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Glory be to God on high, and in earth peace, good will to∣wards men. Forasmuch as this song is very common, and there be fewe that rightly vnderstande it, when as notwithstanding it
contayneth many thinges in it, I thinke good to handle it some∣what at large. The Angells in this hymne apply three things to three: glory to God, peace to the earth, and good will vnto men. The first is the honour or glory of God, with which we must be∣ginne, that in all thinges prayse and glory may be asscribed to God, as to him which doeth, giueth, and hath all thinges, so that none may chalenge any good thing at all vnto him selfe, neither ought to count it his owne. Glory is so due to God onely, that no part therof may be deriued to any other. Adam being perswaded of Satan, went about to take this glory to him selfe, whereby all men fell into the displeasure of God, & haue that vice so through∣ly fixed in their mind, that no other thing can be so hardly pluckt away from them. Euery man pleaseth him selfe, no man can a∣bide to seeme that he is nothing, or is able to doe nothing, where∣of come almost all euills, so many contentions, warres, and innu∣merable other discommodities. This glory Christ gaue to God his father, teaching that all our thinges are nothing before God but sinnes, which deserue his wrath and indignation, and nothing lesse then glory. Wherfore there is no cause, that we should euen neuer so litle please our selues or glory in them, but rather that we should be ashamed and feare, being set in so great perill and confusion, that so all our glory and pleasing of our selues may passe away and come to nothing, and we may reioyce being desti∣tute of our owne glorie, that we may be found & saued in Christ alone.
The second is peace in earth. For, as where the glory of God is not, and where euery one seeketh his owne glory, there can not be peace, according as Salomon sayth Prouerb. 13. Among the proude there is euer strife: so contrariwise, where the glory of God is knowne, there true peace also must needes be. For why should they contend? why should they disagree, which doe know euery one of them, that they haue no good thing of their owne, but that all thinges which are, which they haue, and which they are able to doe, come from God, to whose power also they com∣mit all thinges, they in the meane season being very wel content, that they haue God fauorable vnto them? Howe also can it be, that when one counteth nothing of him selfe and the thinges that be his, he should be so carefull of him selfe and his thinges, that he should moue contention with any because of them? Such be∣leeue
that Christ onely is made all thinges vnto them, him they thinke on, and for him alone they contend. Hereupon it certainly followeth, that there can be no contention or discord at al among true Christians: which maner of peace of Christians Esay de∣clareth, & sayth: No man shall doe euill vnto an other, no man shall destroy an other in my holy hill, that is, in the Church of Christ. The cause hereof he addeth next after: The earth is full of the knowledge of God, that is, for all know God, as to whom all good thinges doe belong, and all their owne things they con∣fesse to be nothing but sinnes, they may easily therefore haue peace among them selues. Wherefore the same Esay sayth in an other place: They shall breake their swordes into mattocks, & their speares to make sythes, and one shall not lift vp a weapon against an other, neither shall they learne ro fight from thence forth. Hereupon Christ is called the king of peace, or the prince of peace, of whom Salomon was a figure, who is called peace∣able. For Christ is truly called our king Salomō, that is, peace∣able, which hath restored peace vnto vs inwardly with God through faith in him, and outwardly wt our neighbours through loue, whereby we liue friendly with all men: and so by him we haue peace euery where both inwardly, and outwardly in the earth.
The third is good will of men. Not that good will, whereby we worke good workes, but whereby we take in good part all thinges that happen, whether they be good or euill, sweete or sower, and do receiue them with a quiet hart. The Angells knew that the peace which they did sing of, should be only among Chri∣stians, which in all thinges doe depend vpon Christ, and vsurpe nothing to them selues as their owne. But in the meane season the world and Satan, which doe exceedingly enuie them, doe on euery side procure trouble vnto them, and persecute them euen vnto the death, so that they may looke for no peace or quietnes at all of these, for Christ sayth Ioh. 16. In me ye shall haue peace, but in the world ye shall haue affliction. Therefore it was not e∣nough for the Angells to haue soong, peace in earth, but it was to be added: and good will towardes men, that when they, as much as they are able, haue peace with all men, and neuertheles are continually hated of all men, and doe suffer persecution, they may alwaies keepe a good wil, wherby they may take all things
in good parte, and giue thankes to God, howesoeuer he dealeth with them, or suffereth them to be dealt with, they may not mur∣mure, but resigne and commit them selues wholy to the will of God, yea (forasmuch as they knowe that God doth dispose & go∣uerne all thinges, whom they are sure, that they haue a mercifull and most fauorable father vnto them through Christ) they may euen reioyce & be glad in persecutions, according to that saying of Paule in the Epistle to the Romanes: VVe reioyce in affli∣ctions and persecutions. For inasmuch as they haue a ioyfull conscience and a sure trust of the fauour of God, they can not but count all thinges for the best, whatsoeuer happen.
Behold what kinde of good will it is in all thinges, whether they be prosperous or vnprosperous, which the Angells doe here wish vnto men, & sing to be propper to the beleuers. Where such good will is wanting, there peace can not long be. Men take all thinges in the worse part, they take nothing in good part, but do alwayes increase and double the euil. Hereupon howsoeuer God dealeth with them, they like it not, but require that they may be dealt otherwise with, and so it falleth out as it is in Psal. 18. with the pure thou shalt be pure, and with the froward thou shalt be froward, that is, with him that counteth all thinges pure to him selfe, and hath that good will in all thinges, whereof we haue spo∣ken, thou also doost well agree, inasmuch as he pleaseth thee and all good men. But he that is froward, so that neither thou, nor those thinges that are thine doe like him, can not but displease both thee and all good men. Of this well pleasing one an other Paule speaketh 1. Cor. 10. Endeuour to please all men, euen as I please all. By what meanes shall this be done? If thou take all thinges in good part, and suffer others to please thee, thou also a∣gaine shalt please others. The matter may be comprehended in one word: If thou wilt be liked of none, nothing shall be liked of thee: If thou wilt be liked of all, suffer that all thinges may be al∣so liked of thee, but so, that thou doe not neglect the worde of the Lord. For that ought to be preferred before all, without any re∣gard had of all mē, what pleaseth them, or what displeaseth them. But whatsoeuer may be done without transgressing the word of God, giue place to all, & submit thy iudgement to the iudgement of others, that thou mayst take euery thing in good part, which shall chaunce vnto thee, & so thou shalt haue the good wil, where∣of
the Angells did sing.
By this song it may be vnderstood, what nature the Angells haue. I omit those thinges which the Philosophers haue drea∣med hereof: here is so described what the Angells are, that it can not be more fully done, their hart and cogitations being de∣clared. First with great ioy they sing prayses to God, acknow∣ledging all thinges to be due vnto him, and therefore doe with an ardent mind, and singing glorifie him. As therefore thou woul∣dest thinke of a right lowly, pure, and obedient hart, praysing God, and alwayes enioying perpetuall gladnes in him, so thinke also of the Angells: and thou hast now the nature of Angells, as much as they haue to doe with God. The second thing to be con∣sidered in them is their loue towardes vs. Thinke that they are most louing toward vs, which desire that it may goe as well with vs as with them selues, they doe no lesse reioyce for our safetie then for their owne, & euen in this hymne full of loue to vs ward, they declare them selues so affected toward vs, that surely, we may thinke and reioyce of them, as of most louing friends. This is to knowe the Angells truely, not according to their essence, whereof the Philosophers doe foolishly & without frute babble many thinges, but according to their hart and mind, so that albe∣it I know not, what their nature is in it selfe, yet I know what is their chiefe desire, and their continuall worke. Thus much shall suffice at this tyme concerning the song of the Angells, and the frute of the natiui∣tie of the child Iesus Christ. God graunt vs his grace, that we may print these thinges in our hart, & according vnto them al∣so amend our life. Amen.
Glory due to God a∣lone.
Where true peace is, and where it is not.
The peace of Christians described by Esai. Esai. 11.9.
Esai. 2.4.
Good will.
Christians must beare persecution and trouble patiently.
Where good will is not, there peace can not con∣tinue.
How farre we may please men and submit our selues vnto them.
The first thing to be considered in the An∣gells.
The second thing which we ought to marke in the Angells.