pride; they be but usurpers, if they come to it wrongfully, for the kingdom appertaineth unto God. And howsoever they extend their power, in God's sight they be no stronger than a bruised reed or broken staff; for the power is God's. And what glory soever they feign and flatter themselves to have, it is but withered hay and vile dust in the sight of God.

But now the Prophet, by the eye of faith, seeing this glorious triumph, strength, and power in God; saith, that in this glorious, almighty, and triumphant God is his glory; and desireth to have part of that victory, and of that marvellous majesty. And as the Psalm saith, he calleth and nameth the God of glory, his glory. O marvellous and unspeakable boldness and constancy of faith! A man nothing but sin by nature, in the sight of God nothing but earth and ashes, replenished with all misery and wretchedness, by nature corrupt, the very enemy of : God, a vessel prepared unto all dishonour, ignominy, shame, and perdition, contemned through sin, and shamed before all creatures; and yet now, with all these dishonours, (by faith) saith the King of glory is his glory, and the conqueror of all dis.honour is his shield and buckler.

Of the other part, who can think or speak any thing thankful to such a King of glory, and most mighty conqueror, that abhorreth not, of mercy, to be the honour and glory of so vile, sinful, and wretched a thing as man is? whose eyes abhor no filth of sin in penitent sinners, whose presence refuseth not the company of the sick and miserable, whose strength comforteth the weak, whose mercy rejoiceth the comfortless, whose life expelleth death, whose health banisheth sickness, whose. love van quisheth hatred, whose immortality giveth everlasting

life, and who crowneth us with endless pity and compassion in joys perpetual. (Psalm ciii.)

Thus the Prophet, after he had espied the Almighty God in himself gloriously to be void of all troubles, dolours, and other adversities, and that he had also conquered gloriously the captains of all adversities, hell, death, Satan, and sin; he challenged by faith, and craved by God's promise, to be pártaker of God's glory in this point. And doubtless, he that can feel in his heart that God is his glory, he shall take no dishonour nor shame by all the works of the devil, sin, or the world. Therefore many times, in reading or thinking of the Psalms, or other parts of the holy Scripture, it is expedient to meditate and pray, that the word we speak or pray, may be unto us as much salvation, comfort, and glory, as we perceive God hath appointed in it for us. And when we say with our mouth to God, "Thou art my salvation, my glory, my rock, and my trust;" let us cry, "Lord, increase our faith; help us for thy name sake constantly to believe thee, to be unto us indeed in spirit, as we speak of thee outwardly with our mouth." (Luke, xvii.) For in case the heart understand not, nor believe the word we speak with our mouth, we honour God in vain, as the Scripture saith. (Isaiah, xxix. Matt. xv.) Let us therefore pray, as St. Paul teacheth us, saying, “I will pray with the spirit, and I will pray with the mind also." (1 Cor. xiv.)

When the Prophet hath by faith assured himself of God's favour, he exhorteth all the Christian congregation to do the same, saying: "O put your trust in him always, ye people," &c.

Here the Prophet teacheth, what the minister of the church, bishop, and others should do, when they understand the Scripture, and learn by it, fear and faith, love and hope in God: they be

bound to teach the congregation the same Scriptures for her salvation. Whereby is condemned the use of the Scripture in an unknown tongue; which is directly against God's word. (1 Cor. xiv.) And here be kings and rulers also taught to see their subjects, tenants, and servants to understand the word of God;. likewise the father and the mother, the master and the mistress, who be bound to know for their salva-' tion the word of God, and to teach it unto others under their governance. Therefore, in the end of the verse is put Selah; as though he had said, Happy be those that put their trust in the Lord, and teach others to do the same: and cursed be those that trust not in the Lord, and teach others to do the like.

THE FIFTH PART.

Ver. 9. As for the children of men, they are but vain: the children of men are deceitful upon the weights; they are altogether lighter than vanity itself.

Ver. 10. Oh! trust not in wrong and robbery; give not yourselves to vanity: if riches increase, set not your heart upon them.

The fifth part sheweth, how man's power is not to be trusted unto.

The Prophet by no means would have men to put their trust in flesh and blood; in case they do, they must needs perish. For when miserable man shall trust in vain vanity, which is man; he can be no less than vanity itself, in whom he hath trusted. And this is one misery and wretchedness, a man to be deceived of help and succour, where he most trusted to have been holpen and succoured. Thus must it needs happen to them that trust in men: for men of most excellency and greatest authority, riches, and

power in the world, be but vanity: as the Prophet saith: "Now as they be, so is their help. And as their help is, so is the comfort and consolation of such as seek help at their hands." Those that be trusted unto, be but flesh and blood: the best of flesh and blood is but vanity: the consolation and help of vanity is misery and wretchedness; wherefore the Prophet exhorteth all men to beware, they seek not aid and comfort of man, for he is but vain. The Israelites used for their help against their enemies, the Egyptians; but the more flesh conspired together, the worse success had all the battles they fought. Now as we see, men that have their trust in men, suffer much trouble and misery in the world, because the help they trust in is of inferior strength and power to the troubles and adversities that they be cumbered withal; so doth the word of God declare, that such men as trust in vanity, have not only worldly adversities against them, but also for their so doing (trusting in flesh), they be accursed of God, as the Scripture saith: "Cursed be he that trusteth in man." (Jeremiah, xvii.) So that we see marvellous and unspeakable harms come of the trust in man: first, miseries of the world; and next, the enmity and curse of God: for he that putteth his trust in man, with the same one fact and doing, doth two horrible evils: the one, he deceiveth himself; for the vanity that he trusteth in, cannot save him and the other, he dishonoureth God, that only can save, in putting his trust in mortal man, that cannot save, and so maketh of man God, to God's high displeasure and dishonour.

Every Christian man therefore should forsake flesh and blood, and trust in the Lord Almighty, maker of heaven and earth, as the Prophet Asaph did a little before, when he said, in God was his glory,

who could defend him from all hurts present, past, and to come, whatsoever they were.

The like may we see in St. Paul, that said: "God forbid that I should glory in any thing, saving in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world" (Gal. vi.); that is, because I put all my trust of salvation (saith St. Paul) in Him that was crucified, the world taketh me for an heretic, and so persecuteth me; but yet it overcometh me not, neither taketh it away my glory, my consolation, and my crown of eternal joys. For even as the world persecuteth me with fire, sword, and all other crucifyings; so I crucify the world again, testifying by the word of God, that their living is nought, and their faith and trust worse. that as they crucify me with worldly trouble, in like manner I crucify the world again with the word of God, and speak against it, bearing testimony that it is the enemy of God, and shall perish eternally: but this I do (saith St. Paul) "because I glory in nothing, saving in Christ crucified."

So

Thus doth the Prophet Asaph teach all men to put their trust in Christ, and not in sinful man; which is not only vanity, but also, "If vanity were laid in one balance, and man in the other, yet, of both, man were the more vanity. Therefore man is not to be trusted unto," saith the Prophet.

And for a further declaration that man is more vain than vanity, he openly declareth in the process of his Psalm, that man is given, besides vanity, to wrong and robbery, which two evils do increase man's miseries. For man is not only born vain vanity, but also by process of time in wicked living addeth wrong and robbery unto vanity, and so maketh vanity more vain and damnable, than it was before.

Now this robbery and wrong is done two manner of ways to God and to man. He that putteth his