Exposition of Marys Magnificat, Exposition 1 · Part 11
He remēbreth mercy, and helpeth vp hys ſeruaunte Iſraell.
After the rehearſynge of Gods workes both in her and in other, doth Mary nowe come agayne to the begynnynge and fyrſte, and cloſeth the Magnificat wyth ye greateſt and chefe of all the godly workes, which is ye incarnacion of the ſonne of God, and confeſſeth here frely that ſhe is a handmaydē & ſeruaunte of all the worlde, ſeyng the worke is accōplyſhed in her, the which is profitable not only to her, but vntounto all Iſraell. Yet dealeth ſhe Iſraell in two, and bryngeth that parte only that ſerueth God. Nother doth ony mā ſerue God, ſaue he that letteth hym be hys God, and ſuffreth hym to worke hys worke in hym wherof we hauehave ſpoken before: Although that worde Gods ſeruice (alas for pytie) is brought into ſo ſtraunge vnderſtandynge and vſe, that whoſo heareth it, doth thynke nothynge, vponupon ſuch workes, but rather vponupon ryngynge, vponupon the ſtone worke and tymber of the temple, vpō the cenſoure, vponupon the burnynge of the lyghtes, vponupon the blarynge, the golde, the ſyluer, the whyte clothes, the pearles, the veſtimentes and ſurplyſes, the chalice, the pyre, the organes & tables, the proceſſion and ſtations, and that mooſt of all is, vponupon the bablyng and talyng wyth God vponupon beede ſtones. Foo (alas) Gods ſeruyce is come hetherto, whereof he knoweth nothynge. And we alſo know none other ſaue thys. We ſynge the Magnificat dayly, and ye with great ſolemnite and lowd, and yet kepe ſecrete the true vnderſtādynge thereof more and more. But yet doth thys text ſtonde ſtyfly: Yf we do not learne theſe workes of God, and ſuffre them in vsus, than ſhall ther be no Gods ſeruice, no Iſraell, no grace, no mercye, nor no God, though we crye out in temples, and rynge tyll we bruſt and gaue therto all the goodes of ye worlde. For God hath geuen no commaundemente concernynge that, & therfore douteleſſe can he hauehave no pleaſure therein.
The incarnacion therfore of Chriſte doth auayle vntounto ſuche an Iſraell, that ſerueth God. Such one is hys owne and beloued people, for whoſe ſake alſo he is become man, to delyuer them from the thraldome of the Deuell, ſynne, death and hell, and to brynge them vntounto ryghteouſneſſe and euerlaſtynge lyfe and blyſſe: that is the helpyng vp that ſhe ſyngeth of here. And Paule doth alſo proclame thys, ſayenge in the .ii. chapter vntounto Titus, that Chriſte gaue hymſelfe for vsus, to redeme vsus from all vnryghteouſneſſe & to purge vsus, to be a peculiar people vntounto hymſelfe. And Peter alſo in hys fyrſt epiſtle the .ii. chapter, ſayeth: Ye are that choſen generacion, that kyngly preſtholde, that holy nacion, that peculiar people. &c. Theſe are the godly ryches, and the greate mercyes of God, the whych we hauehave optayned by none of oure deſeruynge, but of the only mercy and grace. Wherfore ſhe ſayeth alſo: He remembreth mercy. She ſayeth not: He remebreth oure merite and worthyneſſe, for we were in neceſſite and vnworthy. Of this thā doth hys prayſe and honoure ſpringe, & oure boaſte and preſumptiō is ſuaged. He had nothynge at whoſe ſyghte he myght be moued, ſaue only hys owne mercy, the whiche alſo was therfore to be ſhewed on all nacions.
But wherfore ſayeth ſhe more: He remembreth mercy, than he loked vpō hys mercy? Euen becauſe he had promyſed theſame, as the verſe followynge doth declare. Moreouer, he wytheld ye ſame mercy ſo lōge, that he ſemed nearehande to hauehave forgotten it: (euen as all hys workes do ſeme to hauehave no care for vsus) neuertheleſſe whā he came, it was euidently knowen that he had not forgotten vsus, but that he was euer mynded to fulfyll hys promyſes.
Truth it is, that by Iſraell the Iewes only are ment, and not the Gentiles: but ſeyng they refuſed hym, he choſe a few of them, and ſatiſfyed the name of Iſraell therewith, and made a ſpirituall Iſraell. Thys is figured Gen. xxxvii. by the patriarke Iacob wraſtlynge wyth the angel, whoſe thygh the angell touched, and made hym to halte. For therby was ſignifyed that the chylderen of Iſraell ſhulde not from thenceforth boaſte theyr carnall byrth, (as the Iewes do) where he alſo obtayned the name Iſraell, that he thenceforth ſhulde ſo be called, as a Patriarke, which were not only Iacob, the father of carnall chyldren, but alſo Iſrael the father of ſpirituall chylderen. To thys doth agre alſo the name Iſrael, the which is as muche to ſaye, as, the LORDE of God. That is ſurely a very holy & hygh name, cōteynynge in it ſelfe that great mirakle, that a man by the Godly fauour, hath in a maner brought God in his power, ſo that God do accōplyſh all mans requeſtes: as we ſe alſo that the church is made one wt God thorow Chriſte, euē as a bryde vntounto the brydegrome, which hath power of hyr brydegromes body and all that he hath. All this is done by fayth, whereby a man obeyeth the wyll of God, and God agayne agreeth vntounto mans wyll, ſo that Iſrael be ſo conformable to God, and of ſuche power ouer hym, yt in God, wt God & by God he do all thynges, & be able to do all thynges
Thys (lo) ſignifyeth Iſraell. For Schar in Hebrue is as muche to ſaye, as a lorde or a prince, and El ſignifyeth God, & ioynynge them together, maketh Iſrael. Such an Iſraell wyll God hauehave, wherfore whan Iacob hadde wreſtled wyth the angell & ouercome him, ye angel ſayd: Thou ſhalt nomore be called Iacob, but Iſraell: for thou haſt ſtryuē wyth God and with men, & haſt preuayled. Many thynges more were to be ſayde hereof, for Iſraell is a hygh myſtery.