An exposition upon the song of the blessed virgin Mary, called Magnificat Where unto…An exposicion vpon the songe of the blessed virgine Mary, called Magnificat Where vnto…

Solomon saith in the .xxvii. chap. of the Pro. He that is to hasty to praise his neighbour above measure, shall be taken as one that giveth him an evil report. For he causeth the matter to be suspect, so that every man doth think it a feigned matter, which he busieth so earnestly to stuff with his gorgeous ⟨image 36⟩praises, and maketh nevertheless the matter worse therewith. And contrariwise he that lacketh his neighbour, and riseth early, (that is, is not slack, and speedily doth rid the matter) the same is to be taken for a praiser. For men do think: it is not as he doth say, and he doth it of an hating and evelwyllynge heart, so that he doth make his cause worse, and his neighbours better. On this wise do they that endeavour to praise God with multiplying of words, with crying and jangling. They do as though he were deaf, or knew nothing, and that we must wake or teach him. Such opinion of God is rather a dispraising of him, than a praising. But he that thinketh upon the works of God aright even from the bottom of his heart, and beholdeth the same with wondering and giving of thanks, so that for very ferventness he burst out, and sigh rather than speak, and the words that flow by themselves, not feigned nor cunningly devised do so roll out, that even the spirit do also come out: Ye that the words have even hands, feet and life, so that finally the whole body, the whole life and all the members do long to speak, that is, to praise God truly in spirit and verity. There ⟨image 36⟩are the words very fire, light and life, as witnesseth David in the .C.xviii. Psalm, saying: LORD thy words are fiery. And again: My lips shall set forth thy praise: even as water in a seething pot runneth over and foameth, so that it can not retain it self therein, for the vehement heat in the pot. Of this kind be all the words of the virgin Mary in this song, the which be few, yet both great and high. Such praisers of God doth saint Paul unto the Romans the .xii. chapter call: Fervent of spirit, the which chafe and burn in spirit, teaching us to be of the same sort: and such were the fiery tongues, that the holy ghost descended in upon the disciples.

Salomō sayth in the .xxvii. chap. of ye Pro. He that is to haysty to prayse his neghboure aboue measure, shalbe taken as one that geueth hym an euell reporte. For he causeth ye matter to be suspect, so that euery man doth thynke it a fayned matter, whych he busyeth so earnestlye to stuffe with hys gorgious