had then, as we woulde haue bene worse if we had bene in those darker dayes. Therefore let vs knowe that we all ought to make this pro­testation of the prayse of God euen as the benefites of God require of vs, and be no lesse earnest to sing this thankes giuing vn­to him, than Dauid was: and seeing the be­nefites be common, to ioyne with him praysing God for them. Further we may learne here, what lyeth vppon it if we take vppon vs to call other to the prayse of God, it is that we our selues first giue example euen as Dauid, who as he called others, so he leadeth first and sheweth the way to them. For if we call others and [Page 8] are deafe our selues, if we bid other goe, and we si [...] still, if we pipe and singe to our neighbours, and we be not our selues therewith delighted, what doe woe but mocke God and condemne our selues. Therefore in the 12. Esay 12.4. of Esaye, the faythe­full doe not onely exhorte other, but they beginne the songe of prayse and thankes giuing them selues: I will prayse the Lorde with my whole harte, &c. Here the Pro­phet teachethe vs a notable doctrine, if we ascribe not to nature as the prophane Philosophers, or to starres as vayne men, or to fortune, as the blinde and couetous, or to any other thinge then to the Lorde alone, this excellent order which we see in all the worlde, or that redemption and these benefites which were bestowed vp­pon Israell at his departinge out of E­gypt, but that in bothe we acknowledge onely the wisedome and mercye of our God, whose hande and power brought all these thinges to passe. Yea let other prayse their Idolls which they fayne vnto them selues with the dishonour of God, we will O Lorde acknowledge thee, and make mention onely of thy wisedome and lo­uing kindnes and truth that hath wrought this goodly order in all the worlde, suche [Page 9] mercies and benefites for thy Churche, and suche iudgementes againste the wic­ked, and them that knowe not thy name. I will prayse the Lorde with my whole harte. Here the Prophet declareth what kinde of thankes giuing and songe this shall be that he purposeth to singe vnto the Lorde, not an outwarde and hipocriticall prayse, not in wordes onely to come neare vnto him, not onely in tongue and mouthe: but an hartie, an earnest, a true songe, a songe and Psalme wherein all the partes and powers of his minde and vnderstandinge shall bee ioyned together in as muche as a man is able. For he meaneth not that thi [...] songe of prayse shall aunswer to the exactnes of the Lawe, wherein we are commaunded with all our harte and soule to serue the Lorde: But the whole harte in this place is opposed to a dissembling and hipocriticall harte, and as he spea­keth in an other place, to a harte, and a harte that is a double harte. Psal. 12. [...]. So that here is no holde for anye to take, that man is able to fulfill the Lawe, if we admitte the Holye Ghoste Interpreter of him selfe. But alas, what should I dispute that man is not able to fulfill that commaundement of the full loue of God which is required, wh [...] [Page 10] is he that dare dispute for it? I aske no other witnesse agaynst himselfe then his owne conscience, if he vouchsafe to looke into it. Shall he not there see a sea of wicked thoughtes? a world of vayne deuises? a hell of blasphemies, and foule imaginations? shall he not see a slaue and seruaunt of the body, or rather an infinite number euen so many bonde men to sinne, and ministers to Satan, as he hath partes and members? O the depth, length, and breadth of that wickednesse that remayneth and dwelleth in vs! Well the Prophet teacheth vs that knowe our selues, that we come not before the Lorde, before whose eyes all our hartes are open and manifest with a face only and shew of godlines, but that together with our tongue, our spirite and soule be ioyned, and so to come to sing or pray vnto the Lorde. For if we come before the Lorde eyther hi­pocritically or negligently, let vs be assured that he whose honor we staine by our bold­nesse and impudencie, will require it of vs to the vttermost. It followeth: In the con­gregation and assembly of the iust, that is o­penly and in the face of the Church. For that inwarde and darke godlinesse that yet men loue so muche, that they will prayse God in their chambers, in their studies, in [Page 11] their hartes, that can not suffice. Naye, that is no godlinesse whiche in tyme and place will not openly shewe it selfe to the prayse and glory of God. But yet this pro­fession and declaration of our seruice, that is required of vs, is not so muche for the Lordes cause, as for our owne certayntie touching our election, and for the furthe­raunce of the children of God to the lyke by our example. And if we consider who this is, and what a man he was that spea­keth this, we will easilye graunte that I woulde proue. For who was more diligent, earnest, and often in priuate prayers then Dauid? Psal. 119.62. Psal. 42.6. Psal. 6.6. Howe many nightes are witnesses of his godlynesse? in the wildernesse, in the mountaynes, and caues of the earth, in his priuie chamber, and in his bedde, howe was he accustomed to powre out his spirite before the Lorde? Yet we se [...] this godly and great Prophet exempteth not him selfe from publike and common as­semblies, where the children of God were according to the appoyntmente of God gathered to prayse him, and confesse vnto him their sinnes, and to heare his worde, with other exercises for the en­crease of hys fayth and godlynesse. But what do I saye that he did not exempt him [Page 12] selfe, whiche thought it the greatest be­nefite vnder heauen to haue a parte and portion in the Churche and communion of Sainctes. Therefore in banishment he so be wayleth and lamenteth his state be­ing as it were by tyrannie excommunica­ted from that Paradise, Psal 42. &. 84. & from that earth­ly heauen, I meane the temple, when were manyfest signes of the presence of God. Not that Dauid knewe not but that he moued, and liued, and had his beeing in God, or that the Lorde would not heare his prayers out of the temple, but for the same causes that euery one of vs ought to be so affected to the common places of prayer and hearing the worde, and recey­uing the Sacramentes, was this earnest de­sire in Dauids heart, because there the Lorde had appoynted to be worshipped, there the sacrifices to be offred, there the ministerie of the Priestes, there was the fellowship of Gods children, there was a Sacrament of the presence of God, which all more fully, and clearely, and liuely now in euery faythfull congregation gathered according to the worde of God, do appeare to vs then they did in the temple. And yet who accompteth it as the least parte of his crosse, when he is sicke or otherwise hin­dered [Page 13] from the seruice of God? who consi­dereth the happinesse of their feete that treade in the temple of God? Who wisheth for his appearance before the Lorde, as the Hart brayeth for the riuers of water, in the congregation? O the wonderfull contempt of the benefites of God, and the singuler patience of the Lorde. Exod. 5.3. Moyses when the people were kepte with Pharaos hande as with a chayne in Egypt, asketh their deli­ueraunce of the king that they might serue the Lorde in the wildernesse at the day ap­poynted, least the Lorde should slea them. And who is he that this daye feareth the hande of the Lorde, if he omitte the ser­uice of God? I say not holden from it by Pharaoh, but tyed with his owne linkes and chaynes which he hath made vnto him­selfe eyther busines or ydlenes▪ But a day wil come when these deriders and contem­ners of his worde, and the felowship of his children, shall account it most extreme my­serie to be secluded from them, whom yet heere they contemned. This doctrine is as playne as iustificatiō by fayth, or no merits of works, and yet how few authors & appro­uers hath it? But herein appeareth our reli­gion, that it is in imagination, not in fayth: or opinion, not in iudgement in the braynd, [Page 14] not in the heart, in worde not in deede and effect. It followeth, In the assembly of the iust. This is a title whiche Dauid giueth to the Church of God, therby declaring who they are that haue in deede a place in the tem­ple. For although all come both good and badde, both the swearer and he that feareth God, both the adulterer and he that made a couenaunt with his eyes, both the vayne and idle person, & they that walke in their vocation diligently: yet Dauid did see in the worde of God who were right witnes­ses of the prayse of God, and therefore as with a rodde he standeth and seuereth the wicked from this company. Psal. 15.1. So in the xv. Psalme he asketh of God seeing all go thi­ther, who they be that shall dwell and abide for euer in his tabernacle? that haue their names as it were written in heauen, and be­long vnto that companie? and he aunswe­reth himselfe, that suche as are pure and cleane in their workes, he that is no ex­tortioner, no vserer, he that feareth God and loueth and maketh muche of them that feare the Lorde. Psal. 24.6. And in the xxiiij. Psalme, This is that generation of Iacob of them that seeke thy face. The rest are bastardes, and not the true generation of Iacob. And in the 50. Psalme the Lorde [Page 15] doth as it were muster his true children from amongst all Israell, and seuereth the wicked, and forbiddeth them to sacrifice or to do any thing whereby they professed that they serued God, Psal. 50.16.17. seeing they hated to be refourmed, and were fellowes and companions of the wicked. All which pla­ces teache vs how we ought to labour day­ly by prayer and those meanes that God hath lefte to profite vs, that we maye be counted before God of the number of his true children, he meaneth not that those onely whiche are without sinne are of the Churche of God, but as it is taken in the Scripture in other places, for suche as to their power serue God. Iob. 1.1. Luk. 1.6. Gen. 7.1. So Iob is called a iuste man, one that feared God: Eliza­beth and Zachary are called iust, and Noah a iuste man: whiche all yet, had their great and many sinnes: but those he cal­leth heere iuste who propounded to them selues the feare of God to lyue after it: who walked before God in the wayes of righteousnesse and holynesse, althoughe they sometime fell: so that vnlesse we haue this before our eyes to lyue according to the worde of God, to come to the tem­ple or congregation to profite, to putte off [Page 16] dayly some peece of our olde man, [...] to bee enriched and decked with Iesus Christe in Wisedome, Iustice, Redempti­on, Sanctification more and more, by our comming to the Churche we pollute the congregation and infect the verye place, and make it a witnesse against vs in the day of iudgemente, and we despise the holy company of Angelles, who are together present with the children of God witnes­sers of all their behauiour, and we moche and prouoke the Lorde agaynst vs. It were better neuer to see the Church, ne­uer to sette foote within the doores, then thus proudly & presumptuously to breake into the temple of God with so great disho­nour to his name. For what do we make of God, or how do we accompt of him other­wise then of an Idoll, who neyther seeth, heareth, nor knoweth vs, when thus im­pudently we dare take place among the Sainctes of God? Therefore lette euery one that is wicked and purposed to re­mayne in his wickednesse, heare what I saye vnto him in the message of the Lord▪ These gates are the gates of righteous­nesse, Ps. 118.19 as sayth the Prophet, the righteousse shall enter into thē: this house is the house [Page 17] of mine honor, the contemners and de­spisers of God haue no inche of roome therein: This companie is the Church of Gods Sainctes and children, there are no dogges or swine in this number. Knowe therefore that the verie steppes of the Church dore are holie grounde and there­fore not to be prophaned: knowe that there standeth at the dore the Angell of the Lorde with a sword in his hand to hin­der thy entraunce into this earthly para­dise, who will surely smite thee at the last, Gen. 3.24. for all this dispite against the Lord. Iob. 4.24. As for vs that by Gods grace are not giltie of this contempt, let vs still feare God and wor­shippe him in spirit and truth: let vs be di­ligent, sincere, earnest, true and faithfull in our duties to God, who will in the day ap­poynted set vs with his Angells for euer to praise him, Luc. 20.36. Apo. 21.27. and will cast out the polluted and vncleane out of his Church. He will put their names out of the booke of life where they seeme to haue bene wrytten, Gal. 4.30. Mat. 25.33 he will cast out with Ismaell all mockers and geue them their portion with the goates. This great God & righteous iudge saue vs & keepe vs from the temptations of Sathan that we may euer sticke vnto him in truth & faith. Amen.

This is the first verse of the Psalme of praise which Dauid singeth to the Lorde. For the former verse which I haue spoken of is but a preface, and a preparing vnto the Psalme, whereby he stirreth vp him selfe & other to singe, and heare this songe. In the beginning therefore of the Psalme let vs examine and search the whole purpose and parts of it, that thend being vnderstood we may see what causes, reasons & arguments are the grounds therof: which be the parts & the strings vpon which he playeth & sin­geth this song that if they be common to vs with him, if they be now as mouing as euer they were, we ioyne our selues also vnto this fellowship with him. First therefore he beginneth at the generall and common workes which are in the whole worlde to praise God. After these two verses he be­ginneth the remembraunce of their deli­uerance with those benefits which togither the Lorde shewed them, as the spoyle of E­gypt, the possession of the land of Canaan & the benefits of the knowledge of God by his worde, and in these pointes consisteth this Psalme. We see therefore as I haue shewed already that here is no mention of [Page 19] any speciall and particuler benefits bestow­ed onely vppon the Prophet, but that the causes pertaine as wel to the whole church of God as to him: whereuppon it followeth that we vnderstanding this songe and see­ing all the partes and vaynes of it, we giue our selues to no lesse hartye and earnest praise of God then Dauid hath shewed vs example, but that we cast ou [...] eyes a [...] he doth here on euery side to obtaine some furtheraunce and helpe to stirre vs vppe to praise the Lorde, let vs then followe the Prophet, as it were steppe by steppe and schole by schole, that we may attaine to the like zeale. Great are the workes, &c. Here we see the first schole, the first maisters & do­ctors that Dauid had euē the works of God in the whole worlde. Whereby we see what schole the spirit of God trained him vp in, to learne to knowe the Lorde: a schole in deede most fit to learne the knowledge of God in, if we haue the eyes that Dauid had, and the diligence which from tyme to time the children of God haue bestowed therein. Rom. 1.19. Therefore it is that [...] Apostle in the first to the Romaines sayth that which was to be knowen of God that is his eter­nall power and Godhead may be knowen by them. For which cause he condemneth [Page 20] all the wise men of the world euen by these witnesses of the glory of God: who though they knew, yet learned not by them to wor­ship God as became them, that is in spirites But they chaunged the glory of the euerla­sting and holy God into the similitude of mortall and vncleane beastes. Therefore in the first Epistle to the Corinth. the Apostle calleth it wisedome, 1. Cor. 1.21. which God set before the worlde when they were without the word and had onely his workes for bookes to read vpon. Act. 14.17. Therefore last of all the Apo­stle calleth these workes of God the rayne and seasonable weather, and ioy of harte, witnesses of God. We see then that that is in deede a schoole of wisedome by the do­ctrine of the Scriptures which also may ap­peare vnto vs by the effectes of that excel­lent and high knowledge which the Philo­sophers attained euen by them onely. How many of them knewe the prouidence of God? Howe many the immortalitie of the soule? the creation of the world, and many other truthes, without the written worde of God? But as th Apostle sayth they attained not to that poynt to worshippe him aright by these things, but they mingled their de­uises and imaginations together with the truth and their foolish harts were darkened Rom. 1.21. [Page 21] that attained not to any profitable know­ledge, further then to make their condem­nation iust. But they might haue learned by them the feare and worship of God as Iere­my also witnesseth accusing the Iewes that euen by the blessinges of God they did not learne to feare him who so mercifully bles­sed them. Ier. 5.24. They might well haue learned, Act. 17.28. seeing that we moue and liue and haue our being in God, as certaine of their owne Poets taught them, that Gods power is in­finite & euerlasting, that there is one God aboue all things to whom onely honor and worshippe is due. They that require further to see what the Heathen haue learned e­uen by reason I referre them to Iustine Martyr [...] where he setteth forth largely all that they vnderstoode by the workes of God. If then the workes of God so clearely and manifestly haue shewed vn­to men onely wise and cunning in thinges not pertayninge vnto saluation, so muche of the knowledge of God, it is a shame that we hauinge not onely the workes of those men but also our owne experience and the worde of God which teacheth vs further of these workes that men of them selues vse to seeke, if we become not ve­rie excellentlie and perfectlie learned in [Page] those things which the workes of the Lord do teach vs. For we may not thinke that the heauēs were made to gape on, or the earth for to tread vpon, the creatures of God for vs, and we for our selues, but we must euen, out of all them learne much wisedom con­cerning the knowledge of God, and most out of our selues. But we haue not that mind to profit that other of the children of God haue shewed, and are le [...]t for our ex­ample. Why are we not all Salomōs that be in Camb. that haue such helpes & meanes left and lent vnto vs of God for our furthe­raunce in the knowledge of the things that God hath made? Nay we are as the most rude and ignoraunt men and yet seeke not for better. If we looke to the heauens, it is a sealed booke vnto vs, we know nothing of those quarters, we can not heare that ex­cellent sound and noyce and same of God that they sound to his praise. If we looke vn­to the earth, vpon the fruts, herbs, & trees, we can not read, we knowe no more then is good for the pot & for our bellies, & grea­ter knowledge we neither folow nor desire. I am perswaded that if that care had bene in men that might and ought to haue bene, neuer a one of vs whē we were first bache­lers had bene so rude and ignorant in these [Page] most noble arts (which many yet know not almost by name) as we are nowe euen after some yeares that we haue taken the profes­sion of them vpon vs, we may take heede by the ignorance & negligence of the daies that are past, & if we haue not such amongst vs as can teach them, let vs by rewards and liberall stipends prouoke some to the study of them who may be after lightes to other therein. Sure the least pece of learning cō ­sisteth in vnderstanding quiddities, and I thinke meanes might be foūd to haue euery scholler in this house within foure yeares if men had humble mindes that they woulde harken to other (although then inferiours) not onely well learned in the three noble tongues, but also in the seuen liberall artes & sciences. This is peraduenture vnsauery to some, and seemeth to haue small edifica­tion, but to him that iudgeth a right, he shall finde that in Colledges and in Trinity Colledge it should seeme hye time for men to lay their handes to it, if we looke either for godlines or learning to florishe in it. For howe shall we see into the workes of God without eyes? howe shall we heare without eares? and howe shall we vnderstand what they meane if they still lye hidden from vs? They are all great, excellent, & notable, but [Page] as Dauid sayth sought out and searched and inquired into. And if we stand to consider them from Behemoth of whom we read in Iob to the Oistrich: Iob. 40.10. 1. Reg. 4.33 from the Egle to the flie, from the Cedar of Libanus to the Isope that groweth vpon the hill, from the starres of heauen to the dust of the earth, & from the Angells of God to the wormes that creepe vpon the groūd. These are the boūds of our knowledge in the workes of God. These are our borders & limites wherein to stay, & yet we thinke we are greatly learned in Philo­sophy, if we knowe almost one of them, or a few quiddities of materia prima and such like thinges. Oh that we propounded vnto vs at the last true & good knowledge, soūd profit & absolute learning, that man would with a cotage & life seeke to labour to his power to attaine vnto it. But Dauid here noteth our fault when he saith, they are sought out of them that delight therin. For wherein is our delight but in vanities, but in play, but in pride, but in idlenes, but in pleasures, but in eating and drinking and losing the time? Here is mat­ter for Magistrates to looke vnto who are to be desired to heare by our actes & exercises of learning how we go forwards: and if they find vs not as the sonnes of the prophets but sonnes of Beliall, to thrust vs out of the Col­ledge [Page] & giue our places to those which will be better then we. O Lorde kindle in vs the feare of thee that for cōscience we may be­haue our selues diligently in our vocation, in those studies whereby we may profit in the knowledge of thee: That abandoning al vaine delights which as the lightning are soone extinguished, we may set our mindes & studies vppon such thinges as may serue to the setting forth of thy glory through Ie­sus Christ. Amen.

Because of the singular & notable zeale cōcerning the praise of God in the congre­gation which Dauid professed & promised in the first verse, I haue entred the exami­natiō of the whole Psalme to se the reasons & causes, the argumēts & proues which Dauid had. Wherfore so to stir vp al his wits & all his hart and soule in this songe. The last time speakīg of the 2. verse at the which this praise of god beginneth, & as it were begin­ning this anatomye at the head, & looking nearely euē for the beginning & infancy of Dauids zeale, & cōsidering the first scholes & masters which he had, I foūd thē al in this verse: Great are the works of the Lord, &c. For here the Prophet fetcheth & draweth euē as from the furthest foūtaines this prayse of God. Now it followeth in this third verse. [Page] Praise and glory are his workes, &c. which de­clareth vnto vs the same doctrine of the praise of the workes of God which we did see in the former verse. For in these two sentences he comprehendeth that knowe­ledge of God which may be vnderstoode out of the creatures of God in the whole world, but he speaketh here more particu­larly & distinctly of that knowledge which may here be learned of those which looke diligently for them and delight in the con­sideration of them. For it is requisite both because we are dimme of sight & the Lorde workes haue like the courtaines of Salomō their beautie within, Cant. cant. 1.41. that we hold our eyes neare vnto them and put our heades as it were within them to cōsider them if we will see those things in thē which Dauid a most excellent interpreter noteth and poynteth at Praise & glory, &c. Let vs first examine this that he sayth: praise and glorye, &c. the meaning of the Prophet is that the Lorde hath in such wisedom & counsell made his works that euen by them may appeare to al that consider them the praise and glory of the Creator, which doctrine he had in the verse before declared but not so clearly & manifestly: for here he expoundeth what he ment before when he called them great [Page] or excellent, that is full of the praise and re­nowme of the maker, perfect maisters of Gods wisedom, excellēt teachers of his glo­ry, & most sufficient witnesses of his praise. This doctrine although it was declared partly before in the expositiō of the former verse, yet it may not be either tedious to you nor greuous to me some thing more to speake of the same, seeing the holy Ghost vouchsafeth [...]o stand vppon it. And we may thereby vnderstand that the doctrine of the praise of God taught by his workes is not lightly & smally to be estemed, seing the spi­rit of God witnesseth it vnto vs by repetiti­ō. True it is that the word of God is the hie and principall maister of the knowledge of God in the Church of Christ as we shall see in the next verse, the tēple wherein his glo­rye most appeareth: but notwithstanding these are helps appointed of God to the raysing of our mindes to his glorye, mouing vs being bodies with bodily things & therfore vnles we be forgetfull of our weakenes, we may not neglect the ordinary meanes. The Prophets & holy men of God whose loue & zeale of the Lordes glory is left for our ex­ample, haue labored in them & profited by them to the praise of God. Let vs therefore followe them and namely Dauid in this [Page] place, Let vs followe the same steppes and wayes which he hath trode before vs: Let vs stande with him as it were in the mid­dest of the worlde, and lifte vp our eyes to heauen, and after caste them downe vpon the earth: yea lette vs beholde euen our selues with those eyes which we see Dauid to haue done in the 139. Psalme. shal we not then be amazed and astonied at the wise­dome we shal finde in them, Psal. 139. and giue glory to the Lorde? shall we not in meditating but of our selues, finde a world of notable & excellent works of God? Let vs looke but a litle aboue vs into that shoppe of the Lords notable works, where he maketh the rayne, hayle, and snow, lightning & thunder, and consider from whence he sendeth rayne, howe he hath powred it as into barrels or bottels till we neede it. Consider aboue that, the light of the sunne, the moone, the number and order of the starres, the work­manship of the heauens, that fayre and ex­cellent courtayne whiche the Lorde hath drawē ouer vs, thē also the power of winds, the multitude of waters, and the stretching out of the ayre, the nature of beastes, the fruits of the trees, the smell of flowers, the beauty and property of stones, the vertue of herbes and of rootes, and in a worde [Page] the whole earth and the heauens, with all their hostes and furniture: Haue they not as it were written and grauen vppon them in great and text letters prayse and glory to the Lord our Creator? In the 19. Psalme the Prophet attributeth this same voyce of glory to the heauens: Psal. 19.1 The heauens (sayth he) speake the glory of God. &c. and ma­keth that noble and swifte grant the sunne the messenger of the same worde to all the world. Psa. 104.2. In the 104. Psalme he compareth the light to a robe of glory and honor that the Lorde couereth him selfe withall, because the light declareth manifestly all the works of God which are glasses of his prayse. And in the 148. Psalme, Psal. 148. he putteth this song of the prayse of God into the mouth of all creatures, euen of the hilles and moun­taynes, of the soules of the ayre, trees of the wodde, of the dragons and wormes that creepe vppon the earth. Iob. 38. and 39. &. 40. So in the thirtie eyght and nine chapters of Iob, the Lorde to the ende that he might humble Iob, and bring him to the knowledge of the prayse of God and his owne confusion, he reckoneth the works of his hands in order, euen the heauens and earth and beastes of the fielde. Iob. 40.5. And in the fortie Chapter he byddeth Iob likewise to decke him selfe [Page 28] [...] [Page 29] [...] [Page] with glory and maiestie, and to array hi [...] selfe with beautie and excellencie, that i [...], to make such workes in whiche there may [...] appeare his prayse, and renowme. Prayse therefore and glory is his worke, so that where so euer we cast our eyes, whether before vs or behinde vs, aboue or beneath vs, or within vs, on the right hande or o [...] the left hande, all are full of the glory and prayse of God: euen as our Sauiour Christ teacheth, Mat. 5.34. forbidding to sweare by the hea­uens or earth, o [...] any the least creature, be­cause they are the Lordes seate, and this is his footestoole, and seeing we can not make a very heare, we muste confesse that euen there also is a marke and token of the Lordes glory and maiestie. Wherefore let vs with this wise and godly Prophet learne the beginning of our praysing of God euer at these creatures, and knowe that it shal be shame and sinne for vs to be dumme, when they are so hye and loude: but moste of all to ou [...] grieuous condemnation, if wher they declare the glory of God, we bring by ou [...]e wickednesse, by oure vayne and vngodly behauiour, shame, reproche, and ignominie to his name. It followeth, And his goodnes remayneth for euer. I translate the worde so: although it properly signifieth [Page 31] righteousnes, because I thinke that to be the Prophetes meaning. For in the next Psalme the Prophet hath this halfe verse in the same wordes speaking of the good and mercifull man whose goodnes is not soone dried but continueth for euer, that is, Psal. 112.3 all his life. Dan. 4.14. So Daniell exhorteth Nabuchad. to re­deeme his sinnes by mercie & liberalitie, & yet vseth this word of iustice. Here therfore the Prophet likewise meaneth the goodnes and liberalitie & mercie of God which may be learned also out of his verie ordinarie & common workes. Psal. 136. This peece of the verse is notably enlarged by the Prophet Dauid in the 136. Psalme where he attributeth the creation of heauens, of the sunne & moone, of the starres, of the day and night, of the placing of the earth vpon the waters, to the euerlasting mercie of God: making this the ground & foote of the Psalme or song: For his mercie indureth for euer. And our Sauiour Christ also teaching his disciples to be good to their enemies bringeth in thexample of God the father whose sunne and raine shineth and falleth vpon his e­nemies also. Matt. 5.45. Where we see this doctrine of the Prophet confirmed & expounded, that is, that the creatures of God are witnesses vnto all the world of his mercie and louing [Page 32] bindnesse. In this sense are the Prophet [...] to be expounded, when they speake [...]f the darkeninge of the Sunne, for the meane not that the Sunne shall fayle a fall but onely by that whiche is vnto vs [...] a testimonie, and token of Gods mercie when it shineth they describe the greatne [...] of troubles and confussion of all things to come when the Lorde ariseth to take ven­geaunce of sinne, which shall be so grea [...] and horrible confusion as if the Sunne were fallen out of heauen. This goodnes of God is not onely manifest by the Sunne & those excellent and high creatures, but euen as I haue shewed in the last verse, his glory al­so appeareth his mercie and goodnes euen in the least of all creatures: not only toward vs for whose godly vse he hath made them, but also to them selues. For first it is great goodnesse to them in that they are: Se­condlie it is great glorie to them in that they are the workes of the glorious and e­ternall God: But especiallie and princi­pallie this goodnesse of God is towarde vs in all creatures, that in the vse of them we may thankefullie and humblie acknow­ledge the exceeding mercie of God. The earth that we treade vpon, the houses that we dwell in, the ayer which we liue by, [Page 33] the breade which we eate, and water or wine which we drinke, the fire that we warme vs by, the clothes which we wa [...]e, and to be short, all the creatures of God which we applie to our vse, ought to leade vs to, and admonish vs of that goodnes and mercy of God, by whose onely bountifull grace and mercy we take and vse them: without the feling and knowledge o [...] which mercy of God, who so euer thou arte that vsest any creature of God, thou stealest it. The bread and drinke which thou deuou­ [...]est is worse then poyson vnto thee: for vn­lesse we rise to the consideration of the loue of God towards vs, a [...] a father towards his children, who prouideth these thinges for vs, by what right can we thinke that they pert [...]ine vnto vs▪ We see there [...]e that they are no lesse witnesses of Gods mercy, then of his glory and prayse: And that who so euer shall [...]yse to accuse th [...] Lorde of c [...]ueltie o [...] [...], maye be [...]th [...]ntly by the creatures of God command [...]d. And howe can not they be ashamed [...]laye this vppon the Lords, from whose onely goodnes and mercy it commeth that the world is, and we and all thinges hau [...] [...] him lyfe and beeing and mouing. But the Lord [...] hath more excellently deel [...] [...]s good­nes [Page] to vs by his creatures, as the Prophet [...] by this noteth in that he addeth [and con­tinueth for euer.] No man can denie but that the Lord had shewed great mercy and loue towards vs if he had made this world like vnto a stage, and brought vs in for a lit­tle time, and after a whyle as it were to haue taken downe the stage, and so with the clapping of handes to haue gone away agayne. If he had made the vse of all his excellent and noble creatures, the Angels the Sunne, the Moone, and the Starres, the heauen and earth, and all their ornaments for a yeare, a moneth, a weeke, or a day, who can denie but the Lorde had done vs great honour and worshippe to vouch­safe vs the vse of them? Yea if he hadde brought vs into the worlde but for a mo­ment, and sette vs on a pinnacle to haue seene these heauens and this earth, to haue seene the creatures of God according to their kinde, the benefite had bene great, and the grace and fauour more excellent then can be vttered. But howe hath the Lorde commended vnto vs his grace and fauour, his loue and m [...]rcy, in that he hath made them permanent and durable, & not like the smoke that per [...]eth, o [...] lyke the grasse that groweth vp, and straightwaye [Page] withereth, but like the trees of eternitie whose rootes are stayed and nourished for euer. This grace and mercy euen to Adam in his perfection had bene worthy conti­nuall prayse and remembraunce, howe muche more nowe in this sinnefull and mi­serable lyfe? For let vs examine and trie our selues▪ let vs laye out liues to the rule of the Lawe of God, let vs looke and be­holde them in that glasse which r [...]u [...]l [...]th all thinges, and seeing we haue the vse of these creatures by no other condition but by the obedien e of Gods commaunde­mentes, what grace and mercy may we see in that they are not euery moment taken away from vs. I maruell that the sunne which is witnesse of so great and innume­rable faultes vppon the earth standeth so long in the heauens: that the heauens melt not for the infection that [...]n them by our corruption: and that Iesus Christe commeth not to burne them & the earth so polluted with our sinnes, to make that newe heauen & that n [...]we earth wherein righte­ousnes shall dwell. Which of vs is he that perceiueth not to [...]ise out of him! If as out of a filthy bottomlesse pitte, [...]mo [...] & infec­tion that were able to darkē the sunne and couer al the cōpasse of y heauens that may [Page] not iustly wonder at the Lordes mercy i [...] that the earth is able to beare vs so laden with vngodlinesse and vnrighteousnesse? O Lord thy mercy reacheth vnto the heauēs, Psa. 57.10. & thy goodnes vnto the highest heauens. Thy pity and compassion is infinite & won­derfull, and yet who is he that considereth these things▪ Thus I will leaue the conside­ration of the mercy of God in this parte to your godly meditation, and come to the more n [...]e and perfect sight & knowledge o [...] God which appeare th m h s Church on [...]l [...] [...] you by the gl [...]r [...] of God and lou [...] o [...] I [...]s [...]s Ch [...]st th [...]t [...] [...]member s [...]e­ing the h [...]uens and [...]arth, and s [...]eing all things in th [...]m are ours, [...] the mer­cies of God they continue [...] [...] vse, that we ma [...] also [...]e Christ [...]s as thapostle her [...]o [...] me [...]eth, that [...] to the loue of his worde and [...] his G [...]sp [...]ll, eu [...]n a [...] h [...]w [...]s in all thing obedient to God. Thus we [...] the glory & mercy of God out of the creatiues which [...] h [...] hath app [...]ynt [...]d [...] witnesses thereof in the whol [...] world, [...] only one place, but al th [...] whole world may b [...] [...]all [...]d [...], because th [...] Lord [...]e [...] ­leth his glory & mercy in euery part therof but yet if we compare this knowledge [...] [Page] the glory & mercy of God lerned here out of his creatures, to that which may be kno­wen out of his Church & out of his worde, we shall perceiue that in the creatures we see but his backe & hinder parts, we see him but da [...]ly as in a glasse of steel [...], but as in the nether & outward courtes o [...] his tem­ple, here in the church we shall [...] his glo­ry, as in the holiest place of all [...] in the place of the oracl [...]s, is n a gl [...]ss [...] Chri­stall, and as it were face to face Wherefore let vs draw neare & come vnto the temple, let vs looke into this glasse and b [...]hold his fatherly countenance. He hath made t [...] his w [...]nderfull worke remembrances. The Pro­phet in this verse sheweth the passing and wonderful work [...] that he hath done for his Church, & the exceeding loue that he bea­reth to his church. For although we haue already seene the mercy & goodnes which he hath declared aswel to them as to other euen in the verse of his cōmon creatures, yet because they are cōmon to others with thē, the particuler & priuate loue which the Lord beareth vnto thē aboue oth [...]rs, doth not so clearly appeare. Therefore here the Prophet beginneth a Catalog, although not with many words, yet full [...] [...] remēbring all, and calling them to minde b [...] generall [Page] wordes. And first that this speciall and par­ti [...]ular care which he hath of his Churche may be knowen to passe the common and vniuersall order of things, I thinke it may be noted out of the conferences of the words. In the seconde verse he sayth, Great are his w [...]rkes, &c. Here he vseth a greater worde, and sayth, they are wonderfull, for although this Prophet in other places call the common workes of God wonderfull, and are so in deede in them selues conside­red, yet [...]opa [...]ed with these they are great, and these wonderfull so in halfe of the third verse he sayth, his goodnes remay­neth, &c. But here he vseth wordes which seeme to come out of the Lords heart and bowell [...]s gracious and m [...]r [...]full: and he doubleth them, because his loue is double and triple and manyfolde vpon them. This greatnes of the woders of God he cōmen­deth in these words, He hath made the re­membrance or memoriall of them, &c. Not that the goodnes of God which riseth out of his creatures is to be forgotten o [...] negligently to be regarded, for we know therefore the Lord in the beginning to haue instituted the Sabboth for a perpetuall memory to vs of his great loue, & goodnes, & mercy, and wi [...]dome, which appeareth in the world: & [Page] Dauid hath also made diuers Psalmes in their remēbrance, whereof some, [...]s that of the Sabboth was song in the temple. Psal. 91. But he speaketh after an excellent sort, [...] princi­pally & chiefly giuing remembran [...]e vnto thē, as if that in cōparison of th [...]s [...], thother be forgotten. [...]o [...] as the Prophet speaking of the benefite of the deliuerāce o [...] rather resurrection of the Iewes out of Babilon, sayth that it shall no more be sayd then, the Lord [...]ueth which brought the children of Israel out of Egypt, but they shall speake of the Lord thus, the Lord liueth which brou­ght them out of Babilon, meaning that this shall be so excellent, that in respect thereof the former (although so notable and as it is here also thus highly cōmended should be no more spokē of, so in this place the bene­fites which he hath shewed to his Church in their deliuerāce, after a sort maketh the other to be forgotten. Psa. 60.19 And Esay speaking of the light of the Gospel in the kingdome of Christ, saith, that in that day the sunne shall giue no light, nor the moone appeare: mea­ning also that in cōparison of y ^e light which shal be seuē times greater thē y ^e light of the sunne, euē the sunne shal be darkned as the moone at his presence: so in this place the lord hath y ^e remēbrāce of these his works so [Page] famous and glorious that the former bene­fite like the starrs at the rising of the sunne are obscured and hidden. For i [...] they were wo [...]thy once to be spoken of, these are wor­thy [...]ften times: if those to be written with a pen in paper, these are worthy to be writ­ten in v [...]on and with an Ad [...]mant stone: if those with the hand of a man, these are to be printed with the singer of God. For as high as the heauens are in cōparis [...]n of the earth, so muche hath the [...]d magnified the measure of his graces and benefites to­wardes the Churche aboue the rest of the sonne of men. But l [...]t vs consider particu­larly what they were. The Prophet mea­neth the signes & wonders which the Lord declared by the hand of Moyses and Aron in the middest of the lande of Egypt vpon Pharao and al his seruantes, the turning of the water into blood, the destroying of trees and fruites of the earth by the caterpillers, the filling of the lande full of frogges and hee, & those other which are written of by Moyses the 9. Exod. 9. Psal. 78. of Exod. and repeated in the Psalme. 78. but aboue all these, he vnder­standeth the cause and the occasion of all these the na [...]tie, and as it were the crea­tion of the Church, which was a greater & more excellent worke then the making of [Page] the whole world. For the heauens & earth as sayth the Prophet, Ps. 102.26 shall waxe olde and perish, but his fauour & grace to his church shall endure for euermore. Therefore the Lord in respect of Ierusalem ma [...] t [...]o ac­compt of the whole worlde, as [...] say in the person of God reasone [...] with that proude Sanacharib, who thought that he could as easily haue one [...] [...]d Ierusal [...], [...] he had done Samaria and the other [...] deso­lation, Ps. 36 19. Ps. 37.26. Hast thou not heard (sayth the how I haue tourmed it of olde, not naming but meaning and emphaticall; noting Ierusa­lem, Esay 49.23. whom he preferreth before all the whole worlde. And the prophet Esay prophesieth that the kinges and Monarches of the earth shall like the dust of her feete, thereby noting what honour she shall be in euen with her enemies. Seeing then the preseruation of her, as appeareth, is so pre­cious in the eyes of God, that in the respect therof he conten [...]neth al things [...]l [...], the be­gett [...]ng and birth of it must needes be the g [...]eatest & most excellent worke that euer was, and therfore the remembrance of it, & all those signes & wonders which the Lord wrought for it, turning the whole course of nature for his Church, ought perpetually to be with care and diligence celebrated. [Page 42] So Moyses wondreth at it & sayth, was eue [...] the like heard that God should come to a people & take thē out of another people in such signes & tokens & wonders? Deut. 4.34. The Lord therefore hath printed the memorie of his maruelous works, so that they cānot be for­gotten. Nay Egypt shalbe a witnesse frō ge­neration to generation for euer, that the grace of God to his Church passeth all vn­derstanding. This marke shall remayne for euer, which the Lords mighty hand & na­ked arme printed & sealed vpō his enemies by ten strokes. The Prophet by this kind of speaking exhorteth all Israel, whō the Lord hath so maruelously deliuered, to remēber these works, & tell them further with glad­nes as in diuers Psalmes. This doctrine therefore of the remembrance of the won­derfull workes & benefites of God is some­thing to be declared. For if euer there were nede to speake of it, behold the dayes of ioy and gladnes, of security & ease, of sport and play, and of piping & dauncing, of riote and wantonnes, euen the dayes of forgetfulnes of Gods benefites. And if euer there were feare of the fulfilling of y ^e prophesie amōgst the Iewes, that being ful they would forget the Lord, Deut. 6.10. as Moyses prophesied, this is the day & howre that Moyses, as if he had sen [...] [Page 43] so long before, prophesied euen of vs. Eue­ry one of vs sitteth vnder his vine and vn­der his figge tree in his seeled and garni­shed chamber, and the troubles that are so greate and manye bothe in our owne countrey and abrode, they touch vs not by Gods mercy. And why haue we all this case of God? to abuse our time & other benefits? or rather to remember them perpetually, and vse them lawfully to the prayse of god. This is therefore our time of daunger, our time of forgetting y ^e goodnes of our God, our time of falling away from the Lorde. If you the Lordes ministers and watche­men make it not your time of care & dili­gence of holding and staying vs, of remem­bring and repeating, and night and daye remembring and repeating the goodnes of our God vpon vs, his statutes and his ordi­nances, his lawes and his cōmaundements which he hath appoynted for vs to do thē, what daunger are we in? Therfore I wōder and maruell at it, that you see not the slip­pery places we stand on, and seeke to helpe vs. The goodnes of God hath so prouyded that in this Colledge there might be euery morning at prayer a Sermō, euery euening w ^t prayers a sermon, euery sonday of y ^e fore­noone & afternoone together with prayers [Page 44] the word of God preached, that the words of God perpetually sounding in our eares, maye make this Colledge as it is called Trinitye Colledge, to be named the Lorde is there. There be thirteene places ap­pointed for Preachers, beside those that are not accompted for the house: and yet this is not done, whereas I am perswaded that three doing their office in care & zeale, in godlines & faithfulnes, were able by Gods grace to make this Colledge together with the Magistrat a Colledge of Saincts, a Col­ledge where no blasphemer, no idle, no prophane person, no sonne of Belial, no Cana­nite could be found, And if so many can not in their course maintaine this order in preaching, how many wil doe it? Is there any i [...] the places that are vnworthy, that are not al able? thē let the booke & licence be takes out of his hand & giuen to his fellow that is better thē he. I am sure there is none of the wise & godly sort, but wishe and desire that which I say. For as the benefits of the Lord are perpetually & euerlasting, so ought also the remēbrance of them to be, but there be men of corrupt cōsciences, wicked childrē, vngodly & prophane persons which contēt them selues with a face or visard of religio [...] who know not what it is to serue God, that [Page 45] will securely deride this and laughe it to scorne. Wel the Lord would haue his bene­fits to be remembred, let vs looke how we remember then▪ but it were an infinit thing to speake of all: let vs consider the remem­braunce but of this one wonderous & mar­uelous benefit euen the greatest that euer was, God manifested in the fleshe. This I speake of, admonished by this time, of the feast of the Natiuity that the worde which was spoken the last daye, may stande in the mouths of two witnesses. They which remember the fearfull example that fell out after in that Christ­mas as we call it, may witnes that God by his seruaunts following direction of his word, threatneth not in vain And if neither you of your selues neither at the word of God wil giue place, I pray God that a terrible & heauy iudgement be not the third witnes of this truth vnto vs. Hath Iesus Christ comen into the flesh to lay the bridle of our necks to runne after our vayne deuises? hath he obtayned by his comming twelue dayes of God the Father for carding, dising, and lot­ting, for masking and mumming, for mocking & mowing, for crying and laugh­ing, for the practising of euery vayne de­uise that commeth to our heades all the yeare, or doe we thinke that this propha­ning of so holye a thinge, this mocking of so earnest a matter, this t [...]rning of the grace of God into licence and wanton­nesse, that it shall be vnpunished? what [Page 46] is this but euen to giue a reede into th [...] hande of Iesus Christ, and to mocke h [...] kingdom? What crowning of him is it [...] this vayne mirthe and wantonnesse, b [...] with bryers and thornes to pricke his head Is this the ioye spoken of by the Angel that came to declare his birthe? tolde [...] tydinges of this gladnes? Is this the bene­fite that thou hast purchased to vs by the wonderful misterie of thyne incarnation of Emmanuel? oh I am ashamed that it should euer be hearde of amongest the Iewes an [...] Turks, that the Christiās at that time of the yere whē their Sauiour was borne, giue the [...] selues for many daies frō their ordinary [...] dest & shamefaced behauiour, from walki [...] ordinarily in their vocatiō & studies, to v [...] modest & shameful practises, to watching [...] waking, & al for vaine & vnfruteful works [...] darknes. Wherin differeth our celebratiō [...] the natiuity of Christ frō the popish Christmas? that it ought to differ as farre as hea [...] euen the highest heauens from the nether most hel. Howe doe we looke to call Papi [...] from their vaine conuersation, when we a [...] not our selues a foote frō them? Is this th [...] conuersation that shall strike men with a [...] admiration and loue of vertue? 1. Pet. 3.1. If it be required of women so to behaue them selue [...] [Page 47] that other may be wonne thereby to God, doth it not more appertaine to men who were first made to Gods glory? but ought it not yet more to appeare in schollers & those which are called schollers of the holy Tri­nity. I thinke if but thus much were spoken amongst the Heathen against so great an a­buse, they would repēt in sackcloth & ashes. And yet I know that this people will not be brought from this vaine conuersation, for they loue it & delight in it, & wil hide it and keepe it as a iewel. For without these things they complaine that it is but a dead Christ­mas. These men will neuer confesse the truth of this doctrine, till God haue sealed it with some plague or other. Well thus we ought not to remember the benefit of that vnspeakeable misterye, by the which we are ioyned to God and God to vs, but in ioy of the spirit that vttereth forth Psalmes and Hymnes, & spiritual songs, and such l ke. Coloss. 3.16 We ought also to keepe in mind not this onely, but all the other miracles which the Lorde wrought for the defēce, safgard & benefit of his Church, so that our harts should be like the arke of witnes: wherin as ther was cōtayned for a perpetuall remembraūce, a pot or cruse of manna & Arons rod for an euerla­stig witnes of the care of G d for the proui­sion Nū. 17.10. Heb. 9.4. [Page 48] of his Church: & miracles, whereby [...] testified his election of Arons posteritie, [...] to haue in our harts all those thinges which the Lord either worketh for all the church or particularly for any part thereof. In the rest of the verse he rendreth a reason o [...] these so great mercies: euen the Lords p [...] not desert, Ex. 33.19. Rom 9.15. but as he sayth to Moyses: I wi [...] haue mercy on whō I will haue mercy: making his mercy the cause of mercy. So here his pity is made the cause, and he vseth tw [...] wordes doubling it, because his mercye [...] manifold toward his. Ezech. 16.6 Ezechiel in his 16. cap doth notably set out this pitie & free grac [...] of the Lorde toward this people in comparing him selfe to a man that seeing a poo [...] helples child new borne without any help [...] of midwife or other, wallowing in her blo [...] of very pitie and compassion washeth as clenseth her: doth all thinges needefull se [...] the succour of it in such a case: he then a [...] ter bringeth her vp feeding and cherishin [...] her til the be mariageable: he then clothe [...] her with all costly aray, and setteth her o [...] with all precious iewells, and casting hi [...] loue vppon her taketh her to be his w [...] as more at large is to be seen: in that place It followeth: He hath giuen a praye, &c In the verse going before we haue see [...] [Page 49] the exceeding loue of God towardes his Church testified by so many and such no­table seales as he declared in the land of E­gypt. Where for the deliueraunce of the Church, he chaunged the whole course of nature, & as it were in the bringing forth of a more excellent & precious thing then the whole world which was at a worde made & furnished, he did as it were many dayes in paynes & trauels labour before the birth of the Church, so great a thing was it to make vnto him a Church. We haue also seene his onely pitie & compassion to haue bene the cause thereof. Nowe it followeth in the fift verse: He gaue a pray &c. For although in the scripture somtime this word signifieth a portion or a part, as in the 31. of the Prouerbs, Pro. 31.15. yet properly it signifieth a spoile which a li­on getteth for him self, & the circūstance of this place needes forceth this sense. For he remēbreth the notable benefit of the spoile of Egypt what time they wēt out of the lād: which although it may seeme at the first not to be so excellēt or notable, & not to be spo­kē of particularly whē the other are not se­uerally reckened, but together & as it were in one word boūd vp, yet we shal see this al­though not the only cause, why the prophet namely remēbreth it passing thother briefly, [Page 50] yet a sufficiēt & iust cause. Exod. 7.19. True it is that [...] miracle of turning the waters of Epypt [...] blod, Ioh. 2.6. was wōderful & a maruelous work. Fo [...] if we maruel at the turning of six great po [...] of water into wine in the 2. of Iohn, what sh [...] we say at the turning of whole riuers & fo [...] taines from their nature? And if we see in a few quarts of water the finger of God, sha [...] not the hād & arme of the Lord appeare [...] turning the great riuer, that great riuer N [...] lus, & all the waters besides of Egypt, not [...] fix earthen pots, but in sixteene tymes [...] thousād pots of wood & stone? Act. 12.23. And if in the destructiō of one mā by lice or wormes the wōderful power of God appeared, what and how maruelous is the power, that made s [...] many as were able to destroy a mighty kingdō & innumerable people for if the striking with botches & sores of one man: & destr [...] ­ction of his catle astonisheth vs in the 1. Iob. 1. Exod. 12. [...] Iob, at the striking of all Egypt, both man [...] beast, how shall we be affected? or if in the blinding of one citye of Sodom, Gen. 19.11. Gen. 10.23. the marue­lous hand of God shewed it selfe, what is [...] be thought in the blindnes of al Egypt? The rest of the miracles may also in like maner be set out by comparing other iudgement [...] of God with them. But I let them passe. Cō ­sider only the destruction of the first borne, [Page 51] both of man & beast. Exod. 12. Could the Lord doe a more maruelous worke for the benefite of his Church, that would so pearce the hart of them as the destruction of their eldest chil­dren, their might, the beginning of their strength, & the excellency of their powers? Could the Lord doe a more notable worke thē fight for thē frō heauen by the hand of his angel? What then meaneth the Prophet to remēber this of the spoile of their goods omitting other such fearful & wonderful to­kens as we see? we shal see in the next peece of the verse a sufficient reason. But yet in the very miracle and wonder it selfe, sufficient cause why to remember it omittinge the rest. For if we waye & examine this spoile & pray that the Lord gaue his childrē with the circūtances of the same, we shall find that great and mighty power to haue wrought herein, more thē in the rest. For remēber the hate, the tyrānous hate that they beare vn­to Israell, all the iniuries and wrongs which they did vnto them. First their counsell ta­king for the destroying of their men childrē priuily by the midwiues, then their open cruelty in destroying them, their exactions, their greeuous exactions, their anger, their fierce anger, their crueltye, their vnna­turall crueltie, which all in a moment the [Page] mighty hand of God turned to kindnes, [...] loue, to gentlenes, euen kindnes, gentlenes and loue supernaturall. Ex. 12.36. For at a word and request of the Israelites, all the Egyptian gaue vnto them their gold and siluer, ther iewells and ornaments, and whatsoeuer they had deare and precious. Yea I think if they had asked, they would not haue de­nyed them their owne eyes, so mighty and aboue nature the hande of God wrought that he turned in a moment euen in th [...] twinckling of an eye their harts, their sto [...] & adamant harts into fleshly & waxē harts & their eies, their Crocadiles eies that w [...] sight would haue destroyed them, into te [...] der & womanish eies: their hands, euē ther armed & wat like hāds, into liberal & peace able hands: & in a word he made of wolues lambs: of cruel Tigres, fawning doggs, an meeke doues, of fiery and flying serpent which worke in my iudgemēt so notable [...] so wonderfull as you may perceaue passe [...] al thother miracles. For by our own sinne [...] cruell affections which neuerthelesse a [...] staied by the spirit of God in his childrē, [...] may well perceaue what strength & powe [...] it needeth to resist & ouercome them. Th [...] sea [...]ageth not with such rage: nor Behe­moth is not so stronge as the rage & power Iob. 40.10. [Page] of sinne is which dwelleth in vs: so that maruel it is that it cā be staied. Here in ther­fore appeared the mighty hand of God, euē of that God that is able to stay the raging of the seas, & fiercenes of cruel beasts, that he not only staied their hatred, but also turned it into loue and kindnes. Wherefore let vs serue God & be not carefull what man can thinke and imagine against vs. Their harts are no lesse in the hand of God to moue thē to loue vs than to hate vs, but he leadeth e­uen the kings hart as easily to his purpose, as the water. So Ioseph feared God, Prou 21.1. Gen. 41.38 and he gaue him grace with Pharao and al his no­bles, although they knew not God. And Da­uid often times & in a moment perceaued Saules loue & deare affection, although o­ther times he was purposed to kill him. Dan. 2.46. And to Daniell in the carying into captiuitie in­to Babel, Dan 5.29. the Lord gaue not only in the eies of Nebuchadneser and Baltasar his sonne loue and fauour, Dan. 6.28. but also with the Persian kings Darius and Cyrus, although a poore prisoner. And the same Cyrus & an other Darius and Artashasta were bended by the hād of God to loue & further the interprise of Zorobabell, Nehemias, Esia, Esdra [...] 1.1. Nehem. 2.8 and the rest that returned to the building of the temple of God. Seeing then the Lord hath shewed [Page 54] suche light to them that serue him, where they sawe nothing but darkenes & despera­tion of all good things, what shame & sinne, yea how great & iust shall the condemnati­on of our fearfulnes be, if in the Church of God amongest them that professe godlines with vs, & who are also appoynted for the [...] praise & reward that do well, if (I say) we d [...] not loue, embrace, and follow after god [...] ­nes. Well, here appeareth then first in th [...] miracle the hande & power of God for o [...]r comfort & calling forward to the seruice of God. Here appeareth also a notable exāple for the profe of the doctrine of the iustice of God, who will not alwayes winke at the prosperitie of the wicked. For although the Egyptians had heaped riches & gold, ie [...] els and ornaments of pearles and precio [...] stones which they had gotten by extorsio [...] & exaction of the Israelits, or els by othe [...] couetous & crafty waies, yet the pacient [...] biding of the Lord, & as it were the holdin [...] of his peace, Psa. 50.21. as Dauid sayth in the 50. Psal [...] shall not continue for euer, but some ti [...] he draweth the wicked vpon the high sta [...] to be seene bothe of them that feare th [...] Lorde, and also that follow the like wickednes, and plucketh the praye out of their teeth, and giueth it to his children. F [...] [Page 55] God comforteth his childrē by such iudge­mentes, and feareth other by their ex­amples. 2. King. 7.7. So in the seconde of the Kinges seuenth Chapter, the Aramites left their tentes beside Samaria, and the children of God had a pray vessells and clothes, siluer and golde, corne and vittells, as it is spoken by the mouth of the seruauntes of God. Iob. 27.16. For Iob sayth though the wicked shoulde heape vp siluer as the dust, and prepare rayment as clay, he may prepare, but the iust shall put it on: and the inno­cent shall deuide the siluer. And Salomon sayeth, Prou. 13.22 a good man shall geue inheri­taunce vnto his children, but the riches of the sinner are layed vppe for the iust. And although this alway appeare not, yet many such notable and excellent examples are in the Scriptures of Gods iust iudge­mentes, whereby he vpholdeth the faith of his children that there feete slippe not: and those wicked ones and sinners whom the Lorde lifteth vp all their life higher and higher, and are not in this sorte spoy­led, are also lifted vppe that the triall of our faith in suche tentations may be more precious, and theyr ruyne and fall the greater and more horrible. Yet as in the punishment of other sinnes sometime the [Page 56] Lord exerciseth his iudgementes vpon th [...] earth, so here also: and leaueth other for the last iudgement as S. Paule declareth, 1. Tim. 5.24 some mēs sinnes are manifest before iudge­ment, and some follow. And this (as the A­postle hath in an other place) is a demon­stration of his iustice, 2. Thess. 1.5 to be reueiled in the last day. Nowe let vs consider the epithe [...] or title which he geueth to them on who [...] he bestowed this pray. The Prophet say [...] He gaue a pray to them that feare him. He ge­ueth this title to all the children of Israel as though their name were the fearers of God. Psal. 111.1 So we see in the first verse that Dauid would praise the Lord in the congregation of the iust: meaning in the temple, whe [...] the children of God were gathered toge­ther: to teach them whom God hath called out of darknes into light, that they are cal­led euen to his feare, to his seruice, to iu­stice, to godlines, to sobernes, to modestie to all partes of holynes. Psal. 50.5. Thus the Prophet Dauid in the 50. Psal. in the person of God calling all the Iewes together before who [...] the Lord would reproue the wicked & vn­godly men, (that notwithstanding their vn­godly liues yet tooke the name of God [...] their mouthes) calleth them Sainctes. And thApostle S. Paule writing to the Romane [...] [Page 57] sayth: Rom. 1.1. 1. Cor. 1.2. Ephes. 1.1. Beloued of God [called Saincts] vn­to the Church of Corinth. [Saincts by cal­ling] And to the Ephes. he exhorteth them to pray with watching and perseuerance for all Sainctes. And in the end of his Epistles, [the Saincts salute you. Euen as the Scrip­ture speaking of the reprobate, describeth them by those frutes and practises to the which the deuill hath framed them. Prou. 1.10. My sonne if sinners doe entise thee & say, come let vs lay in wayte for blood, and 1. Psalme. Happie is he that is not conuersaunt with the wicked, with sinners, Psal. 1.1. with mockers of al godly and profitable instructions, so that by those names which the Scripture geueth vnto vs, we see our calling, we see the ende of Gods mercies and benefites bestowed v­pon vs. Not as they which know not God, to feare no godly maiestie, to serue no di­uine power, to lead a carelesse and dissolute life, to walke in licence and wantonnes, to geue our mindes and bodies as seruauntes to sinne and vanities, but in feare and reue­rence of him who hath powred his benefits vpon vs, in his seruice and will to walke all the dayes of our life. This we learne by this title of the faithfull which the Prophet ge­ueth to them: and because it commeth to be spoken of againe in this Psalme, I referre it [Page 58] till then. Onely beseching you that we lay our owne hartes in this balance, & see whe­ther we answere to them or no. Alas I know before we be put in, what waight we haue [...] how light we should be found, although we shoulde take euen any of the least of Gods benefites to be wayed withall. Let vs onely remember this pray which the Lorde hath geuen vs and wrong it out of the handes and teeth of the Epicures and Papistes which enioyed these liuings before vs: our knowledge of the Gospel is somthing more our light greater: our conuersation no do [...] somethinge better: But howe litle is ou [...] knowledge, howe obscure is our light, ho [...] farre is our godlinesse from that we migh [...] haue knowne and attayned to, if we had loued the Gospell of God with all ou [...] soules and all our desires? Who is not g [...] ­tie to him selfe that in fewe yeares, (with­in the yeares of a Maister of arte) he might haue gotten as much learning as we com­monly get in seuen yeares more added vn­to them, that in foure or fewer yeares, might not get all the artes that we attayne to commonlie in eight or nine yeares, tha [...] might not in a yeares studie get such know­ledge of the Scriptures as we get not i [...] seauen yeares? For we spende the good [Page 59] tyme God geueth vs in feasting often in the countrie, in bedde, in walkinge, in gaminge, in idle and vnprofitable ex­ercises, that oftentimes a whole moneth together, some thinke not of any thinge but cunninge and rehearsinge of partes to play: and God knowes the least time is geuen to our studies, our profitable and frutefull, our godlye and honest studies. In playing, we are of labour pacient whole nightes and dayes: In godly exercises for the encrease of our faith and knowledge, too too vnpacient to tarie a litle time: earnest in vanities, slacke and slowe in prayers, and wearie in sermon time, care­full, wise and swift in attayning thend of our deuises, but negligent, foolish and slowe to any good thinge, quicke in vnderstan­ding euill, but deafe and doltishe and not able at twise telling to perceiue a godly in­struction: As Hasael or as the Roe of the fielde to ouer take a vayne man whome we propounde to vs to followe, but heauie as the sande, and slowe as the wormes, or messengers of euill newes to followe a good and vertuous and learned example. And yet we say, wherein are we to be re­proued? It is but for fashions sake or be­cause we find a fitte phrase in the Scripture, [Page] yet we may haue grace & commendacions. An idle belly, ah prophane hart, ah Epicure, ah the depth and bottom of sinne, my hart telleth me there be such euill beasts in the Colledge. Nay my eyes and my eares are witnesses of this, & my minde telleth me a great deale more, which the iust God will to the shame of these idle beasts bring vp­pon their heades as he hath done vppon some already. Wel these be the frutes of the Egyptians whose spoyle the Lord hath giuē to vs to feare and serue him: which he will (if we hinder him not by our securitie and carelesnes) make more plentifull with new blessings: or els as to this people will giue these and more too, (but to our condemna­tion,) onely for his promise sake. For it fol­loweth [he wil alway remember his couenaunt] Here the Prophet noteth the cause of this benefit which the Lord bestowed vpon the Israelits not their fathers deseruings. For A­braham, Isaac and Iacob had their many in­firmities, as appeareth in the Scriptures: much lesse their owne, being now as it were Egyptians, Idolaters, worshippers of oxen, and calues, and serpents, and hauing forgot the God of their fathers, but for the merci­full couenant and promise which he made to Abraham their father, that after their [Page 61] bondage in a straunge land foure ages he would bring them forth with great substāce. Gen. 15.13. Here is the ground of the ioy and comfort of the Sainctes euen the Lordes mercie in promising, & truth in performing. We haue no other title to the least of Gods benefites but euen his truth to clame them by: that the worlde shall be no more destroyed with water, Gen. 9.11. what assurance haue we that deserue euery momēt to be ouerwhelmed with wa­ters: but onely his couenaunt, that accor­ding to his mercie he wil alway remember? Ioh. 5.29. What certainty haue we for our resurrectiō to life but only the truth of Gods promise? Seeing we haue deserued euen the best of vs to lye and rotte in the earth for euer. But O Lorde thy faith endureth for euer. Thou wilt for thy promise sake haue mercie vpon vs, although our sinnes, the bondes and chaines of our sinnes are able to kepe vs in hell without redemption. It followeth in the next verse. He hath declared the power of his workes vnto his people &c. As the Lorde pre­senteth stil his blessings vpon his people, so the Prophet followeth the commendation of them. And as the Lord riseth in mercie and fauour, so Dauid acco [...]ding to th [...] de­gree speaketh of them. The benefit of their deliuerance was as we haue seene wonder­fully [Page 62] & miraculously brought to passe. These enriching more wonderfully: this which the Prophet now remembreth is more then the other. And therfore he sayth the Lord shewed the strēgth & power of his workes in giuing vn­to them the heritage of the Heathen. As if he shoulde say although thus wonderfully and miraculously thy hande O Lorde deliuered thy children, although so mercifullie thou broughtest them forth in great substaunce, yet these were litle in thine eies, thine hand & thine arme prouided for them, besides all these a perpetual heritage. Let vs therefore examine this miracle & see whether it so ex­cedeth as the Prophet speaketh. For therby seing the loue, the tēder & excedīg loue that the Lorde beareth to his Church, we may draw & receaue great comfort if we also be of the same body. For the Lord did nothing then, which now he will not do for his peo­ple or rather in more excellent & notable manner. First therefore consider the mur­murings of this people, their idolatrie, their euill lustes, their many and sundrie tenta­tions, wherewith forty yeares together they prouoked the Lord their redeemer, by their vnfaithfulnes, their rebellion to their Cap­taines, & last of al their feare of these natiōs whom the Lord had already discomfited & [Page 63] destroied in heauē, & their desire to returne into Egypt (that was to hell) againe, where so cruelly they had bene handled: Consider all these sinnes and many more which the Lord sawe in their harts: And aboue all the miracles that we yet see, we shall wonder at this miracle of their bringing into the lād of promise. Surely God is omnipotēt, yet sinne is able to close his hand & (I speake in reue­rence & feare) able to tye his armes that he geue nothing. His face is seuen times more fauourable & gracious then the Sunne, yet vnfaithfulnes is able to hide & couet it. His loue is fire in dede, but the waters of vngod­lines are able to quenche it. His strength is wonderfull for the destruction of our ene­mies, but our sinne, our vnfaithfulnes, our wickednes, our rebelliō, maketh him weaker then water. The Lord is a mighty Sāpson in dede, but our sins are sharper thē any ra [...]er wherby we weakē the strēgth & (if I may so speake) shaue the head of this great Sāpson our Iudge and defender. The Lord is inuin­cible, 1. Sam. 4.11 yet our vngodlines hath made him bin takē prisoner. His nature is invulnerable, yet by our sin we pearse him. He is life: Zachar. 12.10. & yet by our vngodlines (I speake an horrible thing) we slea him. Here is therefore the strength of the Lord reuealed, that notwithstanding [Page 64] all these rocks and cragges as the Prophet Amos speaketh the course of the Lords be­nefits was not hindred, his hands not boūd, his light not darkened, his loue not quen­ched, his strength not weakened, his wil no­thing chaunged, it repented him not of his promise as in the dayes of Noah, & that he made not an vtter cōsumption of this sinne­full people. This may be well noted for the setting forth of this great benefit. Besides this we may also remember the vnfitnes of this people for battle. Exod. 5.18. They had bene brought vp in kilnes among the bricks, they were accustomed to bearing of burthens for the building of the Egyptian piramides: not instituted or instructed in feates of warre, not armed, not politike, yet in this infirmity the Lordes strength appeared: they were straungers in the countrie and therefore easely ouerthrowne in vnknowne places they were but one people: their enemies cunning in the countrie: Exod. 7.7. and seuen greater and mightier nations then they: they re­mained in tents: their enemies in strong & walled townes, Num. 13.29 whose walls reached vnto the heauens: these were footemen: their e­nemies on horses and iron chariots: these without weapons of warre, without any o­ther outward help which all their enemies [Page 65] had in great abundance: yet for all these the hande of God brought them vnto the lande that he had promised and sworne to their fathers. So that the miracles in Egypt and their spoyle may be forgotten, in respect of this great and wonderfull worke: Moises not spoken of in comparison of Ie­hosua by whose hande the Lorde brought this worke to passe. In their deliueraunce he shooke the earth: but in their placing he moued the heauens. Exo. 10.22. The day was turned into night in Egypt: But here the whole course and order of the worlde both in the heauens & earth was chaunged at the stan­ding of the Sunne, which as astonished at this worke, at this great worke stoode and forgot to runne his course. Exo. 12.29. The first borne were but destroyed in Egypt, but all their children from the first borne to the childe in the wombe were here destroyed. There they were spoyled onely of their richesse and iewells: but here of their richesse and inheritaunce. There one Kinge was de­stroyed: here the Lorde scattered many Kinges for their sake, and made Iehosuah to treade vpon their Kings neckes, and pro­phane all their crownes. This did the won­derfull zeale of the Lorde of hostes bring to passe for his promise sake, and shewed as [Page] the Prophet sayth euen his power and his strēgth in this worke, Exod. 15. to giue his people the heritage of the Heathen. Seeing then the hand of the Lord brought all these thinges to passe for them, not only to bring thē out of the iron furnace but to place them in a paradice, not to begin to be mercifull but to bring it to an end, and as the Prophet Eze­chiel cōpareth it, Ezech. 16.4 not only to cut the nauell of this woman child, to wash it, to salt it, to say vnto it, liue euen in blood: to say vnto it liue, but to bring it vp, to forme her, to fa­shion her, to decke her with ornaments, and to geue her an heritage, so large and good­ly an heritage. What feare, what obedience what reuerence is there that she ought not to geue to God her redemer that tooke her out of the iawes of death to be a peculiar, a deare, and beloued people aboue all the nations of the earth vnto him. He passed that Ladie of all the worlde, the Monarchis of Assiria so great in power, so excellent in glorie, so famous in victories, or what o­ther nation or Kingdome so euer was fayre and excellent, he passed by them all to take vnto him out of Egypt straungers, ser­uauntes, and slaues of Pharao vpon whom he woulde showe his loue and mercies, Therefore let them and vs together with [Page] them magnifie the Lorde of heauen and earth, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Iacob, whose trueth remayneth for euer and praye that as to them he gaue suche benefites to serue him, Psal. 105.45. to keepe his sta­tutes, and obserue his lawes as Dauid sayth, making this the ende of these wonders and benefites, so the power of his workes which he hath also shewed towardes vs in infinite and innumerable benefites, may worke an excellent kind of seruice, in the which, the power and the excellencie of the feare and worship of God may appeare to his glorie and our comfort Amen.

It followeth in the 7. verse: The workes of his hande are veritie and iudgement, all his fla­ [...]es are true. I haue heretofore declared the wonderfull and notable workes which the Lorde executed in the placing of the people of Israell, in the land of the Cana­nits, Hitits, Heresits &c. and shewed by it, that which the Prophete speaketh of the strength of God: which benefit (as hath ap­peared) was to be accounted of aboue the other of the deliueraunce and pray of E­gypt: which notwithstanding were as I haue shewed wondrous & maruelous workes. In this verse the Prophet rendreth a reason of this wonderfull counsell of God. And first [Page] he declareth that it was so be [...] by God appoynted. For he calleth the performance of it, [...]eth. And because as fleshe and and sinne is prowde and quickely leapeth into the throne of iudgement euen ouer God him selfe & his doings, (such vile and abhominable deuills are we) The Prophet giueth a further reason when as he saith the works of his hands are iudgement. He saith not, [...]ger, least any shoulde thinke cruel­tie in God. The workes of his hands are truth The Hebrewes vse this worde when they speake of a sure and certaine performance of that which is promised. Therefore they ioyne these two words mercy and truth toge­ther, whether they speake of God or man. Dauid praiseth God for mercie and truth: Psal. 85.10 that is, for his mercifull promise and faith­full and true performance. Gen. 47.29. And Iacob swea­reth Ioseph to do this mercy & truth to him, that he be caried to be buried in the land of promise. These examples shall suffise, al­though I might bring almost infinit. But this is enough to vnderstande the meaning of Dauid. Nowe that the worke was truth, we shall vnderstand if we remēber the notable promise which the Lorde made vnto Abra­ham, and confirmed it vnto Isaac and after­ward to Iacob that he woulde geue to them [Page] and to their seede after them the lande of these seuen nations. Gen. 13.14. For the Lord after that Lot was departed from Abraham, cōmaun­ded Abraham dwelling in the lande of Ca­naan to lift vp his eyes and looke from the place he stoode in, to the East, & the West, & the North, & Sowth, & promised to giue it vnto his sede after him for euer. This was done fiue times to Abraham. And Abraham died and was buried in the land of Canaan. In the xxvj. Gen. 26.24. chap. the Lord promiseth Isaac to kepe the same oth that he sware to his fa­ther Abraham. And in the xxviij. Gen. 28.13. chap. the Lorde appeared to Iacob in the way to Me­sopotamia in a dreame & promised to make his seede also to florishe and to spread euen to the North and Sowth & East & West, al­though he was then a straunger and alone. And the same also is in the xxxv. Gen. 35.11. chap. with this addition, that euen Kings should come out of him. These are the promises & other which the Lord made & bound him selfe to kepe to this people: which as we haue seene after 400. yeares, the Lorde accomplished. This truth which Dauid speaketh of shal be more excellēt & famous, if we cōsider those hinderaunces, which seemed to haue bene able to haue made all these promises vaine. First consider what daungers & perills that [Page 70] Abraham was often in, being but one man, and d [...]iuen from country to countrie. And as Dauid saith both of him and of Isaac and Iacob, they were driuen from one kingdom to an other people. And this came to Abra­ham what time he had no feede. So that by the enmity of the Philistians, by the daun­ger he was in for his wife, the promise of God concerning his posteritie was in great daunger. Gen. 17.17. Heb. 11.12. Consider the barennesse of Sara [...] and so many yeares after this first promise so that it might haue bene thought he had forgotten his promise. After this what was the condition of Isaac in whom now all the hope of the promise rested? howe farre of from death was he when his father had al­ready stretched out his hande for his death and that at the Lordes commaundement? where then seemed any hope of this pro­mise or of this trueth that Dauid commen­deth in this place? After this the barennes of Rebecca, which when it was taken away behold a newe hinderaunce. The children fought in her wombe together that she was in great feare that thone woulde haue de­stroyed thother. Then the feare of daun­ger that Iacob was in of his brother Esaw who had vowed his death. And after that he was returned out of Siria, when Simion [Page 71] and Leui destroyed the Shecamites, what hope was there then that one of all the [...]cke shoulde haue bene left aliue? Which Iacob also feared, and had not that God of trueth (who to bring to passe his promise had before so miraculously preserued his father from his enemies) as it were holden him vnder his arme and kept him in his bo­some, they had at that time beene all de­stroyed. But the feare of them fell vppon the nations about them and they escaped daunger. Then followed also an other e­nemie for the hinderaunce of his promise, euen the famine which was in the lande of Canaan nowe risen as it were against the trueth of God. After that the bon­dage of Egypt in whiche fornace muche more hotte then the fornace of Nebucad­nesar, yet neuerthelesse they were not con­sumed. These circumstaunces considered which were as so many contrarie windes a­gainst this purpose of God, or like so many red seas to their entrance into this lande, or so many walls of iron & gates of brasse tho­rowe which they must breake before they coulde come into this promised city, These circūstances of hinderāce I say considered, which notwithstanding the great & migh­ty God for his promise sake remoued, doe [Page 72] make the arme of the glory & power of God so much more famous and glorious & more greatly to be praised, neither that onely, but comfortable also vnto all that waite for his promises in faith and pacience. For here we see an exāple drawn before vs by the finger of God to looke vpon, for the confirmation of our faith and hope, if we waite also for those thinges which the Lord of his mercie hath promised to vs. We see that the Lorde hath promised that he will giue the Gospell free passage in the kingdom of Christ. And this we looke for, & all they whose harts are touched with the loue of the glorie of God waite & looke for it till their eyes dasell in their heads. For we see mountaines, & hills, seas, & waters, kingdoms, & peoples, Kings, Princes, and Counselers of the earth, lift vp them selues & stand against it: yet we may cōfort our selues with these words, that the Lord of mercie is the God of truth and will bring this promise to passe as we see it begun this day. For we see these kingdoms of Eng­land, Scotland, Denmarke, Germany, Polo­nia and diuers other kingdoms which toge­ther with Italy, Fraunce, & Spayne, were as a Scepter or mace in the hand of the deuill of Rome, (as we se in tragedies in the hands of furies) we haue seene this mace although [Page 73] for a time faire & bewtifull with crownes & gold in his hande, yet now almost burnt out of his hande. The fire of the Gospell brake forth first one peece of his mace in Germa­ny: then it cracked of this side and then of that side the sea: and nowe it cracketh in Fraunce, and what is left in his hande but a stumpe of Italie and Spayne which the Lorde for his trueth and promise sake will burne also out of his hande. Neither will [...] thus leaue. But I doubt not but as the o­ther Antichrist of the East the Turke be­gan together with him, so he shall end toge­ther: and hope that when the man of sinne is consumed, the Lord wil also take his peo­ple out of his hand & accomplish the num­ber of the elect. In Barbarie, Grece, and else where. And when Lord? how long shall thy foes triumphe ouer thee and make a mock of thy sonne Iesus our Sauiour whome we looke and waite for, for the destruction of these Tirants that haue lift vp them selues against him, and for the refreshing of thy wearye and faintye children? Doubt ye not but the Lord numbreth the yeares of their captiuitie & of their appoynted time for saluation, when our Redemer will come and fulfill all thinges which haue bene spo­ken and determined by the Lorde of truth. [Page 74] Thus may we [...] comfort our selues in [...] Gods promises which because it were [...] to folow, I wil rest on this one exāple. Which for all other may be a patterne to vs of the truth of God. For in this verse is bec [...] of­fred againe to speake of it. The workes of [...] hands are truth & iudgement &c. This second word which the Prophet vsed I haue alrea­dy said is added to correct our wicked iudge­ments against God, because such & so great is our corruption, so venimous & poysenfull we are of nature y ^t we cōtent not our selues with equal enmities, but our sinne breaketh out & falleth vpon the iust and great God. Therfore the Prophet attributeth this title to the Lords works y ^t they are no lesse righ­teous & iust, then they are true & sure. Now he meaneth in this place y ^t the punishments which he executed for his people vpon the Cananits & Egyptians, were most righteous iudgements as we haue seene therefore the truth of God in these workes, so let vs con­sider now therin his righteousnes. And first for the Egyptians. I dispure not of the secret & hid causes which are only knowne to the Lord. Why he set this people & the other of Canaan aboue all other nations as it were vpon a stage in whose persons this traged [...] should be seene, which can not be vniustly [Page 75] [...] by the Iudge of heauen and earth, the [...] of all the world, as Abraham saith, Gen. 18.25 but I will onely remember those manifest & re­ [...]a [...]ed reasons by the scripture which were the occasion of al their punishments, wher­ [...] we may remember that Egypt most ty­rannously & cruelly handled this people. Knowest thou not, oh vnthākful Egypt, how to deale with thy patrons and benefactors? was the benefite thou haddest by Ioseph forgottē in whose hand was thy life, & in his wisdome thy glory? in whose wil was thy de­struction, & in his pleasure thy shame? had ye forgottē the law of nature, oh Pharao & al thy Senators, & al the people of the land of Egypt, so vncurteously and vngently to handle straungers? Came they to be your seruants & bōdmen, or felows & cōpaniōs? & yet saide, Come let vs take counsell a­gainst thē? Exod. 1.10. Knew you not last of al that they were gods people, his heritage, his childrē, his priests & kings, whō whosoeuer blessed, Gen. 12.3. he had promised he would blesse agayne, & curse thē y ^t cursed them? had not their God threatned & smittē euen kings for their fa­thers sakes Abrahā & Isaac, euē Pharao & Abimelech? had not Egipt a singuler benefit aboue all natiōs to be y ^e hosts of thē y ^t were so deare to y ^e Lord? Were not they more thē [Page 76] Nilus in her highest & deepest inundations profitable to the encrease of the fruites of the land? The heate of the sunne, the in­fluence of the starres, & all other benefites that are required for the ryping of their fruites, came out of no other heauen then euen this very people. For as the Prophet describing the returne of the children of Israell out of Babilon, for whom the Lorde would digge fountaynes euen in the wil­dernes, turneth to the serpēts, & exhorteth them to prayse God that had giuen waters in the wildernes, because through the bles­sing of this people it was also common to them: So these serpents & tygers of Egypt receiue these blessings of God as by occasi­on, that is, for his peoples sake: their corne, their wine, & encrease of all things, and yet they take counsell to slay some of them, and to kepe the rest in perpetuall bondage. Iust therefore were these thy iudgementes, oh Lord, and righteous was all thy counsell a­gaynst this cruel & vnnatural people. Tho [...] turnedst their waters into blood, because they were a bloody people: thy hand strok [...] thē with darknes, because they were blind and ignorant of the benefites: They hande brought botches & sores vpon thē, because they were full of ve [...]n & poyson: frogges [Page 77] and hee & vermin were sent amōgst them, because they were a proud generatiō: they [...]re depriued of their substance and orna­ments, because they were gotten by cruelty and extortion: their first borne slayne, be­cause they were the beginning of their wic­ked strength: the king & his hosts drowned in the sea, because they were all malicious and obstinate. The works therefore of thy hands in this people, were iustice & iudge­ment. Nowe I will consider the Cananites and declare the Lord my God to haue bin in their destruction also most iust and most righteous. This is oftē declared in the pro­phets, when they shew Israel of their Idola­trie, diuinations, crueltie, and such like, for they say the lande is full of abhominations as it was in the dayes when the Amorites & [...]ittits dwelled in it. And Ezechiel decla­ring all their wickednes in two words, say­ing, Abrahā was not their father, nor Saray their mother, but some Amorreā begat thē, Eze. 16.3. and some Hittite surely bare thē. Whereby the sinne & abominatiōs of this people are manifest. And if we looke for the lord in his owne person to giue sentēce of thē, Gen. 15.13 behold he appoynteth 400. yeres to passe ere the seede of Abrahā should enioy this land be­cause the measure of the sinne of the Amo­rites [Page] was not then full, their fruites [...] ripe, the waters of wickednes not yet o [...] their heads, but thē very neare ripe, though not fitte for the haruest. For the mercyfull and gracious God doth so long beare with the wickednes of the world till it reache to the very heauens: that his long patience (as thapostle teacheth the Romans) might driue them to the consideration of it, Rom. 2.4. & to repentance. But the Lord hath all that lōg time that he spareth, his ballaunce in his hande, wherwith he wayeth the beginning and encrease & full weight of their sinne, & then he casteth them out. He considereth thē, and wayteth for the ripenes, before he sendeth messengers to plucke them of the tree, or cut them of the earth. He tarieth till they be dry and fit for the fire before he throw them in: till they be farre, before he slay them: till they be dry & withered, be­fore he put the axe to hewe them downe. Therfore it is conteyned in y ^e scripture that the earth was full of sinne when the Lorde sent the flood & destroyed the worlde, Gene. 6.5. and made it as before the distinction of light & darknes, Gene. 8. almost for a yere. We reade also that the sinne of Sodome was great, & that the cry therof ascended vp to the eares of the Lord of hostes. Gen. 18.20 Thus also the Lorde in a [Page 79] vision of ripe apples sheweth Amos y ^e time of the Israelites destruction to be at y ^e dore. Amos. 8.1. And our Sauiour Christ teacheth this long [...]ing of the Lorde by the parable of the husbandmen, who wayteth 3. Luke. 13.7. yeres after no fruite came, to see if any fruite would ap­peare. But we see the lord not to haue way­ted three yeres for the repentance of this people, or till they were ripe, Neither 120. yeres as in the dayes of Noy, But 400. yeres as he had declared before to Abraham. Therefore the works of his hands were not against this people vnpacient in anger or fury, but righteous in iustice & iudgement. The sword wherby they were slayne frō the prince to al the people euen womē & chil­drē, was y ^e sword of righteousnes: & the fire that cōsumed their cities & destroyed their houses, was the fire of iudgement the hayle & tēpest y ^t fought against thē, reason, iustice & equiry. That God therfore destroyed the great & smal, the old & yong, & as it is sayd, the mother & her childrē, it was not cruell rage, not iniury, but right & iustice, in strikīg at y ^e last: & patiēce & lōg suffring in forbea­ring thē so lōg: finally great wisdome in de­stroying y ^e leprous generatiō, lest it shuld stil encrease: & great mercy to his church. Thus thē appeareth not only y ^e truth & faith of y ^e [Page 80] workes of God in performing [...] which were so long spokē of before [...] ­ning y ^e bringing of his people out of Egypt and placing thē in Canaan, but also [...] ­ment, wisedome, and mercy. Nowe [...] halfe of this verse which foloweth, the Pro­phet teacheth that doctrine & fruite which is here to be gathered. For he sayth, all his statutes are true, so that from these perti­culer promises and iudgementes of God, the Prophet ryseth and reasoneth for the surety of all Gods promises, whether they be for the destruction of his enemies, or benefites promised to his Church. For by statutes it should appeare by the circum­stance of this place, that he vnderstandeth all this.

First therefore for the suretie of the workes of God in that behalfe (for after we shall see it in the other part concerning the benefites towards his Church) he sayth all his statutes are true: that is, all his appoyn­ted counsels are sure and faythfull, whe­ther they be a destruction and ouerthrowe of the wicked, or a comfort to the godly. And howe shall not they be most sure and most truely performed, seeing they are de­termined by him, whose handes made the world and all that is therin, who hath done [Page 81] what so [...] he purposed & was good in his [...], whose hand is the hand of power and [...] almightie? Man in dede in vayne and deceiuable, and able to be hindered of that which he hath determined, but the lord the almighty God creator of heauen & earth, in whose power are al creatures, euen kings and princes, and in whose handes are the chaynes and bitte and bridle, whereby the very diuels are at his word losed & bound, sent out and called in agayne, is neuer de­ceiued nor hindred frō bringing his coun­sels to passe. The waters of Tema & Sheba, Iob. 6.19. as Iob sayth, are with heate dried vp, so that they which looke for helpe at them, are cō ­founded and ashamed; but the counsels of god are as l [...]ing & springing waters, which shall continue faithfull and sure & vndried, though all the mountaynes & fountaynes from whence the riuers and floods do flow, yea though the sea should be dried vp, for those runne out of the earth, but the coun­sels of God flowe from his hande which no sunne can drie, nor winde driue away, till al be fulfilled that he hath determined. They are therfore like the springing waters, that is, continuall and durable: like the great mountaynes that can not be remoued, Psa. 125.1. as sayth the Prophet [...] like the fielde that [...] [Page] bringeth forth fruite, and can by no iniurie of weather be hindred: like the worde and commaundement of the Persian kinges, Dan. 6.12. whose worde is sure, as it is in Daniel or ra­ther like the Lord himselfe, Iea [...]. 1.17. who is immuta­ble and vnchangeable. Crye therefore and weepe, make a noyse & howle ye contem­ners of the Lorde, ye that delight in your vanities, & take pleasure in that that is ab­hominable, Malac. 4.1 for behold the day cōmeth that shall burne as an ouen, and al the proude, & al that do wickednes, shal be as stubble, and the day that cōmeth shall burne them vp, sayth the Lord of hostes, and shall leaue thē neither roote nor braunch. Heare ye drun­kards and gluttons, ye Epicures, and idle bellies, Iud. 14. and feare, for beholde the Lorde cōmeth with thousandes of his Sainctes, to giue iudgement agaynst you of al the wic­kednes you haue cōmitted, and of all the cruell words which wicked men haue spo­ken agaynst his worde. For this is determi­ned by the sentence of the mightie God, whose name is wonderfull and power mar­ueilous, whose decrees are sure and coun­sells vnfallible. This fearefull lesson the Prophet teacheth the wicked and abhomi­nable children, that dishonour the glorious and be [...]cifull name of the Lord our God, [...] [Page] when he sayth, all his appoyntments or de­crees are sure. For they may be sure & cer­taine, they may perswade thēselues, & write of it, that the iudgement of God vpon them in what sort soeuer the Lord haue giuē sen­tence vpon thē, whether to their destructiō by thē selues or by other, whether immedi­atly frō heauen or by common death, or by some notable spectacle, or in what sort or kind soeuer it be, that it sleepeth not, but it cōmeth vpō a chariot, whose horses are the winds, & whose wheeles are the whirlwinds euen spedily & hastily to their destruction. And now you that feare God & delight in his cōmaundements, that frankely & freely g [...]e your soules & bodies to the Lords ser­uice, that loue his word [...], his glory, and his children, that indeuour with al your power in that vocation wherto you are called, to sanctifie & prayse that holy name, that are in battaile & field against temptations with sinne, with the diuell, with the intisementes of vanitie, that haue solde all things for the precious iewel of the Gospel, & delite your selues therin, that therfore bare the hate of the wicked, the mockes of the scornefull, the iniuries of the violent, that grone and mourne and lament, and sight and weepe vnder the burden of sinne & power therof, [Page] that would raigne in our mortall bodies, let vs at this voyce of the Prophet when he sayth all the Lords decrees are sure, let vs, I say, lift vp our heades and paciently and ioyfully looke for that day when the Lorde shall deliuer vs and all our fellowes from al oppression & iniury of the wicked: whē Sa­tan shall no more watch agaynst vs: when the power of sinne shall not hinder the spi­rite of God to haue his full and perfect worke in vs. That which foloweth in y ^e ne [...] verse is only a repetition of this that I haue already expounded: for where hee ha [...] say [...] the workes of his hands are truth, here more playnly he sayth, They are esta­blished for euer and euer. And where he said, They were truth & iudgement, he now sayth, They are done in truth & equitie. Therfore: is a doctrine most necessary to knowe the truth of God in performing his promise [...] his iudgement, & equity in the same, sei [...] the Prophet so diligently noteth it, y ^t in th [...] short Psalm he giueth two verses to it, kno­ting other thinges vp very briefly. Let [...] therfore for our seale to his truth & ius [...] of god in [...]l his works, what sort soeuer th [...] are of: and let them that know & feare t [...] Lord, say alwaies the Lord is true & right [...] ou [...] to him be glory for euer & euer [...]m [...]

I am come by the grace of God to the end of the Cxj. Psalme, which nowe almoste a yeare agoe I tooke in hand, wherein I haue spoken first of the proeme which is in the first verse, stirring vppe him selfe to the writing of it to the prayse of God: then of the double matter in [...]t, both of the worke of God appearinge in the whole worlde, [...]e they are witnesses vnto vs and mai­sters of the glorie and mercie of the crea­tor who is blessed for euer Amen: Then of his benefites bestowed vpon his church, the creation of it, their deliuerance, their mira­culous deliuerance, their more miraculous enriching, & their most miraculous & won­derfull placing in the lande of their inheri­taunce. All, arguments of a most entire and tender loue & affection that God had to his Church, and seueritie, iustice and truth to­wardes the Egyptians and Amoheans as I haue declared. Nowe followeth the last and principall benefit that they receiued, to be spokē of. He sent redemption vnto his people, he cōmaunded his couenaunt for euer &c. This be­nefit is the declaring & opening of the will & cōmaundements of the Lord vnto them. Of the which to speake according as it is requisite by proportion and measure of this to the other which they before receiued, I [Page] neede a more plentifull wisedom, & a m [...]e gracious tonge which the Lord graunt me. For if in thother I haue spoken with the tongue of a man, in this I haue neede of the tongue of an Angell: For if we accompted of the other as precious, excellēt & heauē ­ly blessing [...], of this, we ought to make much more accompt as by comparison shall ap­peare. And first for their deliuerance out of Egypt, you all are witnesses what a notable thing it was, and how I haue laboured to set forth therein the hand and power of God, and his loue to his people in it: yet the scri­ptures doe lighten it in other places, as we shall see. For we read that the Lord did also bring the Philistines from Oaphtor, and the Syrians from Tire, Amos 9.7. as Amos declareth. Thē we see that their deliueraunce out of Egypt was no singuler or proper thing which the L. wrought for them more then for other. Also their placing in the land of Canaā, al­though so notable as I haue before shewed, Deut. 2.9. yet Moyses sheweth the like done for other people. The Israelits were placed in the lād of Canaan, the Ammonits and the Moabits those incestuous sonnes with their incestu­ous generations were likewise placed in the land of the Zamzonuns. he destroyed the Enakymes, for Israell: likewise he destroyed [Page] these Zāzomias. For the Amonits, a people great & tal as the En [...]imes so the Lord de­stroied the Horymes & brought in y ^e sonnes of Esawe in their place, And the Attins w ^c dwelt in Hor [...]rim euen vnto Aza. Them, the Caphtorims destroied & dwelt in their pla­ces. Where then is become the priuiledge of Israell or those great workes for them, w ^c we magnified so greatly and highly before. What vehemence then is in this exhortati­on of the Prophets, where they euer bringe in their deliuerance out of Egypt, then pla­cing in the lād, their vse of the fructs which they planted not, corne which they sowed not, and houses which they builded not, se­ing these haue bene no lesse done for Infi­dels then for his owne people? Surely it can not be denied but although their deliue­rance were commō to them with other, yet the maner of their deliuerance was not able & singuler. for so Moyses sayth, was it euer heard before that God shoulde come as it were from heauen to deliuer one people out of an other that oppressed them with signes and tokens and wonders as he did to them, as if he him selfe had bene op­pressed with them? as if he had burned in the furnace with them? as if he had labou­red vnder their burdēs? as if he had fled out [Page] of the land with them? yet notwithstanding all these thinges which were wrought for their deliueraunce, were both maruelous and singuler, yet they are but dead and idle without this which nowe the Prophet Da­uid addeth as the life and perfection of the rest. Rom. 3.1. Euen as the Ap. S. Paule teacheth, where he asketh what the perfermēt of the Iewes was aboue the Gentiles? he aunswereth that it was very muche, because that vnto them were committed the wordes of God, the couenaunts, the law, the seruice of God, & the promises, as also we haue in the 127. Psalme the testimony of the Prophet Da­uid to this purpose, Psal. 127. he shewed sayth he his word vnto Iacob, his statutes & ordinaun­ces vnto Israell: he hath not delt so with a­ny nation, neither haue the heathen know­ledge of his lawes. Thus then it appeareth that not in their deliueraunce, neither in their inheritaunce, but in the word of God reueiled vnto them, their principall bles­sings and tokens of Gods fauour appeared. From Horeb and Sinai, and neither out of the riches of Egypt, nor the inheritaunce of Canaan, came their felicitie, for although that the riches of Egypt, and goods of the Caanits were greate and notable tokens of Gods fauour vnto them, yet by them they [Page] were not ioyned & coupled with the Lord. They were not made bones of Iesus Christ bones, and flesh of his flesh, Ephes. 5.30 as by the word and couenant and testimonies of God they were. For Moyses as a M [...]diator betweene the Lorde and his people did in the giuing of the lawe, binde the [...]e two, God and his people together: putting as it were the Lords hand into the hand of all Israell, and giuing his likewise as a father into the pow­er of God, making of two on: by Iesus Christ the head. Therfore the Prophet Ezech. Ezech. 19. cō ­pareth all other benefits that God gaue his people, to the ornaments of apparel, name­ly to her bracelits & billiments, to her rings and cheynes, and earings, to her Crowne of gold for her head, white silke for her body, and shooes of taxus for her feete, to hony, oyle, and the finest flower of wheate for her diet, but the giuing of his word and statut [...] vnto them, to his mariage with her. There­fore are all those complaints in this Eze­chiel, and in the rest of the Prophets con­cerning her fornication, when she left the commaundements of God, & followed af­ter straunge gods & new lawes: And there­fore also there is mention of diuorcement betwene them. This was then the greatest and highest and heauenliest benefit that e­uer [Page] came vnto them to be ioyned in league with God, to haue him sweare & binde him self vnto them to be their God, that is their defender & mainteiner, if they would be his people, he delt not so with any nation, or kingdō, or city vnder the cope of heauē. Oh Israell, oh house of Iacob, what wast thou that the lord so rewarded thee, or what was Abraham thy father that he so visited him? he made for him selfe a people onely out of Sem, & cast away Cham & Iaphet, Gebal & Ammon, and Amaleck he abhorred, but Iu­dah & Leui & Ioseph he loued he exalted & honoured, he made them of all the world his sonnes, and first begotten, all them he made Kings and Priestes vnto him as Mel­chisedech, he made them all litle inferiors to the Angells, & ioyned thē with the sonne of God. Ex. 14.30. The night then that they departed out of Egypt was a day of loue vnto thē, the day that Mannah first fel from the heauens, Ex. 16.13. was in deede a day of ioy and great gladnes vnto them: But that day that they receiued the lawes & ordinaunces & statuts of God, although it was a cloudye & a darke daye, a day of tribulation & anguish, of feare & sor­row, of a noise & sound of a terrible trumpet and thunder, which all caused to the out­ward man heauines and sadnes, yet in deed [Page] if we consider what good that day brought to his people, what honor, what prehemi­nence, what state, what maiestie, what as it were familiaritie euen with God, that clou­dye and mystye, that darke and dreadefull daye was the blesseddest day that euer rose ouer them. A sorte of poore and sinne­full men to be ioyned in league, and as it were in mariage with God, and to haue the companye of Angells as it were bride­men at the mariage. My eyes are not so daseled with beholding the brightnes of the Sunne, nor myne eares so astonished with the thunder, not my minde so with ioy euer confounded, as my vnderstanding at the consideration of this so greate mercye, yea my wordes are swallowed in it, and my iudgement vanisheth and melteth before it. But the Lord as Moyses sayth, in deede lo­ued his people. Well we see then what iust cause Dauid had to remember this benefit in the Catalogue of the Lords mercies. He sent redemption to his people, he commaū ­ded his couenaunts for euer. Nowe also let vs a litle leaue them & thinke of our selues and the reuelation of the worde and will of God vnto vs: that in knowing the goodnes of God towardes vs in this parte, we may labour to loue the Lorde and embrace [Page] his gracious calling thankfully. What the [...] is Englande this litle poore corner of the world to Italy and Spayne, to the great and riche countries of Asia and Africa vnder the Turke, and other barbarous and blinde Princes, that God should from heauē looke as it were and cast aside his eye to this litle hole, passing ouer and contemning suche glorious and famous Monarchies, & king­doms, to cast the seede of his word and the precious stone of his glory amongest vs, to make vs while other labour and trauell for earthly and corruptible wares, to be Mar­chaunts of this such a iewell, buyers of such a treasure wherein life and saluation is con­tayned, and to lighten vs with the blessed beames of the glorious Gospell of Iesus Christ. Oh before how many goodly & rich nations hath he preferred vs? how hath he loued and honoured vs before other king­doms, that in glory and riches doe farre ex­ceede vs? Oh whom shall they send to hea­uen to fetch the worde of God? or whome shall they sende to the deepe places of the earth or beyonde the seas that may bringe thence this treasure? for the Lord hath blin­ded them most iustly that they can not see the Sunne, & stopped their eares that they may not smell the body of the Gospell, ney­ther [Page] follow the Egles that flye vnto it. We were a farre of as they are, straungers from God and his couenaunts with them, sinners of the Gentiles as they, vncircumcised, vn­taught, vnholy, nay dogges as our Sauiour Christ sayth, and swine, and tigers: but we are illuminated, we are taught, we are san­ctified, we are made neare, euen Citizens of Ierusalem, sonnes of the kingdom, & heires of the promises, and coheires with Iesus Christ, who is God blessed for euer. Amen. Now no more vnholy, no more blinde, no more cruell, no more idle, no more abomi­nable before God. for we are if the kingdom of God be in deede come vnto vs and into vs, that is euen into our mindes and consci­ences, then we are the lambes and doues & antes of the Lorde, in all holines and paci­ence and diligence, wayting for the com­ming of Christ our Sauiour. For vnles we walke in these and such like fruites of god­lines, though the Sunne be risen in the Realme, surely it hath not shined vppon vs, but we remayne yet in ignoraunce as we did. Yea surely it is an vndoubted truth that so much we know, as we practise. Otherwise let vs talke of the Gospell neuer so much, we are still deade in sinne and ignoraunce. let vs exalt it neuer so high, it exalteth not [Page] vs, but rather thrusteth vs downe to hel, but if in deede we haue receiued the Gospel, so that we both knowe the glory and mercy of God, & also seeke by all our power to glori­fie & set forth the same in our life & studies, then are we truely lightned, and the light of God shall continue with vs and encrease in vs more and more till the day starre that is the ful and perfit knowledge of Iesus Christ arise in our hartes, 1. Cor. 13.12 when we shall knowe no more in part, but fully and absolutely as we shall be taught, as thAp. sayth: for so I thinke that sentēce is to be interpreted. Thus I say if the kingdome of God be come vnto vs in truth, and not in opinion, in harte not in face, in workes not in words, then may we both for the common benefit of the realme, and our owne grace, lift vp our hands vnto heauen and blesse him that liueth for euer, who hath of so great mercy called vs from so great damnation as we were in, to life & glory. Oh that it would please him to make not onely an aultar in vs and in the realme for his worship, but fully and perfectly to build his temple in such order & perfectnes amongest vs, that we might see his Church begin to flourishe & spread her bowes ouer the whole land: that all might haue a true knowledge of him and whome he hath sent [Page] Iesus Christ. For this ignoraunce that is a­mongest vs, and this vntowardnes that is in vs either to learne the good will of God, or to put in practise that which we know, ma­keth this blessing but halfe a blessing, this grace halfe a grace, this light halfe darke, nay this blessing no blessing, this grace no grace, this light no light at all. And I praye God we make: it not a curse in thende and extreame darkenes. This in deede can not be denied but great grace is come vnto vs. But as when the arke of God was with great gladnes receiued of the Bethsanits, 1. Sam. 6.19 when it came from the Philistines, but with litle re­uerence vsed, it caused a death and destru­ction of many, euen fiftye thousand and se­uenty men, so it is to be feared and almost looked for, that if generally an other way be not taken in hande for the furtheraunce of the Gospell, and perticularly euery one frame him selfe after an other sorte to serue God, the Gospell which should be our life, will be the destruction and death both of vs & of the realme. And as Iesus Christ com­ming in the flesh vnto the Iewes, although he was acknowledged of some to be the Sa­uiour of the world, yet being generally con­temned, was enemye vnto them, and the reuenger of his contempt, So the Gospell [Page] if we receiue it not in al reuerence & feare, & to our power labour that it may be like­wise receiued of all, that which otherwise should be and would be the water of life to saue vs, wil be a sea to drowne vs: the sweete powder of our health, will be powder to our destruction: meate to feede vs, poyson to kill vs: apparell to clothe and keepe vs, will with vermin infect and [...]ot vs: last of all that which should be a Gospell vnto vs, wil bring the heauiest and saddest newes that euer we heard. Well howsoeuer we vse it, the go­spell of it selfe is the precious and excellent tree of life: and happy is the garden where­in it is planted: yea happy be the daye and blessed from aboue, in which the Gospell came vnto vs: let that moneth be respected of God, and let it be the head of the yeare, ioyful and pleasaunt may it be, and let them that are ready to blesse, blesse that day: Let not darknes rise in it, & in it let no cloudes appeare, but let his sonne be euer seene: for blessed are the feete of thē that bring glad tidings of peace and life. We celebrate as it were the natiuitie of the whole world euery daye: but the natiuitie of the Gospell we ought to celebrate euery day seuen times yea to make it the beginning of the suppu­tation of yeares, as we read that the Iewes [Page 97] reckened their yeares from the yeare of the Iubilie, Leu. 25. and from the finding of the lawe in Iosaahs time: for then commeth the true yeare of Iubilie, the yeare of ioy & freedom, and deliueraunce from bondage, when the Gospel commeth vnto vs. We write in deed in all our letters and leases the yeare of the incarnation of Iesus Christ. But I would we so often considered the benefit and vses of the incarnation deepely, and wayed that in our mindes. Well I neede labour no further to proue the benefit that we receiue by the Gospell to set forth the excellencie & dig­nitie of it: but if yet we knowe it not suffici­ently by all these colours, looke into the blacke countries of ignoraunce farre or neate in the olde time, or at this day voyde of the light of the word of God. Remember the blindnes of Sodome and Egypt, wherof the darkenes and night that God sent vpon them was a visible signe & argument. Looke into the kingdom of Turky, if for darkenes we can perceiue it what confusion and hor­rour is amongest them: looke into the Church and Sinagogue of the Papistes, if thorough gold and siluer, stone, and pearle, silke and veluet, and fine linnen, we can see her horrible filthines: that by th [...] blacke and darke colours of ignoraunce, and bla­sphemies, [Page] the beautifull and glorious face of the Gospel of God may appeare. For they in deede and we (howe many soeuer liue in ignoraunce and idlenes euen in this place) are those Cymmerians that the Sunne shi­neth not vpon although we walke al the day in the Sunne. Nay Cymmet [...]ās are not Cym­metians, night no night, and darkenes no darkenes to this darkenes. The dragons and serpents that lye in the deepe caues & cauernes of the earth, the moles that are alwayes in then holes, and batts that de­light in the night, are paterns and portra­tures vnto vs of then estate: or rather they are already in confusion and hellish darke­nes whiche in thende they shall dwell in for euermore. [...]o [...] I beseeche you is not he dishonoured is not Iesus Christ mocked, is not the spirit banished? are not the god­ly hated and persecuted? is not the word of God detested of some, corrupt of other, and despised of all such? Then there is no affinitie betweene them and God, who is light and holines: no loue betweene them, no affection, no thought of eyther toward other, but they are a farre of as the Apostle saith: they are enemies, they are two. But they who receiue the worde, are one with God, & one with Iesus Christ▪ yea as I haue [Page] sayd, bones of his bones, Ephes. 5.30 & flesh of his flesh. Then to conclude this, we see what an ex­cellent and highe calling it is, to haue the worde of God sent to any people: & what cause Dauid had to remēber it, as the chiefe and principall aboue the rest. For in deede it is the ende and scope to the which all the rest are to be referred: as the place wherin he reckeneth it, well noteth it so. [...]o [...] do we thinke that their deliuerance, tha then in­riching by the iewells of Egypt, that their inheritaunce in Canaan was bestow [...]d of them for their selues to mocke them [...]oly fellowes, rich, braue and glorious? Psal. 5.44. No the Prophet Dauid and Esay appoint the ende thereof to be farre other. For he sayth that he made them a vine for him self whi [...]h he brought out of Egypt, Esay 5. & I say in that notable song declareth how he planted th [...]m there, that he might delight him selfe in the [...] of it, and as in another place he sayth that he made a people for himselfe. So th [...]n it was and nowe is muche more: euen so muche more, as the grace of God is more aboundaunt then it was at that t [...]me. For the grace of God hath appeared in these latter daies, as th Apostle saith, Tit. 2.11. that bringeth saluation vnto all men: it hath appeared in­structing vs that denying vngodlines and [Page] worldly lustes, we should liue soberly & iu­stly and holily in this life, wishing for the blessed hope and reuelation of the glory of the great God and our Sauiour Iesus Christ who gaue him selfe for vs that he might de­liuer vs from all vnrighteousnes, and purge vs vnto him selfe a peculier people, seruent­ly and earnestly following good works, and in deed most iustly: Iere. 31.31. for he speaketh of those dayes whereof Ieremy prophesied, that the Lord would strike a new couenaunt with his people, not as he had done with then fa­thers, from the which they started, but he would not put his lawes in then harts to do them. Then seeing the grace of God hath bene so maruelous, so excellent, and super­abundant in these dayes aboue the other, by proportion and reason there is greater thankfulnes required of vs to whome such grace and mercy hath bene shewed. So that if they meete once for the praise of God, we ought to meete seuen times: if they had one preacher of it in one citie, we in one citie should haue seuen: if they had charge that they should put the commaundements and the words of God into their harts & soules, & to bind them for a signe vpon their hāds, to be a perpetuall warning in their eyes, to teach them their children, to talke of them [Page] walking in the way, and sitting in the house, and rising in the morning, and l [...]ing downe in the night, to write them vppon the dore postes and corner of the house, we surely ought not to performe this alone, but euen to dreame of them in the night: Daye and night to meditate with our selues of them. And if their loue to this mercifull God was as the loue of childrē towards their father, or as the loue of wife towards her husband with whome she is one fleshe, our loue my brethren ought to be as the loue of a friend who is with his friend one soule. For with­out doubt vnspeakeable is the grace and mercy that is reueiled by the Gospell. The eye of none can not see, nor eare heare, nor hart vnderstand it, but such as haue the spi­rite of God who knoweth the secretes of God. Now in that the Prophet Dauid say the he commaunded his couenant for euer: he doth not onely prayse it for the perpetuitie and continuance of it in respect of God, but also in a word exhorteth all men to faithfull and continuall obedience in performing the conditions of their couenaunt of their part also. And of Gods behalfe it had bene great loue if with Abraham alone the father of the people he had striken this couenaunt or with his generation after him, for some [Page] hundreth yeares: but to make it to rest vpon the head of his seede so long after him, euen from generation to generation for euer, to graunt him this inheritance, the riches and fountaine of his mercie appeareth. For al­though that some now are fallen away and their body in a maner dead, yet notwithstā ­ding the truth of the couenaunt remaineth at this day. And if they had continued faith­full, it had neuer bene broken: for God re­mayned still sure of the one partie for the performaunce of the old couenaunt. Then thinke a litle of this benefit, or rather let it occupy al ou [...] whole minds in cōsideration of it that perpetually with one people (as in an arke that shoulde neuer be broken) the Lord laid the precious treasure of his com­maundements. Although he departed from Siloth & left also Sion at the last, yet he ne­uer cleane cast away the roote & branches of Israell, but kept and kepeth thowsands to him selfe, & we looke for the rest to be cal­led euen thowsands & ten thowsandes in e­uery tribe. This people thorow their much iniqu ty vaned and vanished as the moone: & oftentimes hath b [...]ne & nowe is in a daū ­gerous & fearefull eclipse. But by the grace and mercy of God and his word appearing neare vnto them, they haue gotten and doe [Page] get some light & shal in thend be in the full, when God graūt our vnthankfulnes that be of the Gentiles, breede not great confusion to vs which haue had them our exāple but would not learne. He raised amongest them by his worde that remayned with them, not one in one age, but many in many ages as it were Angells, euen out of their bodies: I meane, the wise Prophets, noble Iudges and deliuerers, holy Priestes and Leuits, godly Kings and Angellike Nazarits. Ioel. 2.28. Euen of your young men I raised Prophets vnto you saith the Lorde, and of your children Doctors, I powred my spirit vpon your seruaunts, and vppon your daughters from time to time. And last of al as I opened my cōduits in the dayes of Noah for destruction, so the con­duits of grace were reueiled vnto you from heauen: yea the windowes of heauen were opened at the ascention of Iesus Christ and wisedom & vnderstanding rained vppon all flesh, euen to thends of the world. Thus we may remember the commendations of this couenaunt that Dauid comprehendeth in one word. And seing there is also now come to vs like grace, the same is also to be vnder­stoode in our selues. Now of the other parte in that he sayeth, he commaunded his coue­naunt for euer, Beside this praise of the mer­cie [Page] of God, I haue sayd that he exhorted thē & vs to continual faithfulnes, in keeping the Lordes couenaunt with vs. Nowe if we agree with our selues one of vs with an o­ther, a man with his fellowe, if we after breake our faith, we can not but condemne our selues of great wickednes. But if we breake with our betters as some Prince or King it is more both wickednes and shame: but if the couenant that we made with God in the beginning by our fathers & haue re­newed it in our baptisme since, be by our sinnes broken of, what miserie and shame what sinne and death hangeth ouer vs? It behoueth therefore in respect of the coue­nant it selfe, first that we kepe faith & truth to the commaundements: and that not for an hower or the time while we heare the word, or when we come to the communion, or for a day we hang downe our heades & some mortified & consecrat to God in saith and holinesse, not only to please our selues if we see a good motion in vs though it be sooner quenched then the lightning, but to labour to followe it, to nourish it, to blowe it vp, to make a fire of it, that we be not as the vnfaithfull waters which in the sommer are dried vp, or as the dead trees which perish in the winter, but that we remayne whole, [Page] and sound, & perfit as the liuing waters and Oliues of the Lorde that euer shed forth their sweetenes and fatnesse: that we make a couenaunt with God euen binding our selues as it were in statute marchaunt for performaunce: that we make as the Scrip­ture speaketh a couenaunt of salt durable & perpetual with the Lord to liue before him in holines and righteousnes all the dayes of our life: that our hands and harts and knees be neuer weary of praying, our eares neuer wearie in hearing the worde of God, our mindes euer occupied in our vocation or somthing furthering our knowledge & god­linesse. All this we are bounde to in respect only of our couenaunt. Now if we thinke of him who hath striken this league with vs, we can not chose but doe it. For as Dauid sayth here, holy and fearefull is his name. In which words two arguments are contained and forceable reasons to draw vs and driue vs to the performaunce of it. [...]irst in that he is a holy, Secondly a fearefull God. This reason you know is set almost at thend of e­uerie commaundement in Moises. [...]ot he concludeth them thus alway: This I com­maund you for I am the Lord that is an ho­ly God which would not commaund, were it not both good in it selfe & good for you: [Page 106] & a fearefull God which will visit the sinnes of the fathers vppon the children vnto the third & fourth generation of them that hate me. Exod. 20.5. Then we see whether to looke for helpe if we be slacke or weake or readie to fall in the breach of the commaundemēts of God. Art thou weake and ouercome almost with anger, with the affections of adultery in thy hart or in thine eyes? Then remember that the holy God whose thou art & whom thou oughst to serue hath forbidden them both. Art thou acquainted with sinne, art thou an olde adulterer, an olde backebiter and pro­cuter of hate against them that feare God? Knowe that the fearefull God will knocke thy pate if thou goe on still in thy wicked­nesse. These reasons I leaue for you to thinke of, because I will be short and make an ende of the Psalme, and because the next and last verse hangeth on this, name­ly to declare vnto vs how to come to the ke­ping of the couenant with God. The feare of God is the beginning of wisedom, as if he should say: Art thou desirous to followe the will of God and keepe his commaundementes? Remēber that god is an holy & fearful God, with whom thou hast a couenāt, the begin­ning wherof is the keping of his commaun­dementes, and the roote of this wisdome is [Page 107] the feare of him. This is the first step, & this is that which whē thou hast gotten, promise thy soule rest. The feare of the Lord is the be­ginning of wisdome, whither then shall he go to get this feare of the Lorde, whose ende is so pleasant & fruite so precious? shall we go to mount Sinai & Horeb agayne, where we shall heare the thunder, and terrible voyce of a trumphet, where fire and smoke & dark­nesse appeareth without, and horror and feare within? Or shal the Lord giue into my hande a fearefull sleepe to sende, vpon you to prepare you to heare the worde of God? Nay these dayes are past, and God nowe speaketh to vs by his beloued sonne. Him let vs heare, let vs looke vnto him, let vs cō ­sider the faythfull in the scripture & com­pany of Angels which feare him. For Iesus Christ him selfe although the one & onely sonne, yet he feared God, as Esay sayth, Esay. 11.2. and was obedient to him, he feared him, & was diligēt in prayer vnto him in the night, and exercised in his vocation al the day, he fea­red God, & preached the Gospell diligently for the saluation of the soules of men, and carefully & pitifully considering their mi­serie, deliuered them from infirmitie of their bodies. The Angels that are in hea­uen they feare god & reuerence his power, [Page 108] they hide their faces at his glory, and wor­ship him at his feete: Ioseph and Io [...]ias, Sa­muell & Daniell among the yong men, and Noah and Abraham, Moyses & Iob, among the fathers, Dauid & Ezechias among the kings, feared him, and walked in his commaundements. These examples are set be­fore vs. Now Salomon he exhorteth in his Prouerbs to the feare of God, who seeth & considereth al our doings, before whō we & al our inmost cogitations are naked & opē: frō whō no shadow, no cloude, no wood, no dungeon, no enchaūtment, can hide vs, for he seeth vs that made vs: and howe can he not know vs now, that knewe vs in our mo­thers wombe, as Dauid saith. And thapostle to the Hebrews herevpon exhorteth to the reuerence and feare of God, seeing we call him father who iudgeth euery man accor­ding to iustice without respect of person. And to them that will occupie themselues in the scriptures, many other fountaynes will appeare from which this feare of God will slowe. Nowe seeing it is the beginning or rather the principall part of wisedome, yea euen halfe of it, we must cast by what meanes soonest we maye obteine it. For if we he wo [...]ers & louers of wisdome, this is the mother which must giue her vnto vs: if [Page 109] we be marchantes and trauellers for her, this is the key and hauen where we muste first ariue: if we be Gardners, this the first herbe that is to be got & set in our mindes: if we be schollers, this is the first forme: if we seeke for her, she will bring them to her. Oh ye Tutors heare how al our labour is in vayne, if we seeke not to set this before all. We call the liberall artes and sciences [...]: but in deede preposterously. For the first knowledge of all knowledge, is a true & grounded knowledge in the will and worde of God. And in dede if we looke for fruite at any time of good arts & know­ledge of good tongues, let our first care be, that they feare & serue God: that they be both brought vp in suche exercises, & tray­ned vp in such studies as encrease godlines: and led so & gouerned by our example and diligence in our vocations to follow vs, as childrē their fathers. These are y ^e meanes for the spirite of God to be get feare of God which is the beginning of wisedome: Nay which is the whole halfe of wisdome, or rather as Iob sayth, perfect wisdome: without which al knowledge in heauen and earth is vayne & foolish: but with which it is, I dare say, with Salomon the chiefest ho­lynes. Now heare what commendation the [Page 110] Prophet giueth vnto them that haue it. He sayth, that they haue good vnderstanding, and that their prayse remayneth for euer, where we see what is thought in heauen of all such as feare God, notwithstanding they be con­temned & condemned in our Colleges, and in the world ab [...]. [...]t a good vnderstāding (sayth the Prophet [...]ue a [...] su [...]h as do ther­after. This commendation is drawne out of the law where Moyses often & many times vseth the same verb, wherof this now com­meth. For thus he sayth in the 8. chapter: O that they were wise and vnderstood this, that they would consider the latter ende. And in diuers other places he vseth this worde, when he teacheth that they should do wisely in doing the commaundementes of God. And Salomon in his Prouerbs doth often note a godly man by this title, A man of vnderstanding. The world magnifieth & lifteth vp on high, Policie, & knowledge of ord [...]ng a common wealth, of conducting an army, of getting great wealth and riches by marchandise: But who remembreth the highest and most principall and [...]oueraigne wisdome of all wisedomes to be godlines? These are surely things very cōmendable and necessary, but if we make comparison, these are not to be accompted of in respect [Page 111] of this wisdome. Therefore this is called wisdome in the scripture after an excellent sorte, as though other were falsly called wisdome, or by leaue as it were. Therefore Moyses often times repeateth vnto them in that exhortation made to the commaūde­mentes, that this shall be their wisdome be­fore all people: that for this cause other natiōs shall acknowledge them to be a wise and vnderstanding people. And in dede as God is only wise, 1. Tim. 1.17. as the Apostle saith to Ti­mothie, so this treasure & grace he giueth only to his children, when other euen his enemies excell in other giftes of the mind. Egypt hath bene famous for the Mathema­tikes. And Athens the schole of eloquence in all the world: In Lacedemon the tentes of souldiours and [...]eates of cheualtie: Phi­sitions in Italie: Lawes in Fraunce: Mar­chauntes in Venice: Nowe (as in old time) in Tyrus, in the lande of Hauilah are the mountaynes and vaynes of golde and pre­cious stones, scarlet, silke, and christall in Syria, yuery and costly woode in Chrum, best wines in Damascus, tapestrie i [...] [...]da­mus, and so foorth might ye cons [...]der other countreys with then chiefe marchandise: But the feare of God, the loue of his com­maundementes, which is onely wisedome, [Page] and onely precious, is onely founde in the Church of God. Therefore all the faithfull which feare the Lorde are all marchaunts and occupiers of wisedome, more famous then the Marchaunts and occupiers of Ty­rus who were like the Princes of the earth, and her chapmen as the Dukes and Nobles in the world For they are al kings & priests, as Peter and Moyses saith, but our kingdom & priesthood are spirituall: it is not seene: and therefore not esteemed. But because time forceth me to breake of here, I leaue the finishing of these two last verse to an o­ther tyme.

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