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I will at all times blesse the Lord, &c. Psalme. 34.
1 BLessed be thy name, ô Lord, which hast cō∣forted me in misery, & bles∣sed be he for euer, that hath holpen me in mine affliction. All things haue their time, and all mens actions are distri∣buted by times and seasons, change serueth for rest, and rest, for the re∣freshing
of the ordinary labour of the liuing: neither can any thing conti∣nue without rest in any occupation and trade. Neuerthelesse, here in this rule faileth, that is, I do blesse, and for euer will blesse, thy name, O Lord: at the sunne rising, I wil praise thy name, and at his going downe, I will praise the same, at that, will I begin both moneths and yeares, and at that also will I end them. O eternitie, I haue no feeling of thee in this world, but in this my will, to praise and glorifie my God for euer. My body melteth away with age, and my forces va∣nish and decay, but my soule which stoutly standeth against humaine cor∣ruption, dooth not onely continue, but also dayly encreaseth in this holy affection. For if I thinke to take my rest, mine heart stirreth my thought. And if I thinke to stop my mouth, my soule is ready to breake out betweene my lippes, and forceably frameth my voice to set foorth the glorie and praise of my God. My soule, who maketh thee so eager to praise thy God? Thou knowest right well, and I also see it very well, that thou hast
had thy being from him, and lookest by him to be glorified: what vsurie makest thou with him? Thou giuest vnto him a parcell of his praises, and by this meanes thou lookest that he should associate thee with the riches of his glory. For from him alone, thou must hope to haue some honor. The heauens shall passe, and weare away like an old garment, and be changed as men change a couering. But God shall continue still triumphing ouer the destruction of the world. The peaceable and meeke people shall sit by him, and heare the triumphant hymnes which shall be song in his victorie and conquests, and all full of melodie and reioicing, shall ioyne their voices vnto the trumpets of the angels.
2 Let vs begin therefore betime, to learne to sing the praises of his glo∣rie, magnifie him, and exalt his name, as high as our voices will serue vs, let vs straine out our cries, to the end they may ascend as high, at the least, as we are able to see, so as the ayre being filled with our songs, it may cary them vpon the wings of the winds vnto the
vttermost parts of the earth, to the end that euery one may be awakened with the sound of our notes, and reioyce in hearing the name of the Lord of hea∣uen and earth, thus sounded out, who is the most faithfull and most assured helper of all those which call vpon him.
3 I haue fought after him, and he forthwith hath vnderstood me. I knew not my selfe whither to go, and after I had turned mine eyes on euery side, and being forsaken of the world, could see nothing which was able to helpe me, I returned into my selfe, and piti∣fully beheld my selfe, bewailing my ca∣lamitie: and all at once, he gaue me courage and strength, & making mine heart to leape our of the gulfe of hea∣uinesse and tribulation, which had swallowed me vp, said vnto me; trust in me, for loe here I am. Then cried I out and said, O Lord, where art thou, make hast to helpe me quickly. And I had no sooner spoken, but that his spi∣rit descended into me, and as a strong and mighty winde driueth the cloudes before it, euen so did it driue from round about me, all manner of griefes
and afflictions.
4 Come therefore and runne vn∣to him: come then, for the way is easie and open on euery side, he sheweth himself in all places, and in what place soeuer we are, he calleth vs vnto him. He is so afeard of vs, that we would go astray, as that he commeth downe from heauen to carry a lampe before vs, to giue light vnto our feet, he is also the father of lights, which more cleer∣ly and purely lighteth our soules then our bodies. For the light which ligh∣teth our eyes, is to cause vs to see that which we are either to follow or to es∣chew, but this light of all goodnesse and bountie, enlighteneth our soules, and of it selfe, putteth farre from vs, and driueth away whatsoeuer may hurt and offend vs. Come therefore, and draw neere therevnto, for so long as it shineth vpon vs, you shall be sure to go vpright, and nothing shall be able to do you hurt, your strength shall renew in you, and nothing shall confound you: for if your sinnes shall appeare, it shal disperse them, and if your enemies come thither it will send them back and ouerthrow them.
5 Will you see a most excellent proofe of his aide and singular mercy? Behold then this poore and miserable caitife, who is held to be an especiall vnhappy man, yea such a one as is thought to be a man without all hope of recouerie, the onely comfort of all miseries, who hath but a very little cried out vnto God, and he forthwith heard him, and deliuered him out of the misery wherein he was, he hath brought him to the port, and setled him in a place of safety.
6 He sendeth his angels to helpe his seruants, who compasse them a∣bout as a most sure guarde, and will not suffer them to stirre a foote from them, before such time as they haue rid them out of danger. For, as he him∣selfe is great, so hath he also mighty & strong ministers, and although he of himselfe is able to do all things, and yet notwithstanding all his greatnesse, he executeth his will, by his creatures, gouerning the lesser by the meaner, the meaner, by he higher, and the higher by himselfe.
7 Taste thou and consider a little, how kinde and fauourable his good∣nesse
and mercy is, and how blessed he is that putteth his trust in him. The Swallow is very carefull of her yong ones, and yet she oftentimes leaueth thē to cry by reason of hunger, & som∣times she giueth them the sower with the sweet, but our God commeth at the first call, nay, at the first signe we make, yea at our first wish, & so soone as he seeth vs thirst for his helpe, he putteth his most sweet & delicate dugs and breasts of his bounty, vnto our mouthes, & streameth the sweet milke of his grace into our lips, which stan∣cheth & cooleth the thirstinesse of our infirmity, & quencheth the heat which our sin, as foule & filthy vlcers & sores, haue engendred in our consciences.
8 And therfore, seeing he is so good & gratious vnto vs, and denieth vs no∣thing that we aske, looke somwhat vn∣to your selues I beseech you, I speake vnto you, vpon whom he hath bestow∣ed so many benefits, whom he hath sanctified with his holy blessings, and whome he hath set a part to be his e∣lect, and partakers of his loue. And be∣ware yee offend him not with your vnthankfulnesse, & thereby make you
vnwortthie of his benefites, through distrust and incredulitie of his benefi∣cence▪ For, they that feare him wa•…•… nothing, in fearing him, they trut i•• him, and they feare him with a feare that proceedeth of loue, not with a feare that he will do them some ill, but with a feare, not to offend him, but ra∣ther with a fatherly reuerence, who is farre readier to do vs good, then we are carefull to demaund of him. For, he knoweth of himselfe what is most necessary for vs, and preuenteth forth∣with our desires, if they be agreeable vnto his will, and enricheth vs when we are most poore, and maketh vs va∣liant when we are most weake.
9 And contrariwise, the richmen•• of the world, whose goods he hath not blessed, they I say, are not worthy of their riches, but starue with their a∣boundance, their goods melt into po∣uerty, their great magnificences va∣nish away into smoake, and become like vnto a streame, whose spring-hea•• is dammed vp, his bed becommeth parched with drinesse, the skirts of his garments lose their beauty, and his trees which he hath planted on a row,
wither, and drive vp. But such as haue recourse vnto God, and forsake him not, and referre all vnto his honour, shall neuer want any good thing, be∣cause the spring head of all goodnesse which is the loue of God, floweth ouer their soules, and spreddeth it selfe throughout all the parts of their bo∣dies.
10 Now, sith that you see, that the feare of the Lord bringeth so great profit, and that his feare is it, which re∣concileth vs vnto him, his conciliation getteth vs grace, enlargeth our felici∣ty; come ye vnto me, that I may learne yee how yee shall feare him as a most good & merciful father, who neuer de∣nieth mercy vnto him which acknow∣ledgeth his sinnes, and giueth himselfe to walke in the way of well doing.
11 Desire ye to please him, and by that meanes to liue in his grace, that is to say, to liue blessedly, and passe your dayes with a quiet minde, and aboun∣dance of whatsoeuer is necessary for this life, and yet to go forward on the way of this immortall life, which at∣tendeth vs after we shall be departed from hence. To be short; desire ye his
blessing, that is to say, firme and assi∣red prosperitie, which engendreth i•• you spirituall reioycing, which lai•…•… your heart continually open to brea•…•… out his honor, & cōtentedly to vse t•…•… benefits which he lendeth vnto yo•• here in this world? I will deliuer 〈◊〉〈◊〉 vnto you in few words, how yee sha•…•… attaine vnto this meanes. For I know wherewith he is pleased, and what a•…•…ons of ours they are, that are agree∣able vnto his liking.
12 The first thing that ye shall do, 〈◊〉〈◊〉 this; Keepe your tongue that it speak•• nothing to the dishonor of God, no•• •…•…∣ter any bitter & angry talke. Mark wh•…•… a small and little thin member this i•• & yet it is the sterne of our life, which turneth and windeth our spirit which way soeuer it pleaseth. For when it i•• once filled with corrupt & filthy spee•…•… it carrieth the passions of our hear•• from whence they are conceiued, eu•…•… into the bottom of our vnderstanding▪ and in such sort watereth them, as tha•• they are like vnto an earthen potou•…•… much soaked in water, & so loseth the•…•…by the forme and shape of the reas•…•… which God had breathed into it. S••ty
not that one sparke of fire setteth an whole house on a burning flame? Euen so the tongue, as the baite of sinne, gi∣ueth it an entrance into vs, bringeth it deafly in, & setting by that means our soules on fire, wasteth and consumeth whatsoeuer good thing is within vs. Let vs then commaund our lips to re∣ceiue nothing but the bare and sim∣ple truth, and banish lying & deceit for euer from them. For, if we keepe in fast shut, the wicked thoughts which may arise in our hearts, without giuing thē vent, they will in the end choke them∣selues, euen as fire that hath no ayre.
13 And therefore, let vs first of all, put all lying & deceit farre away from vs, for the true praise which God looketh for at our hands, is, that we should i∣mitate him as much as our nature will permit. Now, he is the God of truth and of iustice, who can neither loue nor make much of vs, so long as lying which is contrary to him, shall dwell in vs. Secondarily, we must e∣strāge our selues frō all sin whatsoeuer: for, to eschue ill, is the beginning to do well: and alwaies prouided, that if God findeth vs void of wicked intents,
he will fill vs with good ones, and teach vs that which we ought to wish and procure, and the thing which we ought principallest to desire, he teacheth vs. And that is peace, which he would haue vs desire with all our hearts. First, peace with him, which is the store∣house of all goodnesse, which we can neuer haue, except we yeeld him that obedience which we owe him. And then, peace amongst our selues, with∣out the which we can neuer haue his For, he hath commanded vs to loue our neighbours as our selues, so as, if in stead of this, we breath out nothing but bloud & spoiles, what peace would we haue with him, whose lawes and commaundements we infringe and breake? And withall, that warre is no better then the blossome of iniustice, which is, abhominable before God.
14 His eye, which is this well fra∣med and louing eye, beholdeth none but the inst and righteous: his light, enlighteneth none but them, neither are his miracles shewed but in fauour of them, and his eares are not open but vnto their praiers: and we may properly say, that his iustice is on his
side, that examineth the life of those which offer themselues vnto him, and to him recommendeth their praiers which are of an vpright heart.
15 And as for those that take pleasure in ill dooing, he looketh vpon them indeed, but it is with a furious burning eye, whose beames are like the arrowes of paines and miserie, wherewith he woundeth their soules, filling them with feare and astonish∣ment, besides a thousand other mise∣ries, which he laieth on them, as ear∣nests of torments which attend them. He dreameth not of them otherwise then of the rooting out of their me∣morie from the face of the earth, and by iustice to wash the arrowes of their polution, which are left: for he suffi∣ciently knoweth their impenitent hearts, which haue insolently neg∣lected his holy mercy.
16 Now, the righteous haue not so done, for they haue in good time returned vnto God, and calling vp∣on his clemencie, haue in the end ob∣tained it, they reioyced therein, and it remained with them, as it were their portion, he hath deliuered them our
of all their troubles wherein they were plunged, and receiued them vn∣der his grace, as vnder a brasen wall, so as no violent mischiefe what so∣euer, can be able to make them false hearted.
17 Vndoubtedly, God is maruelous good & fauourable, thou mightest say, that he is alwaies fauourable vnto the afflicted which call vpon him, and for∣saketh him not day nor night. For no sooner hath our griefe & sorrow hum∣bled vs, and made vs know what need we haue of him, but that he is by and by ready at hand to saue vs.
18 In very deed the righteous are afflicted with strange calamities, and a man might properly say, that they are the very subiect and matter of mise∣ries to worke on, there are so many mischiefes come tumbling in, one in anothers necke, to oppresse them. But this is not to any other end, saue to make the mercy of God shine more gloriously in them. For the greater that the tribulation is, the more doth the pitty and compassion shine in the preseruing of them.
19 For he keepeth euen the very
least bone they haue, nay there shall not one haire of their heads fall, nor be pluckt in sunder, but by his expresse will, neither should that euer once come to passe, but for their onely good and benefit. And yet more then that, for he hath all their goods, and al their trade & traffick in his protection, and when it pleaseth him, he will multiply their store, cause his blessings flourish in their houses, and make their riches and possessions encrease, according to their owne hearts desire.
20 But contrariwise, the liues of the wicked shall be most miserable. And although for the prouing and in∣uiting of them to turne vnto him, he lend vnto them the goods and com∣modities of this life, yet shall their deaths be most lamentable, yea such a death as shall deliuer them vnto e∣ternall torments, and plunge them in the bottomlesse depths of inextingui∣shable fiers, there to be deuoured, and neuer consumed, and there continu∣aly languishing, without euer dying. This shall be the end of the wicked, and of those that make warre against the iust.
21 And in the meane while, thy poore seruants, whome thou hast so dearely redeemed from the hands of death and of sinne, shal enioy the bles∣sed saluation, which thou hast purcha∣sed for them, and holding death and sinne enchained vnder their feete, within the chaines of thy mercy, will trust in thee so long as they shall be in this exile of the world, and after they shall haue departed hence, shall enioy that euerlasting blessednesse which thou hast promised them, beholding in thy face, this fountaine of brightnesse, bountie, and beauty, wherewith thou framedst heauen and earth, and all in them contained.