Exposition of the Proper Psalms, Commentary 6
PSALM. 2.
Why doe the Heathen ſo furiouſly rage together, &c.
This Ode may be diuided into 2. parts: the
1. Deſcribes the wickedneſſe, and weaknes of ſuch as bandie thēſelues againſt the Lord, and againſt his annointed.
Wickedneſſe, furiouſly raging, ſtanding vp, and taking counſell together.
Weakeneſſe,
Implied in the word why?
Expreſſed in the clauſe, Imagine a vaine thing.
2. Sets downe Gods
Might, for their deſtruction, if they will not amend their manners, and aſſwage their malice, verſ. 4.5.6.7.8.9.
Mercy, for their inſtruction, if they will once be ſo wiſe, as to learne his law, and to louelove his ſonne, verſ. 10.11.12.
Why doe the Heathen] By Heathen, are meant the Gentiles; by people, the Iewes; by Kings, the chiefe Monarches vponupon earth; and by Rulers, theirzBucer. Ro. Stephanus. Wilcox. priuie Counſellors of Eſtate. The Gentiles, as not hauing Gods law, furiouſly rage together, likeaCaſſiodorus. Placidus. Tileman. bruit beaſts without vnderſtanding. The Greeke word vſed by Saint Luke, Act. 4.25. doth import fierceneſſe and pride, as of horſes that neigh, and ruſh into the battell. The Iewes, albeit they had Gods holy word, imagined a vaine thing, bEuthym.becauſe they were cunning rather in the ſound, then in the ſenſe thereof. The Kings, as men of might, ſtand vp, and the rulers, as men of wit and policy, take counſell together. And ſo men of all countries, as well the Iewes, as the Gentiles, and of all conditions, as wel Princes as people, bandy thēſelues againſt the Lord, & againſt his anointed.
Now this may be conſtruedcD. Jncognit. Caluin. Tremel. either of Dauid, or of the Meſſias. Of the Lords Chriſt, or of the Lord Chriſt. Dauid is the Lords Chriſt, as his annointed King ouer Iſrael, annointed thrice. Firſt, in the middeſt of his brethren, 1. Sam. 1.16. afterward in Hebron, 2. Sam. 2. laſtly, before all the tribes of Iſrael, 2. Sam. 5. and he may be called the ſonne of God,
As a
Man, for all of vsus are the dAct. 17.28.generation of God, it is be who made vsus, and not our ſelues, Pſal. 100.2.
Great man, or King, for Princes are ſtiled the ePſal. 82.6.children of the most high.
Good man, or regenerate, for eueryevery one that is new borne, is f1. Ioh. 3.9.borne of God, and adopted his ſonne, and made his heire, Rom. 8.15.17.
How the Heathen, that is, the Philiſtims, and other ſtrange nations, furiouſly raged together againſt him: how the people, that is, the Iewes of Sauls houſe imagined vainely to dethrone him: how the Captains ſtood vp, and ſtates-men tooke counſell together, that they might breake his bonds aſunder, and caſt away his cords from them: how the Lord that dwelleth in heauen laughed all his enemies to ſcorne, ſaying, yet hauehave I ſet my King vponupon my holy hill of Sion: you may reade in the ſecond booke of Samuel, from the 2. to the 10. chapter.
But the bleſſed Apoſtles hauehave conſtrued this of Chriſt, Act. 4.24. O Lord, thou art the God, which haſt made the heauen and the earth, and the ſea, and all things that are in them. Which by the mouth of thy ſeruant Dauid haſt ſaid, why did the Gentiles rage, and the people imagine vaine things? The Kings of the earth aſſembled, and the rulers came together againſt the Lord, and againſt his Christ. For doubtleſſe againſt thine holy Sonne Ieſus, whom thou haſt annointed, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles and people of Iſrael, gathered themſelues together, to doe whatſoeuer thy hand and thy counſell had determined before to be done. gBellar. in loc.Firſt the Princes did plot, and afterward the people did act this inſurrection. Herod the King ſought to deſtroy Chriſt in his ſwadling cloutes, he was troubled at the birth of Ieſus, and all Hieruſalem with him, Matth. 2.3. And the Rulers oppoſed Chriſt in the whole courſe of his life: ſo the text plainly,hIoh. 7, 48. Doth any of the Rulers, or of the Phariſies beleeue in him? At his death all the Rulers Eccleſiaſticall and Ciuill accorded in one. The Gentiles, iEuthym.that is the Romane ſouldiers, by Pilats inſtigation, furiouſly raged together: and the people, that is the Iewes, by the counſell of the chiefe Prieſts & Elders, imagined a vaine thing. Yea but how can it be ſaid plurally that Kings aſſembled againſt Chriſt? Anſwere is made bykPlacidus. Incognitus. Agellius. ſome, that the plurall is vſed here for the ſingular. Or by Kings is meant Herod and Pilate, for Herod is ſtiledlMatth. 2.1. King, and Pontius Pilate was amMatth. 27.2. Gouernour vnderunder the Romane Emperour, and theſe Viceroyes had many petitenIoh. 4.46. Matth. 9.18. Rulers alſo ſubiect to their command. Or by Kings is meant Herod ſenior, who ſtood vp againſt Chriſt at his birth, Matth. 2. and Herod Iunior, who deſpiſed and mocked Chriſt at his death. Luk. 23.11.
Or, asoJn loc. Idem Euthym. Chryſostome, with Herod were ioyned the Diuell, and Death, and Sinne. All which are Kings of the earth. The Diuell is a King,pEpheſ. 2.2. ruling in the ayre, theqIoh. 12.31. Prince of this world, Luk. 11.18. If Satan be diuided againſt himſelfe, how ſhall his kingdome ſtand? And Death is a King, Rom. 5.14. Death raigned from Adam to Moſes, &c. And Sinne is a King too, Rom. 6.12. Let not ſinne raigne in your mortall bodies, leſt yee ſhould obey the luſt of it. All theſe Kings aſſembled and tooke counſell together againſt the Lord, and againſt his Chriſt. For as Chriſt conſiſted of humane fleſh and a reaſonable ſoule: ſo likewiſe hee had two ſorts of enemies, one viſible which aſſaulted his bodie, another inuiſible which aſſaulted his ſoule; ſpirituall wickedneſſes, Epheſ. 6.12. Here wee may behold and bewaile the blindneſſe of the Iewes in our time, who (notwithſtanding their moſt ancientrSee Galatin. de Arcanis, lib. 3. cap. 7. & Bellar. in loc. Rabbins applie this our text to the true Meſſias) expect him as yet to come.
Laſtly, for as much as Chriſt ſuffers in hisſActs 9.4. members, andt2. Tim. 3.12. al that will liue godly, that they may be madeuRom. 8.29. like to his image, muſt of neceſſitie ſuffer perſecution; it may be conſtrued ofxPlacidus. Bucer. Strigellius. Chriſtians as well as of Chriſt, againſt whom al the wicked angels,yApoc. 7.1. ſtanding on the foure corners of the earth, are combined in a bloody league. The Gentiles at this day furiouſly rage together, and the Iewes at this day ſtill imagine vaine things; at this day the Kings of the earth ſtand vp, as the Turke, the Pope, the Spanyard, and all their cruell agents. In a word, all Atheiſts, all Anti-chriſts, all Hypocrites, all Worldlings hurtle together againſt the Lord & his annoynted people. The true Church is azCant. 2.2. lilie among thornes, a few harmeleſſeaLuk. 10.3. lambes in the middeſt of many rauenous wolues, on eueryevery ſide compaſſed about with ſuch as ſay, Let vsus break their bonds aſunder, and caſt away their cords from vsus.
1. We may learne from hence,bWilcox. not to depend vponupon the multitude for their number, becauſe the people mutinouſly rage together, and imagine vaine things in their conuenticles: nor vponupon the mightie for their countenance, becauſe many Kings of the earth ſtand vp, and Rulers take counſell together againſt the Lord and his Chriſt.
2. We may know from hence,cBucer. whether wee are the Lords annointed, or no. ThedJohn 15.19. world loueth his owne; if then it hate Chriſt in vsus, it is an infallible ſigne, that we are goode2. Tim. 2.3. ſouldiers of the Lord, and not ſeruants of the world.fBradford apud Fox Mart. fol. 1490. The way to heauen is to ſaile by hell; if you will embrace Chriſt in his robes, you muſt not thinke ſcorne of him in his ragges; if you will ſit at his table in his kingdome, you muſt firſt abide with him in his tentations; if you will drinke of his cup of glorie, forſake not his cup of ignominie. Can the head corner ſtone be reiected, and the other more baſe ſtones in Gods building be ſet by? You are one of Gods liuely ſtones, and therefore be content to be hewen and ſnagged, that you may be made more meete to be ioyned to your fellowes, ſuffering the ſnatches of Satan, and wounds of the world.
3. From hence wee may be well aſſured, that the ſincere profeſſion of the Goſpell in reformed Churches, is the moſt incorrupt and pure religion, as being moſt oppoſite to the children of this world. The Maſſe (ſaid holygIn a letter to his mother. Bradford) doth not bite them, or make thē to bluſh, as preaching. And therefore thehApoc. 17.2. Kings of the earth are drunken with the wine of the Babyloniſh whore's abominable fornication. IniRelation of religion. §. 13. Rome the humour of eueryevery worldling is fitted, and each appetite may finde what to feede on. The mother of whoredomes is content to tolerate Iewes, and other vngodly wretches of diuers and aduerſe faiths in her Countrey, but ſhee will not endure Lutherans. All things are lawfull in great Babylon, excepting this only, to profeſſe the Goſpell after the manner of Proteſtants. It is reported by reuerendkMartyr. fol. 860. Fox, that certain Lawyers and Aduocates in Prouince, maintained openly, that in a caſe of Lutheraniſme, the Iudges are not bound to obſerue either right or reaſon, order or ordinance, for they cannot erre, whatſoeuer iudgement they doe giuegive, ſo that it tend to the ruine and extirpation of ſuch as are ſuſpected Lutherans.
Hitherto concerning the wickedneſſe of ſuch as oppoſe themſelues againſt the Lord, and his annointed. I am now to ſpeake of their weakeneſſe, implied in the word Why? lSteuchus. Genebrard.for by this interrogation he doth admire their follie: non enim tam interrogantis, quàm deridentis, as a learnedmAgellius. expoſitor vponupon the place.nChryſoſt. Placidus. If they be derided as vnwiſe, who ſhoote arrowes at the Sunne, and barke at the Moone; what errant fooles are they who fight againſt God, dwelling in the heauen of heauens, aboue Sunne and Moone,oActs 4.24. who made the heauen, and earth, and Sea, and all things that are therein? Alas, all fleſh is as thepEſay 40 7. graſſe that withereth, and God is aqHeb. 12.29. conſuming fire readie to burne this ſtubble.rPſal. 144.4. Man is like a thing of nought, but God is almightie, meaſuring the waters in his fiſt, and meating heauē with his ſpanne, and weighing the mountaines in skales, and the hils in a ballance, Eſay 40.12. Man is in the hāds of God his maker, as the clay in the hands of the potter, Ierem. 18.6. Now ſhall the thing formed (ſaithſRom. 11.20. S. Paul) diſpute with him who formed it? or man imagine ſo vaine a thing, as to ſtand vp, and take counſell againſt his Creatour? So that the Prophet here ſpeakes as thetVirgil. Aenead. lib. 10. Poet,
Quò moriture ruis, maiora que viribus audes?
Quid tantum inſano iuuat indulgere labori?
Or asuEpod. 7. Horace begins an Epod:
Quò quò ſceleſtiruitis, aut cur dexteris
aptantur enſes conditi?
He that dwelleth in heauen ſhall laugh them to ſcorne] Note here the great oddes and difference between God and his enemies: 1. He dwelleth in heauen, xCaluin.but his greateſt oppoſites are Kings vponupon earth, vnſetledy1. Pet. 2.11. pilgrimes inz2. Cor. 5.1. earthly tabernacles and houſes ofaIob. 4.19. clay. 2. WhereasbPſal. 39.7. man diſquieteth himſelfe in vaine, raging, running, ſtanding vp againſt the Lord and his annointed: almightie God is ſaid heere to ſit in heauen atcBucer. reſt and eaſe. 3. Whereas men imagine vainly to breake his bonds, and caſt away his cords: God in a moment is able to bruſe them with a rod of iron, and breake them in peeces like a potters veſſell. Albeit they fret and fume neuer ſo much, he ſhall laugh them to ſcorne, and hauehave them in deriſion. As it is ſaid of the monſterdJob. 41.18. Leuiathan, He eſteemeth iron as ſtraw, and braſſe as rotten wood; the archer cannot make him flee, the ſtones of the ſling are turned to ſtubble before him, and hee laugheth at the ſhaking of the ſpeare. Now theſe things are ſaid groſſely for our capacitie, becauſe the Lord in deede can neither laugh nor crie: yet the Scripture ſpeaking after the manner of men, affirmes plainly that God is grieued at our faults, and that hee laugheth at our follies, non ſecundum affectum, (as the Schoole diſtinguiſheth aptly) ſed ſecundum effectum, in that he carrieth himſelfe toward his enemies as one that hath them in deriſion. And this he doth ineCaluin. two reſpects eſpecially.
1. For that he can at any time when he will, as it were ſportingly pull downe ſuch as ſtand vp againſt him, hee doth eaſily deſcrie their follie, ſuppreſſe their furie.
2. For that he ſuffereth his enemies in their rebelling and reuelling againſt his annointed, only to play with his baite, he hath (as he toldf2. King. 19.28. Eſay 17.29. Senachorib) an hooke in their noſtrils, and a bridle in their mouthes, he can, and he will (at his good pleaſure) bring them back againe the ſame way they came.gPſal. 121.4. He that keepeth Iſrael (howſoeuer hee ſeeme for a while to neglect his Church, and kingdome of his Sonne) ſhall neither ſlumber nor ſleepe. He will (in his due time) ſpeake with al ſuch as combine themſelues againſt his annointed; he will talke with them indeede,hBellarmine. non verbis, ſed verberibus, as it is in the text, hee ſhall ſpeake to them in his wrath, and vexe them in his ſore diſpleaſure: he ſhall bruſe them with a rod of iron and breake them in peeces like a potters veſſell, and ſo ſhall hee make them a ſcorne to men and Angels: hee derides them, in that he ſheweth all their plots and practiſes to be worthieiHierome. deriſion.
For firſt, if we conſtrue this of Dauid, he laughed all his enemies to ſcorne, ſaying,k2. Sam. 12.7. I annointed thee King euer Iſrael, and deliuered thee out of the hand of Saul, and gaue thee thy Lords houſe, and his wiues into thy boſome, &c. and would moreouer (if that had been too little) giuegive thee ſuch and ſuch things, &c. The which is in effect all one with our text at the ſixth verſe, I hauehave ſet my King vponupon mine holy hill of Sion.
If we conſtrue this of the Church, hee laugheth all her enemies to ſcorne, ſaying,lEſay 49.16. I hauehave grauen thee in the palmes of mine hands, and thy walles are euer in my ſight. mEſay 41.10.Feare thou not, for I am with thee, be not afraid thou worme Iacob, for I the Lord thy God will ſtrengthen thee, and helpe thee, and ſuſtaine thee with the right hand of my iuſtice. Behold, all they that prouoke thee, ſhall be confounded, and aſhamed, they ſhall be as nothing, and they that ſtriue with thee ſhall periſh, for nMatth. 16.18.hell gates ſhall not ouercome thee.
If we conſtrue this of Chriſt, he that dwelleth in heauen had all his enemies in deriſion, hee did vſe theſe bad inſtruments for the effecting of his good ends: ſo the text, Act. 13.27. in putting to death the Lord of life, they fulfilled all things that were written of him in the Prophets: and Acts 4.28. they did whatſoeuer Gods holy hand and counſell had determined before to be done. All his enemies, as well ſpirituall as temporall, imagined vainly. The Diuell, and Death, and Sinne furiouſly raged againſt him on the Croſſe: but hee didoColoſſ. 2.15. openly triumph ouer them in the ſame Croſſe. By death he did ouercome death, and open vntounto vsus the gate of life: for if death could not on this day, keepe him fettered in the graue his priſon, it is euident that his power is vanquiſhed; and if death bee conquered, it followes neceſſarily, that ſin, which is the ſting of death, is alſo deſtroyed. If death and ſinne be diſcomfited, then aſſuredly the kingdome of Satan is ſubdued, who had the power of death, and is author of ſinne, and ruler of hell.
As for his temporall enemies, the Gentiles madly raged againſt him, and the Iewes imagined a vaine thing, inpMatth. 27.60. rolling a great ſtone to the doore of the ſepulchre, ſealing it and making it ſure with a watch. For it wasqActs 2.24.31. impoſſible, that the Lord of life ſhould bee holden of death, his ſoule could not bee left in graue, nor his fleſh ſee corruption, and therefore the ſtone being rolled away by an Herauld of heauen, Matth. 28.2. God raiſed him againe from the dead, and made him a King ouer his holy hill of Sion, rHierome. Auguſtin.that is, head of his Church, giuing him all the heathen for his inheritance, and the vttermoſt parts of the earth for his poſſeſſion. And the Rulers held an idle counſell againſt him, in commanding the ſouldiers, who guarded his tombe, to ſay,ſMatth. 28.13. that his Diſciples came by night, and ſtole him away while they ſlept: for (astHom. 36. Auſtin, anduGreg. Nyſſen orat. 2. de reſurrect. Chriſti. Idem annotat, inter neotericos. Caietan. in Matth. 28. other of the moſt ancient Doctors hauehave well obſerued) it is a very ſenſeleſſe lye, becauſe the ſouldiers either were aſleepe, or awake: if aſleepe, how did they know that his Diſciples had taken him away by night? if awake, why did they not guard the tombe? lapidem vt lapides ſeruabant, as Chryſoſtome vponupon this Pſalme. See Goſpell on Eaſter day.
Thus he that dwelleth in heauen, raiſing his annointed on this day from the dead, had all his enemies in deriſion. He ſaid to Chriſt on Eaſter day, Thou art my ſonne, this day hauehave I begotten thee. As if he ſhould hauehave ſaid, Thou wert euer my ſonne, before to day, before there was any day:xCaluin. & Rob. Stephanus in loc. See Suarez tom. 2. in 3. Thom. diſput. 45. ſect. 1. but yet in this day of thy reſurrection, I hauehave moſt eſpecially manifeſted vntounto the world that thou art my ſonne, whom I hauehave begotten. See this expounded more fully, Epiſt. on Tueſday in Eaſter weeke.
Be wiſe therefore O ye Kings] In this admonition obſerue foure points: Eſpecially
1. Who, Kings and Iudges.
2. When, Now.
3. What,
1. ToyBaſil. Bellarmine. know their dutie, Be wiſe, be learned.
2. To doe their dutie, Serue the Lord, kiſſe the Sonne.
4. Why: BecauſezTremellius. hereby Gods
Heauie wrath is eſcaped, implied in the word therfore, hauing reference to the iudgements of God, verſe 5.9. and expreſſed verſ. 12. leſt he be angrie, and ſo yee periſh from the right way.
Happie bleſſing is obtained, Bleſſed are they that put their truſt in him.
He doth exhort Kings eſpecially,aCaluin. becauſe their greatnes vſually makes them inſolent and rebellious againſt God.bSteuchus. Or, leſt happily the ſubiect ſhould bee puniſhed for the Soueraignes follie, Quic quid delirant reges, plectuntur Achiui. Or, becauſe like Prince, like people. Ieroboam made Iſrael to ſinne:cHerodianus lib. 1. for the moſt part euerie man emulates the manners of his Prince.
dClaudianus.Mobile mutatur ſemper cum principe vulgus.
Or, he ſpeakes to Kings and Iudges more particularly,eTileman. for that it belongs vntounto their office, to ſee the people well inſtructed, it appertaines to their charge (being Cuſtodes vtriuſ que tabulae) that eueryevery ſubiect liue toward himſelfe ſoberly, toward his neighbour righteouſly, toward God religiouſly. For although a King may not adminiſter the Sacraments, or preach the word, or execute the Miniſters office de facto: yet (as ourſConfeſſ. Anglican. art 37. and in the admonition to ſimple men annexed to Queene Elizab. Iniunctions. Diuines hauehave determined) it belongs to the Kings cure de Iure, to ſee that all things, concerning Gods holy ſeruice, ſhould be done in the Church orderly. The Prophet therefore calleth vponupon Kings and Iudges earneſtly to ſerue the Lord as the chiefe, knowing that the great wheele mouing in deuotion, is able to carry with it all the leſſer wheeles.
Here then obſerue, what a great charge Princes and Prelates hauehave, for God ſaith vntounto them, of eueryevery one which is vnderunder their iuriſdiction and cure,g1. King. 20.39. keepe this man, if he be loſt and want, thy life ſhall goe for his life. hPetitur à te non curatio ſed cura Bernard.The conuerting of the wicked, howſoeuer it be Gods cure, yet it is thy care, the Lord only giuethi1. Cor. 3.6. encreaſe, yet Paul is to plant, and Apollos to water; and thereforekFox Mart. fol. 1003. Iohn Longland, B. of Lincolme, preaching before King Henrie 8. wondred at the Popes blind follie, who makes the whole world his Dioceſſe; for if a man at the dreadfull day of iudgement ſhall hardly anſwere for himſelfe, how ſhall the man of ſinne anſwere for all the world?
Now for as much, as eueryevery priuate family is a modell of a kingdome; & eueryevery man in his owne houſe, is both a Prieſt, and a Prince: be wiſe ye maſters, and learned ye parents, that yee may bring vp your ſeruants and children inlEpheſ. 6.4. inſtruction and information of the Lord, ſerue God in feare, and reioyce in him with reuerence, giuegive good examples of piety toward God, of pitty toward your neighbours, of ſobriety toward your ſelues. AsmEpiſt. lib. 1. epiſt. 10. Seneca diuinely, ſic viue cum hominibus, quaſi Deus videat: ſic loquere cum deo, quaſi homines audiant: So conuerſe with men, as if God did ſee you; ſo conferre with God, as if men did heare you.
Laſtly, this exhortation to repentance concerneth all men, as well the loweſt, as the higheſt, if the words miniſtry reach vntounto the Soueraigne, how ſhall it come ſhort of thenEuthym. Caluin. ſubiect? ifo1. King. 18.18. Elias may tell Ahab, it is thou and thy fathers houſe which hauehave troubled Iſrael, in that yee hauehave forſaken the commandements of the Lord, and hauehave followed Balaim? IfpMat. 14.14. Iohn the Baptiſt may tell Herod to his beard, It is not lawfull for thee to hauehave thy brothers wife? Ifq2. Sam. 12. Nathan may tell Dauid the King of his murther and adulterie? then aſſuredly the Prophets of Almighty God may well admoniſh inferiours, & tell them of their vaine imaginations, raging againſt the Lord and his annointed. Saint Peter told Simon Magus, rAct. 8.23.thou art in the gall of bitterneſſe. SaintſGalath. 3.3. Paul called his Galathians fooles, becauſe they began in the ſpirit, and ended in the fleſh. SainttIam. 5.3. Iames cried vntounto the couetous worldlings, your gold and ſiluer is cankered, and the ruſt of them is a witneſſe againſt you. The Paſtour may tel his pariſhioners of their idleneſſe, oppreſſion, hypocriſie, drunkenneſſe, &c. exhorting them to learne Chriſt better, and to bee more wife. Such as continue ſtill irrepentant in their ſins, are fooles, and the longer they continue, the greater fooles; if once they turne to the Lord and repent, they begin to be wiſe, foruProu. 1.7. the feare of the Lord is the beginning of wiſedome. And therefore the next point is to bee preſſed, intelligite nunc, be wiſe now. Now while yee are in thexMat. 5.25. way, now while it is calledyHeb. 3.13. to day, now while it is time,zCaluin. Genebrard. before Gods heauie iudgments ouertake you, mentioned in the fifth and ninth verſe.
Sinne is firſt (as it were) a Palmer-worme, hurting onelyonly the leaues of the tree; then a Caterpiller, deſtroying the fruit; laſt of all (if it bee not in due time preuented) a Canker that deuoures the body. Chriſt often compares his Spouſe the Church, vntounto a Doue, whoſe call is nunc, nunc, now, now, and the voice of the Turtle is heard in Gods holy land, Cant. 2.12. but the Crow cryingaAuguſtin. de verbis dom. in euang. ſecund. Mat. ſer. 16. cras, cras, to morrow, to morrow, ſeemes to bee curate to the diuell, and vicar of hell. An irrepentant ſinner in his ſecurity ſleepes betweene death and the diuel, as Peter did betweene two ſouldiers, bound with two chaines, Act. 12.6. He that will not vnderſtand and bee wiſe now, may periſh in his follie before to morrow. Boaſt not thy ſelfe of to morrow, for thou knoweſt not what a day may bring forth, Prou. 27.1. O foole, this night may they fetch away thy ſoule from thee, Luk. 12.20. Bee wiſe therefore now, learne now to know your duty, and to doe your dutie to the Lord, leſt in his anger he bruiſe you with a rod of iron, and breake you to pieces as a potters veſſell.
Our vnderſtanding muſt bee firſt informed, and then our affections reformed, according to Gods holy lawes.bLactantius inſtitut. lib. 4. cap. 4. Sapientia praecedit, religio ſequitur, ſapience goeth before, religion followeth. It is our duty, firſt to know God, and then to worſhip him according to the termes of ourcTermes of law. Tit. ſcire facias. Common law, there muſt bee firſt a ſcire facias, and then a fieri facias. Wee cannot doe the will of our heauenly Father, except we know it, and it is not ſufficient to know it (asdLuk. 12.47. Chriſt teacheth vsus) except we doe it. The feare of the Lord is the beginning of wiſedome, a good vnderſtanding (ſaith our Prophet) hauehave they thateSee notes vponupon the 111. Pſal. doe thereafter, Pſalm. 111.10. He that will commence Doctor in Iſrael, and be learned in Chriſts ſchoole, muſt agere poenitentiam, as the Latine tranſlation runnes, Mat. 3.2. It is not enoughfMichael de Hungaria, ſer. 5. & Stella in Luk. 15.7. cogitare, to thinke of amendment, as they who deferre repentance from day to day, ye muſt euen now be wiſe: neither is it enough dicere to ſpeake of repentance, like hypocrites, who disfigure their faces, and looke ſoure, Mat. 6.16. Neither is it enough docere, to teach other repentance, like Iudas, who was an inſtrument, for the ſauing of other, and yet hanged himſelfe. Hee that will not burne with the diuell, muſt of neceſſity turne to God, and this turning is a whole, not halfe a turne.gIoel. 2.12. Turne ye to me ſaith the Lord with all your heart, &c. We hauehave heretofore played the fooles in abuſing our ſoules, and bodies, & goods vntounto the diſhonour of God, iniuring of our neighbours, hurt of our ſelues. It is now time to bee wiſe, and to learne how to be deuout in pouring out our ſoules vntounto God; continent, in gouerning our body toward our ſelues; iuſt, in diſpoſing of our goods toward other.
Now the beſt way to bee learned, and to know our duty, is, to bee verſed in Gods booke, whereof there behSee Baſilicon Doron. pag. 7. 8. two parts, his old Teſtament, and his new. The ground of the former is the Law, which ſheweth our ſinne, and containeth iuſtice: the ground of the latter is the Goſpell, which ſheweth our Sauiour, and containeth grace. The ſumme of the law is the decalogue, more largely dilated in the bookes of Moſes, interpreted and applied in the Sermons of the Prophets, and illuſtrated by manifold examples of good and euil, in the ſtories of Chronicles, and Kings. But becauſe no man is able perfectly to keep the whole law, or any part therof; it pleaſed God of his infinite goodneſſe and wiſedome, to incarnate his onelyonly Sonne in our nature, who (for the ſatisfaction of his iuſtice) might fulfil the courſe, and ſuffer the curſe of the law for vsus; that ſince we could not bee ſaued by doing, we might at leaſt be ſaued by beleeuing. The Goſpels of the foure Euangeliſts, hiſtorically relate the birth, life, death, reſurrection, and aſcenſion of Chriſt. The larger interpretation thereof is deliuered in the Apoſtles Canonicall Epiſtles; and the practice of the Primitiue Church, in their Acts; and the Reuelation of Saint Iohn, is a prophecie concerning the Church vniuerſall vntounto the worlds end. In the foure Euangelists, hee that hath eyes to ſee, may reade the text of the Goſpell, intimating what Chriſt is in himſelfe: in the Acts, Epiſtles, Apocalyps, as it were the Goſpels golden gloſſe, vnfolding more fully, what Chriſt is in his members. If any then hauehave a deſire to kiſſe the ſonne, and to learne how to bee ſubiect vntounto the bords and cords of his kingdome: let him exactlyiIohn 5.39. ſearch the Scriptures, for they witneſſe of him? In the ceremonies and ſacrifices of the law, you may finde him obſcurely ſhadowed; in the Sermons and Sacraments of the Goſpell, openly declared to be the begotten ſonne of God, and annointed King, ſet ouer his holy hill of Sion.
Serue the Lord] Concerning the doing of our duty,kStrigellius. two things are required here more eſpecially,
Feare, ſerue the Lord in feare.
Faith, reioyce vntounto him, and put your truſt in him.
Faith is oppoſite to deſperation, and feare to ſecuritie.lHierome. Euthym. That we may not preſume, wee muſt ſerue God in feare: that we may not deſpaire, reioyce vntounto him in faith and hope. Feare may not bee without ioy, nor ioy without feare. Marke how cautionatly the ſpirit ſpeakes here, ſerue the Lord, but in feare: reioyce vntounto ye Lord, but in trembling: leſt happily we ſhould aſſume too much vntounto our ſelues, and ſo preſumptuouſly ſin, he doth admoniſh vsus of one thingmCaluin. twice. That wee may not be diſcouraged in ſeruing of God, hee would hauehave vsus to reioyce, yet ſo that our ioy bee with reuerence. The deuout women who came to viſit Chriſts ſepulchre, were filled with feare and great ioy, Matth. 28.8. and S.n1. Cor. 10.12. Paul aduiſeth eueryevery man, who thinkes he ſtands, to take heede leſt he fall: and tooPhilip. 2.12. worke out their ſaluation with feare and trembling. God abhorreth hypocrites, a people that honoureth him with their lips, but theirpMark. 7.6. heart is farre from him:qPlacidus. his perfit ſeruice requireth outward obeiſance of the body, ioyned with inward obedience of the mind, as Hierome gloſſeth our text, the ſeruants of God ought to come into his courts, cum tremore corporis, & timore animae, with aufull hearts, and trembling hands, ſorPſal. 81.1. & 100.1. ſinging to the Lord in gladnes, that they may reioyce in the Lord with reuerence. This feare may not be ſeruile, butſLorin. Turrecremat. filiall: as a father hee loueth vsus, and therefore wee muſt as deare children honour him, obeying with a reuerend awe, whatſoeuer hee would hauehave vsus either to ſuffer or doe.tBellarmine. Mire miſcuit amorem cum timore, ac ſi diceret, timete cum amore, & amate cum timore.
The laſt obſeruable point is why, becauſe hereby yee ſhall eſcape Gods heauie curſe, that falleth vponupon ſuch as reſiſt his Chriſt, and obtaine that happy bleſſing, which is promiſed vntounto ſuch as put their truſt in him.uAgellius. Vnderſtand then, O yee Kings, and be no longer obſtinate, ye hauehave heretofore ſtood vp againſt the Lord, & his annointed Sonne: but now ſerue the Lord, and kiſſe his Sonne. O yee Kings and Iudges of the earth, acknowledge that Chriſt is the King of Kings, euen the Lord of all things, and Iudge of all men, able to make you his footſtoole, as hauing the heathen for his inheritance, & the whole world for his poſſeſſion; and holding a rodde of iron in his hand, to daſh into peeces all ſuch, as take counſell together against him. Hee is alſo readie to deſtroy you, for his wrath is kindled, andxDeut. 4.24. God is a cōſuming fire.yPlacidus. The more fewel, the greater flame. Your offences make you the very fewell of his anger: and therforezDan. 4.24. breake off your ſinnes by righteouſneſſe, embrace the bonds of his authoritie, which you meant to breake, for hisaMatth. 11.30. yoke is eaſie: Caſt not his cords away, for his burthen is light. Euen now while you are in the way, kick not againſt the Sonne, but kiſſe the Sonne, bSee Hierome. Steuchus. Bucer. Agellius in loc. & Bellarm. de verbo dei, lib. 2. cap. 13.that is, admit of his doctrine, & ſubmit your ſelues to his diſcipline. Chriſt is the truth, and the way; that therefore ye may not periſh from the right way, kiſſe him, and keepe his Commandements, as Hierome paraphraſeth it pithely.
Kiſſing in old time was vſed in token of
Deuotion: for Idolaters are ſaid to kiſſe their Idols, Hoſea 13.2. but Gods people refuſed toc1. Kings 19.18 ſee Hierome in Iob. 31.27. & in Hoſe. 13.2. kiſſe the mouth of Baal. From hence worſhipping is in Latine called Adoratio.
Obedience: ſo Samuel kiſſed Saul, 1. Sam. 10.1. and Aaron kiſſed Moſes, Exod. 4.27. and it is the manner of ſubiects at this day, to kiſſe the hands of their Kings.
LoueLove: ſodGen. 45.15. Ioſeph kiſſed his brethren: ſoeRuth. 1.9. Naomi kiſſed her two daughters in law: ſo the good old father kiſſed his diſſolute ſonne, Luk. 15.20.
All theſe kindes of kiſſes are due to Chriſt: in our deuotion it is our dutie tofPſalm. 95.6. fall downe before him, and withgMatth. 28.9. Mary Magdalene to kiſſe his feete, yea the feete ofhRom. 10.15. ſuch, as bring the glad tydings of his Goſpell. And in our whole conuerſation, it is our dutie to giuegive vntounto him (our King and Lord) the kiſſes of honor & homage, ſeruing him in feare, reioycing vntounto him with reuerence. We muſt heartily kiſſe him in faith, and not hypocritically, like Iudas, in faſhion only. WhereforeiPlacidus. Steuchus. ſome tranſlations hauehave it thus, adorate purè, worſhip him in truth and puritie,kAgellius. cleaue to him, and embrace his word with aslBellarmine. louing an affection, as they doe that kiſſe one another.
mIo. Ganeius. Paraſinus Theologus in loc.At que vni totos ipſi vos dedite, tota
Mente, animo que velut dominum amplexamini, ei que
Figite amicitiae puriſſima baſia ſanctae.
The Sonne came into the world tonEpheſ. 2.16. reconcile vsus vntounto God his Father: hee came not to kill vsus, hee came to kiſſe vsus, and that (as ye Church ſpeaks in heroCant. 1.1. louelove-ſong) with the kiſſes of his mouth. His ſaying, Come vntounto me all ye that are wearie and laden, and I will eaſe you, is apMelanct. in loc. ſweet kiſſe of his mouth. His ſaying, I am not come to call the righteous vntounto repentance, but ſinners, is another ſweete kiſſe of his mouth. His ſaying, God ſo loued the world, that he gaue his only begotten ſonne, that whoſoeuer beleeueth in him, ſhould not periſh, but hauehave euerlaſting life, is another ſweete kiſſe of his mouth. It isqStrigellius in loc. verè ſuauiolum, as being ſweeter then hony, Pſal. 19.10. better then wine, Cant. 1.1. AsrConcordia duorum cordium, oſculum duorum corporum coniunctio. Io. a Ieſu-Maria, in Cant. 1. concord is the coniunction of two ſoules; euen ſo kiſſing, which is a token of concord, is the coniunction of two bodies. Our bleſſed Sauiour daily proffers and offers to kiſſe vsus: if we then vnmannerly deſpiſe theſRom. 2.4. riches of his goodneſſe, and obſtinately periſh from the right way; he ſhall one day ſpeake to vsus in his wrath, and if his wrath be kindled, yea but a little, what atHeb. 10.31. fearefull thing will it be, to fall into the hands of the liuing God, which is a conſuming fire?
If any ſhall aske, how ſhall I, which am a poore pilgrime on earth, aſcend and kiſſe my Sauiour who dwelleth in heauen? Anſwere is made by Dauid in the very next clauſe, Bleſſed are all they, that put their truſt in him: as if hee ſhould hauehave ſaid, TouStrigellius. Tileman. beleeue in him, and to put our whole truſt in him, is to kiſſe him.
In this propoſition, as in all other, three points are to be conſidered, eſpecially the
Subiect, all that truſt in him.
Praedicate, bleſſed.
Copula, are.
xHierome.Not they who truſt in themſelues, and their owne merits, or in Princes and their meanes, or in Saints and their mediations, or in Angels, or in any thing elſe, beſideyActs. 4.12. Chriſt: only ſuch are free from the tyrannous oppreſſion of Satan and ſin, who put their truſt in him. He ſaith not, al they that beleeue him, & aſſent barely to his promiſe:zSee Placidus. Melancthon. Bucer in loc. but omnes qui confidunt, all they who confidently place their affiance in his mercies, and beleeue in him, according to that of S.aIoh. 3.18. Iohn the Baptiſt, He that beleeueth in him ſhall not be condemned: but he that beleeueth not, is condemned alreadie, becauſe hee beleeueth not in the name of the only begotten ſonne of God. I finde that ſome Doctors among thebD. Kimchi. apud Bucerum in loc. Iewes by him vnderſtand God the Father: butcPlacidus. Caluin. Genebrard. Io. Ganeius in loc. Idem Bellarm. de verbo dei, lib. 2. cap. 11 Chriſtian interpretors vſually referre this vntounto God the Sonne, making the coherence thus: O kiſſe the Sonne, for bleſſed are all they that put their truſt in him. Heere then is a pregnant place to proue that iuſtification is by faith in Chriſt. See Melancthon, Bucer, Tileman in loc.
There be three kinds of bleſſing:
Externall, as the gifts of the world.
Internall, as the gifts of grace.
Eternall, as the gifts of glorie.
Now, bonorum omnium cumulus & ſumma, ſaithdIn loc. Auguſtine, belongeth vntounto ſuch as put their truſt in the Lord. They hauehave the promiſes of the life preſent, and of that which is to come, 1. Tim. 4.8. MercieMercy doth embrace them on eueryevery ſide, Pſal. 32.11. Bleſſed in eueryevery kinde of bleſſing, as reuerend Beza paraphraſtically:
—omnibus ô modis beatos
illos, qui domino deo que fidunt.
1. They be bleſſed in things of this world, bleſſed ineDeut. 28.3. their field, & bleſſed in their fold, bleſſed in the fruit of their cattell, and encreaſe of corne, bleſſed in their wiues, and bleſſed in their children, bleſſed in their going out, and bleſſed in their comming home: loe thus ſhall they be bleſſed who feare the Lord, Pſal. 128.5. Or if God denie theſe bleſſings vntounto them, it is for theirfRom. 8.28. good, and ſo they be bleſſed in their croſſe, hauing (as Paul ſaid) nothing, and yet poſſeſſing all things. 2. Cor. 6.10.
2. Bleſſed in the gifts of grace, both illuminating and ſauing, bleſſed withgEpheſ. 1.3. all ſpirituall bleſſing in heauenlie things in Chriſt, bleſſed in reſpect of Their
Vocation:hMatth. 13.16. Luke 10.23. Bleſſed are the eyes, which ſee the things that you ſee, and the eares which heare the things that you heare. Bleſſed are they, which are called to the Lambes Supper, Apocal. 19.9.
Iuſtification: Bleſſed are they, iPſal. 32.1. Rom. 4.7.whoſe wickednes is forgiuen, and whoſe ſinnes are couered.
Sanctification:kPſal. 1.1. Bleſſed is the man, that hath not walked in the counſell of the vngodly, &c. Bleſſed is the ſeruant, lMatth. 24.46.whom his maſter when he commeth ſhall finde doing his dutie. Bleſſed are the poore in ſpirit, bleſſed are the meeke, bleſſed are the mercifull, Matth. 5.
3. Bleſſed in the gifts of glorie,mMatth. 25.34. Come ye bleſſed, inherit ye the kingdome, &c. nMatth. 5.3.theirs is the kingdome of heauen. It is now theirs in hope, hereafter it ſhall be theirs in hold. See notes vponupon the Goſpell on all Saints day.