Exposition of the Principal Scriptures Used in our English Liturgy, Part 12 – Part 15
Benedictus. LVKE 1. 68.
THe Benedictus, Magnificat, and Nunc dimittis, are said in the Church daily, whereas other Psalmes of Dauid, Asaph, Moses, are read but monethly. The reasons hereof are manifest, and manifold; I will onelyonly name two:
First, these most excellent Hymnes (aszHooker Ecclesiast. pelit. lib. 5. § 40. gratulations wherewith our Lord and Sauiour was ioifully receiued at his entrance into the world) concerne vsus so much more then the Psalmes of Dauid, as the Gospell more then the Law, and the new Testament more then the old. For the one are but prophecies of Christ to come, whereas the other are plaine discoueries of Christ already present.
Secondly, these songs are proper onelyonly to Christianitie, whereas other Psalmes are common to the Iewes, as well as to the Christians, wherewith they praise God in their Synagogue, so well as we praise God in our Church. A Iew will sing with Asaph and Dauid that the Messias of the world shall come, but he cannot, he will not acknowledge with Zacharias and Simeon that he is come. So that the Nouelist herein misliking the Churches custome, doth seeme to play the Iew; which I rather ascribe to the lightnes of his folly, then to the waight of his malice. Sententiam Ecclesiae non intelligit, aAugust. co… fess. lib. 12. cap. 25.sedamat suam, non quia vera est, sed quia sua est.
It is fitly placed after the second Lesson, as an Hymne of praise to magnifie God for the comfort we receiue by the sweet tidings of the Gospell: Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, for visiting and redeeming his people.
It hath two principall parts:
1. Concerning Christ and his kingdome.
2. Touching Iohn the Baptist and his office. vers. 76. &c.
It is very remarkable, that Zacharias who was dumbe, vers. 20, doth now not onelyonly speake, but also prophecie. He was made speechlesse, because he was faithlesse: but now belieuing, his lips are opened, and his mouth doth shew forth Gods praise: saying, Blessed be the Lord.
Let no man in his affliction despaire: for (asbLib. 2. in Luc. cap. 1. Ambrose notes) if we change our manners, Almightie God will alter his mind. Nec solum ablata restituit, sed etiam insperat… concedit: He will not onelyonly restore that which was taken a way, but also giuegive more then we can expect.cIob 24. 12. So he blessed the last daies of Iob more then the first: for whereasdIob 1. 3. he had but 7000 sheepe, 3000 comels, 500 yoke of oxen, and 500 shee asses: afterward the Lord gaue him 1400 sheep, 6000 camels, 1000 yoke of oxen, and 1000 asses. In the second of Ioel; If you will turne to me (saith the Lord) with all your heart, with fasting, weeping, and mourning, I will render vntounto you the yeeres which the grashopper hath eaten, the canker worme, and the caterpiller. And moreouer, I will powre out my spirit vponupon all flesh, and your sonnes, and your daughters shall prophecie, &c. In the 9. of Matth. when Christ saw the faith of the palsie man, he did not onelyonly cure the sores of his body, but also the sinnes of his soule; Sonne, be of good cheere, thy sinnes are forgiuen thee.
In the first part two points are to be considered especially:
1. Who to be blessed; the Lord God of Israel.
2. Why: first for promising, then for performing redemption vntounto the world.
Blessed] That is, praised, as Psalme 18. 47. Matth. 22. 39. So that Zacharias here remembring a great benefit, begins his Hymne with thanks, Benedictus Dominus. Hereby signifying, that it is our first and chiefe duty to be thankfull, to blesse God, who doth so wonderfully blesse vsus in all the changes and chances of this mortall life, to say witheIob 1. 21. Iob; The Lord giueth, and the Lord taketh, blessed be the name of the Lord. God be praised, and the Lord be blessed, is the language of Canaan: whereas vnthankfulnesse is the diuels text, and the blasphemies of wicked men are Commentaries vponupon it.
The Lord] For, asfLib. 1. Ethic. cap. 12. Aristo…le said; Praise is onelyonly vertues due: but none is good,gMarke 10. 18. except God. Other are to be praised in him, so fa…re forth as they hauehave receiued any gift or good from him, onelyonly the Lord worthy to be praised in and for himselfe.
God of Israel] So called inhBeauxamis in loc. two respects: first, in regard of his louelove towards them, as being his peculiar incloser out of the Commons of the wholeworld: Deut. 7. 6. Psalme 76. Esay 5.
Secondly, in regard of their seruice to him, heeiEuthymi…s is God of other, will they nill they. Psal. 99. 1. The Lord is King, be the people neuer so impatient; he sitteth betweene the Cherubims, be the earth neuer so vn…uiet: but Israel willingly submitted her selfe to serue him cheerefully with all her heart. The Diuell is prince of the world, because the wicked of the world be ready to giuegive place to his suggestions: but the Lord is God of Israel; that is, of all good men, because they resist Satan, and yeeld to his gouernment, desiring daily that his kingdome may come, and his will be done in earth as it is in heauen.
He doth vse this title,kMaldonat. in lecum. rather then another, in generall, to describe the true God, and to distinguish him from the gods of the Gentiles, who were not gods, butlPsal. 96. 5. …: that is, Diuels (asmIn Psalmum praedic. Euthym…s obserues.) In particular▪ this title did best fit his occasion, because Christ the redeemer of the world, was promised vntounto thenRom. 9. 4. 5. Iewes, Abraham and his seed for euer: and therefore blessed be the Lord God of Israel.
Why? First for promising: then for performing.
The promises of God touching the Messias, areoIansenius concord. cap. 5. twofold:
1. Made by himselfe, to Adam, Abraham, Isaac: vers. 72. 73.
2. Made by his seruants: As he spake by the mouth of his holy Prophets, which hauehave been since the world began: vers. 70.
He spake] The Prophet is but the voice: God himselfe is the speaker, as Iohn Baptist said; I am thepIob 1. 23. voice of him that crieth in the wildernesse.
By th… mouth] In the singular number: forqGorran. & Beauxamis in locum. albeit they were many, yet they spake but one thing, from one spirit, as it were with one mouth.
Which hauehave been since the world began] ForrActs 3. 24. all the Prophets hauehave foretold of these daies.sMatth. 17. 3. In the transfiguration, Moses and Elias are said to talke with Christ: signifying hereby, (saithtHom. 6. in cap. 8. Leuit. Origen) that the Law and the Prophets, and the Gospell agree all in one. And therefore Peter was vnwise to make three Tabernacles for one.
Holy Prophets: holy by
Place,uCaluin. in loc. separated frō the prophane vulgar, and consecrated to this high calling.
Grace, for being hallowed and elected to this office, they
spake by thex1. Pet. 2. 21. holy Ghost: endued also with gifts of sanctification; in so much that Prophets, and holie men, heretofore were voces conuertibiles, as it isyCyrillus & Maldonat. in Ioan. 9. obserued out of the old Testament, Gen. 20. 7. and new, Luk. 7. 16. Ioh. 9. 17.
This may teach the Prophets in our time to be walking Sermons, Epistles and holy Gospels in all their cariage toward the people. Praedicat viua voce, qui praedicat vita & voce. He doth preach most, that doth liue best.
As it is said of Iohn the Baptist,zMaldonat. in cap. 11. Mat. Cum miraculum nullum fecerit, perpetuum fuit ipse miraculum: So a good man doth alway preach, though hee neuer comes in pulpit. Whereas such a Minister as is no where a Minister but in the Church, is likea2. Sam. 17. 23. Achitophel, who set his house in order, and then hanged himselfe. The word preached is as Aarons rod; if in the Preachers hand, it is comely: but if he cast it from him, it will happily proue a Serpent. That which God hath ioyned together, let no man put asunder, Holinesse and Prophecie. O Lord indue thy Ministers with righteousnesse, that thy chosen people may be ioyfull.
As God is mercifull in making, so faithfull in keeping his promise: for he visited and redeemed his people.
Visited] In the better part: for visitation in merciemercy, not in iudgement, as Psal. 8. 4. Gen. 21. 1.
If Christ did visit vsus in our person, let vsus visit him inbMat. 25. 36. his members. All of vsus are hiscLuke 16. 1. stewards, and the good things he hath lent vsus are not our owne, but his; either the goods of the Church, and so wee may not make them Impropriations: or else the goods of the Common-wealth, and wee may not inclose them. He is the best subiect that is highest in the Subsidie booke; so he the best Christian that is most forward in subsiaijs, in helping his brethren with such gifts as God hath bestowed vponupon him.
The whole world (saith S.d1. Epist. 5. 19. Iohn) lieth in wickednes, sicke, very sicke vntountoeRom. 6. 23. death. All wickednesse is weaknes, eueryevery sinne is a sore; Couetousnes an insatiable dropsie; Pride a swelling tympanie; Lasinesse the Gentlemans gout: Christ therefore thefGorran. in locum ex Augustino. great Physition of the world, came to visit vsus in this extremitie: we did not send for him, hee came of his owne louelove to seeke and saue that which was lost. It is a great kindnes for one neighbour to visit another in sicknes, but a greater kindnes to watch and pray with the comfortlesse: yet the greatest kindnesse of all is to helpe and heale him. Euen so, and much more then so Christ loued ye world; he came not only to see it, but to saueg1. Timot. 1. 15 it; not only to liue among men, but also to die for men: as to visite, so to redeeme. The Lord did endure the crosse, that the seruant might enioy the crowne: the Captaine descended into hell, that the souldier might ascend into heauen: the Physition did die, that the patient might liue.hLiber de Senten…ijs. Bernard pithily: Triplici morbo laborabat genus humanum, principio, medio, fine: idest, natiuitate, vita, & morte. Venit Christus, & contra triplicem hunc morbum, attulit triplex remediū. Natus est, vixit, mortuus est: eius natiuitas purgauit nostram, mors eius destruxit nostram, vita eius instruxit nostram. As S.iRom. 4. 25. Paul in two words; He died for our sinnes, and rose againe for our iustification: that is, (saithkSum. 3. part. quaest. 53. art. 1. Aquinas) he died to remoue from vsus all that which was euill, and rose againe to giuegive vsus all that which was good. All is infolded in the word Redeeme, the which (as Interpreters obserue generally) doth implie that wee are deliuered from the hands of all our enemies, and they be principally foure:
The
World.
Flesh.
Diuell.
l1. cor. 15. 26.Death.
Christ ouercame the world on earth, the flesh on the Crosse, the diuell in hell, death in the graue: now being the Churches head, and husband, hee tooke her dowrie, which was sinne, (for she had nothing else of her owne) and indowed her with all his goods.mCant. 6. 2. I am my welbeloueds, and my welbeloued is mine. So that Christ was borne for vsus, and liued for vsus, and died for vsus, & rose againe for vsus: and therefore though the diuell cry, ego decipiam; the world cry, ego deficiam; the flesh cry; ego inficiam; death cry; ego interficiam: it makes no matter in that Christ crieth,nMat. 11. 28. ego reficiam, I will ease you, I will comfort you, I will visit and redeeme you. See Gospell on whit sonday.
His people] The Iewes, as sent to themoMat. 15. 24. Act. 13. 46. first, and principally, whom he did visit in his own person, whereas all other diocesses of the world were visited by Commissaries: I say first, for afterward all people were hi… …ople: Visita…it omnes gentes, quomam omnes egentes. In … we are all one, there is neither Iew nor Grecian, neither bond nor free, neither male nor female: Gal. 3. 28.
pIn Psal. 148.Augustine sweetly: The belieuing Gentiles are more Israel, then Israel it selfe: for the Iewes are the children of Abraham according to the flesh only, but we are the children of Abraham after the spirit: they be theqIohn 8. 39. sonnes of Abraham, who doe the works of Abraham. But what was Abrahams chiefe worke? TherGen. 15. 6. Scripture tels vsus, Abraham belieued, and it was imputed vntounto him for righteousnes. So that assGal. 3. 29. Paul concludes, all belieuers are true Israelites, Abrahams seed and heires by promise. See Nunc dimittis.
But shall we now sinne because grace doth abound? God forbid. He hath deliuered vsus from the hands of all our enemies, that we might serue him without feare, in holinesse and righteousnes all the daies of our life.tGorran. in loc. Sine timore inimici, non sine timore domini. Behauing our selues in this present uTit. 2. 12.world religiously towards God, righteously towards our neighbor, soberly towards our selues.
Examine these fiue circumstances exactly:
1. Who did redeeme; The Lord God of Israel,xAugust. ser. 27. de temp. factor …errae, factus in terra, yea fractus in terra.
2. Whom: Such as sate in darknes and in the shadow of death. His yRom. 5. 10.enemies,zEphes. 2. 12. aliants from his common wealth, and open traitors to his kingdome.
3. From what: From the hands of all our enemies.
4: With what: With his ownea1. Pet. 1. 19. pretious bloud, the least drop whereof had bin meriti infiniti; yet his death only, was meriti definiti.
5. For what: b1. Pet. 2. 24.That being deliuered from sinne, we should liue in righteousnes.
Consider these points, and thinke not this Hymne too much vsed in our Liturgie: but sing with Zacharias daily, Benedictus Dominus: and say with cPsal. 116. 11.Dauid; Quid retribuam domino, pro omnibus quae tribuit mihi?dAugust. serm. 151. de temp. Primò nihil eram, & fecit me: per…eram, quaesiuit me: quaerens inuenit me; captiuum redemit me, emptum liberauit me, de seruo fratrem fecit me. We owe our soules, our selues to God for creating vsus, more then our selues for redeeming vsus.
Concerni…g Iohn Baptist, and his office, which is the second generall part of this excellent song; see the Gospell Dominic. 3. & 4. Aduent.
Iubilate Deo. Psal. 100.
THe Church doth adioine this Psalme to the Benedictus, as a parallel: and that not vnfitly, for as the one, so the other, is a thanksgiuing vntounto God, inforced with the same reasons and arguments: in so much as Zacharias is nothing else but an expounder of Dauid, or Moses. AseQuaest. 73. super Exod. Augustine wittily; The new Testament heth hidden in the old, and the old is vnclasped in the new.
fPaulinus in 1. Leuit. vti Magdeburg. Cent. 5. col. 90.Lex antiqua nouam firmat, veterem noua complet: in veteri spes est, in nouitate fides.
O be ioyfull in the Lord, (saith the Prophet) blessed be the Lord God of Israel (saith our Euangelist) Why? because the Lord hath made vsus, and not we our selues; we are his people and the sheepe of his pasture. That is, he hath visited and redeemed his people. ForgIn locum. Augustine, Hierome, Caluin, Turrecrematensis, other old, and new writers interpret this of our Regeneration, rather then of our Creation. According to that ofhEphes. 2. 10. S. Paul: We are his workmanship, created in Christ Iesus vntounto good works, &c.
The Lord is gratious, his mercy is euerlasting.] That is, he promised euermore by the mouth of all his holy Prophets since the world began, that wee should be saued from our enemies, and from the hands of all that hate vsus.
His truth indureth from generation to generation.] That is, hee did in due time performe the merciemercy promised to our forefathers, he remembred his holy couenant, and kept that oth which hee swore to our father Abraham, and his seed for euer.
To what end? That we might serue God with gladnesse, as Dauid in his text: that is, serue him all the daies of our life without feare, as Zacharias in his glosse.
GodiAugust. lib. 2. de serm. Dom. in mont. tom. 4. fol. 812. insinuated himselfe to the Iewes, as a Lord: Exod. 20. 2. but to the Christians, as a father, Mat. 6. 9. And therefore seeing wee are translated from thekGalat. 4. & 5. cap. bondage of seruants, vntounto the liberty of sonnes;lHieron. in loc. hauing in stead of the Law, which was exceedingmActs 15. 10. grieuous, a burthen which is nMatth. 11. 30.light, and a yoke which is easie, let vsus serue the Lord with gladnes, and come before his presence with a song: Non in amaritudine murmurationis, sed in iocunditate dilectionis, as Augustine vponupon the place.
The whole Psalme doth afford many profitable doctrines and vses, in that the Prophet doth double and treble his exhortation: O be ioyfull in the Lord: serue him with gladnesse: with a song: Go into his gates with thanksgiuing: into his courts with praise: be thankfull: speake good of his name; he doth insinuate our sloth and dulnes in that behalfe: and therefore it behoueth all men, especially teachers of men, in season and out of season to presse this duty.
It teacheth all people to praise God with a good heart cheerfully: vers. 1.
Not in priuate onelyonly, but in the publike assembly also for publike benefits receiued of the Lord: vers. 3.
Our bodily generation, and ghostly regeneration, are not of our selues, but only from God: vers. 2. See Epist. Dom. post. Pasc.
Who is alway the same in his truth and goodnesse towards vsus abeit we be variable in our loues and promises one to another; vers. 4. See Nunc Dimittis.
The Creed.
THis Apostolicall Creed is pronounced after the Lessons, and the Nicene Confession after the Gospell and Epistle: because faith (as Paul oRom. 10. 17.teacheth) is by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. We must first heare, then confesse▪ for which cause the Church… ofpScot. Liturgie praters after Serm. Scotlana also doth vsually repeate the Creed after the Sermon.
I beleeue in God, &c.
Albeit the Creed be not protocanonicall Scripture, yet (asqSerm. 38. Ambrose speakes) it is the key of the Scriptures: and (asrSerm. 115. de temp. Breuiter complexaregula fidei vt mentem instruat, nec oneret memoriam. Idem. ser. 119. de temp. Augustine) a plaine, short, absolute summe of all holie faith. sThom. 22ae. quaest. 1. art. 9.Other Confessions, as the Nicene, and Athanasian are receiued of the Church not as new, but rather as expositions of this oldtB…llarm. de Iustificat. lib. 1. cap. 9.. For as the foure Gospels are indeed but one Gospell; so the three Creeds are in substance but one Creed. And therefore I thought good in my passage thorow the whole Seruice booke to touch vponupon it a little, giuing you rather a briefe resolution, then a full absolution thereof.
Obserue then in it the
Title: The Creed of the Apostles.
Text: I belieue in God, &c.
In the title note the
Worke: Creed.
Authors: Apostles.
It is called in English, Creed, of the first word Credo: as the Pater Noster is of the two formost words, Our Father: in other languages, Symbolum; the which hath three significations:
1. A shot.
2. A badge.
3. A ring.
AuRuffin. exposit. Symbol. & August ser. 115. & 181. de temp. shot: because eueryevery particular Apostle conferred his particular article to this spiritual banquet, at least the whole doth arise out of theirxEuseb. Emissen. hom. 1. de Symbol. common writings.
2. AyRuffin. vbi sup. & Erasmus explan. Symb. badge. For as a souldier is knowne in the field by his colours and coate to what Captaine he doth belong: so the Christian is distinguished by this Creed from all vnbeleeuers, and misbeleeuers. In token hereof, by good order of the Church, wee stand vp at the Creed, openly to manifest our faith and allegiance to Christ Iesus our Generall.
3. AzPlin. nat. hist. lib. 33. cap. 1. ring. TheaAngelus del Pas praeamb. ad Symb. cap. 4. mettall whereof is digged out of the rich mines of the Bible, refined with the fire of Gods holie spirit, and accurately framed by the blessed Apostles.
It is the very wedding ring wherewith the Minister in our Baptisme married vsus vntounto Christ, when as in the publike congregation Christ for his part solemnely protested by the mouth of his Minister that he would be our God: and we likewise vowed for our part, by Godfathers and Godmothers, that wee would bee his people. The Creede then ought to be respected as the signet on our right hand, and as the mariage Ring on our Loues finger.
Now for the authors, it is said to be the Apostles (as some thinke) made bybHieron. epist. ad Pammachium, tom. 2. fol. 173. & Magd…burg. cent. 1. lib. 2. col. 66. themselues after they had receiued the holy Ghost, and that before they departed out of Ierusalem to preach the Gospell vntounto all nations:cBaronius annal. tom. 1. fol. 317. Anno Christi 44. Imperatoris Claudij, 2. Iulij 15.
dAnglican. Confess. art. 8. & Caluin. Instit. lib. 2. c. 16. §. 18.Other, that it is the Apostles, as being consonant to their doctrine; theirs for the matter, but not for the manner.
All agree that it is the Gospels abrigement, which Christ taught his Apostles, the Apostles the Church, and the Church hath deliuered vntounto vsus in all ages: and therefore though it be not the scripture of God, yet it is the ePerkins exposit. Spmbol.word and truth of God: of greater authoritie then other Ecclesiasticall traditions, whether they be Confessions of particular Churches, or writings of priuate men.