An Exposition upon the Fifty-first Psalm
O Lord,1 thou that art the Creatour and Maker of all this words frame, and al things are thine, and the worke of thine hands; yet neuerthelesse thou wouldest onely bee called the God of Abraham, Isaack, and Iacob, of whom thy chosen people Israell were to spring, although most ingratefull: In fauour of whom thou didst shewe thy power, and didst worke greate and meruailous thinges, as well in subduing and subuerting theyr enemies, which victories were full of all admiration, as in staying the course of the Sunne, and subiecting the raging Sea; relentlesse stones, and mightie ryuers to theyr obedience, who warred vnder thy banners; wherevpon thou also art called a valiant and strong GOD, the God of armyes, and the Lord of hostes. But when this people grewe rebellious and of a stiffe necke, then also thou didst shewe thy selfe terrible and fierce, and didst gouerne them with an yron rodde, with feare and trembling: and those that wold not be ruled by loue & gentlenes, & by faire means would not walke in theyr duties, thou didst punish by most swifte and horrible plagues, & didst raigne vengeance vppon them, that durst presume to offende thy Maiestie; so that thou didst beginne to bee also called a GOD of vengeance: so that at the hearing of thy name not onely men, but also the Sea and the elements trembled.
And so long as thy fury was not pacified by thy onelie begotten Sonne, the gates of heauen were so shutte vp, that the iustest man aliue might not passe thorough them. Neyther durst sinners, considering theyr vnwoorthynesse, and theyr greeuous sinnes, and seeing no other gates open in all thys worlde, besides those of iustice and vengeance, venter to come neere thee: for by custome they had learned that comming vnto thee for remedy, they found damnation: approching for saluation, they tasted death; because thou wast called a consuming fire.
Many ô Lord beeing daunted with this feare, did wander vp and downe sinking vnder the burthen of desperation, hauing no hope to find any mercie. Others beeing seperated from thee by ignorance, did goe astray as sheepe without a sheepeheard, bleating vp and downe in this world. Therefore sayd Dauid; Say vnto my soule I am thy saluation; as if he should say: My eares are ful of terrible names and feareful tytles, let the time come, in which by a new name thou thy selfe mayst promise saluation to my soule. And this shal be, when thou shalt be called Iesus, that is, a Sauior. This in tymes past sayde Dauid in the person of all men.
But after that thou didst remember thy mercie, and the promises made vnto the Fathers, that is, that the tyme should come, that thou thy selfe wouldest put on our humanity and misery, when I say, thou wentest out of the hal of thy power and iustice, & comming vnto vs didst enter into the Pallace of thy mercy and benignity, thou didst aboundantly fulfil to all, whatsoeuer thou hadst promised to anie. But that greate follower and Apostle of thy Sonne Iesus Christ our Lorde,2 first began to call thee the Father of mercy, and the GOD of all consolation.
A Father, that hee might signifie, that lyke a Father thou wouldest helpe vs: A God, because thou canst help whom thou pleasest.
So that sinners seeing thee to haue gone out of the hall of thy seueritie, and to haue come into the Pallace of thy mercies and consolations, seeing thee cloathed on euery side with theyr vestiments, & made one of theyr housholde; they would no more wander and vage vp and downe, but beeing vnited to thy most holie Church, they come to thy throane with sincere faith, and firme hope, desiring remission of their sinnes.
Thou hast done ô Lorde, as hunters vse to doe, who that they may not feare the wilde beast, doe cloathe themselues after the colour of the mountayne: so also thou tookest vppon thee an earthen vesture, like vs, that thou mightest take whom thou wouldest. For as thou didst show thine omnipotencie in times past, by power and reuengement: so thou now wouldest shew thy mercy by pardoning and forgyuing. For to remitte an offered iniurie, is no lesser glory, then to reuenge it, yea it is greater glory to forgiue it. Therefore there is not, neyther can there bee a sinne so great, which thou doest not forgiue to him that is penitent.
If a sinner had beene so vnhappy, that considering the greatnes of his sins, he had not seene thy power and goodnes, he had dispaired of pardon, & had sayde that, which in times past our first brother Cain said, and after him Iudas, that is, My sin is greater then can be pardoned, and had layd violent hands vpon himselfe.
Therefore let him nowe reioyce, and lyft vp his eyes to heauen, whence commeth ayd and helpe to all them, that are found in the tribulations and miseries of this world. Let him open the eyes of his soule by fayth, & let him behold round about him ensignes and banners displayed; not banners of warre, of vengeance, or of iustice: but of pitty, of mercie, of pardon, of friendship, and of reconciliation to all them, that desire it in truth. Let him behold those honoured and graced in this Pallace, who were wont to be his aduersaries and enemies.
There he shall see that great and famous sinner Magdalen receaued into fauour. There hee shall see those humbled, and brought low, who supposed themselues wise and holie men; and them exalted, who confessed themselues sinners, and of no merrit. There hee shall see that sinner S. Peter, who was a periured denier of his Maister, to bee made a piller of the Church. There hee shall see Saint Paule, that wolfe and persecuter of the flock, to be made a vessell of election.
Therfore let all sinners com, let thē come I say to thys pallace of mercie; and let them constantly and assuredly beleeue, that no man in the world dooth heereafter so sinne, or can sinne, that hee cannot or may not obtaine remission at Gods handes for all his misdeedes: neyther that any enmities, or quarrels can arise to that height and passe, which can vtterly shutte vp the gates of frindship and reconciliation.
Wherefore, I feeling my selfe burdened with the weight of my sinnes, & swallowed vp in the gulfe of misery, & desiring especially the sight of the eyes of my soule, which errors and foule enormous sinnes haue shut vp and blinded, and with greater desire and thyrst desiring & thirsting for thy grace, and fauour, then the Hart or the Hunter dooth the water brookes, I come to the throne of thy grace, entreating & beseeching thee ô Lord, with that humility, which the greatest sinner can come withal, knowing his vnworthines, and his enormities done and committed before his eyes, who once gaue him both being and life, and after hee had lost it by sin, and returned againe by repentance, eftsoones restored it: before his Maiestie, who with his onely Worde, that is, with his Wisedome, created & made all thinges of nothing: before him, in whose power it is, not only to create a thousand other worlds, but also to doe those things, which can neyther enter into the thought of Angel, or any other creature. Before him, I say, I come, and say,
Haue mercy vpon me, ô Lord. And because, ô my Lorde, I haue no merrits, by which I may boldly presume to come vnto thee, (for I am not onelie vnwoorthy of this thy great mercy, but haue also iustly deserued damnation & destruction in hell) I desire this.
According to thy great goodnes. According to which, if we wel consider, howe thou hast alwaies vsed it towards sinners, I beleeue, and am verily perswaded, that thou art more easie to be intreated, and readier to forgiue, then I through my weakenesse and infirmitie am prone vnto sin. And because my sinnes haue so increased, & risen to that height, that they are come into the presence of thy diuine Maiestie, behold it was in my power to fall, and through mine owne fault haue I gone astray: but to rise againe, and come home is not in my power, except thou succourest and releeuest mee with thy singuler & especial grace: therfore I humblie desire thee to haue mercie on me, According to the multitude of thy mercies. Thee I say, I most humbly do beseeche, who hast beene so pittifull and mercifull towards sinners, that of vncleane & filthy wretches, thou hast made them holy and righteous men, that with the fire of thy loue, which (as the Prophet sayth) thou thy selfe art, calling thee a fire, which dooth consume, thou wouldest purge, burne vp, and vtterly consume, all mine iniquities and imperfections: making mee of a stonecold sinner, a most ardent louer, and feruent follower of thee, and of thy precepts and commaundements. Neyther only purge me from my sinnes past, but Wash mee throughly from my wickednesse: and cleanse mee from my sinne. Wash mee so, ô Lorde, and so cleanse all mine inward parts, that there may not any thing remaine in mee, that may solicite mee to sinne againe. Giue me strength and fortitude, to ouercome the world, the deuil, and the flesh, least I returne to mine olde wayes & former errors. And because I knowe, ô Lord, that no man doth lyue, that of himselfe can be iustified in thy sight and presence: and that thou doost onely will this, that hee that desireth to haue forgiuenes of his sinnes, do acknowledge and confesse himselfe a sinner, and that hee lament and bewayle his misdeedes; I being such a one, doe say: For I acknowledge my faults: and my sin is euer before mee. I doe acknowledge, I say, my faultes, and confesse them not onely outwardly, but also inwardly. For although there are some, that beeing spotted and polluted with vaine hipocrisie, and with some other vice doe deceiue men vnder a shadowe of pietie, yet Lord no man lyuing can possibly deceiue thee with a show of outward sanctitie, if inwardly he be not so indeed.
I haue learned by experience, that the inwarde sinne is opposite and contrary to euery one, which accuseth without intermission, and gnaweth the conscience like a worme: by the gnawing of which, that horrible voyce of the damned ariseth,3 who say: We haue wearied our selues in the way of wickednesse and destruction, and wee haue gone through dangerous wayes: but wee haue not knowne the way of the Lord.
The Heathen in tymes past, dyd confesse theyr errors and offences to Mars, Venus, Iupiter, […] […] Mercurie, and to other vaine Gods, & fictions of Poets: and many at thys day do offend, because they haue riches, honours, and the glorie of thys world, & doe confesse that they haue offended against all these, because they haue erred, & by the meanes of them, haue not attained vnto theyr desires. But I ô lorde doe contemne all these, & do confesse my sinnes vnto thee, because Against thee onely haue I sinned, & done euill in thy sight. For all my sinnes are against thee, as against the Lord, the maker, and preseruer of all thinges, from whom they cannot be hid, but are open to the eyes of thy diuinitie, as all other thinges are, whether they bee in heauen, in earth, or in the depth of the Sea. And truely my sinnes & transgressions bee so many and so great, that some beeing in the same state of damnation with mee, and not considering of thine omnipotencie, but measuring thee according to their owne frailety and weakenes, haue in theyr peruerse cogitations, descended into iudgemēt against thee, saying; My sins are greater then can bee forgiuen. And giuing no credite to thy words & promises, suppose that thou art angry and cruell, and doost thinke vpon punishment and vengeance, and not vpon pardon and forgiuenes. And such when they shall see, that thou, ô my Lord, doost forgiue mee my sinnes, will bee of another minde, and be confounded in theyr iudgements, & shal confesse that which thou spakest by thy Prophet,4 saying; As the heauens are higher then the earth, so are my wayes higher thē your wayes, and my thoughts aboue your thoughts. Therefore haue mercy vpon me, ô Lord, and blot out mine offences; That thou mayst bee iustified in thy sayings: and cleare whē thou art iudged. But if a greater acknowledgement of them be necessary for the remission of my sins, or if it carry any show of excuse to repeate them frō the first beginning and originall, I say, ô lord, and plainly confesse, that I was shapen in wickednes, and in sinne hath my Mother conceiued mee. And that through that olde transgression of our Father Adam, which hee hath traduced and conueyed to all his posteritie, which hath made vs subiect first to bodilie death, and thē to spiritual: to both which deaths we had still beene subiect, vnlesse the seconde heauenly Adam, Christ our Lord and thy beloued sonne, had freed and deliuered vs from them by his most precious blood, and had instructed vs by his doctrine and examples, and had showed vnto vs the true way, by which wee might againe returne to that first estate of innocencie, in which we were created in the garden of Parradice.5 For thou louest truth in the inward affections, and shalt make mee to vnderstand wisedom in the secret of mine hart. For seeing that thou art that ineffable & vnspeakable truth, which thou louest, and which is acceptable to all thine: by obseruing it according to thine owne promises, thou gauest him who is the desired of Nations, and promised in thy law, that is, thy selfe, that we being deliuered frō the feare of our enemies, might serue thee, not with that olde seruile loue, which was for feare of punishment and vengeance: but with a filiall loue, as a Lorde and Father, who neuer ceaseth to showre downe his benefites vpon vs his children. Which loue and name of children we haue obtained by Iesus Christ, thy Sonne our lord: for by the vertue of his merrits, & because hee would bee our brother in this worlde, hee hath giuen vs boldnesse, that wee dare with confidence call thee Father, & thou also callest vs sonnes: not naturall Sonnes: for Christ alone is thy onely begotten and naturall Sonne, and of one substance with thee; but wee are adopted sonnes, by which adoption, if wee doe our duties, wee come to the inhearitance of thy kingdome with him, therefore to vs being such Thou hast manifested the sescrete and hidden things of thy wisedome. That is, the misteries of our redemption, which neither Socrates, nor Aristotle, nor Plato, nor any other of the Grecian or Romaine Phylosophers, could euer find out by all their immeasurable study and long searching: yea thou hast shewed, that al those things, in which they placed the last end and chiefest felicitie, to bee meere foolishnes, & extreame vanity; and that which they supposed foolishnes, thou hast showen to be true wisedome, that thou mightest declare, & manifest, howe little mans strength can preuaile without thy help, and that thou mightest giue an example, that none heereafter shoulde trust to his owne wit or power: but thou dost giue ioy and strength to them, that with humilitie offer vnto thee theyr misery and weakenesse: and him thou fillest with thy wisedome, that with a sincere minde offereth vnto thee his ignorance: and to bee briefe, him thou iustifiest, that yeeldeth vp himselfe vnto thee humbled as a sinner. Which seeing it is so, I desire thee, O Lord, That thou wouldest purge me with hysope, & I shalbe clean: that thou wouldest wash mee, and I shall bee whither then snow. Wash mee, ô Lorde with the water of that fountaine, which floweth to eternall life, which thou didst promise to the woman of Samaria, and purge me with the hysope of thy grace: and with the fire of thy loue & charitie, burne away all the errors of my frailetie, and all my wickednesse, and then I shall bee cleansed frō all my sinnes: then I shall returne vnto the state of innocencie, then I shall be more pure, and whiter then the whitest snowe. Then Thou shalt make mee heare of ioy and gladnesse: that the bones which thou hast broken may reioyce. Then all my sences, which hetherto serued the worlde, the flesh, and the deuill; that lay drowned in pleasures & world lie delights which are rather to be called sorrowes, miseries, afflictions, and confusions, shall receiue of thee ioy, gladnesse and rest: and they shall begin to heare and tast, howe good and sweete, ô lord, thy Spirite is to them, that serue thee with humilitie. I hauing tasted of thy Spirit, my flesh and bones which are nowe broken, because they serued earthly and vile thinges, shall returne with gladnesse to the obedience of thy Spirit: They shall taste of the high misteries of thy workes, & shall know a great part of thy goodnesse & graciousnesse, which both heeretofore thou hast vsed, and stil vsest daily to all the nations of the world: wherefore they shall persecute those thinges with a deadly hate, which they haue passed thorow, and that which heeretofore was sweet & pleasant vnto them, now they shall esteem it bitter: & that which they refused as bitter, now they shall desire it as most sweet, & shall giue thee immortall thanks, because thou hast deliuered them out of the depth of misery, in which they wallowed, beeing deciued with a false vizard of pleasure & gladnes: & because now ô lord, throgh thy gracious goodnesse I am come to the knowledge & detestation of my sinnes, beeing the ready way to saluation, O Lord I pray thee, Turne thy face from my sins, and put out all my misdeedes. Turne thy diuine face, I say, the beholding and contemplating of which is eternall lyfe: deale not with me after my deserts, but looke vpon mee with the eyes of thy mercy, and take from mee all my wickednesse. Purge me, ô lord, and cleanse me, not only from sinnes past, but from all those, that may happen to mee heereafter. Create in mee a cleane hart, ô God, and renue a right spirite within mee. Take from me my stony hart, which hetherto hath delighted it selfe with the loue and contemplation of abiect and vncleane things, and therefore it is vncleane and polluted, I pray thee ô lord take this from mee, and vouchsafe to create another in me, cleane, pure, and chast. Take from me the spirit of pride, of vaine-glory, of couetousnes, of luxury, and of many other vices and slaueries, which hath raigned in mee, & renew within me a right, mild, and humble spirit, which may thirst after all righteousnesse. Thou knowest, ô lorde, that we are earth, and a masse of iniquitie, and that vnlesse thou doost support vs with thine hand, we cannot do any thing, but that which is earthly, there-I pray thee; Cast mee not away from thy presence, and take not thy holy spirit from me. But alwayes direct mee & preserue mee with thy right hand, that I may say as the Prophet sayd in times past; The Lord is my Sheepheard,6 I shall not want. Take not from mee thy holie Spirit, the true comforter of the afflicted who is the way of truth to all them, that as wanderers, lost, and desolate, doe enter into the blinde Laborinth of thys worlde, yea rather Lord Restore to mee the ioy of thy saluation, and stablish me with thy free spirit. Giue mee grace, that by meditating on those things, which thou hast wrought for our saluation, and workest daily, & in beholding thy will, who desirest not the death of a sinner, but that hee may be conuerted and liue, I may enioy that true ioy, and rest, which they enioy, who beeing guiltie of eternall death, doe heare that theyr sins are forgiuen them; not of thē, that haue no power to doe it, but of him that is omnipotent, who can neyther deceiue nor be deceiued: who as hee cannot die, so hee cannot fayle in his promise.
Take from me ô lorde, the spirit of bondage, which I haue hetherto obeyed, and strengthen me in thy loue and grace, with thy royall and free spirit, not subiect to the worlde, the flesh, or the deuill, that we may serue thee with ioy, in the perfection of the works of righteousnes, in the libertie of the Gospell, to the which wee are restored by thy Sonne Christ our lord and Sauiour.
And then, ô lorde, I beeing strengthened by thy mercie, I shall not onely be free, & clean frō all sin: but I shal march into the fielde as a couragious warriour, & valiant captaine, & I shall teach thy wayes vnto the wicked, and sinners shal be conuerted vnto thee. Who seeing me to be made of wicked iust, of weake mighty, of a seruaunt free, of a subiect thine adopted sonne, and considering thys to be doone not by mans strength, but by diuine power, they will bee conuerted vnto thee with all their hart, and with all theyr soule. But I pray thee, ô my lord, and the GOD of my saluation, whilst I am conuersant with wicked, peruerse, and vngodly men, doe not suffer me to sin with them, or to pollute my selfe with theyr blemishes. But Deliuer mee from blood-giltinesse, O God, thou that art the God of my health: and my tongue shall sing of thy righteousnesse. As the sunne with his beames dooth pierce and penetrate all thinges,7 both pure & impure, and is not onely not polluted, but also dooth purge those things that are infected & corrupted: so I beeing clothed with the beames and heate of thy charitie and loue, may with out spotte and blemish be conuersant among the impure & vncleane. Thys if thou wilt grant mee, my tongue beeing directed and guided by thy grace and ayde, shall plant thy righteousnes in their harts, and they shall be deceiued, when they shall thinke that it is my worke, seeing that it is thine. For of my selfe I am not sufficient to doe it, nay I am not able to speake a worde without thy helpe & grace. That therfore they may acknowledge this, and yeelde thee thy due prayse, and not bestowe it on mee, Open thou my lippes, ô Lorde, and my mouth shall shew forth thy prayse. And now ô lorde, I offer thee my spirit afflicted & troubled, because I haue offended thee, to which I add a purpose of amendement. Which sacrifice I know doth please thee, & to be that, which thou requirest. For thou desirest no sacrifice, though I woulde giue it, thou delightest not in burnt offerings. For now is the time, in which no burnt offerings nor ceremoniall sacrifices doe please thee, or shall at any time hereafter content thee: for thou art a Spirit, and wilt bee worshipped in Spirit. And therefore The sacrifice of God is a troubled spirit: a broken and contrite hart (ô God) shalt thou not despise. And because I knowe that no man in this worlde, so long as he liueth, doth come too late to desire mercy and fauour at thy hands: but that he shall alwayes finde thee ready to giue it vnto vs, therefore I desire thee againe; O be fauourable and gracious vnto Sion: build thou the wals of Ierusalem. Deale with mee ô Lord graciously & mercifully, according vnto thy good will and pleasure, and giue mee grace, that the decayed and ruinous walls of my soule, which are able to hold out no force of the enemy, may againe bee inwardly reedified, that I may offer vnto thee the true works of inward righteousnes, which presently shall follow the outward, being signes of the inward. From whence afterwards as from a liuely fountayne, shall flow the edifying of my neighbour, frō which duplicity of works shall arise a sweete harmony, acceptable vnto thy diuine Maiesty, and a sacrifice ioyned to that, with which thou thy self saidst, that thou art well pleased; For then shalt thou accept the sacrifices of righteousnes, euen the burnt offering and oblation: then shall they offer calues vpon thine Altar. All these things, I say, ô Lorde shall they offer vpon thine Alter as a new sacrifice, of which the Prophet spake; This shall please the Lorde better then a young bullocke,8 that hath hornes and hoofes, that is, the humanity of Christ our Redeemer thy Sonne, and his sacrifice; by whose merrits our workes before vnworthy, & of no value, are made gratefull and acceptable in thy sight.
After this manner therefore ô Lord, both I, and others with mee, who haue beene sinners, lyuing now in thy worship and seruice, will say: Glory be to the Father, and to the Sonne, and to the holie Ghost: As it was in the beginning, &c. We will prayse and glorifie thee alwaies both in this world, and in the other, as the Father, Creator & maker of all things; and thy Sonne, the Deuine Wisedome, as him, by whom we alone are worthy to be called, and to be in deed thy Sons; and the holy Ghost, as the Doctour & Teacher of grace, the Comforter, Patrone, and Leader to all good purposes. Who in the distinction of persons, in a perfect Trinity, in the vnity of substance, and in Maiesty doe liue and raigne, without beginning, without end, for euer and euer, world without end. Amen.
Footnotes
Chapter 11 of 12