Exposition of the Proper Psalms, Commentary 7
PSALME 57.
Be mercifull vntounto me, O God, be mercifull vntounto me, &c.
DAuid in this hymneoMelanct. Caluine. Tileman. prayeth, and praiſeth the Lord. Firſt he prayeth vntounto God, from the 1. verſe to the 8, for deliuerāce from his enemies tyrannie. Then, as conceiuing vndoubted hope thereof, he prepares himſelfe to praiſe God in the reſt, O God my heart is fixed, my heart is fixed, I will ſing and giuegive praiſe.
In his praier 2. poynts are remarkable, to wit, a
Petition, Be mercifull, &c. enforced by his
Duty, for my ſoule truſteth in thee, &c.
Danger, as being perſecuted
By
Cruel enemics, my ſoule is among Lyons, verſ. 4.5.
Cunning enemies, they hauehave laid a net for my feete, v. 7.
Repetition, in the 6. and 12. verſes, as thepTremellius. burthen of the ſong, Set vp thy ſelfe, O God, aboue the heauens, and thy glorie aboue all the earth.
Be mercifull vntounto me, O God,] The title ſheweth vsus that Dauid made this Pſalme, when he fled from Saul into the Caue. The ſtorie whereof is reported at large, 1. Sam. 24. and it is in briefe this: Saul perſecuting Dauid, ſought him in the wildernes of Engedi, vponupon the rocks, among the wilde goates: and being there in a Caue to couer his feete, Dauid hauing him at his merciemercy, would not kil the Lords annointed, but only cut off the lap of his coate, to ſhew, that he could hauehave touched his skinne ſo well as his skirt, and that he could hauehave made him (as it is in the prouerbe) ſhorter by the head, ſo well as curtall his robe. Which when Saul after perceiued, his heart relented for Dauids great kindnes, and he wept, acknowledging his fault, and taking an oath of Dauid, that hee ſhould not deſtroy his ſeede: he ceaſed his perſecuting for a time. Dauid in this diſtreſſe compoſed his hymne, the which is grounded vponupon his faith, and his faith is grounded vponupon Gods merciemercy and might. Gods merciemercy, Be mercifull vntounto me, O God, be mercifull, as being ſo willing to defend thy children, as the hen is her chickens vnderunder the ſhadow of her wings. Gods might, I will call vntounto the most high God, euen vntounto the God, that ſhall qThe like phraſe Pſal. 138. and Philip. 1.6.perform the cauſe I hauehave in hand, who ſhall ſend from heauē, to wit, his hand, as Pſal. 144.7. or his Angell, as Dan. 3.28. or, as it heere followeth, his merciemercy and truth, able to ſaue me from the reproofe of him, that would eate race vp and deuoure my ſoule. rMollerus. Tileman, Caluine, oppoſing heauen to terrene meanes.By ſupernaturall and extraordinarie miracles, ſo well as ordinarie meanes, able to deliuer his ſeruants as well withſ1. Sam. 14.6. & 2. Chron. 24.11. few as with many. So Manaſſes in his prayer buildeth all his comfort vponupon Gods almightie power, and vnſearchable mercifull promiſe. So Chriſt in his abſolute paterne of praying, aduiſeth vsus to call vponupon God as our father in heauen, inſinuating hereby, that God is willing to grant our requeſts, as being our father: and able, becauſe in heauen. And according to theſe preſidents, our holy Mother the Church of England begins her publike deuotion vntounto God, Almightie and moſt mercifull Father. Able to heare, becauſe almightie: willing to helpe, becauſe moſt mercifull.
For my ſoule truſteth in thee] He deſires to be heard in reſpect of his aſſured affiance in Gods almightie power and holy promiſe.tPſal. 145.18. The Lord is nigh vntounto all them that call vponupon him, euen all ſuch as call vponupon him faithfully: uPſal. 50.15.Call vponupon mee in the time of trouble, ſo will I heare thee, &c. xPſal. 2.12.Bleſſed are all they, that put their truſt in him. And therefore Dauid here challengeth (as it were) God vponupon his word, ſaying, Be mercifull vntounto me, for my ſoule truſteth in thee. TheyEuthym. Agellius. Genebrard. repetition of miſerere, ſheweth his earneſt affection and intention in praying, and the wordzCalu…ne. ſoule, that his hope for helpe was no flying conceit of his braine, but a full aſſurance ſetled in his heart. Lord I truſt inaD. Incognit. Beza. Buchanan. nothing elſe but in thee alone, for vnderunder the ſhadow of thy wings ſhall be my refuge, vntill this tyrannie be ouer paſt. Some put their truſt inb1. Tim. 6.17. vncertaine riches, and ſay to the wedge of gold,cIob. 31.24. thou art my confidence. ButdProu 11.4. riches auaile not in the day of wrath:eBaruc. 3.17.19 hoarders vp of ſiluer and gold are come to naught, and gone downe to hell: O foole! this night will they fetch away thy ſoule from thee, Luk. 12.20.
Other truſt in their owne worth and holineſſe, as the Phariſie (Luk. 18.) ſtood and prayed thus with himſelfe, O God I thanke thee, that I am not as other are, extortioners, vniuſt, adulterers: I faſt twice in thee weeke, I giuegive tithe of all that euer I poſſeſſe. ButfProu. 28.1.26. bleſſed is the man that feareth alway, for he that truſteth in his owne heart, is a foole.
Other truſt in their politike counſell, as Achitophel, of whom it was ſaid in thoſe daies that his counſell was reputedg2. Sam. 16 23. as an oracle of God: but the Lord hIob. 5.13.catcheth the wiſe in their owne craftines, and the counſell of the wicked is made fooliſh.
Other boaſt of their ſtrength, and put their truſt (asi1. Sam. 17.45. Goliah did) in their ſword and ſhield: butkIerem. 17.5. curſed be the man that maketh fleſh his arme, withdrawing his heart from the Lord.
Other put their truſt in Princes, and make the Kings Minion their mediatour. But, ſaith ourlPſal. 146.3. Prophet, O put not your truſt in Princes, nor in any child of man; for his breath goeth foorth, and hee turneth againe to his earth, and then all his thoughts periſh.
Other put their truſt inmPſal. 20.7. Chariots, and other in horſes: but we will remember the name of the Lord our God, only bleſſed is he, that hath the God of Iacob for his helpe, and whoſe hope is in the Lord his God, Pſalm. 146.4. and therefore be mercifull vntounto me, O God, be mercifull vntounto me, for in thee hauehave I put all my confidence. Mine other friends and forces beſides thee, what are they but miſerable comforters (asnIob. 16.2. Iob ſpeakes) if they bee compared with thee.oTileman. Bellarmine. Like as the chickens ſeeke to the henne for defence: ſo runne I to the ſhadow of thy wings for my refuge. Lord my ſoule truſteth in thee now, ſo ſhall it euer, vntill this euill be paſſed ouer. pD. Incognitus. Wilcox.For by the word vntill, he meanes not, that when the ſtorme was appeaſed, hee would then ceaſe to truſt in God; but that hee would both then and for euer depend vponupon him, as long as hee hath any being, Pſal. 146.1. So the word vntill is vſed, 2. Sam. 6.23. Michol the daughter of Saul had no child vntill the day of her death. And Pſalme 110. verſ. 1. The Lord ſaid vntounto my Lord, ſit thou on my right hand, vntil I make thine enemies thy footſtoole. Where the word vntill (as I hauehave ſhewed vponupon the place) notes not a piece of time, but a perpetuitie. For Chriſt (after all his enemies are made his footſtoole) ſhall euer ſit at the right hand of God, as hauing aqHeb. 1.18. throne which endureth euer, and arLuke 1.33. kingdome without end.
VnderUnder the ſhadow of thy wings ſhall be my refuge] ſEuthym. Bellarmine.By this he doth vnderſtand Gods ſafeguard, protection and prouidence. The metaphor is borrowed from the Hen, whoſe wings intBonauent. Mollerus. three things eſpecially reſemble Gods high and holy hand ouer vsus. 1. The wings of the Henne nouriſh and brood her chickens: euen ſo the Lord ſaid vntounto Hieruſalem,uMatth. 23.37. How often would I hauehave gathered thy children together, as the henne gathereth her chickens vnderunder her wings, and ye would not. 2. The wings of the Hen ſerue to defend her chickens from a tempeſt and ſtorme: ſo God is axEſay 25.4. refuge againſt the tempeſt, a ſhadow againſt the heate. 3. The wings of the Henne ſerue to protect her chickens from the kite that houereth ouer them, and would faine deuoure them: euen ſo God deliuereth his children from the yPſal. 91.3.ſnare of the hunter, zAuguſtine. Hierome. Arnobius.that is, from the ſubtill tentations of the diuell, who walketh about ſeeking whom hee may deuoure, 1. Pet. 5.8. The Lord hideth all his vnderunder the ſhadow of his wings, Pſal. 17.8. and ſo capa-pe, they ſhall be ſafe vnderunder his feathers; his faithfulnes ſhall bee their ſhield, and his truth their buckler, Pſal. 91.4.
Vntill this tyrannie be ouer paſt] He cōpareth his affliction & calamity to aaGeneua gloſſ. Wilcox. ſtorme that cōmeth & goeth: as it is not alwaybCaluin. faire weather with vsus in this life, ſo not alway foule;cPſal. 30.5. Heauineſſe may cōtinue for a night, but ioy commeth in the morning.d1. Cor. 10.13. God is faithful, who will not ſuffer his children to be tempted aboue their ability, but will euen giuegive the iſſue with the tentation.eApud Tileman in loc. Athanaſius ſaid of Iulian, furiouſly raging againſt the Lords annointed, nubecula eſt, cito tranſibit. Man is borne tofJob. 5.7. labour andgIob. 14.1. dolour, to trauaile and trouble. To labour in hishBernard. actions, to dolour in his paſſions. And ſoiPſal. 34.18. great are the troubles of the righteous, but the Lord deliuereth him out of all. If wee put our truſt in him, and caſt all our care vponupon him, hee will in his good time bring it to paſſe, that all our afflictions ſhall ouer paſſe: hee will either take them from vsus, or vsus from them, and then wee ſhall aſſuredly know, that the troubles of this life preſent are notkRom. 8.18. worthie of the glorie, which in the life to come ſhall bee ſhewed vntounto vsus. For as the globe of the earth, which improperly for his ſhew of bigneſſe we terme the world, and is, after the Mathematicians account, many thouſand miles in compaſſe, yet being compared vntounto the greatnes of the ſtarrie skies circumference, is but a center or little pricke: ſo the trauaile and affliction in this life temporall, in reſpect of the ioyes eternall in the world to come, beare not any proportion, but are to bee reputed (in compariſon) a very nothing, as a darke cloud that commeth and goeth in a moment.
This (aslIdem Strigellius in loc. Melancthon here notably) requires rather an application, then an explication or large Commentarie. Bleſſed is that man, who can in al his affliction and trouble ſay with our Prophet, O God be mercifull vntounto me, for my ſoule truſteth in thee, & vnderunder the ſhadow of thy wings ſhall be my refuge, till this tyrannie be ouer paſt. Happie man is he, who can in the middeſt of his croſſes and loſſes affirme truly with holymIob. 1.21. Iob, The Lord giueth, and the Lord taketh away, bleſſed bee the name of the Lord, nIob. 13.15.though he ſlay me, yet will I truſt in him, oIob. 5.18.as hee maketh the wound, ſo will he binde it vp, he ſmiteth, and his hands make whole. Happie man is he, who can in the houre of tentation hide himſelfe with the Church in thepCant. 2.14. holes of the rocke, that is, in the wounds of Chriſt, our rocke and refuge, in the time of trouble.
Yea, but where dwelleth our bleſſed Sauiour, how ſhall I finde him? VntoUnto this queſtion himſelfe anſwered, Ioh. 1.39. Come and ſee. The Church is hisqHeb. 3.6. See Cyril & Maldonat. in Ioan. 1.39 houſe, there herPſal. 135.21. dwelleth, and there you may finde him alwaies at home, not in his mothers armes, or on a woodden Crucifix; but in his holy word and Sacraments. Natus eſt Chriſtus de virgine, num quid ſemper naſcitur? ſaith Auguſtine, Hee was once borne of the Virgine, ſhall hee be borne ſtill of her? Hee did once ſucke her breaſts, is hee ſtill an infant and a ſucking babe? Once he did hang on the Croſſe, doth he ſtill hang on it? haec tranſierunt, theſe things are paſt and gone. But ſeeke him in his word, for that witneſſeth of him; and in his Sacraments, for they repreſent liuely both his blood and bodie. His word is an audible Sacrament, and his Sacraments are viſible words. So long as the Church had golden Teachers, ſhe needed no woodden Images: but when once golden Prieſts degenerated into woodden, then both woodden and golden Images crept in. If the Queene ofſMatth. 12.42. Sheba condemned the men of Chriſts age, much more the men of our time, liuing in the Church of England. She was a Queene, we ſubiects: ſhe left her kingdome and countrey, wee (God be praiſed) ſit vnderunder our owne vines in our owne ſoyle: ſhe came from the furtheſt part of the world, wee hauehave Chriſt among vsus: ſhe was moued only with hist1. Kings 10.1. fame, we both heare Chriſt in his word, and ſee him in his Sacraments: ſhe cōming to Salomon brought preſents, wee comming to Chriſt may receiue rewards: ſhe came to behold Salomon a meere man, wee may behold Chriſt God and man, a greater then Salomon: greater in wiſedom, foruJohn 7.46. neuer any man ſpake as he did: greater in might and merciemercy, for neuer any man did as he did, hee did all things xMark. 7.37.well, yMatth. 11.5.hee made the deafe to heare, the dumbe to ſpeake, the blinde to ſee, the lame to goe, he cured the ſicke, and raiſed the dead, and that is more then euer King Salomon did. Greater in maieſtie, for Salomon in all his royaltie was nothing elſe but a type of this our King of glorie. So that if we doe not come to him in our tentations and troubles, inuiting vsus freely, fully, Come all yee that labour and are laden, and I will eaſe you: the Queene of the South aſſuredly ſhall ariſe in iudgement againſt vsus, and by her example condemne vsus.
WhenzLucianus in Scytha. Toxaris ſaw his countriman Anacharſis in Athens, he ſaid vntounto him, I will at once ſhew thee all the wonders of Greece, Viſo Solone, vidiſti omnia, in ſeeing Solon, thou ſeeſt all, euen Athens it ſelfe, and the whole glorie of the Greekes. In like manner I may tell a Chriſtian: Haſt thou faith, and aſſured truſt in the Lord? then thou haſt more then the wonders of Greece; vponupon the poynt, all the wonderfull gifts of grace: for faith is a mother vertue from which all other ſpring, and without which our beſt actions are no better then ſinne, Rom. 14.23. Wherefore let vsus alway labour for faith, as for life, becauſeaHabacuc. 2.4. the iuſt man liueth by his faith, his ſoule truſteth in the Lord, and vnderunder the ſhadow of his wings ſhall be his refuge, till all the tyrannie, both of Satan and ſinne, death and hell, is ouer paſt.
My ſoule] That is, my life, body, perſon, as the word ſoule is oft vſed elſewhere, namely Geneſ. 14.21. Numb. 31.40. Ioh. 10.32. 1. Sam. 22.22.
Among lyons] An vnregenerate man, hauing Gods image defaced in him, is but a little better then a very vermine.bBoethius de conſolat. Philoſophiae lib. 4. proſa. 3. Auaritia feruit alienarum opum violentus ereptor? ſimilem lupo dixeris: ferox atque inquietus linguam litigijs exercet? Cani comparabilis. Inſidiator occultus ſurripuiſſe fraudibus gaudet? vulpeculis exaequetur. Irae intemperans fremit? leonis animum geſtare credatur. Pauidus ac fugax non metuenda formidat? ceruis ſimilis habeatur. Segnis ac ſtupidus torpet? aſinum viuit. Leuis ac inconſtans ſtudia permutat? nil ab auibus differt. Foedis immundiſ que libidinibus immergitur? ſordidae ſuis voluptate detinetur. Ita fit, vt qui probitate deſerta homo eſſe deſierit, cum in diuinam conditionem tranſire non poſſit, vertatur in belluam. To this purpoſe,cDialog, de immortalit. animae. Carolus Bouillus excellently, Humana ſub cate plurimae latent ferae. The Scripture ſaith as much in calling a ſubtill diſſembler foxe, Goe tell that foxe, ſaid Chriſt of Herod, Luk. 13.32. in calling a ſoule-murthering falſe prophet, a dMatth. 7.15.rauening wolfe: in calling a vaine man, a eIob. 11.12.wilde aſſe colt: in calling a voluptuous man, giuen ouer to worke al vncleannes euen with greedineſſe, a f2. Pet. 2.22.ſow wallowing in the mire: in calling a proud man in honour, that vnderſtands not how to vſe the good things he hath,gPſal. 49.10. a brute that periſheth, as hPſal. 32.10.horſe and mule without vnderstanding. So Dauid here termes the children of men, which are ſet on fire to doe miſchiefe, whelpes of lyons: My ſoule is among lyons. O God be mercifull vntounto me, for my ſoule is perſecuted by ſuch enemies as abound with a great deale of might and malice. Might, as being lyons, that is, hardie & haughtie, Lebaim of leb, that is, heart, courage. So lyons are mentioned in holy Scripture for ſtoutnes: 2. Sam. 17.10. He that is valiant, whoſe heart is as the heart of a lyon: and for boldneſſe, Prou. 28.1. The righteous are bold as a lion. And my foes hauehave great ſurie ſo well as force, being ſet on fire, raging themſelues, andiArdeliones aulici. Tremel. inflaming other alſo with anger and enuie, meere boutefeus. kSee Bellar. & Agell. in loc.So that if I ſhould eſcape the lawes of lyons, which hurt at hand; yet I may fall into their black mouthes, whoſe teeth and tongue like launces and arrowes hit and wound a farre off. BylBucer. Tileman. Rob. Stephanus. theſe fierie fellowes hee doth vnderſtand backbiting Slanderers and Sycophants in the Court of Saul, accuſing him of treaſon and diſloyaltie. For ſo himſelfe complaineth, 1. Sam. 24.10. Wherfore giueſt thou an eare to mens words who ſay, Behold, Dauid ſeeketh euill againſt thee?
mProu. 25.18.Salomon ſaith, A man that beares falſe witnes againſt his neighbour, is like an hammer and a ſword, and a ſharpe arrow. Nay, the detracting tongue hurts a great deale more thē either ſword or arrow. For a ſword that makes a bigge wound cannot hurt farre off, and an arrow that hurteth farre off, vſually makes no bigge wound: but the lewd tongue cuts deeper then any ſharpe ſword, and flieth faſter and further then any ſwift arrow. The dagger at one blow, the dart at one ſhoote kils not many: but the ſlanderer in telling one tale, may murther at one time three, to wit, himſelfe, the partie to whom, and the partie of whom hee telleth it.nBernard. ſerm. 24. in Cant. Ʋnus eſt qui loquitur, & vnum tantum verbum profert, & tamen illud vnum verbum, vno momento multitudinis audientium dum aures inficit, animas interficit. The wicked (ſaith ouroPſal. 140.3. Prophet) hauehave ſharpened their tongues like a ſerpent, and the tongue of a ſerpent (aspNat. hiſt. lib. 11. cap. 37. Plinie telleth vsus) is triſulca, three edged.
They hauehave laid a net for my feete] As the foes of Dauid were cruell, aqProu. 30.14. generation whoſe teeth are ſwords, and iawes are kniues to deuoure Gods afflicted people:rEuthym. Caluine. ſo likewiſe craftie, laying ſnares for his feete, thinking toſBellarmine. Agellius. catch him in a pit-fall, as a bird, or as a beaſt in a ginne. ThetPſal. 11.2. wicked bend their bow, and make ready their arrowes vponupon the ſtring, that they may ſecretly ſhoote at them which are vpright in heart; that which they cannot effect by power, they will attempt by policie. But theuPſal. 124.6. ſhare is brokē, thexPſal. 35.8. net, which they laid priuilie, caught themſelues, and they who digged the pit, are fallen into the middeſt of it themſelues. And here wee may behold Gods infinite iuſtice, who neuer leaues the deedes of charitie, nor the debts of cruelty vnſatisfied. AsyIudges 8. Gideon ſlew ſeuentie Elders of Succoth with vnmeaſurable torments: euen ſo were his owne ſeuentie ſonnes, all but one, murthered by his baſtard Abimelec. So the wickedzExod. 1. Egyptians (hauing cauſed ſome male-children of the Hebrewes to be ſlaine, and other of them to be caſt into the water and drowned) were rewarded by God in the like meaſure, deſtroying their owneaExod. 12. firſt borne by his Angell, and drowning their King and his hoſte in the red ſea, Exod. 14. SobEster 7.10. Haman was hanged vponupon the ſame gallowes he ſet vp for Mordecai. cKnolles in his life.Baiazet the firſt, who purpoſed in the pride of his heart, if he ſhould conquer Tamberlane, to carrie him in an iron cage thorough his kingdome; was himſelfe ſerued in the ſame kinde by victorious Tamberlane. The TyrantdEuſeb. hiſt. lib. 9. cap. 9. Maxentius was ouerthrowne in the ſame bridge, which he craftily built as a ſnare for the deſtruction of Conſtantine; and ſo hisePſal. 7.17. miſchiefe fell vponupon his owne head, and his wickedneſſe vponupon his owne pate.fPet. Bembus hiſt. Venet. lib. 6. Idem Pontanus de prudent. lib. 4 cap. 16. Alexander the ſixth was poyſoned at ſupper with the very ſame wine, which hee had prepared as a deadly draught for his familiar friend Cardinall Adrianus: It is ſaid in the ſtorie, that it happened by his ſeruants improuidence, who miſtook the bottles; and yet doubtleſſe by Gods all-ſeeing prouidence, who caſteth his enemies into the ſame pit they digged for other.
Myſtically this Hymne may be conſtrued ofgHierome. Auguſtine. D. Incognitus. Lorinus. Chriſt, who washHeb. 5.7. in the daies of his fleſh aſſaulted by the tyrannie both of temporall and ſpirituall enemies. His temporall enemies,iActs 4.27. Herod and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles and people of Iſrael, furiouſly raged, and tooke counſell together againſt him. The chiefe Prieſts and Princes were (ſaithkIn loc. Hierome) like lyons, and the people like the whelps of lyons, all of them in a readineſſe to deuoure his ſoule. The Rulers laid a net for his feete in theirlTurrecremat. Lorinus in loc. captious interrogatories, asking, Mat. 22.17. Is it lawfull that tribute be giuen vntounto Caeſar, or no? And Ioh. 8.5. whether the woman taken in the very act of adulterie, ſhould be ſtoned to death, or no? The people were ſet on fire, when as they raged againſt him, and their teeth and tongues were ſpeares and ſwords, inmAuguſtine. crying, Crucifie him, crucifie him. His ſpirituall enemies alſo ſought how to ſwallow him vp, his ſoule was among lyons all the daies of his life, at the houre of his death eſpecially. The diuell in tempting and troubling him, had laid a ſnare for his feet; and death, in digging a pit for him, had thought to deuoure him. As Dauid was in the caue, ſo Chriſt the ſonne of Dauid was in the graue. But it wasnActs 2.24. impoſſible yt the Lord of life ſhould be holden of Death, or that his fleſh ſhould ſee corruption, he therfore roſe againe from the dead on this day, ſetting himſelfe aboue the heauens, and his glorie aboue all the earth. In his anguiſh and agonie he didoHeb. 5.7. offer vp prayers and ſupplications, with ſtrong crying and teares vntounto him that was able to ſaue him from death, ſaying,pMatth. 26.39. O my Father, if it be poſſible, let this cup paſſe from me? neuertheleſſe not as I will, but as thou wilt. And ſo Chriſt here called vponupon his Father, O God be mercifull vntounto me, &c. But he ſpeakes as man, & in the perſon of men,qHierome. Vnus homo dicit, ſed vnus pro multis. And S.rIn loc. Auguſtine ſweetly, Qui cum patre miſeretur tui, in te clamat miſerere mei: Chriſt, according to hisſSee notes vponupon Goſpell 10. Sun. after Trinit. Theleſis and naturall will, abhorred and feared death, and therefore ſaid, O God be mercifull vntounto me: but according to his bouleſis and rationall will, he yeelded himſelfe voluntarily to his perſecutors, and ſaid, VnderUnder the ſhadow of thy wings ſhall be my refuge, till this euill is ouer paſt. And Pſalm. 16.9. (as S. Peter applieth it, Acts 2.25.) I beheld God alway before me, for he is at my right hand, that I ſhall not fall. Wherefore ſuch as affirme that hee ſuffered the pangs of deſperation, and the very paines of the damned in hell, erre foully, not vnderſtanding the Scriptures. He ſaith here, verſ. 5. according to the vulgar Latine, Dormini conturbatus, he was indeed grieuouſly troubled in his ſoule; yet ſo that he ſlept,tAuguſt. in loc. Conſule Lorin. in loc. tam placatus erat iste turbatus, vt quando vellet dormiret. He feared his enemies tyrannie, ſecundum propaſſionem, (asuSent. lib. 3. diſt. 15. Lombard acutely) non ſecundum paſſionem. Or, to ſpeake in the words ofxEpiſt. 25. Bernard, he was turbatus, moued, but not perturbatus, remoued from his truſt in God, and reſolution to worke our good. And thereforeyHierom. in loc. he ſaid in another Pſalme, I will lay me downe in peace, and take my reſt, as hauingzIoh. 10.18. power to lay downe my life, and power to take it vp again. For as he dyed when he would, euen ſo when he would he did ariſe from the dead, ſetting himſelfe aboue the heauens, and his glorie aboue all the earth.
According to this expoſition, our Church allotted this Hymne to be read on this holy-day: for in Chriſts reſurrection all his enemies tyrannie was ouerpaſt; in his reſurrection hisaTurrecremat. glorie (which heretofore was obſcure) did appeare aboue all the earth; in his reſurrection he did awake right early, ſo the text, in the bLuke 24.1.morning early whē it was cIoh. 20.1.darke; in his reſurrection his lute and harpe did awake, that is, his fleſh aroſe from the bed of his graue.dAuguſtine. Hierome. Lorinus. The ſtrings of an Harpe are touched and ſound vpward eſpecially, but the ſtrings of a Lute from below: Chriſts humane nature then in working diuine miracles, which are from aboue, was like the Harpe; but in ſuffering our infirmities here below, like a Lute. The Harpe did ſound, when he made the blinde to ſee, the deafe to heare, the lame to goe, &c. but the Lute did ſound, when he was a thirſt, hungrie, naked, whipped, when he cryed, when he dyed, when he was buffeted, and when hee was buried. After his reſurrection, all the miracles he did out of his power, and all the miſeries hee ſuffered out of his infirmitie, were by the bleſſed Apoſtles, inſtruments of his glorie, preached firſt among the people, then among all nations, eueryevery where ſinging, that the greatnes of his merciemercy reacheth vntounto the heauens, and his truth vntounto the cloudes.
This alſo may bee conſtrued of theeMollerus. Strigellius. Church, and that both in reſpect of her ſpirituall enemies and temporall. As for her ghoſtly foes, the diuel is a roaring lyon, 1. Pet. 5.8. and our ſinnes are thefNyſſen apud Lorin. in loc. whelpes of lyons, readie to deuoure vsus. And concerning outward enemies, the Church in this world is like Daniel in the lions denne, or as the ſucking childe playing vponupon the hole of the Aſpe, Eſay 11.8. ſhe hath here no viſible power or outward helpe to flie to for ſuccour, all her truſt is in the Lord, vnderunder the ſhadow of his wings is her refuge, till this euill is ouer-paſt. In old time Gods people weregHeb. 11.36. tried by mockings and ſcourgings, by bonds, and priſonment, they were ſtoned, hewen aſunder, they were tempted, they were ſlaine with the ſword, they wandred vp and downe in wildernes, and mountaines, and caues of the earth, clothed in ſheep-skins, and in goates-skinnes, being deſtitute, afflicted, and tormented, of whom the world was not worthie. Since Chriſt, it is well obſerued byhSer. 33. ſuper Cant. Bernard of the Churches affliction, Amara prius in nece martyrum, amarior poſt in conflictu haereticorum, amariſſima nunc in moribus domeſticorum: Hot non fugare, non fugere poteſt, ita inualüerunt & multiplicati ſunt ſuper numerum. Her oppreſſion in the beginning was great by the perſecution of tyrants, afterward greater by the conflict of heretikes, but now greateſt of all by the dangerous poſitions and practiſes of Anti-chriſts in the kingdome of poperie, whoſe very Maſſes are ſometime for maſſacres, and their ſacred ſacrifices offerings of blood. And ſurely (beloued) if the Church had not any other enemies, but onelyonly theſe monſtrous Anti-chriſts of Rome, yet ſhe might truly complaine with our Prophet here, my ſoule is among lyons. Eleuen Popes had that name, whereof all (excepting two or three) were roring lyons in their buls, and rauening lyons in ſeeking after their pray. Leo the tenth ſo pilled and polled the goodly nation of Germany with impardonable Pardons and mercileſſe Indulgences, as that his inſupportable crueltie gaue the firſt occaſion of the reformation of religion in that Countrey. The foes of Dauid are ſaid here to lay a net for his feete, and to digge a pit before him: and what are the Papiſts intricate diſtinctions of Schooles, and Machiaueliſmes of State, but ſnares and nets to catch our bodies and ſoules, and ſo greedily to ſwallow vsus vp, as Saul here would hauehave done to Dauid. Theſe Scribes and Phariſies hauehave ſo great a ſwallow, that they deuoure not only ſome few widowes houſes, as theiMatth. 23.14. Phariſies among the Iewes in old time: but alſo whole villages and townes, askFox Martyr. fol. 859. ſee the perſecutions of Angronge apud eundem fol. 871. Merindoll and Cabriers in the Countie of Prouince, yea whole ſhires and countries in Netherland: yea their intent was anno 1588. to deuoure this whole kingdome of England with an inuincible (fondly ſo called) Armado. The foes of Dauid had teeth as ſpeares, and tongues as ſwords: and are not the tongues of Papiſts anſwerable, who terme the ſincere profeſſion of the Goſpell Hereſie, Turciſme, Paganiſme, Diaboliſme, lSir Tho. Moore preface to his confutation of Tyndals anſwer amōg the works of More, fol. 340farre exceeding the ſetting vp of Beel, Baal, & Belzebub, and all the Diuels in hell:mD. Carier let. to the King. pag. 47. affirming in their letters and libels, that our Church hath no faith, but fancie: no hope, but preſumption: no charitie, but luſt: no God, but an Idoll. The foes of Dauid were ſet on fire: and who greater incendiaries then the Papiſts? Their chiefe Logicke in their conference was a fagot for the heretike, delighting ſo much in fire worke, that they burned Gods people by ye dozen, as atoFox Mart. fol. 1738. Stratford the Bow neere London; and bound them in chaines by the ſcore, as atpJdem ibid. fol. 1389. Colcheſter in the bloodie daies of Queene Mary. Nay, their intent was on the fifth of Nouember in the yeere 1605. to burne, and that at one fire by the hundreds, and thoſe not the meaneſt of the people, but the very principals of our Church & Commonwealth, euen the moſt meeke King himſelfe, together with his noble conſort, and all their royall iſſue. This Powder-plot was ſo tranſcendent in villanie, that I may well vſe the words ofqDeut. 4.32. Moſes: Aske of the daies of old, that hauehave been before you, ſince the day that God created man on earth, and enquire from the one end of heauen to the other, if there came to paſſe ſuch a thing as this, or whether any ſuch like thing hath been heard? And anſwere may be giuen out of the 19. chapter of Iudges, at the 30. verſe, There was no ſuch thing done or ſeene, ſince the time that the childrē of Iſrael came vp from the land of Egypt, vntounto this day. The like was neuer done, nor heard of in Iſrael, nor thoroughout the world, ſince the beginning. To ſpeake withrHabacuc. 1.5. Habacuc: Behold a worke wrought in your daies, you will not beleeue it, when it ſhall be told you. Shall I call it a worke done? no beloued (as a reuerend father of our Church) it was the worke of the Lord, that it was not done. The ſnare was broken, and wee deliuered, and they fell into the pit who digged it for vsus. A worke of ſo great might and merciemercy, that it ought to be had in a perpetuall remembrance.ſExech. 24.2. Sonne of man, write thee the name of the day, euen of the ſame day; for the King of Babel ſet himſelfe againſt Hieruſalem this ſame day. The fifth of Nouember is the day, wherein we were deliuered from the Babyloniſh and Romiſh tyrannie, let vsus be glad and reioyce therein, and ſing as Dauid in the ſecond part of this Hymne, O God my heart is fixed, my heart is fixed, I will ſing and giuegive praiſe, &c.