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be departed out of this vale of wretchedness that we may reign in that heavenly
country with God & his holy saints.
Multiplicate sunt infirmitates eorum postea acceleraverunt
. Their infirmities
be multiplied and after they hasted. These words the prophet speakth of wicked men.
By infirmities he understandeth idols and so it is in the Hebrew text. For as good folk
have but one God whom they worship, so evil folk have many gods and idols, for they
have many voluptuous pleasures many vain desires many divers passions which they
serve, & wherefore seek they many sundry pleasures? certainly for because they can
find none that can set their heart at rest & for it (as the prophet saith) wicked men
walk about in a circuit or compass whereof there is none end. Now after these words:
their idols be multiplied: it followeth. After they hasted: it is to say: after their idols,
after their passions and beastly desires they run forth headlong unadvisedly without
any consideration. And in this be we taught that we should as speedily run to virtue as
they run to vice, & that we should, with no less diligence serve our Lord God than
they serve their lord the devil. The just man considering the estate of evil folk
determineth firmly with himself (as we should also) that utterly he will in no wise
follow them, & therefore he saith. Non congregabo conventicula eorum de
sanguinibus: nec memor ero nominum.
I shall not gather the congregation of them
from the blood: nor I shall not remember their names, he saith, from the blood: both
because idolaters were wont to gather the blood of their sacrifice together and
thereabout to do their ceremonies: and also for that all the lives of evil men forsake
reason which standeth all in the soul, and follow sensuality that standeth all in the
blood, the prophet saith not only that he will not gather their congregation together
from the blood, that is to say it he would do no sacrifice to those idols but also that he
would not remember their names, that is to say that he would not talk nor speak of the
voluptuous delight which are evil peoples gods, which we might yet lawfully do:
showing us by it: that a perfect man should abstain not only from unlawful pleasures
but also from lawful, to th'end that he may all together whole have his mind into
heavenward and the more purely intend unto the contemplation of heavenly things.
And forasmuch as some man would peradventure think that it were folly for a man
utterly to deprive himself from all pleasures, therefore the prophet addeth. Dominus
pars hereditatis mee
. Our Lord is the part of mine inheritance. As though he would
say. Marvel thee not though I forsake all thing to th'intent that I may have the
possession of God in whom all other things also be possessed. This should be the
voice of every good Christian man. Dominus pars hereditatis mee. God is the part of
mine inheritance. For certainly we Christian people to whom God is promised for an
inheritance ought to be ashamed to desire any thing beside him. But for it some man
might haply repute it for a great presumption that a man should promise himself God
for his inheritance, therefore the prophet putteth thereto. Tu es qui restitues
hereditatem meam mihi
. Thou good Lord art he that shall restore mine inheritance
unto me. As though he would say. O good Lord my God I know well that I am
nothing in respect of Thee, I wot well I am unable to ascend by mine own strength so
high to have Thee in possession, but Thou art He that shalt draw me to Thee by thy
grace, Thou art He that shalt give Thyself in possession unto me. Let a righteous man
then consider how great a felicity it is to have God fall unto him as his inheritance: it
followeth in the psalm. Funes ceciderunt mihi in preclaris. The cords have fallen to
me nobly. The parts and lots of inheritances were of old time met out and divided by
cords or ropes. These words then, the ropes or cords have fallen to me nobly, be as
much to say as the part or lot of mine inheritance is noble. But forasmuch as there be
many men which though they be called to this great felicity (as indeed all Christian
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people are) yet they set little thereby and often times change it for a small simple
delight, therefore the prophet saith suingly. Hereditas mea preclara est mihi. Mine
inheritance is noble to me. As though he would say that as it is noble in itself so it is
noble to me, that is to say I reputed it noble, and all other things in respect of it I
repute (as Saint Paul saith) for dung. But forasmuch as to have this light of
understanding whereby a man may know this gift that is given him of God to be the
gift of God, therefore the prophet suingly saith. Benedicam Dominum, qui tribuit
intellectum
. That is to say. I shall bless our Lord which hath given me understanding.
But in so much as a man oftentimes intendeth after reason to serve God, and that
notwithstanding yet sensuality and the flesh repugneth: then is a man perfect when
that not his soul only but also his flesh draw forth to Godward after those words of the
prophet in another psalm. Cor meum & caro mea exultaverunt in Deum vivum. That is
to say. My mind & my flesh both have joyed into living God. And for this the prophet
saith here suingly. Et usque ad noctem increpuerunt me renes mei. My reins or kidney
hath chidden me unto the night. That is to say. My reins, in which is wont to be the
greatest inclination to concupiscence, not only now incline me not to sin but also
chideth me, that is to say, withdraw me from sin unto the night, that is to say, they so
far forth withdraw me from sin that willingly they afflict and pain my body. Affliction
is in scripture oftentimes signified by the night because it is the most discomfortable
season. Then suingly the prophet showeth what is the root of this privation or taking
away of fleshly concupiscence in a man, saying. Providebam Deum in conspectu meo
semper
. I provided God alway before my sight. For if a man had God always before
his eyes as a ruler of all his works, & in all his works he should neither seek his own
lucre his glory nor his own pleasure but only to the pleasure of God, he should shortly
be perfect. And forasmuch as he that so doeth prospereth in all thing, therefore it
followeth. Ipse a dextris est mihi ne commovear. He is on my right hand that I be not
moved or troubled. Then the prophet declareth how great is the felicity of a just man,
which shall be everlastingly blessed both in body and in soul, and therefore he saith.
Lætatum est cor meum
. My soul is glad knowing it after death heaven is made ready
for him. Et caro mea requiescet in spe. And my flesh shall rest in hope. That is to say
that though it joy not by and by as in receiving his glorious estate immediately after
the death,[39] yet it resteth in the sepulchre with this hope that it shall arise in the day
of judgement immortal and shining with his soul. And also the prophet more
expressly declareth in the verse following. For where he said thus, my soul is glad, he
addeth the cause, saying. Quia non derelinques animam meam in inferno. For thou
shalt not leave my soul in hell. Also where the prophet said that his flesh should rest
in hope he showeth the cause, saying. Nec dabis sanctum tuum videre corruptionem.
Nor thou shalt not suffer thy saint to see corruption, that is to say, thou shalt not suffer
the flesh of a good man to be corrupted. For that that was corruptible shall arise
incorruptible. And forasmuch as Christ was the first which entered paradise and
opened the life unto us, and was the first that rose again and the cause of our
resurrection: therefore these words that we have spoken of the resurrection been
principally understanden of Christ, as Saint Peter the apostle hath declared, &
secondarily they may be understanden of us in that we be the members of Christ,
which only never saw corruption, for his holy body was in his sepulchre nothing
putrefied. Forasmuch then as the way of good living bringeth us to a perpetual life of
soul & body, therefore the prophet saith. Notas mihi fecisti vias vite. Thou hast made
the wages of life known unto me. And because that all the felicity of that standeth in
the clear beholding and fruition of God, therefore it followeth. Adimplebis me letitia
cum vultu tuo
. Thou shalt fill me full of gladness with thy cheer. And for that our