Exposition of Marys Magnificat, Exposition 1 · Part 5
And hys mercy endureth thorovvout al generacions, vponupon them that feare hym.
It is nedefull for vsus to knowe the maner of the ſcripture, whiche calleth the naturall linage or yſſue a progeny or generacion by the whych one man is euer ſucceſſiuelye borne of another. Wherfore thys englyſhe worde generacion or progeny doth not ſuffyſe to expreſſe the meanynge thereof, yet do I knowe none better than it. For a progeny do we call the company that belongeth vntounto vsus, ether by reaſon of bloude or mariage. But in thys place it ſignifyeth the naturall yſſue and ſucceſſion from father, tyll chyldes chylde, and eueryevery membre of theſame is called a progeny, and I thynke it be not wronge Englyſhed of thys faſſhion: namely, and hys mercy endureth from chylde to chylde vponupon them that feare hym. And thys phraſe of the ſcripture is very ryfe, hauynge hys begynnynge and originall of the wordes that God ſpake vntounto Moſes and all the people vponupon mount Syna, ſayenge Exo. xx. I the LORDE thy God ame a gelous God, viſitynge the ſynne of the fathers vpō the chyldren, vntounto the thyrde and fourth generacion, of them that hate me: and do mercy vponupon many thouſandes, that louelove me, and kepe my commaundementes.
After that Mary the mother of God had fyniſhed the prayſe of God, and of hys goodneſſe towarde her, ſhe wandreth nowe al amonge the workes, whych God worketh generally in all men, and ſyngeth of them alſo, teachyng vsus featly to knowe the workes, kynde, nature and wyll of God. Many ingenious and wytty philoſophers hauehave attēpted the ſame alſo, that they myght knowe what God were, wrytynge much of the ſame, the one thus, another ſo. But they were all blynde in that behalfe, and coulde not perceaue the true ſhynynge. And verely ye greateſt thynge, both in heauen and earth, is to knowe God aryghte, yf it do befall vntounto ony man. And that doth the bleſſed virgine teach very properly by hyr owne enſample, as is ſhewed aboue. But how can he be knowen more eaſyer or better than by hys workes? for he that perceaueth thys duely, the ſame muſt nedes knowe hys nature, wyll, harte & mynde: Wherfore it is connynge to knowe hys workes. And that we myghte marke it the better, ſhe rehearſeth orderlye in theſe foure verſes ſyxe godly workes in ſyxe kyndes of men, and parteth the worlde in two, ſettynge on ech ſyde thre maner of workes, and thre kyndes of men ſo, that a continuall debate doth remayne amonge ye partyes, by reaſon of the feate oppoſition one agaynſt ye other: wherby ſhe doth deſcrybe hym ſo goodly, as can not be amended.
Moreouer, thys particion is duely and orderly comprehended in ſundery places of the ſcripture, as namely Ieremye the nynth Chapter, where he ſayeth: Let not ye wyſe man reioyce in hys wyſedome, nor ye ſtrōge man in hys ſtrength, nother the ryche man in hys ryches: But who ſo wyll reioyce, let hym reioyce in thys, that he vnderſtandeth and knoweth me: for I am the LORDE whych do mercy, equite and ryghteouſneſſe vponupon earth: Therfore hauehave I pleaſure in ſuch thynges, ſayeth the LORDE. Thys is a noble texte, and agreable to thys ſonge of the bleſſed virgine. By thys place alſo do we ſe that the ſpirite of the prophet dealeth the worlde in thre, as namely: in Vvyſedom Povver and Ryches, the which he doth ouerthrowe whan he ſayeth that nomā ſhuld reioyce in them: for God is not founde in them, nother can he hauehave pleaſure in them. Moreouer he ſetteth thre other agaynſte theſe, namely: Mercy, Iudgemente and Ryghteouſneſſe. In theſe is myne endeuoure (ſayeth he,) ye… I myſelfe do all theſe. So neare ame I, that I do theſe thynges, not in heauen, but vponupon earth, there ame I founde. He that knoweth me of thys maner, theſame maye reioyce truely and make hys boaſte boldely therof. For yf he be not wyſe, but poore ſpreted, than is my mercye wyth hym: Yf he be not myghty, but vyle & lowlye, than is my iudgement ready for hym: Yf he be not ryche, but poore and nedy, than is my ryghteouſneſſe ſo much the more raygnyng wyth hym.
By wyſedome he vnderſtandeth al hygh ſpirituall goodes, whereby man maye get a delyte, reioycynge and a good opinion, (as the verſe followynge doth ſpecifye,) as be: vnderſtandynge, reaſon, prudence, knowlege, vertuouſneſſe, an honeſt conuerſacion: finally, all that is called in the ſoule holy or ſpirituall, how greate gyftes that euer they be, ſo that none of them be God hymſelfe.
By power he vnderſtandeth all power, noblyneſſe of byrth, frendes, dignityes, worſhyppe, whether they concerne temporall or ſpiritual goodes or men (though in ſcripture ther be no ſpirituall ſuperiorite, but onlye a ſeruice and occupyenge of a lowe rowme) wyth all hys ryghte, lyberte and priuilege. &c
By ryches are …te health, bewtye, pleaſure and all that maye chaunce vntounto the body outwardly. Agaynſte theſe are thre other ſet of the prophete, namely: the pooreſpreted, the oppreſſed, and the nedy. But we wyll loke orderly vponupon the ſyxe workes and partes.