A word in season

Forasmuch then as the Church of God is never free from these dangers, let us also sing to the praise of Christ this Psalm: that he preserveth us his members from all these Enemies. For it were extreme ingratitude not to acknowledge this miracle, that notwithstanding all these, the Church doth yet continue, and that there be some which truly teach and confess Christ, and believe in Christ, though Satan rage, the World and false Brethren conspire against us, and the flesh (as an untamed Beast) fight against the Word and Faith never so much. This is the benefit then that David so highly extolleth, and wisheth that his People would understand and give thanks to God for the same.

Forasmuch then as the Church of God is never free from these dangers, let us also sing to the praise of Christ this Psalm: that he preserveth us his members from all these Enemies. For it were extream ingratitude not to acknowledge this miracle, that notwithstanding all these, the Church doth yet continue, and that there be some which truly teach and confess Christ, and believe in Christ, thô Satan rage, the World and false Brethren conspire against us, and the flesh (as an untamed Beast) fight against the Word and Faith never so much. This is the benefit then that David so highly extolleth, and wisheth that his People would understand and give thanks to God for the same.

Verse 1. If the Lord had not been on our side, may Israel now say: Verse 2. If the Lord had not been been on our side, when men rose up against us, Verse 3. They had then swallowed us up quick when their wrath was kindled against us.

Here the Prophet David exhorteth the People to consider how mercifully God hath delivered them from the hands of their Enemies, and how miraculously he had preserved that Kingdom, and also to praise God with him for the same. Which words are not to be restrained to Davids time only. For the Heathen People had oftentimes before warred against them with such Force and Power as was like to the rage of most huge and terrible floods of Water (whereof he speaketh here) ready to overflow them. Therefore seeing he mentioneth here no one kind of deliverance, it seemeth that he meaneth in these words of Thanksgiving to set forth whatsoever God had done for the succour and deliverance of his People at any time before. Wherein he showeth (as it were in a glass) the dangerous state of the Church from the beginning, that the faithful may learn to know that it hath not been preserved by the strength and policy of man, but by the miraculous power and hand of God, and therefore in their troubles and afflictions should always fly to God for help and succour.