solace himself with his music, nor yet with any worldly thing; but his only comfort is in the Lord. And here the Prophet declareth the truth of Christ's sentence, written in St. Luke (chap. ix.): "What doth it profit a man to win all the world, and te lose his own soul?" What eternal riches can com fort the inward spirit, troubled with sin and trans> gression of God's law? None at all, doubtless; as the Scripture sheweth examples every where. All King David's kingdom was not able to appease his troubled and discomforted spirit, when he said to his troubled soul: "Why art thou so heavy and sad, my soul, and why dost thou trouble me?" (Psalın xlii. xliii.)

Now this one thing more I will mark in this -verse, and no more, because it is more fully used by the Prophet for the comfort of discomforted spirits in the verses that follow.

I said there were two kind of consolations in the word of God: the one, outward in the face and lesson of the letter; and the other, inward in the understanding and feeling of the spirit. And of this division must great heed be taken: for it is not every man that readeth and teacheth that Christ died for the remission of sin, that shall have the consolation of the redemption promised in Christ's blood. For we see and read, (God give us grace to learn it!) that Adam. caused his sons to hear of his own fall in Paradise, and the redemption of his fall in the blood of Christ to come (Gen. iv.); as Abel, his younger son, right well perceived: yet did Cain, hearing the same consolation, perish in his sin. There was consolation and rest promised unto all them that caine out of Egypt: but none took the benefit thereof, but Joshua and Caleb. There was in the outward letter promised consolation unto all Abraham's children; but none

received the commodity thereof, but such as in spirit followed the faith of Abraham. The Scrip-ture saith in the letter, that God would all men to be saved; yet we see such as follow not the spirit offered he damned. God, by his word, in the time of holy and blessed King Edward the Sixth, offered consolation to all this realm; yet none shall enjoy it but such as in their spirits have learned, kept, and do follow the word of consolation. So our Saviour Christ, in St. Matthew, doth say: "Not every man that calleth me Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of God; but he that followeth in Christ God's commandments."

There be a great many at this day (as there were before our time), that know and speak of such consolation, as is contained in the letter and utter bark of God's word; but in their consciences they feel not indeed the consolation thereof. As Judas preached abroad, with the rest of his companions, consolation to the lost sheep of the house of Israel; but he shewed unto others that he felt not himself. So did the Pharisees, when the Scripture was read every Saturday in their synagogues, shew that Messiah should come to redeem the world; yet they themselves (for the most part) felt not the consolation indeed, that the Scripture did testify of Christ. Even so, at this present, many read this Psalm (and daily almost in the letter), whereof if it -be in English, he that understandeth not but the English tongue, seeth great consolation in the letter, and also in the Prophet Asaph, that used the Psalm; yet when need should be, the inward consolation of the Psalm, of many is nothing felt. The cause is, that either they understand it not, or else mark it not: either they think (as the Papists do teach), that to say or sing the Psalm without understanding and feeling of it in the spirit, is sufficient for the work

itself, and thus it pleaseth God: Ex opere operato, as they term it.

It is too evident, and also too horrible (if it pleased God), that men be contented only with the external consolation contained in the word of God. For if they hear that God's commandments be true, and full of consolation, they be contented to hear of them in the letter or by speech, and never learn them or feel them by heart. The like is in the articles of our Christian religion. They are thought to be true and godly; and yet the most part that so judge, neither learn them nor feel them in their conscience; wherefore they do outwardly and inwardly as much idolatry contrary to their creed, by the commandment of men, as can be devised: for their consolation of faith is no more but such an outward knowledge, as the most men hold withal, without any proper judgment, or singular feeling of their own spirits. The same is likewise in prayer; for in the external letter there is so much consolation as may be; but in the heart of him that prayeth, is there no understanding nor feeling of the consolation that outwardly is spoken and talked of. Therefore, mark this order of the Prophet Asaph. He said that his spirit could take no consolation in all the night-time, whilst he held up his hands. And as there is not only discomfort and unquietness spoken of, but also felt; not only noted and written in the letter of the Psalm, but also thoroughly felt inwardly in the spirit with heaviness and anguish, without comfort and consolation: so in this verse is there consolation in the letter, in the voice, and in the mouth mentioned of, and inwardly the same consolation felt in the spirit., And as outwardly God's displeasure troubled him, so inwardly God's holy name and promises comforted him. And this is to be noted, lest we should hear

of consolation outwardly, or read it in the book of the Holy Bible; and yet inwardly neither feel nor know any consolation at all.

In the end of this verse is put this word "Selah." And it doth note unto the reader or hearer, what a miserable and comfortless thing man is in trouble, if God be not present with him to help him. It is also put as a spur and prick for every Christian man and woman to remember and call upon God in the days of their troubles. For as the Jews say wheresoever this word (Selah) is, it doth admonish and stir up the reader, to mark what was said before it ; for it is a word always put after very notable sen

tences.

Then followeth the rest of such pains and troubles, as this Prophet suffered whilst the Lord laid his cress upon him, after this sort:

Ver. 4. Thou holdest mine eyes waking: I am so feeble I cannot speak.

Before he said his spirit could take no consolation, which was a grief unspeakable, for no thought is able to comprehend the anguish of the mind, much less is the tongue able to express it. But now he sheweth a further increase of discomfort, and saith, that the terror of his mind was such, that he was not only comfortless, but the Lord also, to the increase of sorrow, kept sleep from him. And as the greatness of God's punishment suffered him not to sleep; so would it not permit him to speak, but made him speechless: such was the great punishment of God towards him.

Here is the tyranny and violence of sin to be perceived and seen, which is first in this verse to be noted. It taketh all mirth from the spirit, and bringeth in heaviness and discomfort. It taketh away sleep, and placeth for it tediousness and sor

rowful watch. It taketh away also the speech of the tongue, and leaveth the man mute and speech

less.

If sin can do such painful things in the body and soul, whilst they be yet conjoined together, and there is hope of remission: what can it do, when the one is in the earth, and the other in hell, separated, or else both of them conjoined again in the resurrection of the wicked, where there is no hope of redemption, but assurance of everlasting pain? Besides this, it is to be noted in this verse containing the increase of the Prophet's heaviness, what a precious jewel man or woman hath, that hath a quiet heart and peaceable conscience. For wheresoever they be, there be all the members of man and woman wholly bent unto the service and honouring of God. The eyes shall never be turned from their service; neither shall the tongue cease (if it be able to speak) to sound forth always the glory of God, as David saith: "Mine eyes be always towards the Lord." (Psalm xxv.) Again, "I lifted up mine eyes unto the Lord. eyes unto the Lord. As the eye of the handmaid attendeth upon her mistress; so our eyes attend upon the Lord." (Psalm cxxiii.) Again, "Mine eyes, Lord, be not proud." (Psalm cxxxii.) And in another Psalm he saith, there should come neither sleep nor slumber in his eyes, until he had provided a place for the ark of God to rest in. In case the spirit be troubled, or in a contempt of God's laws, not liking his holy devices, the eyes be either troubled with overmuch watch (as in this Psalm we see), or else bent to see vanity, the lusts and concupiscence of the flesh and the world. Wherefore David prayed the Lord to turn his eyes, that they looked not upon vanity. (Psalm cxix. Prov. xxvii.) For the eye of him that hath not a right spirit, is insatiable. And many times the eye (where