Exposition of the Proper Psalms, Commentary 2
Pſalme 45. is expounded on Whitſunday. The next allotted for this our preſent feſtiuall, is,
PSALM. 85.
Lord thou art become gracious vntounto thy land, &c.
This Pſa. may be diuided into two parts: a
Prayer, whereof there beeTremellius. two grounds,
1. The Churches experience of Gods former mercies, verſ. 1.2.3.
2. The due conſideration of Gods nature, ſlow to conceiue wrath, & ready to forgiue, verſ. 4.5.6.7. The ſummarie pith is briefly this; Lord thou haſt bin heretofore fauourable to thy land, and therfore wee hope thou wilt bee ſo now, that thy people may reioyce in thee.
Precept, conſiſting of two branches:
1. Aduiſing vsus in all our afflictions and miſery, to hauehave recourſe vntounto the comfortable promiſes of God, I will heare, what the Lord will ſay.
2. That wee ſhould leade a godly life, leſt our follie ſtop the free paſſage of theſe promiſes, as well touching things ſpirituall, verſ. 9.10.11. as temporall, verſ. 12.
Myſtically the whole Pſalme, in the iudgement of Hierome, Auguſtine, Baſil, and other ancient Fathers, is nothing elſe but a propheſie concerning the redemption of mankind, from the tyrannie of Satan and ſinne, by the comming of Chriſt into the world, prefigured by the deliuerances of Gods people from their bondage, both in Egypt, and Babylon. Now the Prophet treating of Chriſts Aduent, Speakes,D. Incognitus in loc.
1. In the preterperfect tence, Lord thou haſt been gracious, thou haſt turned away, thou haſt forgiuen. &c. Shewing three notable fruits of his comming:
1. Benediction, in taking away the curſe from his land, and captiuity from his people, verſ. 1.
2. Iuſtification, in forgiuing their offences, and couering all their ſinnes, verſ. 2.
3. Reconciliation, turning away Gods wrathfull indignation and diſpleaſure, v. 3.
2. In the future tence, praying that hee may come, turne vsus then, O God, our Sauiour, &c.
gBacer. Bellarmin.Or it may be parted into a
Predictiō, of our deliuerance from the hands of all our ſpirituall enemies, verſ. 1.2.3. for the Pſalmiſt (as prophecying by the ſpirit of the Lord) ſpeaks in the time paſt, of that which as yet was to come.
Petition, for execution of the prediction in the reſt, an hearty prayer, that the fact might anſwere the figure.
Lord thou art become gracious] The tranſlators of the vulgar Latine reade, foreign, benedixisti: but Athanaſius, and other Greek Interpretors, foreign. Tremellius, beneuolus fueras: Munſter, benignus factus es: Castalio, faniſti: Vatablus, propitius. And our Engliſh Bibles accordingly, thou haſt been gracious, fauourable, mercifull vntounto thy land. Here then obſerue, that the good will and fauour of God is the fountaine of all goodnes, and bleſſing to his people;hIoh. 3.16. God ſo loued the world, that he gaue his onelyonly begotten ſonne, &c. It was his owne louelove, which induced him to ſend his ſonne, and Epheſ. 1.3. Bleſſed be God, euen the Father of our Lord Ieſus Chriſt, which hath bleſſed vsus with all ſpirituall bleſſing in heauenly things in Chriſt, as he hath choſen vsus in him, before the foundation of the world, that we ſhould be holy, and without blame before him in louelove: who hath predeſtinated vsus to be adopted through Ieſus Christ vntounto himſelfe, according to the good pleaſure of his will, &c.
VntoUnto thy land] God curſed the land for the firſt Adams diſobedience, ſaying,iGen. 3.17. Curſed is the earth for thy ſake, in ſorrow ſhalt thou eate of it all the daies of thy life. kHierom. Euthym. Turrecremat.But he bleſſed the land for the ſecond Adams obedience,lGen. 22.16.18. ſwearing by himſelfe, that in him all the nations of the earth ſhall be bleſſed. The Land, O Lord, is thy land, though of it ſelfe it can bring forth nothing but thiſtles and thornes; it is thy creature, whereforemWiſd. 11.21. thou which hateſt nothing that thou didſt make, haſt, out of the riches of thy mercy, become gracious vntounto it.
As thenPſalm. 95.5. ſea is his, for that he made it: euen ſo the oPſal. 24.1.earth is the Lords, and all that therein is, the compaſſe of the world, and they that dwell therein, for hee hath founded it, &c.pT. Wilcox. expoſition. in loc. Other thinke that the land of Canaan is called heere, thy land, becauſe God had choſen it, and hedged it in (as it were) from the Commons of the whole world, for his peculiar people the Iewes, according to that of theqEſay 5.7. Prophet, Surely the vineyard of the Lord of hosts is the houſe of Iſrael, and the men of Iudah are his pleaſant plant, encloſed vntountorDeut. 7.6. Exod. 19.5. himſelfe aboue all places vponupon earth.
Thou haſt turned away the captiuity of Iacob] ſHierom. Euthym.All true beleeuers are the ſonnes of Iacob, and ſeed of Abraham, tAuguſtin.as well the beleeuing Gentiles, which are the ſonnes of Iacob according to the ſpirit, as the beleeuing Iewes the ſonnes of Iacob according to the fleſh; and theuBucer. Church of theſe true Iacobins, and Iſraelites, are the land of the Lord, and the captiuity here mentioned, is bondage vnderunder ſinne; ſo Paul, Rom. 7.23. I ſee another law in my members, rebelling againſt the law of my minde, and leading me captiue vntounto the law of ſinne, which is in my members. O wretched man that I am! who ſhall deliuer me from the body of this death? In this captiuity, Satan is the Iaylor, the fleſh is our priſon, vngodly luſts are the manicles, a bad conſcience the tormentor, all of them againſt vsus; onelyonly Chriſt is Emmanuel, God with vsus: he turneth away the captiuity of Iacob, in forgiuing all his offences, and in couering all his ſinnes. For the bleſſed order of our redemption isxBellarmin. briefly this: God out of his meere louelove to the world, quia bene voluit terrae, gaue his ſonne; the ſonne by his death appeaſed the wrath of his Father, and abundantly ſatisfied the diuine iuſtice, for the ſinnes of the whole world; God pleaſed in his ſonne Ieſu, forgiueth all our offences, and couereth all our ſinnes, and remiſſion of ſinne releaſeth our captiuity. Whoſoeuer then is a true beleeuer in Chriſt, is the Lords y1. Cor. 7.22.free-man, zSee Aquin. lect. 4. in Rom. 7.in this life ſo ſet at liberty, that ſinne ſhall not raigne in his mortall members, Rom. 6.12. but in the world to come fully free from all corruption and concupiſcence, when as his vile body ſhall bee made like to Chriſts glorious body, Philip. 3.21. the which is called by Paul, the glorious liberty of the ſonnes of God. Rom. 8.21.
Turne vsus then O God our Sauiour] Heere begins theaBucer. Bellarmin. petition, orbGenebrardus. application of ye former prophecy, wherein the Church heartily deſires the father of mercies, that he would execute his holy promiſe concerning our deliuerance, by ſending his onelyonly Sonne and our only Sauiour Chriſt Ieſus into the world. Where as it is ſaid in the prophecie, Thou haſt turned away the captiuitie of Iacob: it is ſaid in the Prayer, Turne vsus then O God our Sauiour. In the prophecie, Thou haſt taken away all thy diſpleaſure, and turned thy ſelfe from thy wrathfull indignation: in the Prayer, Let thine anger ceaſe from vsus: wilt thou be diſpleaſed at vsus for euer, and wilt thou ſtretch out thy wrath from one generation to another? In the prophecie, Thou haſt been fauourable to thy land, thou haſt for giuen the offences of thy people, and couered all their ſinnes: in the Prayer, Quicken vsus O Lord, that thy people may reioyce in thee, ſhew vsus thy merciemercy, and grant vsus thy ſaluation: cEuthym.that is, thy Sonne Ieſus,dActs 4.12. by whom onelyonly thou ſaueſt.
The whole Prayer hath (aseD. Incognitus. one notes) two parts:
1. The Churches requeſt vntounto God, that the Meſſias of the world may come, and that for foure cauſes eſpecially:
1. For our reconciliation vntounto God, verſ. 4.5.
2. For our iuſtification, verſ. 6.7.
3. For our illumination, verſ. 8.
4. For our glorification, verſ. 9.
2. Gods grant to the requeſt of his Church in the fulnes of time, MercieMercy and truth are met together, &c.
I will hearken what the Lord will ſay] The word of God is a lanterne vntounto our feete, and a light vntounto our paths, a truſtiefPſal. 119.24. counſeller in all our affaires, in our afflictions eſpecially. The Lord ſpeakes peace vntounto his people, both in the bookes of his holy Scriptures, and by the mouthes of his godlygTileman in loc. Preachers. And therefore ſuch ash1. Theſſ. 5.20, deſpiſe prophecying, & for ſome by-reſpects of tithes, and other worldly toyes, hate their learned and vigilant Paſtors,iLuke 19.42. vnderſtand not theſe things which belong vntounto their peace. It was euer held commendable policie, both among Chriſtians and Heathens, that a good thing for the Common-weale, ſhould be broached by the gratious lip of ſome man highly honoured in his countrie, becauſe his precept is vſually diſ-reſpected, whoſe perſon is deſpiſed. And this among other is one cauſe, why ſome men in Gods houſe, during the time of praying and preaching, prattle ſo much vntounto their mates; or (if their pew-fellow be more deuout) prate by nods and fleares, and other ſecret ſignes, vntounto their lewd companions further off. It is hard for any (ſaid Plutarch) to change himſelfe ſo much, but that a man (at one time or other) may catch his heart at the tip of his tongue: and ſo ſurely no hypocrite can ſo deeply diſſemble, but a man (euer and anon) may ſee his heart at his fingers end: his wandring lookes, and other irreuerent behauiour in the Temple, bewray that his ſoule doth not magnifie the Lord, nor his ſpirit reioyce in God his Sauiour. When thou commeſt into the Sanctuary, thou muſt either in thy deuotions ſpeake vntounto God, or elſe heare, what God by his miniſtrie ſpeaketh vntounto thee.
It is the faſhion of worldlings to ſue their neighbors for eueryevery trifling treſpaſſe: but a true Chriſtian is reſolued here with our Prophet, I will heare, what the Lord God will ſay concerning me. Now hee ſaith,k1. Cor. 6.5. Is it ſo, that there is not a wiſe man among you? no not one, that can iudge betweene his brethren? but a brother goeth to law with a brother, and that vnderunder ſuch aduocates and Iudges,lSaluianus lib. 5 de gubernat. dei. qui hac lege defendunt miſeros, vt miſeriores faciant defendendo, like the thornie buſh fleecing the poore ſheepe, which in a ſtorme commeth vntounto it for ſhelter.
It is the faſhion of worldlings, if they loſe goods out of their cloſet, or cattell out of their Cloſe, preſently to rake hell for help, conſulting with abominable witches, and other wicked agents of the diuell: but a good Chriſtian on the contrary ſaith, I will heare what the Lord will ſay. He ſaith in his law,mExod. 22.18. Thou ſhalt not ſuffer a witch to liue. Shall I then forſake God, whonDeut. 33.26. rideth vponupon the heauens, for my helpe? and the Magiſtrate, Gods deputie, to oRom. 13.4.take vengeance on him that doth euil, and ſeeke comfort at the hands of a Coniurer, by blacke Arts and workes of darkneſſe? No Satan, if thou wouldeſt in conſideration of my little loſſe, giuegive me my houſe full of ſiluer and gold, or couldeſt (as once thou diddeſt impudently boaſt vntounto my bleſſed Sauiour) beſtow on mepMatth. 4.9. all the kingdomes of the world,qNumb. 22.18. I cannot goe beyond the word of the Lord my God to doe leſſe or more.
It is the faſhion of worldlings, when their conſciences afflict them at any time for ſinne, to ſee merry plaies, or reade merry bookes, or heare merry tales, or take merrie cups, and ſo they make the remedie worſe commonly then the diſeaſe. But a good man and a true Chriſtian heares, what the Lord ſaith vntounto him in his word and miniſtrie,rPſal. 50.15. Call vponupon mee in the time of trouble, ſo will I heare thee, and thou ſhalt praiſe me. ſPſal. 31.27.Be ſtrong, and he ſhall ſtabliſh your heart, all ye, that put your truſt in the Lord. Come to me all ye that labour and are laden, and I will eaſe you. Though hope ſeeme to tarrie,tHabacuc. 2.3. yet waite, for it ſhall ſurely come and not ſtay. uSee Dr. Hull ſer. of the bleſſed In-mate.God is like the bridegrome, Ioh. 2. who kept his beſt wine for his laſt ſeruice. Firſt he propounds and propines vntounto his followers the cup of his Croſſe, yee ſhall drinke indeed of my cup, Matth. 20.23. but in concluſion hee turnes his Croſſe into a Crowne, Reuelat. 2.10. Be thou faithfull vntounto death, and I will giuegive thee the crowne of life. Firſt hee doth humble, then exalt: firſt hexDeut. 32.39. killeth, and then hee cureth. A triſtibus ſemper ſed neceſſarijs inchoat Deus, deinde progreditur ad hilariora, ſaithyIn Iere. hom. 1. Origene: God euer begins at neceſſarie diſcontentments, and ſo proceedeth vntounto things more pleaſing. He ſaith, I wound, and I make whole: I kill, and giuegive life. He ſaith not, I will firſt make aliue, and then I will deſtroy: but firſt hezIerem. 1.10. plucketh vp, and then he planteth: firſt he doth ouerthrow, then he buildeth: firſt he mortifieth our earthly members of ſinne, then he quickneth our inward man to grace. Ioſeph after he had worne the Iaylors iron chaine, Geneſ. 40.3. was adorned with the golden chaine of Pharao the King, Gen. 41.42. Mordecai firſt among pages at the CourtaEſter 4.2. gate, was afterward honoured with the Kings ring and raiment, and mounted on the Kings horſe, and it was openly proclaimed before him euen through the ſtreetes of the Citie, Thus ſhall it be done to the man, whom the King will honor, Eſter 6.11. All which examples are Commentaries vponupon our text, and ſhew, that howſoeuer almightie God puniſheth his people for a time, yet if they will heare what he ſaith, he will in fine ſpeake peace vntounto them.
But the Pſalmiſt addeth here by way of caueat, Let them not returne againe to their follie. Sinners are fooles, and their faults are their follies, as the Scriptures euerie where ſpeake, in the Prouerbs eſpecially. Couetouſneſſe is a follie, Drunkenneſſe a follie, Whoredome a follie, Atheiſme follie, Idolatrie follie. God in his Sonne ſpeaketh vntounto his people peace, but let them take heed that they returne not againe to their follie, like theb2. Pet. 2.22. ſowe to the wallowing in mire, and the dogge to his own vomite,cJohn 5.14. Behold, thou art now made whole, ſinne no more, leſt a worſe thing come vntounto thee. Tnou doeſt eueryevery day beg of our heauenlie Father that his kingdome may come: looke then vntounto the next clauſe, that his will may be done in earth, as it is in heauen.
MercieMercy and truth are met together] dTileman. Bucer. Vatablus.When as Gods people heare, what he ſaith vntounto them in his holy word, then all things are full of merciemercy, truth, righteouſneſſe and peace; then the land ſhall giuegive her increaſe, that is, the Church abound with theſe good fruites of faith.eGenebrard. Tremel. Wilcox. Some ſay, that theſe vertues meete together and kiſſe, but in diuers ſubiects. As for example, mercy from God, and truth from men: as if hee ſhould ſay, God will turne his owne iuſtice toward his people into merciemercy, and their hypocriticall hearts and foule hands into ſound and ſincere dealing, and ſo righteouſneſſe and peace kiſſe. The righteouſneſſe of God in executing his promiſes faithfully, breeds in his people peace of conſcience to their endleſſe comfort. Other affirme, that theſe vertues meete together in one ſubiect, and that in
God.
Man.
Chriſt, God and man.
They meete together in God: for all the pathes of the Lord are merciemercy and truth, Pſalm. 25.9.fAgellius. Bellarm. in Pſal. 24. merciemercy in making, and truth in keeping his promiſe to his people. SaintgRom. 15.8. Paul ſaith, Ieſus Chriſt was a miniſter of the Circumciſion for the truth of God, to confirme the promiſes made vntounto the Fathers; and that the Gentiles might glorifie God for his merciemercy. God promiſed his Sonne vntounto thehRom. 9.4. Iewes, and he gaue him in theiGalat. 4.4. fulnes of time to bee both akLuke 2.32. light to the Gentiles, and glorie of his people Iſrael.lHierome. Auguſtine. Turrecremat. Herein ſhewing his merciemercy more principally to the Gentiles, his truth vntounto the Iewes, and ſo his merciemercy and truth embraced each other, in that hee mademEpheſ. 2.14. both people but one, to wit, one flock, innIohn 10.16. one ſheepfold, vnderunder one ſhepheard.
If we take truth and righteouſnes for Gods iuſtice in puniſhing, merciemercy and peace for his gratiouſneſſe in pardoning; yet they meete together in all his waies, vntounto ſuch as keepe his couenant and his teſtimonies. For as theoProu. 12.10. mercies of the wicked are full of crueltie: ſo the very iudgements of God vponupon his ſeruants are full of merciemercy. In hispHabacuc. 3.2. wrath he remembers pitie; puniſhing a little, that he may pardon a great deale; deſtroying the fleſh only, to ſaue the ſpirit, 1. Cor. 5.5.qBernard. ſerm. cont. vitium ingrat. Miſericordiae res eſt aliquando ſubtrahere miſericordiam: It was good for Ioſeph that he was a captiue, good for Naaman that he was a leper, good for Bartimaeus that he was blinde, good for Dauid that he was in trouble.rFox Martyr. fol. 1476. Bradford thanked God more of his priſon, then of any parlour or pleaſure: ſRom. 8.28.All things are for the beſt vntounto the faithfull. And ſo Gods merciemercy and truth are met together, righteouſneſſe and peace hauehave kiſſed each other, his mercy being iuſt, and his iuſtice mercifull. But God in giuing his only Sonne vntounto the world, more abundantly ſhewed his merciemercy and iuſtice kiſſing one another. His iuſtice requirestEzech. 18.20. that eueryevery ſoule that ſins ſhould dye; but his merciemercy deſires not the death of a ſinner, Ezech. 33.11. Hee therefore gaue his Sonne to dye for our ſinnes, and to riſe againe for our iuſtification, and ſo both his iuſtice is ſatisfied, and ſinners are ſaued. In Chriſts aduent, merciemercy and truth are met together, righteouſneſſe and peace hauehave kiſſed each other. uSerm. 1. de annun. Dom.Bernard hath a pretie Dialogue to this purpoſe betweene righteouſnes and truth on the one ſide, merciemercy and peace on the other part, contending about the redemption of mankinde. Chriſt our bleſſed Meſſias and Mediatour ended the quarrel at his comming, and made them all exceeding kinde kiſſing friends: for in giuing himſelfe ax1. Tim. 2.6. ranſome for all men, he did at once pay both vntounto Iuſtice her debt, and grant vntounto MercieMercy her deſire.
2. Righteouſnes and peace meete together in man: ſo SaintyJn loc. Auguſtine expounds it, an vniuſt man is full of quarrels, like Iſhmael, zGen. 16.12.eueryevery mans hand is againſt him, and his hand againſt eueryevery man: but he which is righteous and giueth eueryevery man his due, ſhall hauehave peace, ſo much as isaRom. 12.18. poſſible with all men, eſpecially with his own ſelfe and ſoule. Righteouſnes and peace are ſo neere, ſo deare, that thou canſt not hauehave the one without the other. Vnam vis & alteram non facis, happily thou wouldeſt enioy peace, but thou wilt doe no iuſtice. ThebƲirgil. Poet could ſay,—Pacem te poſcimus omnes: interroga (quothcƲbiſup. Auguſtine) omnes homines, vultis pacem? vno ore reſpondet totum genus hominum, opto, cupio, volo, amo. Well then, if thou deſire peace, do iuſtice; for peace ſaith, I am a friend only to ſuch as louelove my friend.dPſal. 34.12. What man is hee that luſteth to liue, and would faine ſee good daies? keep thy tongue from euil, and thy lips that they ſpeake no guile; eſchew euill, and doe good; ſeeke peace and enſue it. Nay thou need not ſeeke it, for it will of it ſelfe come to kiſſe her ſiſter Righteouſneſſe.eBaſilius. Agellius. If men hauehave truth and righteouſneſſe, God will affoord merciemercy and peace. So the Prophet expreſſely, Keepe innocencie, and take heede vntounto the thing that is right, for that ſhall bring a man peace at the laſt, Pſal. 37.38. At the firſt happily thou maiſt hauehave warre with vngodly men of this world, (for fBradford apud Fox Martyr. fol. 1491.doe well, and heare ill, is written on heauens doore) but hereafter, at the laſt aſſuredly thou ſhalt hauehave peace to thy ſoule. gTileman. Tremellius.Or righteouſnes and peace meete in eueryevery true beleeuer, becauſe being iuſtified by faith, wee hauehave peace toward God, through Ieſus Chriſt our Lord, Rom. 5.1.
3. Righteouſnes and peace meete in Chriſt, God and man: for by theſe two,hD. Incognitus in loc. ſome Diuines vnderſtand the old Teſtament and the new. The Law doth exact iuſtice, requiring of a malefactoriExod. 21.24. eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foote for foote: but the Goſpell is full of merciemercy and peace, ſaying vntounto the ſinner, who truly repenteth him of his ſinnes) and vnfainedly beleeues the word of promiſe,kMatth. 9.2.22. Sonne, be of good comfort, thy ſinnes are forgiuen thee. Daughter, be of good cheere, thy faith hath made thee whole. lMark. 10.52.Goe thy way, thy beleefe hath ſaued thee. mIohn 5.14.Behold, thou art now made whole, ſin no more. Theſe two Teſtaments meete together in Chriſt, as in their proper center, they kiſſed each other on this day, becauſe the Goſpell performed what the Law promiſed.
nEuthym.Or hee ſhewed truth in his words, and merciemercy in his workes.oIob. 17.6.17. Hee deliuered the will of God vntounto men, and his word is truth. Hee made thepMatth. 11.5. blinde to ſee, the lame to go, the deafe to heare, he cleanſed the lepers, he cured the ſicke, he raiſed vp the dead: and theſe without queſtion are workes of merciemercy.
Or by theſe two vertues vnderſtandqEuthym. Chriſts two natures, his diuine nature by merciemercy, hauingrMatth. 9.6. power to forgiue ſinnes, and to healeſMatth. 8.16. all manner of ſickneſſe: by truth his humane nature, 1. For that hee had true fleſh, and not (as Heretikes imagined) a phantaſticall bodie. 2. For that he was a man after Gods owne image,tEpheſ. 4.24. created in righteouſnes and true holineſſe, he was blameleſſe and vndefiled, Heb. 7.26. he knew no ſinne, 1. Cor. 5.21. hee did no wickedneſſe, neither was any deceit in his mouth, Eſay 53.9. and ſo truth and merciemercy met together in the perſonall vnion of his two natures. And this expoſition is more probable by the next verſe: Truth ſhall floriſh out of the earth, and righteouſnes hath looked downe from heauen. Chriſt is truth, as heuJoh. 14.6. ſaith of himſelfe, I am the way, the truth, &c. and Chriſt is our righteouſnes, 1. Corinth. 1.30.xHierome. Arnobius. Agellius. Now Chriſt as man, and borne of the Virgine Mary, budded out of the earth: and as God, hee looked downe from heauen. That men might bee iuſtified by grace from heauen, it pleaſed him on this day to bud out of the earth, in the words of S.yJn loc. Augustine, Vt iuſtitia proſpiceret de caelo, id eſt; vt iustificarentur homines diuinâ gratiâ, veritas nata eſt de Maria Virgine, vt poſſit pro illis iuſtificandis offerri ſacrificium, ſacrificium paſſionis, ſacrificium crucis: & vnde offerret ſacrificium pro peccatis noſtris, niſi moreretur? quomodo autem moreretur, niſi carnem indueret? & quomodo carnem indueret, niſi veritas de terra oriretur?
zGenebrard.Other otherwiſe, when righteouſneſſe, that is, Gods grace lookes downe from heauen, then truth among men floriſheth vponupon earth. aPlacidus Parmen.Or before Chriſts comming the whole world was full of vntruths, all the Gentiles adored falſe gods, and many Iewes worſhipped the true God falſely. But the Sunne of righteouſneſſe appearing in our Horizon,b1. Pet. 2.9. called vsus out of darkneſſe into marueilous light, teaching that onelyonlyc1. Kings 18.39. the Lord is God, and that and1. Cor. 8.4. Idoll is nothing, and ſo truth floriſheth out of the earth, and righteouſneſſe hath looked downe from heauen.
eAuguſtine. Tileman.Or, truth ſprings out of the earth, and righteouſneſſe lookes downe from heauen, when a ſinner humblie confeſſeth his faults vntounto God: according to that of Saintf1. Epiſt. 1.8.9. Iohn, If wee ſay that wee hauehave no ſinne, wee deceiue our ſelues, and truth is not in vsus: if wee acknowledge our ſinnes, he is faithfull and iuſt to forgiue vsus our ſinnes, and to cleanſe vsus from all vnrighteouſnes.
gBellarmine.Or, the diuine iustice manifeſted it ſelfe from heauen, in Chriſts ſpringing out of the earth. For hereby we know thehRom. 1.18. wrath of God is reueiled from heauen againſt all vngodlineſſe and vnrighteouſneſſe, becauſe nothing could expiate the ſinnes of men, but the death of Gods owne and onelyonly Sonne, hee budded out of the earth, and was buffeted vponupon the earth, and buried vnderunder the earth; and all this, and more then this he did ſuffer and doe for our redemption and ranſome.
iPaulinus epiſt. lib. 1. epiſt. 4.Quid illi pro malis meis quae pertulit, quid pro bonis ſuis quae contulit, referam? quid pro ſuſcepta carne, quid pro alapis? quid pro flagellis? pro cruce, obitu, ſepultura, rependam? esto, reddamus crucem pro cruce, funus pro funere, numquid poterimus reddere, quod ex ipſo, & per ipſum, & in ipſo habemus omnia, &c. reddamus ergo amorem pro debito, charitatem pro munere, animum & affectum Domino impendamus, & ſoluimus.