The Joy of the English Church for the Coronation of Pious Prince James, Meditations on psalm · Part · Meditation 7
The 7. meditation.
v. 2. Our feete shall stand in thy gates.] That is, whereas the Arke before was flitting from one place to another, not onelyonly in the wildernes vnderunder Moses, where the Arke was remooued, as the campe pitched their tents; but afterwarde also it often changed place:1. Sam. 5. v. 1. 8. 10. from Shiloh to Ebenezer, from Ebenezer to Ashdod,1. Sam. 6. 14. from thence to Gath,1. Sam 7. 1. from Gath to Ekron,2. Sam. 6▪ 10. and 12. frō thence to the house of Obed…Edom, and so to Ierusalem: now the Church of God reioyceth that the Arke was setled and brought to his resting place. This then is the ioy of the Church when religion is setled and established, and brought to perfection: when the people are resolued in their conscience of the truth, and stand confidently with their feete in Gods house.
1. Thus the Lord promised concerning Sion: The Lord hath chosen Sion, and loued to dwell in it: this is my rest for euer, here will I dwell, for I hauehave a delight therein, Psal. 132. 13. Now in Dauids time, and not before, the place was elected and appointed, where the solemne exercise of religion should be practised.
2. Thus Salomon builded God an house, whereas he dwelt in tents before, that the Arke should be no more transported out of his place: and herein Salomon was a figure of Christ, in whome the promises of God are Yea, and Amen, 2. Cor. 1. 20. Who hath giuen vsus an euerlasting testament, a kingdome, which cannot be shaken. Hebr. 12. 28. who is the true Messiah, neither are we to looke for any other. Math. 11. 3.
3. Like as then when Samuel went to annoint Dauid,The fi…th of Ch…ist not flitting or changeable. first Eliab, then Abinadab, then Shammah, and the rest of the brethren came in order before Samuel, but none of them was chosen: at the last Dauid was sent for, and he was the man, 1. Sam. 16. So after many prophets, and many professions in the world, at the length commeth Christ, and he is annointed king for euer. And as when Elias was in the caue, a mightie winde was sent of God,1. King. 19. then an earthquake, then a fire, but God was in none of them: but at the last he spake in a soft and still voice: So Christ came not, though many signes and wonders went before, till he himselfe spake with a soft and still voice in the forme and shape of a man.
4. For the Apostle saith, Iesus Christ yesterday and to day, and the same for euer, Heb. 13. 8. therefore as Christ is alwaies the same, so the faith and religion of Christ is constant and immutable. And as the Apostle inferreth hereupon in the same place, Be not carried about with diuers and strange doctrines, v. 9. so should we be resolued and setled in religion.
5. Wherefore, eueryevery man may consider, how much bound we are to praise God, which hath in his merciemercy raised vsus vp a Dauid after Samuel, to bring home the arke of God, and to establish and settle religion,The 7. benefit the setling of religion. which was feared of many, and wished of some, to be flitting at the next change. The Pope and his adherents would draw the English people, as Ieroboam called the Israelites to Dan and Bethel, to the Romane religion: but I trust our feete shall stand still at home in the gates of Ierusalem. Let men therefore be constant in faith, not be carried away with eueryevery wind of doctrine, as the Apostle saith, Eph. 4. 14. nor halt betweene two opinions, as some, like Ianus bifrons, looking both waies, hauehave of late in the Church of England, set a foot some popish doctrines, mingling the sweete lumpe of the gospel, with sowre leauen of their owne. Such teachers I trust will hereafter be better aduised, and fill their hands with better seede, that no more cockle and darnell be scattered in good ground. God graunt a generall consent in iudgement and concord in heart, both in teachers and hearers, that we may goe vp together to Gods house, and that our feete may stand stedfastly in Ierusalem: that as Ambrose well alludeth, Sicut rotam intra rotam vidit propheta currentem; Lib 1. de spirit. cap. 2….ita teres vita sanctorum est, & ita sibi concinens, vt superioribus posteriora respondeant: as the Prophet saw one wheele runne within another, so the life of the Saints should be round and currant, and so consorted together, as one part may answer to another.