An Exposition of the Last Psalme Part 3

[Sidenote dq: _Psalm. 118._]

More princ.i.p.ally the Common-weale of England, and in it all men of all factions, and all fas.h.i.+ons whatsoeuer. _Atheists_ (if they think there be a G.o.d) haue good cause to thanke G.o.d, acknowledging his mercie toward them in sparing vs, and so sauing the bad for the [dr]righteous sake.

_Carnall Gospellers_ haue good cause to thanke G.o.d, confessing that so long as [ds]_Lot_ is in _Sodome_, it can not be destroyed; and so long as _Moses_ standeth in the [dt]gap, and [du]prayeth for his people, G.o.ds wrathfull indignation can not deuoure vs. Yea, let the _Gunpowder men_ themselues (if they haue any sparke of grace) confesse that G.o.d is to be praised in this _n.o.ble act_; for suppose (G.o.d be thanked, we may suppose and dispose thus of these matters vnto our comfort) I say suppose, their diuelish plot had been acted, I a.s.sure my selfe our cause had been farre better, and our number farre greater than theirs; and as for our sinnes (which are indeede our greatest enemies) they would haue brought into the field so many as we: so that hauing so much armour of light, and more armour of proofe then they, [dx]_Causa iubet melior superos sperare secundos_.

[Sidenote dr: _Gen. 18. 26._]

[Sidenote ds: _Gen. 19. 22._]

[Sidenote dt: _Psalm. 106. 23._]

[Sidenote du: _Exod. 32. 11._]

[Sidenote dx: _Lucan._]

But suppose the least and the worst part had ouercome the bigger and the better, yet (if they bee not hewen out of hard rockes) if these _Romanists_ haue not sucked the milke of wolues (as it is reported of the first founder of Rome) they would haue relented to see their natiue Country made nothing else but a verie shambles of _Italian_ and _Ignatian_ butchers. When _Alexander_ saw the dead corps of _Darius_; and _Iulius Caesar_, the head of _Pompey_; and _Marcus Marcellus_, _Syracusa_ burne; and _Scipio_, _Numantia_ spoild; and _t.i.tus_, _Hierusalem_ made [dy]euen with the ground, they could not abstaine from weeping, albeit they were mortall enemies. But aboue all other in this kingdome, the truely zealous, and zealously true hearted protestants haue greatest occasion of reioycing; for if the Lord had not (_according to his excellent greatnes_, and according to his excellent goodnes too) deliuered vs out of this gun-powder gulfe, our bodies happily might haue beene made food for the foules, or else fewell for the fire; and that which would haue grieued our posteritie more, supersition and Idolatrie might in short time haue been replanted in this land; I meane that vpstart Antichristian religion of _Rome_, wherein many things, especially foure (as iudicious [dz]_Fox_ well obserued) are most abominable.

1. Vnlimited jurisdiction, derogatorie to all Kings and Emperours.

2. Insolent t.i.tles, preiudiciall to all Bishops and Prelates.

3. Corrupt doctrine, injurious to all Christians.

4. Filthie lise, detestable to all men.

[Sidenote dy: _Luc. 19. 44._]

[Sidenote dz: _Martyr. pag. 1._]

The greater was our danger, the greater was our deliuerance; the greater our deliuerance, the greater our thankes should be; for as it followeth in my text, _G.o.d is to be praised according to his excellent greatnes_.

It is true that our most and best praises are few for the number, and little for the measure; whereas G.o.d is infinite for his goodnes, and in his greatnesse incomprehensible. So that the meaning of [ea]_Dauid_ is, that we should praise him according to our capacitie, and not according to his immensitie; according to the grace bestowed vpon vs, and not according to the glorie which is in him. Ecclesiasticus 43. 30. _Praise the Lord, and magnifie him as much as ye can, yet doth he farre exceed.

Exalt him with all your power, and be not weary, yet can ye not attaine vnto it._

[Sidenote ea: _Basil. Musculus, Placid. parnen. in loc._]

Now where the Lord giueth a greater meane, there he requireth a greater measure; where he bestoweth a greater portion of giftes, he doth expect a greater proportion of glorie. Wherefore seeing the Lord hath out of his abundant mercie conferred vpon this kingdome inestimable blessings, in the preaching of his word for the s.p.a.ce of more then fiftie yeares; it is questionlesse he lookes for no little thankes or small praise, but for great thankes and great praise according to his excellent greatnesse manifested in this our deliuerance. I come therefore to the second part of this Psalme, shewing _with what_ G.o.d is to be praised, _In the sound of the trumpet, &c._

G.o.d is to be praised (saith [eb]_Augustine_) _totis votis de totis vobis_ with all your soules, and with all your selues. That therefore we may manifest our inward affections by such outward actions as are commendable, where there be _trumpets_, let them sound: where there be _lutes_ and _harpes_, let them strike vp: where there be _loud Cymbals_ and _well tuned Cymbals_, let them ring, let them sing the praises of G.o.d for this our most happy deliuerance; let trumpet and tongue, viol & voice, lute & life, witnes our hartie reioycing in the Lord. If our true zeale were more fierie within, it would doubtlesse break forth into moe publike workes, then it doth, against that b.l.o.o.d.y brood of the Gun-powder crue. There haue been many collections in euery Dioces for the reedifying of the Churches of Saint _Albanes_ and _Arthuret_, the which I a.s.sure my selfe were good works: there haue been in this latter age many gorgeous, I might say glorious buildings erected about and in this honorable Citie, to the great ornament of our Country, the which I thinke you may number among your good workes: there haue bin Lotteries to further _Virginean_ enterprises, and these (for any thing I know) were good workes also: there haue been many new play-houses, and one faire Burse lately built; _Paris_-garden in a flouris.h.i.+ng estate makes a great noyse still, and as I heare _Charing_ Crosse shall haue a new coat too: but in the meane time while so many monuments are raised, either to the honour of the dead, or else for the profit and pleasure of the lyuing: _Dic mihi musa virum_, I pray Muse and shew me the man, who ioynes with that euer zealous, reuerend, learned Deane in founding a Colledge for a Societie of writers against the superst.i.tious Idolatries of the Romane Synagogue, the which happily might be like _the [ec]Tower of Dauid_, where the strong men of Israel might haue s.h.i.+eldes and targets to fight the Lords battaile: [ed]_Is it time for your selues to dwell in your seiled houses, and this house lye wast?_

[Sidenote eb: _In Psalm. 147._]

[Sidenote ec: _Cant. 4. 4._]

[Sidenote ed: _Haggai. 1. 4._]

Remember I beseech you the words of [ee]_Azariah_ vnto King _Asa_ and the men of Iuda, _The Lord is with you while you are with him, and if yee seeke him, he will be found of you; but if yee forsake him, he will forsake you_. Benot cold in a good cause, flie not out of the field, play not the cowards in the Lords holie wars; for albeit happily your selues are like for your time to do wel enough in despite of the Diuell, and the Pope his darling: yet your posteritie will a.s.suredly rue it, and haue iust cause to curse their dastardly, spiritlesse and worthlesse progenitors. I say no more concerning this point, only I pray with our forefathers in the first English Letany, set out in the dayes of King _Henry_ the 8. _from all sedition and priuie conspiracie, from the tyrannie of the Bishop of Rome, and all his detestable enormities, from all false doctrine and heresie, from hardnesse of heart, and contempt of thy word and commandement._

_Good Lord deliuer vs._

[Sidenote ee: _2. Chron. 15. 2._]

Where note by the way, that the Popes abominable tyrannie is hedged in (as it were) on the one side with _sedition_ and _priuie conspiracy_, and on the other side with _false doctrine_ and _heresie_. I haue another prayer, and for as much as it is in Latine, I must entreat all such (if any such here be present, who loue _Bonauentures_ psalter and the Romish seruice) to ioyne with vs in this orison. _Papa noster qui es Romae maledicetur nomen tuum, intereat regnum tuum, impediatur voluntas tua, sicut in Coelo sic et in terra. Potum nostrum in Coena dominica da n.o.bis hodie, & remitte nummos nostros quos tibi dedimus ob indulgentias, sicut & nos remittimus tibi indulgentias, & ne nos inducas in haeresin, sed libera nos a miseria, quoniam tuum est infernum, pix & sulphur in secula seculorum._

The word of G.o.d is a [ef]two edged sword, sharp in a literal, and sharp in an allegoricall exposition. Hitherto you haue heard the history, now there remaineth a mistery, _nihil enim hic ludicrum aut lubric.u.m_ saith [eg]_Augustine_, and therefore [eh]diuines vnderstand here by the _sounding of the trumpet_, the preaching of the Gospell, [ei]whose sound went out thorow all the earth vnto the endes of the world: at the seuenfold sounding of this trumpet the walles of [ek]Iericho fal, that is all the pompes and powers of this world are conquered & brought to nought, this trumpet is mightie thorough G.o.d to cast downe holdes, and Imaginations, and euery high thing that is exalted against the knowledge of G.o.d. 2. Cor. 10. 4.

[Sidenote ef: _Heb. 4. 12._]

[Sidenote eg: _In loc._]

[Sidenote eh: _Prosper Luther Hugo Card._]

[Sidenote ei: _Rom. 10. 18._]

[Sidenote ek: _Iosua. 6. Strictior est tuba ex parte buccinantis quam ex altera, quia praedicator strictius se debet examinare. Hugo Card. in loc._]

[el]Other say that the Saints are these _trumpets_, and _harpes_, and _Cymbals_, and that their [em]members make this musicke to the Lord, our eyes praies the Lord, while they be [en]lifted vp vnto their maker in heauen, and waite vpon his mercy: our tongues praise the Lord, in singing [eo]Psalmes, and hymnes, and spirituall songs vnto the Lord: our eares praise the Lord, while they [ep]heare the word of G.o.d with attention: our hands praise the Lord, while they be [eq]stretched out vnto the poore, and while they [er]worke the thing that is good: our feete praise the Lord, when they bee not [es]swift to shed blood, but [et]stand in the gates of G.o.ds house, ready to [eu]run the wayes of his commandements. _In Tympano sicca & percussa pellis resonat, in choro autem voces sociatae concordant_ said [ex]_Gregorie_ the great: wherefore [ey]such as mortifie the l.u.s.ts of the flesh praise G.o.d _in tympano_, and they who keepe the [ez]vnity of the spirit in the bond of peace, praise G.o.d _in choro_: the _Brownist_ in separating himselfe from the Church though he seeme to praise G.o.d _in tympano_, yet hee doth not praise G.o.d _in choro_: and the _carnall gospeller_ albeit he ioyne with the Church _in choro_, yet he prayseth not G.o.d _in tympano_; they praise G.o.d in _well tuned Cymbals_ who tune their soules before they preach or pray, whosoeuer desires to bee a sweete singer in Israel must bee learned in the schoole, before hee be lowd in the temple: the heart likewise must be prepared for praying, as the harpe for playing, if our instruments of praise be not in tune, then our whole deuotion is like _the [fa]sounding bra.s.se or as the tinckling Cymbal_: in G.o.ds quier there is first _tune well_, and then _sound well_, if once we can say with [fb]_Dauid_, _O G.o.d mine heart is ready, mine heart is ready_, then our lute and harpe will awake right early: let thy soule praise the Lord, and then all that is either without or about thee will instantly doe the same.

[Sidenote el: _Augustin in loc._]

[Sidenote em: _Chrysost. Euthym. in loc._]

[Sidenote en: _Psalm. 123._]

[Sidenote eo: _Colos. 3. 16._]

[Sidenote ep: _Mat. 13. 9._]

[Sidenote eq: _Ecclesi. 7. 32._]

[Sidenote er: _Ephes. 4. 24._]

[Sidenote es: _Psal. 14. 6._]

[Sidenote et: _Psal. 122. 2._]

[Sidenote eu: _Psal. 119. 32._]

[Sidenote ex: _Pastoral. part. 3. admonit. 23._]

[Sidenote ey: _August. Ca.s.siod. Hugo. Card. in loc._]

[Sidenote ez: _Ephes. 4. 3._]

[Sidenote fa: _1. Cor. 13. 1._]

[Sidenote fb: _Psalm. 108. 1._]

_Let euery thing that hath breath praise the Lord_, that is [fc]_omne spirans_, [fd]_omnis spiritualis_, [fe]_omnis spiritus_, let euery creature praise the lord for his estate of confection, euery Christian praise the Lord for his estate of refection, euery blessed spirit loosed out of the worldes misery praise the Lord for his estate of perfection, let euery creature, man aboue all the Creatures, and the soule of man aboue all that is in man praise the Lord. _Omnis spiritus, i. [ff]totus spiritus_, [fg]all the heart, all the soule, all the mind, as the psalmist [fh]elsewhere, I will thanke thee O Lord my G.o.d with all mine heart, euen with my [fi]whole heart, or _omnis spiritus_ the spirit of euery man in euery place, for this saying is [fk]propheticall, insinuating that G.o.d in time to come, shall not only be wors.h.i.+pped of the Iewes at Ierusalem with outward ceremonies, _in the sound of the trumpet and vpon the lute and harpe_: but in all places, of all persons in spirit and truth as Christ expounds _Dauid_ in the 4. of Saint _Iohns_ Gospell at the 23. verse, whereas vnbeleeuing Iewes are the sonnes of _Abraham_ according to the flesh only, beleeuing Gentiles are the [fl]seed of _Abraham_ according to the spirit, and heires by promise, more Israel saith [fm]_Augustine_ then Israel it selfe. The sonnes of _Abraham_ (as Christ tels vs in the [fn]Gospell) are they who doe the workes of _Abraham_, and _Abrahams_ chiefe worke was faith, _Abraham_ beleeued (saith the [fo]text) and it was imputed to him for righteousnes. _Ergo_, the true beleeuer is a right Isralite, blessed with faithfull _Abraham_. Galat. 3. 9. [fp]some stretch this further, applying it not onely to the spirits of men in the Church militant, but also to the blessed Angels and Saints in the triumphant, for this Psalme consists of a threefold _apostrophe_.