Exposition of the Proper Psalms, Commentary 9
PSALME 113.
Praiſe the Lord (ye ſeruants) O praiſe the name of the Lord.
THis Hymne (as both Text and Title tell vsus in the very beginning) is an exhortation to praiſe the Lord, wherein 3. poynts are chiefly regardable,
quis, who? ye ſeruants.
quomodo, how?
With all praiſe, verſ. 1. Praiſe the Lord, O praiſe the name of the Lord.
At all times, verſ. 2. from this time forth for euermore.
In all places, verſ. 3. from the riſing vp of the Sunne, to the going downe of the ſame.
quapropter, why? for his
Infinite power, verſ. 4.
Admirable prouidence both in
Heauen.
Earth and that in
Publique weales, verſ. 6.7.
Priuate families, verſ. 8.
The Prophet exhortscCaluin. all people to praiſe the Lord, Young men and maydens, old men and Children praiſe the name of the Lord, Pſalm. 148.12. More ſpecially, Gods people which hauehave taſted of his goodneſſe more then other, as hauing hisdPſal. 147.19. ſtatutes, and ordinances, and couenants, and promiſes, and ſeruice, Rom. 9.4.eWilcox. moſt chiefly the Leuites and Prieſts, as being appointed by the Lord for leaders and guides vntounto the reſt, his ſeruants after a more ſpecial manner, as it were in ordinarie. All men owe this dutie to God, as being thefPſal. 95.6. workmanſhip of his hands; Chriſtians aboue other men, as being thegPſal. 100.2. ſheep of his paſture; Preachers of the Word aboue other Chriſtians, as beinghEpheſ. 4.11. paſtors of his ſheepe, and ſo conſequently paternes in word, in conuerſation, in louelove, in ſpirit, in faith, in purenes, 1. Tim. 4.12.
Yea, but how muſt almightie God be praiſed? for as not eueryevery one that ſaith vntounto the worlds Sauiour,iMatth. 7.21. Lord, Lord, ſhall enter into the kingdome of heauen: kBaſil. Chryſoſt. Euthym.ſo not eueryevery one that hath in his mouth a bare (the Lord be praiſed) is a praiſer of the Lord, but he which is euer readie to ſuffer and doe the will of his Maſter and maker. God is to be praiſed in thought, and word, and deede: 1. Cor. 6.20. Glorifie God in your bodie, and in your ſpirit. The Lord as being high aboue all heathens, and glorious aboue all heauens, is bleſſed euer in himſelfe; but that hee may be bleſſed of other, let your light ſo ſhine before men, that they may ſee your good workes, and glorifie your father which is in heauen, Matth. 5.16. A leaud life doth occaſion enemies of pietie to reuile the Goſpell, and to blaſpheme God, Rom. 2.24. but honeſt behauiour (on the contrarie) to praiſe God in the day of viſitation, 1. Pet. 2.12. In one word,lTileman. he doth praiſe God moſt, who liueth beſt.
The Greeke, foreign, and the Latin pueri, may bee taken for children as well as ſeruants. And therefore the tranſlation of the Pſalmes in meter aptly, Ye children which doe ſerue the Lord. There is betweene little children and ſeruants ſo great affinitie, that (in Greeke and Latin) ſeruants are called children, and children ſeruants, according to that ofmGalat. 4.1. Paul, The heire, as long as hee is a childe, differeth nothing from a ſeruant. And ſo the tranſlators in vſing the word pueri (though aude in Hebrew properly ſignifieth a ſeruant)nPlacidus. Bellarmine, Dr. Incognitus. inſinuate, that we ſhould be like to little children in ſeruing of the Lord, that is, ſimple, meeke, pure.
Praiſe the Lord, O praiſe the name of the Lord!] The doubling and tripling of this exhortation, is to whet ouroCaluine. dulneſſe and coldnes in executing this office,pPlacidus. to ſhew that God is to be praiſed with an earneſt affection and zeale. For albeit Gods praiſe be the Chriſtians Alpha and Omega, the firſt and the laſt thing required at our hands as well in death as life: yet ſuch is our negligence, that we needeqEſay. 28.10. precept vponupon precept, and line vntounto line, to put vsus in minde of our dutie.
Or this exhortation is doubled,rWilcox. to ſhew that God alone is worthie al praiſe; the kingdom is his, and therfore the glorie; frō him is all power, & therfore to him is due all praiſe. And yt not only for a little while, but from this time foorth for euermore: For the ſeruants of the Lord are to ſing his praiſes in this life to the worlds end; and in the next life, world without end. See before Pſal. 89.
And as the Lord is to be praiſed at all times, ſo likewiſe in all places, from the riſing vp of the Sunne, vntounto the going downe of the ſame, ſBonauent. Mollerus.that is, in and thorough all the world;tWilcox. for he puts the two chiefe parts of the world, for the whole world, becauſe theſe two quarters (of Eaſt and Weſt) are moſt inhabited.
Many Chriſtian Interpretors, and ſome Doctors of theuKimchi apud Genebrard in loc. Iewes, vnderſtand this of our Lord Chriſt, whoſe kingdome is without either limits or end. Without limits, as hauingxPſal. 2.8. the heathen for his inheritance, and the vttermoſt parts of the world for his poſſeſſion; his yMalac. 1.11.name is great among the Gentiles, and incenſe ſhall be offered vntounto him in eueryevery place. The which is all one with our text, the Lords name be praiſed from the riſing of the Sunne, to the going downe of the ſame. Without end, for God the Father ſaid vntounto God the Sonne,zPſal. 110.1. ſit thou on my right hand, vntill I make thine enemies thy footſtoole. aPſal. 89.35.His ſeate is like as the Sunne, he ſhall ſtand faſt for euermore, like the faithfull witnes in heauen. Yea though heauen bebIob. 14.2. no more, but periſh and waxe old as doth a garment, yet he is cHeb. 1.12.euer the ſame, and his yeeres doe not faile. The which is anſwerable to the words of our Prophet here, Bleſſed be the name of the Lord from this time foorth for euermore.
The Lord is high aboue all heathen] The moſt High deſerues to be moſt honoured; but the Lord is high aboue all heathen, and his glorie aboue the heauen: Ergo, worthie to be praiſed more then all, either Princes or people. The greateſt of all creatures in heauen is an Angell, and the greateſt of all men on earth is an Emperour: but the Lord is greater then both, as being their maker,dActs. 17.28. in whom they liue, and moue, and hauehave their being. Higher then all Heathen, infinitly greater then Alexander the Great, Pompei the Great, Mahumet the Great. Higher then all Heauens ayrie, where feathered fowles are, for he ePſal. 18.10.flyeth vponupon the wings of the winde, and fPſal. 68.4.rideth vponupon the cloudes as vponupon an horſe. Higher then Heauens glorious, where bleſſed ſoules are; for the heauen of heauens is but his ſeate where hee reigneth, a gPſal. 95.3.great King aboue all gods. Who then is like to the Lord our God, either among the clods on earth, or cloudes in heauen?hEſay. 40.12. He meaſures the waters in his fiſt, and meateth out heauen with his ſpanne, and comprehends the duſt of the earth in a meaſure. The whichiIn loc. Eſai. See Bellarm. de aſcenſione mentis in deum per ſcal. creat. Grad. 2. cap. 1. Hierome out of Aquila doth interpret after this ſort; Hee meaſures the waters with his little finger, the earth greater then the waters, with three fingers: the heauen greater then both, with his hand and ſpanne. He filleth all things, and nothing is able to comprehend him; according to that ofk2. Chron. 6.18. Salomon, Heauens, and heauens of heauens are not able to containe thee. Nay the whole world, in reſpect of his greatnes, is but as a drop of the morning dew, Wiſdom. 11.19.
This may teach vsus, in whatſoeuer eſtate tolLuke 21.19. poſſeſſe our ſoules in patience, to bemEpheſ. 6.10. ſtrong in the Lord, and in the power of his might; albeit our enemies come about vsus likenPſal. 118.12. Bees, hee which is higher then the higheſt, and greater then all men, and all Diuels, is our protector, ſtonie rocke, tower of defence, buckler, ſaluation & refuge, Pſal. 18.1. And as God is moſt able to help vsus in trouble, ſo likewiſe moſt apt & readie: for, as it followeth in the next clauſe, though hee dwell on high, yet hee doth humble himſelfe to behold the things, that are in heauen and earth.
oApud Ambroſ. de officijs lib. 1. cap. 13.Some Philoſophers thought it too great a labour for God to gouerne the whole world, and other on the contrarie too baſe. ButpAmbroſ. in Hexam. lib. 5. cap. 2. Diuines anſwere both of them in one word, Deus neque laborat in maximis, neque faſtidit in minimis. Indeed the Poet ſaid, Non vacat exiguis rebus adeſſe loui: but theqMatth. 10.30. Scripture telleth vsus otherwiſe, that the very haires of our head are numbred, and that not ſo much as a ſparrow, which is ſold for a farthing, can fall on the ground, without our heauenly Fathers prouidence. Diſponit membra culicis & pulicis, as Auguſtine in Pſal. 148. For beſides hisrCaluin Inſtit. lib. 1. cap. 16. Vide Thom. 1. part. quaeſt. 22. art. 2. & Caietan. ibid. generall prouidence, which is ſeene in the gouernment of the whole vniuerſe, he hath a particular alſo, moderating eueryevery ſingular action and accident. He dwelling on high, beholdeth vsus as Emmots vpō the mole-hils of this earth, in him we liue, and moue, and hauehave our being. He ſupporteth all things by his mighty word, Heb. 1.3. he reacheth from one end to another, and ordereth all things ſweetly, Wiſdom. 8.1. We reade, Mat. 9. that there was a woman diſeaſed with an iſſue of blood twelue yeeres: and Ioh. 5. that a certaine man had been ſicke eight and thirtie yeeres: and Ioh. the 9. that one was blind from his birth. All which happened not by humane chance, but by diuine choice, thatſJohn 9.3. the works of God might be ſhewed on them. tLipſius de Conſtant. lib. 1. cap. 14.Omnia non permiſſa ſolùm à Deo ſed etiam immiſſa: The Lord doth not onelyonly ſuffer and ſee what is done here below, but alſo diſpoſeth of eueryevery particular euent, to the glorie of his name, and good of his children. He beheld Dauid in his trouble, Daniel in his dungeon, Peter in his priſon, and ordered their ſhort affliction to their endleſſe conſolation. And this may comfort vsus in all our wants and wrongs, He that dwelleth on high, humbleth himſelfe to behold the things below, uPſal. 121.4.he that keepeth Iſrael, neither ſlumbers nor ſleepes. I xEſay. 49.16.hauehave grauen thee (ſaith the Lord) vponupon the palmes of my hands, and thy walles are euer in my ſight. He heares the very*Pſal. 38.9. Iudges 2.18. groanes of his ſeruants in their cloſets, andyPſal. 41.3. makes all their beds in ſicknes; as S.zConfeſſion lib. 3. cap. 11. Aug. ſweetly, he cares for all his childrē, as if all were but one: and for eueryevery particular Chriſtian, as if one were all.
aSee Mollerus & Strigel. in loc.Some Diuines apply this vntounto Chriſt: Hee which isbRom. 10.12. Lord ouer all, is high aboue al heathen; all lands are his inheritance, all people his poſſeſſion, Pſal. 2.8. He triumphed ouer death and hell in his reſurrection, and his glorie ſhined aboue the heauens in his aſcenſion: AcActs 1.9. cloude tooke him vp out of this world, and hee did aſcend farre aboue all heauens, Epheſ. 4.10. Here then obſerue the reaſon, why the Church allotted this Hymne for this day, becauſe Chriſt in hisdRom. 1.4. reſurrection from the dead, is declared mightily to bee the Sonne of God, high aboue all heathens, and heauens. That which is heere ſaid, hee humbled himſelfe to behold the things that are in heauen and earth, is all one with that, Eſay. 61.1. and Luk. 4.18. The ſpirit of the Lord hath annointed me to preach good tydings vntounto the poore, to binde vp the broken hearted, and to comfort ſuch as mourne in Sion. eMarlorat in Luc. 1. See Magnificant, & epiſt. 3. Sund. after Trinit.Almightie God can not looke aboue himſelfe, as hauing no ſuperiours; nor about himſelfe, as hauing no equals; he beholds ſuch as are below him. And therfore the lower a man is, the neerer vntounto God: hee reſiſts the proud, and giues grace to the humble, 1. Pet. 5.5. he puls downe the mightie from their ſeate, and exalteth them of low degree: the moſt high hath a ſpeciall eye to ſuch as are moſt humble. For, as it followeth in our text, he taketh vp the ſimple out of the duſt, and lifteth the poore out of the durt.
The Poet ſaid, Haud facile emergunt, quorum virtutibus obſtat res anguſta domi; that it is an hard thing for a man of low birth and ſmall means, to be preferred vntounto high places of honour. But our Prophet here to demonſtrate Gods admirable power and prouidence, ſheweth how the Lord raiſeth the poore man out of the mire, that he may ſet him with the Princes, euen with the Princes of his people.
fAelian. hiſt. lib. 2.Darius was borne of a ſeruant, Archelaus King of Macedonia baſe begotten; Antigonus, Themiſtocles, Phocion, Epaminondas, and other noble worthies iſſued from ignoble parents.gKnolles Turk. hiſt. pag. 4. Tangrolipix of an ordinarie Captaine, became Sultan of Perſia, and firſt erector of the high and huge Turkiſh Empire. Tamberlaine (ashApud Knolles in the life of Baiazet. 1. fol. 212. ſome thinke the ſonne of a Sheepheard) was in his time the ſcourge of the great Turke, treading vnderunder his foote inſolent Baiazet the firſt, of his violent and fierce nature ſurnamediKnolles vbi ſup. fol. 203. Gilderun or lightening.kAbraham Bucholcer. Iud. Chron. Willegis Archbiſhop of Mentz was the ſonne of a Wheelewright, and therefore that he might alway remember, how the Lord had exalted him out of the durt, to ſet him with Princes, he cauſed the walles of his priuie Chamber to be hung with inſtruments of Carpentry, to which hee ioyned this Motto, Willegis, Willegis, recole vnde veneris: and from hence the Biſhoppes of that Sea giuegive two wheeles in their armes. In England alſo many Prelates hauehave been lifted out of the mire to the Miter, it is the Lords doing that hath his dwelling on high, and yet humbleth himſelfe to behold the things in heauen and earth. Renowned SirlCamden in Elizabetha pag. 301 Francis Drake, the ſonne of a poore Vicar in Kent, was in our age both a terror to proude Spaine, and the mirrour of England in the moſt vnknowne and vttermoſt parts of the world.
The Scriptures affoord manifolde examples in this kinde, Moſes amExod. 2. caſt-away childe, was afterward a leader, and a god (as it were) to the children of Iſraell, Exodus 4. So Daniel of a poore Captiue, Dan. 1.6. became a chiefe ruler, Dan. 2.48. SonPſalm. 105.17 Ioſeph ſolde for a bondſeruant (whoſe feete were hurt in the ſtockes, and the iron entred into his ſoule) was afterward (Gods high and holy prouidence ſo diſpoſing) ſet free by Pharao the King: he made him alſo Lord of his houſe, and ruler of all his ſubſtance, that hee might informe his Princes after his will, and teach his Senatours wiſdome. So the LordoPſalm. 78.71. choſe Dauid his ſeruant, and tooke him away from the ſheepefold, as he was following the Ewes great with young-ones, that he might feede Iacob his people, and Iſrael his inheritance: the Lord did not onelyonly lift him out of the mire, but alſo preferre him, he ſet him with Princes, andpGenebrard. thoſe not Princes of other nations, as Ioſeph was exalted in Aegypt, and Daniel in Babell: but euen with the Princes of his owne people, to wit, of his owne countrey, where men of eminent parts are moſtqIohn 4.44. neglected,rMollerus. Or his may be referred vntounto God, as if the Prophet ſhould hauehave ſaid, hee taketh vp the poore man out of the mire, that he may ſet him in authoritie, not among the heathen onelyonly, but ouer the Church his owne people: the which is the greateſt honour of all, according to that of Dauid, ſPſal. 84 11.I would chooſe rather to ſit at the threſhold in the houſe of my God, then to dwell in the tents of vngodlineſſe: and the good Emperour Theodoſius (to the fame purpoſe) deſired rather to bee membrum eccleſiae, quàm caput imperij: that is a member of the Church, then head ouer all vnbeleeuers. Now Dauid was aduanced according to both interpretations, in that hee ruled his owne people, who were Gods people: ſo the text, 2. Sam. 12. Thus ſaith the Lord God of Iſrael, I annointed thee King ouer Iſrael, and deliuered thee out of the hand of Saul, and gaue thee thy Lords houſe, and thy Lords wiues into thy boſome, and gaue thee the houſe of Iſrael and Iuda, &c.
As God (in his holy prouidence) taketh vp ſome poore men out of the mire, to ſet them with Princes, euen with Princes of his people: ſo many times he puts downe the mightie from their ſeate, and brings them vntounto the very dung-hill,tPſal. 75.8. hee ruleth as a Iudge, he puts downe one, and ſets vp another. Examples hereof in holy Scripture:uEſter. 3.1. Haman a man exalted aboue all the Princes in Aſſuerus court, was (vponupon the ſudden) hanged on the tree that he had prepared for his enemie, Eſter. 7.10. Nabuchadnezzer a proude king, was driuen from mens ſocietie to conuerſe with beaſts,xDan. 4.30. Hee did eate graſſe as the Oxen, and his bodie was wet with the dew of Heauen, till his haires were growne as Eagles feathers, and his nailes like birds clawes, and all for this end, that hee might knowe that the moſt high ruleth ouer the kingdome of men, and giueth it vntounto whom ſoeuer he will.yActs 12.12. Herod in the middeſt of his glorie, (when the people hearing his oration in the ſeate of Iuſtice, gaue a ſhoute, ſaying, The voyce of God and not of man) was immediatly ſmitten by the Lords Angell, ſo that hee was eaten vp of wormes, and gaue vp the ghoſt.
In prophane hiſtorie wee finde thatzSee Sir Walter Raulegh preface to the worlds hiſt. Darius plaied the part of the greateſt Emperour, and the part of a moſt miſerable begger, a begger begging water of an enemie to quench the great drought of death.aKnolles in his life. Baiazet the firſt, in the morning was the grand Seignior of the Turkes, and in the ſame day the footeſtoole of Tamberlaine. bProcopius de bello. Goth. lib. 1 & 3. idem. Simon Schardius in vita Petri de vineis epiſt. eiuſdem praefix. vbi multa huiuſmodi reperias.Belliſarius a moſt victorious captaine (by whoſe valour and policie the Perſians were vanquiſhed: the Vandals ſubdued, and Africa recouered to the Empire) became before his death a diſtreſſed blinde begger in exile, begging his bread from dore to dore, crauing and crying, a peny for poore Belliſarius.
In our owne Chronicles wee reade, thatcHolinſhead in the life of Rich. the 2. Triſilian chiefe Iuſtice of England in the dayes of King Richard the ſecond, was pulled from the bench aboue, to the barre below: nay, hee which had often iudged other to death, in fine was damned himſelfe to the gallowes.dHolinſhead in the life of Edw. the 5. Shores wife, the merrie minion of Edward the fourth, in her flouriſhing eſtate was ſued vntounto more then all the Peeres in the land, but afterward ſo deſpoyled of all her goods, and ſo deſpited by her mercileſſe foe, then vſurper of the Crowne, that none durſt giuegive her ſo much as a cruſt of bread, or a drop of drinke. She who whileom had ſtretched her ſelfe on beds of downe, and was frolike with Princes in iuorie pallaces, ended her dayes in open ſtreete, euen in a dirtie ditch, & nomina fecit aquis, as ſome thinke Shorditch is ſo called as it were Shoresditch. The Seas of examples in this kinde hauehave no bottome, and therfore we ſhould make no other account of this ridiculous worldeSir Walter Rauleigh, vbi ſup. thē to reſolue, that the change of fortune on the great theater, is but as the change of garments on the leſſe: for when on the one and the other, eueryevery man weares but his owne skinne, the players are all one. God which is on high, and humbleth himſelfe to behold the things in heauen and in earth, appoynts eueryevery man his part and apparell on the worlds ſtage, lifting vp and pulling downe whome he liſt. He therefore that complaines of wants or wrongs is either a foole, or vngratefull to God, or both; that doth not acknowledge how meane ſoeuer his eſtate be, that the ſame is yet farre greater then that which God oweth him: or doth not acknowledge how ſharpe ſoeuer his afflictions be, that the ſame are yet farre leſſe, then thoſe which are due vntounto him: howſoeuer it be with him, it is the Lords doing, he giueth and taketh away, bleſſed bee his name for euermore.
fChryſoſtom. Arnobius Iacob. de valent. Bellarmin.This alſo may be ſo well applied vntounto Chriſt as the reſt of the Pſalme, for in taking our vile nature vponupon him, he raiſed the poore out of the duſt, and the begger out of the dunghill. He ſaid to Adam, gGen. 3.19.Duſt thou art, and to duſt thou ſhalt returne; but Chriſt in his reſurrection and aſcenſion hathhEpheſ. 2.6. raiſed vsus vp together, and made vsus ſit together in the heauenly places, euen with the Princes of his people, that is, Angels, and Apoſtles, and other his holy Saints raigning in his kingdome of glorie.
He lifteth our ſoules out of the duſt & durt in this life, when ouriColoſſ. 3.2. affectiōs are by his grace ſet on things aboue, and not on things which are on earth. Our fleſh is an houſe ofkIob. 4.19. clay, but ourlLuk. 1.47. ſpirit reioyceth in God, and hath her conuerſation inmPhilip. 3.20. heauen. A man is where his mind is, if then wee minde heauenly things, our ſoules are raiſed out of the mire:nDr. Jucognit. ſo Chriſt in calling Matthew (from the receite of cuſtome) to make him an Apoſtle, lifted him out of the dunghill; andoIacobus de Valent. in calling the reſt of his Apoſtles, from their durtie courſes in the world, to the preaching of his word, hee raiſed them out of the duſt, and made them (as it is in the 45. Pſalme, verſe 17.) Princes in all lands: and in raiſing Mary Magdalene from her olde vomit and filthineſſe of ſinne, what did he but lift her out of the dunghill? To be briefe,pSee Goſpell Dom. 13. after Triuit. man is like the trauellour, who went from Hieruſalem to Iericho, Luke 10. hee falleth among theeues, into manifolde tentations and noyſome luſts: and they rob him of his rayment, of his righteouſneſſe and holineſſe, wherewith Almightie God adorned him in his Creation: and they wounded him and departed, for ſinne wounding the conſcience, leaueth a man in a deſperate caſe. But Chriſt is the true Samaritane, who takes compaſſion on man, Hee bindeth vp his wounds, and powreth in oyle and wine; hee puts him on his owne beaſt, and makes prouiſion for him at an Inne: thus he taketh vp the diſtreſſed out of the duſt, and the beggar out of the dung.
At our death hee lifteth our ſoules out of the mire, when his gloriousqLuk. 16.22. Angels attend to conuey them, out of this earthly tabernacle to his heauenly kingdome, which is immortall and cannot be ſhaken.
At the laſt day hee will alſo lift our bodies out of the durt and mire. Man that is borne of a woman is full of troubles, and of ſhort continuance, ſuch a ſacke of dung, that therIerem. 22.29. Prophet calleth him thrice earth, at one breath, O earth, earth, earth, heare the word of the Lord, &c. After man hath in this worldſWiſdome 5.7. wearied himſelf, he goeth to bedde, and ſleepeth in the duſt of the graue, neither ſhall he be raiſed or awake from his ſleepe till heauen be no more, ſaithtJob. 14.12. Iob. But in the ende, when as theu2. Pet. 3.10. heauens ſhall paſſe away with a noyſe, and the elements ſhall melt with heate, and the earth with the workes that are therein ſhall be burnt; then our bleſſed Sauiour ſhall rouſe vsus out of the duſt, and raiſe vsus out of the mire,xPhilip. 3.21. changing this our vile body, that it may be like his glorious bodie; then this corruptible ſhall put on incorruption, and this mortall immortalitie; then both our ſoules and bodies ſhall hauehave their perfit conſummation in his kingdome of glorie.
He maketh the barren woman to keepe houſe,] yTileman.As baſeneſſe in men, ſo barrenneſſe in women is accounted a great vnhappineſſe. But as God lifteth vp the begger out of the mire, to ſethim with Princes: euen ſo doth he make the barren woman a ioyfull mother of children. Hee gouernes all things in the priuate familie, ſo well as in publike weale. Children and the fruite of the wombe are a gift and heritage, that commeth of the Lord, Pſalme 127.4. and therefore theyTileman. Papiſts in praying to S. Anne for children, and the Gentiles in calling vponupon Diana, Iuno, Latona, are both in error. It is God onelyonly who makes the barren woman a mother, and that a ioyfull mother. EueryEvery mother is ioyfull at the firſt, according to that ofzIohn 16.21. Chriſt, A woman when ſhe trauaileth hath ſorrow, becauſe her houre is come: but as ſoone as ſhe is deliuered of the childe, ſhe remembreth no more the anguiſh, for ioy that a man is borne into the world. But when babes are growne vp and come to their proofe,aProuerb. 10.1. Salomon ſaith, A fooliſh ſonne is an heauineſſe to his mother. And our Salomon in his kingly gift, I proteſt before that great God, I had rather be no Father and Childleſſe, then a Father of wicked Children. Now God makes the barren wife, not onelyonly fruitfull but alſo ioyfull.
bBeza Paraphraſ.Et nuper ſteriles, repentè matres
longa beat propagine.
Hee made barren oldecGen. 17. Sara fruitfull in bearing a ſonne, and ioyfull in that her ſonne was Iſaac, in whoſe ſeede all the nations of the world are bleſſed. He madedJudges 13. Manoahs wife both a mother, and a ioyfull mother, in that ſhee bare Samſon the ſtrong, who ſaued Iſraell out of the hands of the Philiſtines. Hee madee1. Sam. 1. Hannah both a mother and a ioyfull mother, in that ſhee bare faithfull Samuel the Lords Prophet: hee made Anne both a mother and a ioyfull mother, in bearing bleſſed Marie thefLuke 1.43. mother of our Lord: he made Elizabeth a mother and a ioyfull mother, in bearing Iohn the Baptiſt, a Prophet, yea more then a Prophet, for among them which are borne of women, aroſe there not a greater then Iohn Baptiſt, Matth. 11.11.
gChryſoſt. Hierom. Arnobius.Diuines apply this alſo myſtically to Chriſt, affirming that hee made the Church of the Gentiles heretofore barren, a ioyfull mother of many children, according to that of thehEſay 54.1. Prophet, Reioyce (O barren) that diddeſt not beare, breake forth into ioy, and reioyce thou that diddeſt not trauell with childe: for the deſolate hath more children then the married wife, ſaith the Lord. See Epiſtle 4. Sund. in Lent.
Or it may be conſtrued of true Chriſtians; all of vsus are by nature barren of goodneſſe, conceiued and borne in ſinne, not able to thinke a good thought, 2. Cor. 3.5. but the father of lights and mercies maketh vsus fruitfull and abundant alwaies in the worke of the Lord, 1. Cor. 15.58. he giueth vsus grace to be fathers and mothers of many good deedes,iAmbroſ. de interpell. libr. 2. cap. 4. Idem Dr. Incognitus. in loc. & in Pſalm. 102.17. which are our children, and beſt heires, eternizing our name for euer.