Consider:

THis word Consi­der, in a few letters containeth a large volume, wherein the eies of iudge­ment may read what is necessa­rie for the vnderstanding of hu­maine reason: yea, and the best parte [Page] parte of the moste perfect and diuine contemplation, of the moste gracious and blessed spirites in the worlde: for if it please the Almightie God of his infinite goodnes, so farre to inspire the soule of man with the grace of his holy spirite, as that being by the heauenly power thereof, Drawen from the worlde to beholde the courses of higher comforts, when lea­uing the delights of fading va­nities, he shall be rauished with the pleasures of eternall life.

Then may he saye with the Prophet Dauid (entring into the contemplatiue con­sideration that may well be [Page] called the admiration of the greatnes and goodnes of God) as it is written, in the 8. Psalme verse 3. Lord when I consider the heauens, the Moone and the Starres that thou hast made, what is man (say I) that thou wilt looke vpon him? yea let me saye vnto thee (Oh man) if thou couldest with an hum­ble spirit looke into the great­nes of the goodnes of God in the power of his creation, in the wisdome of his worke­manshippe, in the preser­uation by his grace, and in the increase, by his blessing: if with all this thou couldest note the [Page] difference of Heauen and earth, the brightnesse of the heauens, & the darkenesse of the world: the purenesse of the Sunne and Moone and Starres, and the dimnes of the obscured light of earthly natures: the perfection of the Angells, and the corrup­tion of man; the glorie of the diuine, and the disgrace of our humaine nature: well mightest thou say to thy selfe, oh what am I? a worme, dust & ashes, & a substance of all foule and fil­thy corruption, that my GOD, the pure and bright, gratious, holy, good, and glotious es­sence of the incomprehensible Deitie, will vouchsafe to cast downe the least looke of his [Page] mercie vppon me?

Since therfore there is nothing that can be so truely pleasing to the spirit of man, as know­ledge, neither is there any thing well knowne but by the true consideration of the substance, nature or qualitie thereof: let me begin to enter into this ne­cessary course of consideration, in which we shall finde what is most necessary, fit and conue­nient, for the vse, profit, pleasure, and honor of man; that the ob­iect of the eye, considered by the sence of the spirit, the sub­stance digested by the power of reason, nature may finde most comfort in the vertue of the application.

Touching Consideration in generall.

FIrst, and aboue all things, we are to consider what is aboue all things to be conside­red; then for the excellencie of the goodnes in it selfe; and last, for the good that from it wee receiue: for in the instinct of na­ture wee haue planted in our­selues an insatiable desire of knowledge, whereby we finde in our selues, somewhat more then our selues, leading vs to a longing after somewhat aboue our selues, which if by a light in­lightning our mindes we be led out of the darkenes of our blin­ded sence of nature, to the cleare [Page] beholding of the glorious brightnes of Gods graces, wee shall see that in him onely and altogether, is the infinite good­nes and incomprehensible greatnes of all perfect know­ledge, and knowledge of all perfection; and that so much neerer cōmeth our nature vnto the diuine: as by the light of grace wee feele in our selues, an apprehension or participa­tion of those graces, that es­sentially doe onely dwell, and are inheritant in the diuine na­ture. To come to a plainer ex­planatiō of the first due point of consideration: euery thing is to be desired for some good that it doth containe in it [Page] selfe, and may bring vnto other: the goodnes therefore of euery thing, must be considered be­fore the thing it selfe be effected. Then if good be for the good­nes desired; the better that the good is, the more it is to be desi­red, and so the best good for the best goodnes to be best and most desired.

Now who is so euill, that hath the least sparkle of Gods grace, but by the light of the same, doth see in the wonder of his works, the glory of his goodnes? but leauing al doubts, ther is no doubt to be made, that God is in himselfe the essence of all good­nes, the first moouer, the conti­nuall actor, and the infinite fur­nisher [Page] of all good, in thought, word & deed; where, when, & in whatsoeuer: this first position thē grāted that god is only good & the onely essence of al good­nes, what obiection can be made, why he should not be a­boue all things to be desired, humblie to be affected, faith­fully to be loued, louingly to be serued, duly to be obeyed, and infinitely to be glorified? for the Athists, whom the Psalmist cal­leth fooles, Psalme, 53. verse 1. that said in their hearts there is no God, because they knowe no good, I saie nothing to them, but their soules shal finde there 1 a Deuill that taught them, and will reward them for their euill [...] [Page] but for them that knowe there is a God, and haue a feeling of his goodnesse, in the comfort of his grace: let me a little speake vnto them touching the pointes that I meane to speake of in the considaration of the greatnesse of God aboue all thinges, and for which for all thinges in all, & aboue all thinges hee is to be admired, loued, and honoured: and first touching the greatnesse of God.

The first consideration touching the greatnesse of of God.

TO consider the greatnesse of God, at least that greatnesse [Page] in which himselfe only knoweth himselfe is incomprehensible, & therfore aboue the power of cō ­templation, meditation, & con­sideration of man or Angelles whatsoeuer; for in the maiestie of his power, hee is incōprehen­sible in his wisdome; vnsearcha­ble in his graces; incomparable, and in his glorye infinite: in all which he doth so far exceede the compasse of all consideration, as in the humilitie of confession must be left only to admiration; But for so much as of his mercie he hath left to our contemplati­on, let vs with such humilitie consider thereof, as may be to his glory and our comfort. Touch­ing therefore his greatnesse, let [Page] vs humbly lift vp the eyes of our hearts to the beholding of those thinges, that in the excellent great workmanship of the same, wee may finde that there is a fur­ther greatnes, then wee can euer finde againe. Let vs consider in the Creation of al creatures, his admirable power, who but spak the word & they were made; oh powerfull word, by which all thinges were created; and if his word was so powerfull, how much more powerfull is he that gaue such power vnto his word? loath I am to enter into particu­larities, to set downe the greate­nesse of his power, though the least of his workes shewe not a little, and the greatest of his [Page] workes shew but a little of that greatnes which his glory doth contain; where such varieties as well of the formes, as natures of creatures, aswell in their diffe­rences as agreement, in number so innumerable, as prooue an infinitenes in the power of their creation, yet when the greatest of all things vnder the heauens, yea the heauens themselues shall waxe olde as doth a garment, and (as a vesture) shal be chāged, how great is his power, who shall loose no part of his grace, but increase infinitely in his glo­ry? Who hath spand the heauēs but the finger of his hand? who hath settled the earth but the word of his mouth? who hath [Page] digged the greate deep, but the wisdome of his will?

Looke vp the heauens, they are the works of his hands: look downe to the earth, it is the worke of his word: beholde the Seas how they are obedient to his will: now to beholde in the Sunne the light of the daye, the Moone and the Starres; as it were the lampes of the night; yet these so keepe their courses in a continuall order, that one is not hurtfull to another, but all and euery one in their seruice to man, performe their dueties to their Creator: Doth not the consideration of these obiectes to our eyes, strike an impression in our hearts of an admirable [Page] power in the greatnesse of his workmanship? Again, to behold the thicke cloudes, whereby the Sun is obscured, the boisterous & tempestious windes, wherby the highest Caedars are shaken, and the terrible lightning and thunders, that amaze the hearts of the beholders: are not these great proofes of a great power? But let vs looke downe a little lower vppon the earth, and con­sider how it is possible that so great and huge a Masse shold be carried in such a circūference; A­gain, the world of great & huge trees in the woods, with great and strange wilde beastes in the wildernes; the one to beare fruit, the other to feede and breede, as [Page] it were to an infinite increase, & yet place and foode enough for all. Again, to beholde the raging Seas how they roare against the bankes of the earth, to whose boundes they are limitted: & to cōsider of the great & huge fish­es that make their walks in these watry pathes: are not all these, spectacles, great aparāt proofes, of a moste great and admirable power? Again, to note the great and stout Foules, that with the force of their winges make their passage through the ayre, & yet neither the lights of the heauēs, the creatures in the earth, nor seas, nor birds in the ayre, shall lōger retain their places, then stā ­deth with the pleasure of the [Page] Almightie: Oh how admira­ble is that greatnes to whom all things are in such obedience, which in him onely hauing their being, are onely at his will in their disposing?

But let me come a little lower to thee: Oh man, compoun­ded of the worst matter, the very slyme of the Earth, how great a power is in thy God that hath created thee, not by his worde onely (as he did all other crea­tures in the Earth) but aboue them all in a Diuine nature of grace; so neere vnto himselfe, as that he woulde in the greatnes of his loue, cal thee his Image, & to this Image of himselfe, giue so great a power ouer all his crea­tures, [Page] that both Sunne, Moone, and Starres in the heauens, the beasts in the fielde, the birdes in the aire, the fishes in the Sea, the Trees in the woods, and the mineralles in the earth, shoulde all be subiect to the disposing of thy discretiō & obedient to thy commaund. Hath he not made the great horse to cary thee, the great Lyon to be led by thee, the Beare, the Wolfe, the Ty­gre and the Dogge, yea withall other beastes, to stand affraid at the frowne of thy countenance? yea doth he not coward their spirits to become seruiceable to thy cōmaund? doth not the Faulcon stoope her pitch to come downe to thy fist, and [Page] make her fight at the Fowle, to feede thy hunger or pleasure? doth not the Dog leaue his ken­nell, and make his course at the Deere for thy food or thy sport? doth not the fish come out of the deepe waters and hang vppon thy baite, for thy profit or thy pleasures? & what a greatnesse is this to haue this commaund ouer so many creatures? but a­gaine, consider withall how much greater is that infinite greatnesse in thy Creator, that hath giuen such greatnesse to his Creature.

Againe, consider withall, the greatnesse of his glorie, and glo­rye of his greatnesse, that his Angelles tremble at his bright­nesse: [Page] if hee touch the hilles they shall smoake, and the Mountaines shall melt at his presence, and no man can see him and liue: so greate is his Brightnesse, as no eye can be­holde: so pure his essence, as exceedes the sence of nature: so deepe his wisdome, as is vn­searchable in reason: & so infi­nit his perfection, as surpasseth the power of consideration: and therefore let vs consider, that in regarde of that Almightie power, in his greatnesse the greatest: yea, and all power without him is so greate a smal­nesse as nothing can be lesse.

Againe, let vs in admiration of his greatnes, and knowledge of [Page] his goodnes, consider whom we are to thinke on, how we are to thinke of him, what we are to thinke of our selues without him, and what we are onely in him: For the first, whō we are to thinke on, is the incomprehen­sible Maiestie of all powers, the biginner of all times, the Crea­tor of all thinges, the Cōmaun­der of al natures, the disposer of al properties, the life of all beings, and the endles glory of al graces: absolute in his power, resolute in his will, incomparable in his wisdome, and admirable in his worke: thus I saye, let vs consider whome wee are to thinke of, not a Creature but a Creator: not a King, but a [Page] King of Kinges; not a power, but a power of powers; and not an Angell but GOD: now howe shall wee thinke of him? with feare and trem­bling, and remember the say­ings of Mathew, Chapter 10. verse 28. Feare not him that can destroy the bodie, but feare him that can destroye both body and soule.

And therefore when wee fall into sinne, let vs feare the great­nesse of his wrath, and the greate power in his furie: for though hee fedde Elias in the Wildernesse by the Rauens, and preserued Daniel in the Den from the Lyons, made the Dogges licke the sores of La­zarus, [Page] and made the Sunne to stay his course at the prayer of Iosuah, yet, with the wicked he maketh his Creature in the ven­geance of his wrath, tooke ano­ther course, for the Lyons de­uoured the false Prophets: The Beares came out of the wood to destroy the children that mock­ed the Prophet: the dogs fed vp­pon Iesabell, and the darkenesse blinded the Sodomites, till fire came downe from Heauen to consume them.

Consider therfore (I say) whom wee are to thinke on? in one word which concludeth all that can be spoken, God & not man: for in God is all greatnesse, without whome the greatest of [Page] all powers, is but the power of all smallnesse: but since so great is his greatnesse euerie way, as is no way to be comprehended, let vs onely know and acknow­ledge his infinitenes therin to be such, as we must humbly leaue to admiration, and say with the Prophet Dauid, Psalme. 1 [...]6. vers. 26. Praise yee the God of heauen for his mercie endureth for euer.

Now let vs see what wee are without him; as bubbles of wa­ter that breakes in an instant: or a blasted flower ere it bee out of the bud: the shame of nature: meate for Dogges: fuell for fire: out-lawes from Heauen, and Prisoners for Hell. Oh fearefull [Page] state of such as feare not God: feare therefore the greatnes of his wrath, least you be consu­med in the greatnes of his fury.

Now what are wee to thinke of our selues in him, the chosen vessels of grace, the comaun­ders of all earthly powers, the compagnions of his Saints▪ co­heires in the heauenly King­dome, & brethren with his bles­sed Sonne and our Sauiour Ie­sus Christ: thus greate doth his greatnes make his, both in this world, & in the worlde to come: and thus much for the first pointe of consideration of the greatnes of God.

Touching the goodnesse of God the second Consideration.

IT is a position infallible, that of goodnes can come nothing but good: God then being the onely & euer true and pure es­sence of al goodnes, of him what can be spoken but all good? is it not written, that whatsoeuer he created, hee sawe that it was good? and hauing made man to his owne Image, the best good, how did he shew to him his ex­ceeding goodnes, in giuing him dominion ouer al his good crea­tures? onely the Tree of life ex­cepted, which though in it selfe it was good, yet in that he knew it was not good for man to meddle with, hee forbad [Page] him to taste of the fruite therof; & this good warning his good God gaue him, that there might nothing but good come to him: but we may well say there is no­thing good but God; it is the worde of truth spoken by the Lord of life. Our Sauiour Iesus Christ, when the Pharises cal­led him good Maister, his answer was, why call you me good? there is none good but God: And if the only begotten Son of God wold not be called good, how can this title of good, be properly giuen to any of his creatures? though it pleased him to say that he sawe euery thing was good that hee created, yet it was good onely respectiuely as it came from his [Page] goodnes, and onely effectiue­ly as might serue to his glory: for though the spirite of man by the grace of the holy Ghost doe participate with the great bles­sing of God, which from his goodnes proceeding, cannot be but good; yet onely and altoge­ther in God doth abide and dwell that pure essence & Eter­nall goodnes, which may onely make him be iustly and proper­ly called good.

Now all goodnes being in him and of him, and whatso­euer is or may be in any part thought, or called good, must be onely in respect of God, the onely giuer of the same: and whatsoeuer good we receiue, is [Page] things good, & all the good that he created for the good vse of man, that good knowledge, knowledge of goodnes, and goodnes of knowledge, the perfection whereof is onely in himselfe, and the participation wherof shold be in none but the Image of himselfe: this Image did hee chuse to make in man, and this good onely to bestowe vpon man: now howsoeuer the Deuill by corruption of temp­tation, hath drawen away the hearts of those outward men which retaine in their soules small or no parte of the Image of God, vnto the delight of euill, yet those men that are touched with the least parte [Page] of Gods grace, haue not onely a hatefull loathing of the nature of euill, but a longing desire af­ter good, and a delight in the good of the desire of that good that they long after: Man being therefore by the goodnes of God elected for his best crea­ture, his best seruant and co­heire with his onely beloued Sonne in his heauenly King­dome: hee hath also elected him to that knowledge of God, that by the good there­of, may breede in him the greefe of sinne, vnto which by corrup­tion he is a subiect, and a neuer­satisfied desire to enioye the good that by faith he is assured to come vnto: now as he hath [Page] elected man onely, and aboue all his creatures to this know­ledge of good, which he did as it were chuse out of all his bles­sings, to bestow onely vpon man, so did he withall giue him knowledge how to come to the possession of that good, to which onely he is elected: Oh how infinit a goodnes is this in God towards vs, in this gratious benefit of our election! oh what heart can (without the rauishing ioy of the soule) think vpon this goodnes of God towards man, that (as I aforesaid) hauing cho­sen him for his best creature, his best seruant and coheire, with his bestand onely beloued Son, he did not only inspire his [Page] soule with an especiall know­ledge aboue all other creatures, but with this knowledge of good, a knowledge likewise of a direct way to come vnto it; which waie is not to be sought in a strange country, nor a­mong the Saints or Angells, but euen here at home, and in his holy word, and that waie to be onely founde, by the faith of that grace, that in the good creatures of God doth onely worke to his glorie: in somme, when hee himselfe is both the waie to life, and the life of the faithfull. What an excellent comfort is this in one worde, one truth, and one Christe; to seeke and finde the waie to our [Page] is from the aboundance of his mercie, and for the which wee are bounde in all humilitie to giue him glory: let vs acknow­ledge all goodnes to be one­ly in him, and himselfe the glo­rious Essence of the same: con­sider with thankefulness the good that vnworthylye wee receiue from him.

First let vs thinke on the goodnes of God, in out ele­ction, that being the worst matter to worke vpon, hee would show the best of his wor­king, in framing a substance to the Image of himselfe: can there be any thing so good vn­to man as to be made the I­mage of God? and when in the [Page] righteousness of the soule, which is the best goodnes in man, wee be most like vnto God? what glory are we to giue vnto him, who ingrafteth in our hearts such a loue vnto righteousnes, and such a righteous loue vnto his grace, as that by the vertue thereof we become as it were members of his sacred body, & branches of the Tree of life: Consider I say thus, first the goodnes of God in our electi­on from the slime of the earth, the worst matter in the world to worke vpon, to be the best and fairest of his works in the world: and all earthly things to en­dure but their time, in the course of their liues, man onely [Page] in his grace to liue for euer: in himselfe, he is onely all good­nesse, and from whome onely being onely good, we receiue this first good of our election: how great a proofe of the glo­rious essence of the goodnesse in God is this? that not by per­swasion of Angelles, nor the merrite of any power of nature, this free election of man aboue all creatures, & vnder him to be Lord ouer them, fell vnto vs by the onely gratious working of his holy wil to his onely infinite glory & our vnspeakable com­fort: Now let vs againe consider a further goodnes, that from his grace we receiue in our electi­on, not onely to be made the best [Page] best of his creatures, but to serue him with such loue that wee maic liue with him in glory: he hath not onely chosen vs for his best creatures, but also for his best seruants; yea his belo­ued sonnes, and not onely sonnes, but coheires with his blessed Sonne in the heauenly kingdome: he hath chosen vs before the worlde, to preserue vs in the worlde, and to take vs out of the worlde to eternall ioyes aboue the worlde: Oh what tongue can expresse the greatnes of this his goodnes to­wards vs, besides the infinite comforts, graces and blessings, that euer in this life he besto­weth vpon vs? hee created all things [Page] could giue him nothng to per­swade or allure him to make vs to his Image, being created: we were so poore, that wee had nothing but what he gaue vs, & therfore could giue him nothing for our creation: when hee had giuen vs dominion ouer his creatures, what could wee giue him but what was his owne, and whereof he had no neede, but might commaunde at his will? naie more, what did man giue him but vnthankfulnesse in being disobedient to his com­maundement? and lastly being fallen through sinne, so farre from the state of grace that there was no meanes but the death of his dearest Sonne [Page] and our Sauiour, for our redem­tion: what could wee giue him hauing nothing? and if we had had al the worlde it was but his owne, and as nothing to re­compence this admirable point of his goodnes in our redemp­tion: Consider then for our e­lection we could giue him no­thing, and therefore it was only of his grace: for our creation we had nothing to giue him, for we had nothing but what he gaue vs: for our redemtion the least drop of the pretious Bloud of his deere beloued Sonne, was more worth then the whole worlde: Oh then thinke wee coulde giue him nothing wor­thy of so greate a loue as to [Page] dye for vs: with the grace of his holy spirite hee doth sanctifie vs, and who can thinke or dare presume to buy that glo­rious blessing of him, shall with Symon Magus perish in the horror of such a sinne, the least sparke of his grace, being more worth then the whole worlde; and the worlde all his, and man but a creature in the worlde. Againe, for our iustification, his onely righ­teousnesse in his life and death, his patience, and his Passion, is the onely substance of our iustification: for as wee are iustified by faith in his Bloud, an effect of grace in the inspiration of his [Page] holy spirite: so is that pretious Bloud of his, the glorious ground of our beleife, whereby onely wee are iustified: our e­lection then from grace, our creation in grace, our redem­ption by grace, out sanctifica­tion by grace, our iustification by grace, and our glorification by grace: what hath the world, or man, if he had the whole worlde to purchase the least parte of the glory that the one­ly goodnesse of God hath in his mercie ordained and reser­ued for the good of man?

Let then no man be so blinde or blinded with the mist of arrogancie, as to runne into merite in himselfe, or to min­gle [Page] our saluation? Oh let vs a little consider, how many are the sundry, yea and infinite varieties of God, that by the goodnes of our election wee receiue from the mercie of the Almightie: first to be created to his owne Image, to be inspired with a Diuine knowledge aboue all his creatures, to haue domini­on ouer so many creatures, to be feareles of damnation by the assurance of our election to sal­uation, to vse the things of the world, as if wee had them not, to accompt the worlde with all the pompe and pride thereof, but as vanitie, to haue a loa­thing of sinne, and a loue to vertue, to be furnished of what [Page] is necessarie to be deffended from euill, preserued from hurt, to dread no danger, to be weary of the worlde, and longe to be with Christ: To speake of the goodnes of his bountie dayly bestowed vpon his creatures, as beautie to some, strength to o­ther, to other wealth, to other wisdome, to other honour, to other diuine inspirations; these I say are no small causes to make vs consider of his goodnesse to­wards vs: but aboue all, to giue vs himselfe, in his loue to bee with vs, with his grace to guide vs, with his power to defend vs, with his word to instruct vs, & with his holy spirit to inspite vs: to finde the way made for vs to [Page] our eternal ioyes that none shall take from vs, to which before the worldes & world without end, he hath only elected vs: oh man how canst thou thinke humblie enough, thankfully enough, and ioyfully enough of the goodnes of thy God, in this good of thy e­lectiō? in summe what goodnes can be greater vnto vs, then to know y ^t God to his dearest loue through his beloued only dear­ly Son Iesus Christ, hath elected vs, & as it were chosen his loue aboue al his creatures, in his Son Iesus Christ our Lord and Sa­uiour, to be bestowed vpon vs; i [...] that loue to liue with vs, and that euer-liuing loue neuer to leaue vs here on earth; with his [Page] infinite blessings in his gratious goodness to comfort vs, and in heauen to reserue a Crowne of glory for vs, to create vs when we were not, to redeeme vs be­ing lost, to preserue vs from de­struction, to giue his deerest Sonne to death for our sinnes, to assure vs of saluation, and to receiue vs to glory.

All this did hee, and all good that euer was, is, or euer will or can be, for vs, to shew and make vs consider of his goodnes to­wards vs: for let vs in breefe a littltle consider how freely, and onely of his grace hee hath thus made manifest his vnspe [...] ­kable goodnes in this our ele­ction, when wee were not: wee [Page] [...] gle his corrupt actions with the pure merite of Christe Iesus for his saluation; but say with Iob all our righteousnesse is as a filthie cloth, and with the Pro­phet Dauid, Psalme 116. verses 11. 12. meditating vppon the greatnesse of his goodnes to­wards him, what shall I giue the Lord for all that hee hath done vnto me? I will take the Cuppe of Saluation, and be thankfull to the Lord: see here all that wee are, and all that wee can giue him for all the good that wee re­ceiue from him, bare thanks: and yet as much as hee requi­reth, and more then from a great many (the more their shame) hee receiueth.

[Page]But let those that feele these great effects of grace in the goodnes of the liuing God, say with the holy Prophet, Psalme 136. verse 1. be thankfull to the Lord, and speake good of his name, for his mercie endureth for euer: but since so infinite is his good­nes in all things and to al things, and specially to man aboue all things, let me onely wish al men for their own good, to acknow­ledge all goodnes onely to bee in the Lord, the onely Author and substance thereof; & what­soeuer is good in heauen or earth, is onely a free guifte of his grace, that must onely work to his glory; the election of man to be an effect of loue in the [Page] grace of his goodnes, and not to dreame of merite, but to giue glory vnto mercie, for the bene­fit of such a blessing, as being freely giuen to man, through our Lord Iesus Christ by his merite, is onely confirmed to the eternitie of his glory: and thus much touching the goodnes of God.

Touching the wisdome of God the third Consideration.

TO speake of the wisdome of God, is so farre aboue the capacitie of man, that it is rather with all humble reuerence to be honored and admired, then either to be spoken of or consi­dered: [Page] yet for so much as the creature doth giue glorye to his Creator, in praising and with admiration beholding the excellent workmanshippe in the varietie of his workes, and finding it so farre aboue the reach of reason, as must noedes proceede from a vertue of di­uine grace, hee doth in con­templation acknowledge a wisdome of that excellencie, that maketh him saie with the Prophet Dauid, in the 104. Psalme 24. verse, Oh how won­derfull are thy workes? in wis­dome hast thou made them: but though the wisdome of God as it is in it selfe, is an other himselfe, and not to be com­prehended [Page] of any but himselfe, yet the effectes thereof in all things, doe giue him so greate a praise, as make him aboue all things, to receiue the highest of all glory: for to enter into par­ticulers, let vs beginne to looke into his creation, in the power whereof hee sheweth no small parte of wisdome: as in the brightnes of the Sun, Moon, & Stars, and the cleernesse of the skie, the courses of the Pla­nets, & the motions of the Ce­lestiall powers: in the oppera­tions of the elements, in the perfection of proportiōs, in the diuersity of creatures, in the wō ­der of arte, and quicknesse in working: what excellent arte [Page] hath he taught nature, in pain­ting all the Trees, fruits, and flowres of the earth? yea and all the haires, skinnes, feathers, and scales of beasts, fowles, and fi­shes? the eeuennes & purenes of euery one, of whome being tru­ly considered, wil startle the best witts in the due consideration of that onely point of wisdome.

Againe, what a further secret cunning hath he taught nature, in perfuming so many Trees, hearbs, and flowres, all growing out of this darke and dusky earth: by what wisdome he doth vnite the people, and hauing de­uided the languages, how hee giues the meanes of vnderstan­ding: how hee makes the fishes [Page] paths, and the shippes passages through the seas, the birds wal­kes through the ayre, and the Salamanders dwelling in the fire, and the wormes howses in the earth: how admirable is this wisdome that so worketh all things by it selfe? To speake of the excellency of Arts, in the se­crecie of their working, what can it finally approoue but an admi­ration of knowledge in the mai­ster of them? But hauing with Salomon found by the light of grace, and experience of labor, that al things are vanity, except onely the vertue of that grace, that enricheth the soule with inestimable treasure: what a pointe in wisdome is this, [Page] not onely to instruct the soule of man in knowledge of na­tures, with their qualities and effects, but through the power of it selfe to breede a kinde of spirituall knowledge in the ap­prehension of Faith, that in contemplation of heauenly treasure, maketh trash of the whole worlde.

Oh superexellent exllencie in wisdome, that frameth the heart vnto the soule, to seeke out the waie of life, and in the prison of the flesh, preserues it from the perill of infection; that man being created the I­mage of perfection, can neuer be destroyed by the venome of corruption, but in the daies of [Page] iniquitie, being guided by grace, escaping the snares of hel, shall fly to the ioyes of heauen.

Consider that if man by the wisdome of God attaine to this excellent knowledge, how to walke through the passages of nature, to make vse of them for his seruice, to withstand the temptation of sinne, to receiue the instructions of grace, to dis­pise the delights of the worlde, to bridle the affections of the flesh, and ouercomming the power of death, to finde the path vnto life; if this I say, and more then can be said, by the instruction of the diuine wis­dome, man hath power to at­taine vnto, thinke how infinite [Page] is that wisdome from whome only commeth the essence of this, and all knowledge: in whome it onely liueth, and without onely whome all is but meere ignorance: And since it is written, that the beginning of wisdome, is the feare of God; learne onely that lesson, and feare to be otherwise learned: Paule thought he knew enough in Christ, & him crucified: and enough wise shalt thou be, if thou canst applie his know­ledge to thy comfort.

But to returne breifely to speake of the wisdome of God, it is in the heauens so highe, in the earth so large, in the wa­ter so deep, in the aier so secret, [Page] and in the fire so powerfull; in all things so exquisite, and in perfe­ctiōs so infinite, that I will one­ly in the admiration thereof, giue glory to the same, and saie with the Apostle 1. Corin. chapter 3. verse 19. The wisdome of the worlde is foolishnesse before God; And againe, with the Pro­phet Dauid, Psalme 104. verse 24 Oh Lord how excellent are thy workes in wisdome hast thou made them all. Psalme 139. verse 6. Such knowledge is too excellent for mee. O all ye workes of the Lorde, praise him and ma­gnifie him for euer: but since so many and so infinite are the praises that may worthyly bee giuen vnto it: [Page] I cannot so leaue off, but I must speake a little more of the consi­deration of it, for the power of it: It maketh all things for the knowledge of it, it knoweth all things for the direction of it, it ordereth all thinges for the goodnesse of it, it is good in, and to all things, for the greatnesse of it, it comprehen­deth all things for the grace of it, it is gratious in all good things, and for the maiestie of it, it is glorious aboue all things: for in the power of it is the life of vertue; in the life of it is the mercie of loue; in the loue of it is the blessing of grace; and in the grace of it, is the eternitie of [Page] Glorie: who seeketh it shall finde it, who findeth it shall loue it, who loueth it, shall liue in it, who liueth in it, shall ioy in it, and who so ioyeth in it, shall be blessed by it. It is brigh­ter then the Sunne, purer then Golde, sweeter then the honie and the honie combe, and for the worth of it, it is more worth then the whole worlde: it beau­tifies nature, it rectifieth reason, it magnifies grace, and glorifi­eth loue: it loueth humilitie, it aduanc [...]th vertue, it enricheth knowledge, and maintaineth honour: it laboureth in heauen for such as from heauen are pre­serued for heauen, to bring them to heauen: in somme, it is [Page] where it is the blisse of nature, the honour of reason, the light of life, and the ioye of loue.

The elect loue her, the Saints honour her, & God onely hath her: in summe, so much may be said of her, and so much more good thē can be said or thought is in her, that fearing with the deuine light of my praise, to ob­scure the glory of her worthy­nesse, I will onely wish the worlde to seeke her, the godly to finde her, the gratious to loue her, the vertuous to serue her, the faithfull to honour her, and all the creatures in heauen and earth to praise her: and so much, touching the consideration of the wisdome of God.

The fourth Consideration tou­ching the loue of God.

OH: who coulde with the eyes of wisdome, in the hu­militie of the hearte, looke into the vertue of that grace that liueth in the loue of the Al­mightie, should finde that sence of sweetnes, that should rauish the soule of vnderstanding: but though it bee in it selfe so gra­cious, and in grace so glorious as exceedeth the exceeding o [...] all praise, yet as a Mole-hill t [...] a mountaine, a Flie to an Eagle or an Ante to an Elephant, le [...] me with the poore widdow put in my myte into the treasurie, in humilitie of my hear [...] [Page] to speake of the life of my soule, which being onely in the loue of the liuing God, let me speake a little in the cōsideration of the same, that the vngratefull world seeing their lacke of grace, may blush at their blindnes, & be ioy­ful of a better light, where behol­ding the beautie that rauisheth the soules of the beloued, they shall find the loue that is the ioy of the blessed: touching the which, let me by degrees speake of such points as I find most ne­cessarie in this consideration: [...]et vs first I say consider this first [...]oint of the loue of God, that [...]efore we were created for his [...]eruice, wee were elected in his [...]oue, then to make an Image to [Page] it selfe, yea & as it were another it selfe, for the first, Romans 8. Iacob haue I loued, euen before he had done good or euill; There is election prooued in loue.

When the Angell saluted Elizabeth, with the message of her conception, was it not of Iohn the baptist, who was sent to pronounce the word of the Lord, to make streight his way before him? and what greater proofe of loue, then to electe him to such a message? againe, doth not Christ the Sonne of God praye to his Father, that as hee is one with his Father, so his maye be one with him? Oh how can there be so greate a proofe of the election of loue [Page] in Christe, as by his loue to be made one with him: Looke I saie into the excellencie of this incomparable loue in God towards man: first to make him to his Image, and not onely by his worde (as by which he made all other crea­tures) but as it were by a con­sent, or consultation of the Trinitie about an especiall worke, to the pleasing of the Deitie, as it is written: Let vs make man in our owne Image according to our likenesse.

But well may it bee saide that Nullum simile est idē, for though he were perfect in respect of our corruption, yet by his fall, it appeareth that the creature [Page] was farre shorte of the perfe­ction of the Creator: but being falne from that perfection, by the venome of temptation, into the state of damnation, how greate was the loue of God, to effect againe by himselfe the blessed worke of his saluation? for as it is writ­ten:

GOD so loued the worlde, that hee gaue his onely begot­ten Sonne to death, that all that beleiue in him shalbe sa­ued: againe, looke into the ad­mirable loue of Christe to his be­loued, to come from the bosome of his Father in heauen, to his graue in the earth: to leaue the seruice of Angelles, [Page] to be skoffed of diuelish crea­tures; to leaue the ioyes of Paradise for the sorrowes of the worlde; to leaue his Throane in heauen, for a maunger on the earth; to leaue his seate of iudgemente, to suf­fer death vpon the crosse: well might hee say as in res­pect of his sorrowes for the sinnes of the worlde, with the punishement that hee was to endure for the sinnes of others, himselfe without sinne, when hee felte the extremitie of those paines that in the sweate of Bloud and water, prooued the passion of true patience, and the life of true loue.

[Page] Vt, non est dolor sicut meus, sic non est amor sicut meus; for indeede he knoweth not, nor can he iudge, what loue is that in his heart cannot saie in honour of his loue, neuer such loue: the freinde to die for his ene­mies; the maister to die for his seruants; the King to die for beggers; the Sonne of God, to dye for the sonne of man: well maye it be saide neuer such loue: to leaue all pleasures to bringe thee to all pleasures; to endure all crosses to worke thee all comforts; to leaue Hea­uen for a time to bring thee to Heauen for euer.

What art thou that in the thought of such loue, canst not [Page] saie in thy heart, in the ioye of thy soule, as Nullus dolor sicut eius, sic Nullus amor sicute­ius: as no sorrowe is like to his, so no loue is like to his: doth not hee truely saie that can say nothing but truth? loue one an­other as I haue loued you: grea­ter loue then this cannot be, for a man to lay downe lyfe for his beloued: Oh let vs a little me­ditate vpon this excellent com­forte that is vnspeakable in God towards man, through his loue was man created the goodlest creature: & where al other crea­tures haue their eyes bēt down­ward (to the earth, where they seeke their foode) man hath a face, looking vpwards toward [Page] heauen, where the soule seeketh foode aboue the flesh: Againe, through the loue of God was man made the wisest creature, to know the varieties of natures, to giue names vnto creatures, to note the courses of the heauens, to till the earth, and make his pathes through the seas, to de­uide the times, to distinguish of doubts, to search into know­ledge, and to know the giuer and glory thereof: Againe, through the loue of God, man was made commaunder of all creatures vnder the Sunne, Lord of all the earth, fore­seer of after-times, messen­ger of the worde of God, student of Diuine misteries, [Page] cheife seruant to the Lord of Lords, freinde to the King of Kings, and coheire in the hea­uenly kingdome, through the loue of God; hee was made a seruante, but as a friend, a bro­ther and a coheire: now hee that thinks on these pointes of loue, is worthy of no loue if he cannot say in his heart there was neuer such loue: hee loued man in himselfe, when there was none to perswade him to loue him but himselfe; he loued man as him­selfe, that he wold haue him one with himselfe; yea he loued man more if more could be then him­self, that for man to death would giue himselfe: hee made man louingly, he blest man louingly, [Page] hee came to man louingly, and dyed for man most louingly: in the beginning hee shewed his loue without beginning, and in the end will shew his loue without ending, he made him better then his creatures, for hee made him Lord ouer them: hee made them better then his Angells, for hee made them to serue him alittle lower then himselfe. Psalme 8. verse 5. that himself might chiefly loue him: see further his loue vnto man as it is writen, I say 49. 15: Can a Mother forget her children, yet wil I neuer forget thee. Se heere loue more tender then of a mo­ther, and more carefull then of any other Father: O loue of [Page] loues, what loue is like to this loue? a kingly loue, which defen­deth his subiects; a lordly loue, which rewardeth his seruants; a friendly loue, that is kind to his friēds; a brotherly loue y ^t is kinde to his brothers; a motherly loue, that is tender to her children; a fatherly loue, that is carefull of his Sonnes; and a Godly loue, that is gratious to his creatures; a faithfull loue that neuer fain­teth; a bountifull loue that e­uer giueth; a mercifull loue that neuer grudgeth, a pitifull loue that euer releiueth; a mindefull loue, that neuer forgetteth; a gracefull loue that euer loueth.

Now who can enter into the true and due consideration [Page] of loue, worthy louing, & in the thought of this loue, will not e­uer confesse there was neuer such loue? which regardeth nothing but loue: oh how did God loue Abraham for shewing his loue in Isaack? where God regarding more his will then his worke, would not suffer the sacrifice of his Son, but so loued him, as be­sides many other great fauours that he did him, could say within himselfe (when he had determi­ned a destructiō of his enemies) shal I hide from my seruant A­braham what I will doe? as thogh he wold keep nothing frō his beloued that he knew fit for his knowledge: Againe, how lo­ued he Eliah that he wold neuer [Page] let him see death? how loued he his seruant Dauid that he made him to his owne heart? how lo­ued he the blessed Virgine to make her the mother of his bless­sed Sonne? how loued hee Iohn the Euangeliste, to let him leane in is bosome? how loued hee Paule to bringe him from ido­latry? & how loued he Peter to forgiue him whē he had denyed him? how loued hee Lazarus when he wept ouer him, how loued he Mary Magdalen when he disposs est her of fowle spirits, and at his Resurrection let her beholde him? and how loued he the Theife when hee carried him into heauen with him?

To recite all the pointes of [Page] his particuler loue to a worlde of vnworthy persons, were more then a worlde could set downe but for so much as I haue said, and more then may bee saide of his loue, I am perswaded, that if wee consider the power, the grace, the wisdome, the bountie, the pittie, the maie­stie, the mercie, the patience, the passion, the sorrow, the la­bour, the life, and the tor­ments of his loue, for our loue; he hath no feeling of loue, or is worthie of no loue, that will not in the ioye of his soules loue, giue all glory to this loue, and say with the Prophet Da­uid. Psalm 31. verse 23. Loue him all ye his Saints, praise him and [Page] magnifie him for euer. For as there was neuer such a sorrowe as he hath endured for vs, so is there no such loue as he hath to vs, and in his mercie dooth euer shew vs. When he came first in­to the world, he came as an in­fant, to shewe vs the mildenes of his loue in further yeares: he came as a doctor in the wisdom of his loue, to teach vs the way vnto eternall life, in the vertue of his loue: he came as a Phisition to cure vs of all diseases: in the power of his loue, he came like himselfe as a God to driue out the Deuils from vs: and in the meekenes of his loue, came as a Lambe to be sacrifised for vs: & in the care of his loue, at the [Page] right hand of his father, is now a Mediator for vs, & in the glo­rie of his loue, into the possessi­on of our inheritance, that hee hath purchased for vs: will re­ceiue vs: oh milde! oh wise! oh vertuous! oh powerfull! oh meeke! oh carefull! oh glori­ous loue! who can thinke of this loue, and in the true glorie of true loue, cannot most truely say, there was neuer such loue! no, as Non est dolor sicut eius, so Non est Amor sicut eius. And thus much touching the consi­deration of the loue God.

The fift consideration of the mercy of God.

IN this admirable vertue of the loue of God, I finde the greate and gratious worke of his mer­cie towards man, which Consi­dering the wickednesse of our nature, and the wofulnesse of our estate, is necessary to be con­sidered: for so farre had the tem­tation of the Diuill poysoned the heart of man, as through the sinne of pride, sought not onely to driue him out of Paradice, but (in as much as he might) to throwe him downe into hell, when the Angell of his wrath was sent to giue him punish­ment, [Page] yet wrought his mercie so with his Iustice, as saued him from perdition: yea, though hee cursed the earth for the sins of his creature, yet he blessed his labour with the fruite of his pa­tience, and reserued for his be­leefe a ioy in his mercie: Looke through the whole course of the Scripture, how his mercie euer wrought with his Iustice, yea, & as it were had oftētimes the vp­per hand of it: as in the time of Noah, when sinne had made as it were the whole world hateful in his sight, that he saide within himselfe he repented that he had made man, yet in his mercie hee made an Arke to saue Noah and his Children, yea, and of all li­uing [Page] creatures, reserued some for generation: in Sodome and Go­mora he saued Lot & his Daugh­ters: & yet Adam deserued no­thing but destruction for his dis­obedience. Noah deserued no grace for his drunkennes, not Lot any fauour for his Incest, & yet mercy so wrought with iust­ice, that God not onely for gaue their sins, but blessed their repē ­tance: such hath enerbene, is, and euer will be the mercye of God vnto mā, as so far doth mit [...]igate the furie of his iustice, as reser­ueth comfort for the penitent. Oh how sweete are the reports and proofes of the mercie of god vnto man in all the world! For is it not written by the Prophet [Page] Dauid, Psa. 145. vers. 9. His mer­cy is ouer al his works? And again, speaking of his mercy, Ps. 103. 13 As a father pittieth his owne Chil­dren, so is the Lord merciful vnto all that feare him, and in Psa. 103. vers 12. As far as the East is from the west, so far hath he set our sins from vs: and in the 136. Psalme, through euerie verse, speaking to all his workes, both in heauen & earth, he vseth these words. Blesse him and praise him, for his mercie endureth for euer. In mercie hee turned his wrath frō y ^e Israelits whē Moyses stood in the gap: in mercy hee saued Moyses floating in the reedes: in mercy he preser­ued the children in the surnace of fire: in mercye hee preserued the [Page] the Israelites from the hoste of Pharaoh: in mercy hee preserued Dauid, and deliuered him from all his troubles: in mercy he de­liuered Ioseph from the pit and the prison: in mercy he sent▪ his Prophets to warne the world of their wickednesse, and to pro­nounce comfort to the penitent: in mercy he sent Iohn Baptist, to deliuer the tydings of saluation: and in mercie hee sent his onely Sonne Iesus Christ to be a Saui­our of all his people: Oh infi­nite mercie, worthy of infinite glorie! Consider againe how powerfull is his mercie in all his workes, to feede fiue thousand people with a few Loaues and Fishes, and with the fragments [Page] to fill more baskets then the Loaues when they were whole: to heale the disseased that touch ed but the hem of his garment: to giue sight to the blinde, knowledge to the simple, health to the sicke, soundnesse to the lame, comfort to the penitent: to driue the Diuells from the pos­sessed: to giue life to the deade, and ioy to the faithfull.

These words of glorious mer­cy, doth the moste gratious and glorious word of truth plainely and truly lay before vs, to make vs with the holy Prophets iust­ly say: Oh the infinite light and bottomles depth of the mercies of our God! Glorie be to the Lord, for his mercy indureth for euer.

[Page]Againe, how absolute he is in his mercie, where he saith, I will haue mercie, where I will haue mercie, and therefore be free both in his power and will, hath mercye for all that will humblye and faithfullye call vppon him: and againe, all are vnder sinne, that all may come to mercie: Oh how all glorious is that mercie which is extended ouer all!

Let vs therefore looke a little into the blindenesse of man, in the immagination of his owne merrit, of the mercy of the liuing God, which is onelye a fruite or effect of grace, or free guift of his onely glorious loue. How did Adam merit mercie, when hee [Page] fled from his presence? What merited Moyses when hee an­gred the Lord? What merrited Noah when hee was drunkens? What merrited Lot when hee committed Incest? What me­rited the Israelites with their goulden Calle? What merited Dauid when he comitted mur­ther and adulterie?

Againe, what merited Mary Magdalen that had seauen Deuils within her? what merited Paul that persecuted Christ in his people? what merited Peter that denyed his maister? & what me­rited the world to work y ^e death of the Son of God? all & euerie one (in the iudgement of Iustice) nothing but dānation. Look thē [Page] into the inexplicable glorye of y ^e mercie of God, which not on­ly forgaue all these, but saued all, and blessed all, and so will euer, al those whom and whersoeuer, that ashamed are of their sinnes, and confessing their merrit of nothing but wrath and destruc­tion, in the humble faith of re­pentance, flye onely to the mer­cie of God in the merrit of Christ Iesus for theyr saluation. Oh the powerfull mercy in the loue of God, that will not suffer his Iustice to execute his wrath vpon sinne! and though such be the pure and glorious brightnes of his grace, as cannot endure the foule and filthie obiect of sinne, yet doth his mercy so rule [Page] the power of his wrath, as will not let him destroye the sinner with his sinne: many are the af­flictions that hee layeth vppon his belooued: many are the cor­rections that hee vseth to his Children: manye are the sor­rowes that hee inflicteth vppon his Elect, but all is for sinne) in the loue of a Father, in the care of a Maister, & mercy of a God) as onely meanes to purge them of those euills that are hinder an­ces to their good; and being hea­led of their corruption, to bring them to their first, and a far bet­ter perfection. For in the cor­rection of mercy, is the sinner sa­ued from destruction; & by the regeneration of grace, brought [Page] to eternall saluation: Oh the vertuous, gratious, and glorious nature of mercye, which hath such power with God in the pre­seruation of his people! It kee­keepeth the fire that it fall not from heauen to consume vs: it keepeth the water that it riseth not to drown vs: it keepeth the ayre that it doth not infect vs: & keepeth y ^e earth that it doth not swallow vs: it keepeth vs in peace that discention do not spoile vs: it keepeth vs in plenty that want doe not pinch vs: it keepeth vs in loue that mallice cannot hurt vs: and keepeth vs to God that the Deuill cannot confound vs.

In summe, it is a gift of grace, a worke of glorie, a bountie in [Page] God, & a blessing to man, to speake of these daies wherin we liue, and of the late times which we cannot forget: Let vs a little consider the mercies of God towards vs, how often were we preserued from forraine ene­mies by Sea, and ciuill or vnciuil enemies at home; when not the pollicy of mā, but the only mer­cy of god did break the forces of the one, and reueale the deuises of the other? And while our Neighbor Countries by conti­nuall warres haue shed a world of blood, we haue beene pre­serued in increase of people: and while they haue bin mourning in the punnishmēt of sinne, wee haue beene singing in the ioy [Page] of grace: oh how are wee bound to giue glorye vnto God for the aboundance of his mercie, and say with the Prophet Dauid, Psal. 136. verse. 26, Great is the God of Heauen, for his mercie en­dureth for euer. But as I said of loue, the life of mercy; so of mer­cy the glory of loue: since it is so infinite in goodnesse, as excee­deth in worthinesse the height of all praise that the heart of mā can think, or the tongue of man can expresse, I will onely say with the Prophet, Psalme. 106. verse. 1. to all powers whatsoe­uer. Blesse ye the Lord and praise him, for his mercie endureth for e­uer.

And thus much touching [Page] the consideration of the mercy of God.

The sixt consideration of the grace of God.

IN the mercy of God, finding so great a measure of his grace as in the bountie of his goodnes deserueth no little glory, I can­not but with admiration speake of that grace, that through his loue made him haue such a fa­uour vnto man, as to elect him to his loue, to frame him to his image, to inspire him with his spirit, to instruct him in his word, to defend him with his power, to preserue him in his mercie: to dye for him in his [Page] loue, and to receiue him to glo­rie: all these and what euer o­ther good wee receiue, either through the loue or mercye of God, are free guifts of his grace, and not for any merrit in man, How can this beame of glorious brightnes bee beheld with the cies of humilitie, but that the soule wold be rauished with the contemplation therof? and say with the Psalmist, Psalme. 103. verse. 8. Gratious is the Lord, and mercifull, long suffering, and of great goodnesse. Furthermore, of so great effect in the working of comfort in the hearts of the faithfull, is this vertue of grace in God, that wee finde the wri­tings of the Apostles in their E­pistles, [Page] commonlye to begin with this word Grace: Grace, mer­cie and peace from our Lord and Sauiour Iesus Christ: As if from grace came mercie, and from mercie peace. Oh consider the works of grace, our election out of a speciall fauour: our creati­on out of a gratious wisdome: our vocation out of a gratious kindenes: our sanctification out of a gratious holines: our iusti­fication out of a gratious merit: our redemptiō out of a gratious loue, & our glorification out of a gratious mercy. So that still we see that grace worketh in all thinges to the onelye glorie of God, in whome it worketh to the good of man. Oh how sweet [Page] a salutation was deliuered to the blessed Virgin Mary by the An­gell Gabriell, Haile Mary full of grace, God is with thee. So that if God be with any soule, it is full of grace, & where the fulnes of grace is, there is surely God: but as it is written of Christ Iesus, Psalme. 45. vers. 7. That hee was annointed with the Oyle of Grace aboue his fellowes, So may wee well say of the Grace of God, it is so excellent in working to the Glorie of God, that as it is infinite in goodnes, so must it haue the same measure in glorie, I say, to be glorified a­boue all things. Note a little the varieties of the guiftes of this grace of God vnto his seruants: [Page] Moyses hee made a leader of his people, and gaue him the tables of the law: to Abraham he gaue the blessing that should follow in his seede: in Isaack shall the seede be called: at the prayer of Eliah, hee sent raine after a long drought: to Dauid hee gaue a kingdome, and a treasure more worth then many kingdomes, the enlightning knowledge of his holy loue, the spirit of pro­phesie, the confession of sinne, the repentance of offence, the passion of true patiēce, the con­stancie of faith, and the humility of loue. To Salomon he gaue es­peciall wisdome to sit in the Throane of iudgement with the greatest maiestie and wealth of [Page] any earthlye creature in the world, To the blessed Virgin Marie hee gaue the fulnesse of grace, in the conception of his only Sonne; but to him he gaue that grace that filled heauen and earth with his glorie.

Let vs then consider not only the vertue, goodnesse and glory of grace, but with all, the height and glorie therof; which being only in Iesus Christ our onely Lord and Sauiour, let vs in him onely beholde the summe and substance, the beautie & bright­nesse, the goodnesse and glorie thereof, & forsaking our selues in the shame of our sinnes, only flie to his mercie for the com­forte of those blessings, that re­ceiuing [Page] onelye from him, may make vs giue all honour and glorie to him.

And so much for considerati­on vpon the grace of God.

The seauenth consideration of the glorie of God.

HAuing thus considered of the greatnes, the goodnes, the wisdom, the loue, the mercy & grace of God towards man, I cannot but finde in this good God, an admirable glory, who containing all these excellen­cies in himselfe, and beeing indeede the verie essence of the same, doth in the vertue of his bountie, appeare so gratious [Page] vnto this people: But since to speake or thinke of the glory of God, or the least part thereof, is [...]o farre aboue the reach of the power of reason, as in all con­fession must be onely left to ad­miration: Let me onely say with the Apostle, Glory only belongeth vnto the Lord, in his presence so glorious is his brightnesse as no­thing can see him and liue: and therefore in a bush of fire hee spake, but not apeared vnto Moyses: vpon the mount in a cloud and a piller went before his people in the wildernesse: was as it were inclosed in the Arke; in an Angell did appeare vnto his Prophets, and in his Sonne Iesus Christ, so farre as [Page] he would and might be seene to his Apostles and Disciples, but for his glory, his diuine essence cannot be seene of any but him­selfe, verified by his own word, Iohn 1. chap. verse 18. No man hath seene the Father but hee that came from the Father, euen the Sonne of man that hath reuealed him: and againe, verse 28 I came from the Father, and I goe to the Father, for the Father & I am one, with his glory he filleth both hea­uen & earth, as it is written, Hea­uen and earth are ful of the Maie­stie of thy glory: and againe, in the Psalme 19. verse 1. The heauens declare the glory of God, and the firmament sheweth his handy worke, his workes speake of his [Page] glorie, his Saintes write of his glorye, his Angelles sing of his glorie, and all powers doe acknowledge his glorie.

It is higher then the Hea­uens, larger then the Earth, deeper then the Sea, purer then the fire, cleerer then the skye, brighter then the Sunne: The power of strength, the life of Loue, the vertue of mercie, the beautie of grace, the honour of Wisdome, and the Essence of Maiestie: The Angelles tremble before it, the Saintes fall at the feete of it, the Prophets beholde it a farre off, and the soules of the elected doe adore it: and being then so farre aboue the power of man, [Page] to come neerer the thought of it: How can the heart of man but in admiration speake of it? it liues in the wisdome of the wise, in the vertue of the valyant, in the liberalitie of the Charitable, in the pati­ence of the Temperate, in the virginitie of the chaste, in the constancye of the faithfull, in the humilitye of the louing, & in the truth of the Religious: it dyrects the will of the Tri­nitie in the vnitie of the Dei­tie: it commaundes the ser­uice of the Angells, it blesseth the prayers of the Saints, it par­doneth the sinnes of the repen­tant, it prospereth the la­bours of the vertuous, and [Page] loueth the soules of the righ­teous: in summe, it is the Maie­stie of Maiesties, the power of powers, the vertue of vertues, the grace of graces, the honour of honors, the Treasure of trea­sures, the Blessing of blessings, and the being of beings: and in all effects so neere vnto God himself, that as he is in his glory incomprehensible, so is the same for the infinite perfe­ction of all worthines inexpli­cable; it droue out of Paradise the disobediente to the co­maund of it; it made the earth swallowe the murmurers a­gainst the will of it; it sent fire from heauen, to consume the Captaines that came against [Page] the seruant of it; it deuided the Sea to make a walke for the chosen of it; it made the same Sea to drowne the hoast of the enemies of it; it sent destru­ction vpon the Cities that wrought abhomination in the sight of it; it drowned the world for sinning against it; and hath cursed the Iewes for the death of the beloued of it: in summe, it is in all so farre beyond all that can be said or thought of it, in the infinitenes of excellēce, that in humilitie of adoration I will leaue it to the seruice of the wise, the loue of the vertuous, the honour of the blessed, and the admiration of all.

And thus much for conside­ration [Page] of the glorie of God.

HAuing now set downe a few notes touching the ne­cessarie consideration of the greatnesse, goodnesse, wisdom, loue, mercie, grace and glory of God, Let mee a little speake of the contrarieties in man, in mine opinion not vnnecessarie to be considered: and first, of the weakenesse or smallnesse of man: First of his smallenesse touching the substance of his [Page] creation, it was of the slime of the earth, then what could bee lesse, or of lesse force, quantitye or esteeme? Next for the substance of generati­on, what was man before the meeting of his Parents? not so much as a thought, then which nothing could bee lesse, then by the effect of consent, What was his substance? as in his creation a matter of like moment, the quantitie not greate, and the force little, contained in a little roome: bred vp in darkenes with paine and sorrowe, fed by the nauil [...] without vse of sence or mem­ber. Then come into the world, is in quantitie little, in strength [Page] meere weaknes, naked and fee­ble like anowne adiectiue that cannot stand alone, cryeth for it knoweth not what, either paine that it cannot expresse, or for want of that it cannot aske for: Now continuing long time in this weaknes, being come to fur­ther yeares, what doth it finde but it owne imbecillitie, desi­ring that it cannot haue, behol­ding that it cannot compre hend, and enduring that it can­not helpe.

Subiect to sinne, by the cor­ruption of nature, by tempta­tion of the flesh, by the enchant­ment of the worlde, and the iclousnesse of the Deuill: sub­iect to the burning of the fire, [Page] to the drowning of the water, to the infection of the aire, to the swallowing of the earth: sub­iect to sicknesse, subiect to care, to sorrow, to want, to wronge, to oppression, to penurye, to ignorance, to presumption, to tyranye, to death: so vnable to defend himselfe, that a flea will byte him, a fly will blinde him, a worme will wound him, and a gnat will choake him.

And for his sences, his hea­ring may greeue him, his sight may annoye him, his speeche may hurt him, his feeling may distemper him, his smelling may infect him, and his tasting may kill him: in summe, poore thing proud of nothing, come of little [Page] better then nothing, and shall returne to (almoste) as little a [...] nothing: muste hunger, must thirst, must labour, must sleepe, must loose the vse of his sences, and committe him­selfe to trust: must waxe olde, must die, cannot chuse, hath no power to withstand any of these: and though hee haue the commaund of creatures, is but himselfe a creature, and can no longer liue then to the will of the Creator: sees the Sunne, cannot behold the brightnesse: heares the windes, knowes not whence they blowe: feeles the ayre, knowes not how to lay holde of it: sees the fire, dares not touch it: sees a world [Page] of earth, but possesseth little of it, perhappes none of it: lookes at Heauen, but can­not come at it: and in summe, as a substance of nothing, or if anye thing, like a Clocke, that no longer mooueth then by the will of the Clockema­ker: So no longer man then in the wil of his maker: what shall this little, weake, small creature think, when he shal in the glasse of true sence beholde the obiect of himselfe, and then think vp­on the greatnes of his God, in whome not onely himselfe but all creatures in heauen & earth haue their being, and without him haue no being? in how little a compasse himselfe, with­all [Page] his is contained, while such is the greatnesse of his God, as filleth heauen and earth with his glory; who comprehendeth all things, not comprehended in any, nor all; but aboue all in himself, in the infinitenes of him­selfe. Oh poore man what canst thou doe, but with Iob lay thy finger on thy mouth, and say: I haue spoken once and twise, but I will speake no more: I thought I was something, but I see I am nothing, at least so little a thing, as in it selfe is nothing: My righ­teousnesse is as a filthy cloth, my strength is Weakenes, my dayes as a shaddowe, my life but a spanne, and my substance so smal, as but in thee my God is as nothing or worse [Page] then nothing at al: thus I say wilt thou say when beholding the least of gods creatures, thou shalt consider thyne owne smalnesse; and looking on the one and the other with the Prophet Dauid, say in the admiration of his glo­rious goodnes, Psalme 8. vers. 4. O God what is man that thou doest vouchsafe to looke vpon him?

And thus much touching the smalnesse or weaknes of man.

The second Consideration, tou­ching the vilenes or wicked­nes of man.

NOw I haue a litle spoken of this smalnesse or small strength of man, a thing doubt­les [Page] most necessary for euery mā to think vppon, least finding his greatnes in commaund ouer the creatures of the earth, he forget the Creator both of heauen and earth, & al things in the same: so let me tell him, that finding his smalnes to bee so great, and his greatnes to be so smal, as maketh him nothing more then in the wil of the Almightie, hee must withal looke into the vilenes of his nature, in y ^e wilfull offending of his moste good and glorious God▪ for in his first offence, how much did he shew the vile wick­ednes or wicked vilenesse of his conditiō, in forgeting the good­nes of his God, in framing him of so vile a matter as y ^e slime of the [Page] earth, a liuing creture to his own glorious image? then to plāt him in Paradice, a place of so much pleasure, to giue him so large a possessiō, as of al his ground, his fruit, yea & commaund of al his creatures vpon the earth: thus not like a Lord, but like himself Lord of Lords, to giue him a world of earth, & there onely to except one Tree, with a sharpe warning of death, in the tou­ching of the same, when neither his loue in his creatiō, his boun­tie in his possession, nor his care in his commaund regarded, but either carelesly forgotten, or wil­fully disobeyed: Oh what grea­ter vilenes could be shewed then in such vnthankfulnes? and what greater [Page] greater wickednesse, then to shake handes with the Deuill, to offend the God of so much goodnesse? but more to make him blush at his owne shame, in beholding the foulenesse of his abhominable filthynesse, let man in the glasse of truth see the leprosie of his soule, by the in­fection of sinne.

Pryde hath defiled humili­tie, couetousnesse charitie, le­cherie chastitie, wrath patience, sloath labour, enuie loue, and murther pity: so that whereas man was before in these vertues a creature of Gods loue, and in whose presence hee tooke plea­sure, now through these vices is hee become a most vglye and [Page] hatefull creature in the sight of the Creator: what Peacock more proude of his taile then man is of his trumpery? what Tyger is more cruell to any beaste, then one man to an­other? what Goate more le­cherous then the licentious Li­bertins? what Dogge more co­uetous in hiding of meate, then the dogged miser in hoording vp of money? what Snake more venemous then the tonge of the enuious? and what Dormouse so sleepie as the slouthfull Epicure?

Consider then if there bee a vile nature in any of these, how much more vile is man, that hath the condition of all these?

[Page]Oh should a man haue his Image or proportion drawne according to his condi­tion, how monstrous would he finde himselfe? with a Tygers head, a Goates bearde, a Snakes tong, a hogs belly, a Dormouse cie, and a Beares hand: But let the Image goe, and looke into the vilenes of man, and see if it bee not such as passeth the power of discription: when God is forgotten, the Deuill shalbe remembred; when grace is forsaken, sinne shalbe enter­tained; and when Christ shalbe crucified, Iudas shalbe mo­nyed.

A Dogge will fawne on his maister, Oh how much worse [Page] then a Dogg was man that was the death of his maister? an Ele­phant is a monstrous beast, and yet is pitifull to man, & wil lead him out of the wildernes: but man more monstrous then any beast, will leade man into wick­ednes: the Goate hath his time, wherin to shew the heate of his nature, but man spareth no time to follow the filthinesse of his lust: the Dogge will bee satisfied with a little that hee hath hidden, but the vsurer is neuer satisfied till hee bee choaked with his Golde: the Lyon will not praie vpon the bloud of a Lambe, when the murtherer will not spare the bloud of the infante: [Page] the Ante will worke for proui­sion for his foode, while the E­picure will burst in the bed of his ease.

See then (oh man) the vile sub­stance of thy condition, where­by, of the best creature in thy creation thou art become the worst in thy corruption: & ther­fore looking on the goodnes of thy God, and the vilenesse of thy selfe, Thou maiest well saie with Peter: Luke chap. 5. verse 8. Lord come not neere mee, for I am a poluted creature, and with the Prophet Dauid, Psa 44. ver. 16. Shame hath couered my face, yea and beholding the lepro­sie of thy soule by the spottes of thy sinne, stand without the [Page] gates of grace, that the Angells may not abhorre thee, nor the Saincts be infected by thee, till thy heauenly Phisitian with the Bloude of the Lambe haue cu­red thee of thy corruptiō: Look I say (oh vile man) vpon the wickednesse of thy will, to of­fend thy good God, to bee a seruant to sinne, the ruine of thy selfe, and the plague of thy posteritie.

In thy riches see the rust of coueteousnesse; in thy pryde see the fall of Lucifer; in thy lechery see the fire of lust; in thy wrath see the bloud of murther; in thy sloath see the filth of drosse: and thus beholding thy besmeered soule, see if thou canst see so vile [Page] a creature, vile in vnthankful­nes, vile in haughtines, vile in coueteousnes, vile in sloathful­nes, vile in furiousnes, vile in filthines, and so vile, in all vile­nes.

Thus I say looke into thy selfe, and see what thou arte, and if such thou be not, think of the greatnes of the goodnes in thy God, that by the vertue of his power in the mercie of his loue, hath healed thee of thy sinne, & made thee fit for his seruice, which till thou findest in thy selfe, thinke there is not so vile a creature as thy selfe.

And thus much touching the vilenes or wickednes of man.

The third Consideration, tou­ching the folly or Ignorance of man.

THe smalnesse and vilenes of man thus considered, we are now to looke a little vpon the folly or ignorance of man, not a little needfull with the precedēts & what shall follow to be consi­dered: First, to the first point of folly; could there bee a greater folly thought vpon, then to lose the benefit of Paradise, for the bit of an Apple, for touching one tree to loose all, to loose the plesure of ease, to labor for food, to forget god, to listē to women, to distrust God and to beleiue [Page] the Deuill; to loose the beautie of perfection, for the foulnesse of corruption; and as much as in him lay, to leaue heauen for hell: are not these (without comparison) so high pointes in ignorance, as make a ful point in folly? But leauing the first fol­ly of the first offender, Oh what a swarme of follyes hath this ig­norance begotten in the worlde? which like Snakes in a Bee-hiue, sting the takers of mis­staken hony? what a folly is it in man to worship a golden calfe, which at the houre of his death, can giue his body no breath, but in the time of his life, may hasten his soule into hell? For exam­ple reade, the history of Diues, [Page] and see the fruite of such a folly.

Againe, what a follye is it for man to make an Idoll of his fan­cie, when Sampson with his Da­lila may shew the fruite of wan­tonnesse? Againe, what a folly it is to execute the vengeance of wrath, Let the murther of Cain speake in the bloud of his bro­ther Abell: what a folly is enuie, let the swallowing of Coran, Datha [...] and Abiram speake in their murmering against Moses: what a folly is pride, looke in the fall of Lucifer: But as there are many great follyes in the world, so there are many and great fooles; but aboue all, one most great foole which wee may iustly call foole by the [Page] word of God, Psalme 53. verse 1. The foole hath said in his heart, there is no God: This foole doe I holde the foole of al fooles, who hath ben so long with the Deuil that he hath forgotten God, for he is more foole then the Deuil, who will acknowledge God, tremble at his Maiestie, and be obedient to his commaund; & therefore I may well say, that he is not only a deuilish foole, but worse then a Deuill foole, and so the foole of al fooles: Now to speake of follyes in particular, nor of a number of Idle fooles, such as when they are gay, thinke they are rich, or when they can prate they are wise, or when they are proude they are [Page] noble, or when they are pro­digall they are liberall, or when they are miserable they are thriftie, or when they can swagger they are valiant, and when they are rich they are honest:

These and a world of such idle fooles, least I should be thought too much a foole, for standing too much vpon the foole, I leaue further to talke of, & ho­ping that the wise will confesse, that all the wisdome of the worlde is foolishnesse before God; and therefore man fin­ding in himself so little touch of true wisdome, as may make him then confesse all the wit hee hath to be but meere [Page] foolishnesse without the grace of God, in the direction there­of. I will leaue what I haue written vniustly to the corre­ction of the wise, and for the vnwise, to the amendement of their indiscretion: and thus much touching the considera­tion of the folly of man.

The fourth Consideration, tou­ching mallice or hate in man.

NOw hauing spoken myne oppinion, touching the foolishnes of man, I finde that follye or ignorance of better iudgement, to haue begotten in [Page] him a kinde of malice or hate, as it were opposite or contrary to the loue of God, or at the least contrary to that loue which God commaundeth to bee in man, where hee saith: Iohn chap. 13. verse 34. Loue one another as I haue loued you: for in some wicked people it is too apparant, which I may ra­ther terme Deuills then men, those Atheisticall villains, that if they haue not their wills will not onely murmure against God, but with Iobs wife seeme to curse God; and with the Deuill blaspheme God: may not these iustly be called the re­probate, that but looking to­wards heauen, dare stirre vp a­thought [Page] against the glory thereof: and being themselues but earth, dare mooue against the Great or of heauen and earth.

Oh how hath the Deuill had power with man, so to poyson his soule with the venome of temptation, as by the power of the corruption, to bring him to etrrnall confusion? but as the Deuill through his malice at the greatnes of God, was cast downe from Heauen, so hath hee euer since and during his time will, by the same poison, in as much as he can, keepe man from Heauen: but leauing to speake of the vngratious, vn­gratefull and malicious nature [Page] in some man towards God, most grieuous to be spoken of: let me come to y ^e malice or hate of man to mā, when there were but two brethren in the world Cain and Abel, one so maliced another, that he sought his death, & not for the hurt he did him, but for that God was pleased in his bro­ther, and not in him: Oh pesti­ferous poison, to wound the soule vnto eternall death! Gen. chap. 4. ver. 8. what need I to al­leage examples, either in the booke of God, or wordes of bookes in the worlde, touching that vile & hellish nature or hu­mor of malice in the corrupted nature of man, when it is dayly seene euē almost in al kingdōes, [Page] Countries, Cyties, and Townes, to be an occasion of ciuill discorde, yea and some­time of greate and long warres, to the vtter spoile of many a common wealth: doe not wee see euen sometime before our eyes, how many are hated euen for the good that is in them? and for the good that they in­tend to them that hate them? when a wise man reprooueth a foole of his folly, will not the foole hate him for being wiser then himselfe, or for telling him of his folly? yea, will he not car­ry it in minde many a day, and worke him a mischeefe if hee can, for his good, and as the Iewes did with Christ, put him [Page] to death for teaching them the waie of life, hate him for his loue, and kill him for his com­forte? Oh malicious nature in the hearte of man! if the lawe giue land to the right heyre, will not the wrong possessor hate both the heyre for his right, and the lawe for giuing it him, though himselfe would be glad if the case were his own to haue it so? if two freindes bee suiters for one fortune, if the one carry it, is it not often seene, that the other will hate him for it? yea, of a friend become a foe, for enioyning that he should euer haue had if the other had missed it? is it not often seene that vpon a humor of ielouzie [Page] a man wil hate his wife, and the wife her husband, the sonne the father, and the mother the daughter, brother and sister, neighbor and neighbor, and al one another sometimes for a tryfle, & that with such a fire of malice, as is almost vnquencha­ble. Oh how too full are the Chronicles of the worlde, of the horrible and miserable Tra­gedies, that haue proceeded out of that hellish spirite of malice, that hath spit her poy­son through the hearts of a great part of the whole worlde, to the destruction of a worlde of the inhabitans therin?

Let me a litle speake of this wicked spirite, and how it [Page] wrought the fall of Lucifer from Heauen (through his malice) at the Maiestie of the Almightie: againe, being falne from Heauen, how it wrought in him the fall of Adam, enuy­ing his blessed happines in Pa­radise, and therefore by temp­tation, sought in as much as hee could, his destruction: In Cain it wrought an vnnaturall hatred to the death of Abell: in Esawe it wrought an vnbrother­ly hatred to the great feare of Iacob: in Pharaoh it wrought an vnkindly hatred to the poore Is­ralites, because they throue by their labors vnder him & increa­sed in his kingdome: it wrough a hate in the children of Iacob to [Page] their brother Ioseph, because their father loued him in breife, you shall finde in the whole Scripture the hate of the wick­ed vnto the godly, because God blesseth them: and as in the di­uine writ, euen in these our daies, do we not see the good ha ted of the euill? which being the spirite of so much wickednesse, as worketh so much mischeefe, what doth it differ from the Deuill? Truly I thinke I may well say, that as it is written, God is charity and hee that dwel­leth in charity dwelleth in God, and God in him: so contrarily the Deuill is malice and hee taht dwelleth in malice dwelleth in the Deuill, & the Diuill in hlm: [Page] But where God entereth with his grace, the Deuill hath no powre with his malice, and though hee droue Adam out of Paradice, yet hee could not keepe him out of Heauen: and therefore of greater power is the mercy of God, then the malice of the Deuill: but seeing such is the vile nature of malice, as doth figure nothing more truly then the Deuill, let no man that can truly iudge of it, but hate it as the Deuill, which maketh a man, in whom it is hatefull vnto God, wicked vn­to man, throwen downe out of Heauen, and cast into hell, from which God of his mercie blesse all his seruants for euer­more: [Page] and thus much touching the consideration of the hate or malice in man.

The fifth Consideration of the crueltie in man.

NOw as it is euident by too many proofes, that one e­uill begetteth another, so in this it appeareth that from the hate or malice of man, procedeth the crueltie or tyrannye executed vpon man: for what beast in the world was euer found so tyrannous vnto another, as one man hath ben to another? yea such a power hath tyrannye in the hearts of some men, as [Page] hath bene the spoile and death of many a thousand: what ty­rannye did the Iewes shewe in the crucifiing of our blessed Sa­uiour Iesus Christ, which did proceed, not out of any desert in him (who deserued all loue and honour of all people) but out of a malicious humour yfu­sed into their soules by the power of the wicked finde? examples of this vile and pesti­lent humour, not onely the books of God, as well in the olde as the new Testament, as in many lamentable histories extant to the whole worlde, is too ful of the persecution of the Prophets and the chosen peo­ple of God, by the wicked [Page] and vnbeleeuing Princes, and people of the worlde; some their eyes put out, other their tongues cut out, some broy­led vpon hott Iron, other boy­led in skalding lead: some torne in peeces with horses, some flead quicke, some starued to death, other tortured with vn­speakable torments, in some for the displeasure conceiued of some one, how many thousands haue suffered either death, or vndoing, or both: when whole howses, whole Cities, yea and almost whole Kingdomes, by the bloudy execution of tyrany, haue ben brought almost to vt­ter confusion: a Lyon when hee hath licked his lippes after [Page] warme bloud, returnes to his den and takes his rest: the Dog if he fight with his match, if hee runne away from him, and cry, he seldome pursues him, and if he kill him, he leaues him, and as it were mourning goeth from him, that hee hath bene the death of him: & so of many other beasts, Wolues, Tygres, and such like death, or flight sa­tisfies their crueltie: But man more feirce then the Lyō, more bloudie then the Wolfe, more tyranous then the Tygre, and more dogged then the Dogge, will neuer be satisfied, till he see the death and seeke the ruine of the father, childe, wife, and seruant, kinred and generation, [Page] and neuer taketh rest through feare of reuenge, so that he is not onely tyranous vnto other, but through the vexatiō of his spirit, is become euen a torment vnto him-selfe, whyle feare and wrath keepe him in continuall perplexities: Oh how vna­turall, how monstrous in this horrible disposition haue many bene in the world, some mur­thering their own children, yea in the time of their infancy, some their parents, some their brethe­ren, some their Princes, some their Prophets, some their mai­sters, some their seruants? what crueltie, yea more then in any beast, will many such a one shew to another in pride, malice, orre­venge? [Page] the examples wherof the world is euery day too full of: what Butcher can more cruelly teare in peeces the limmes of a beast, then one mā in his malice will the very heart of another? what scourges, what terrors, what tortures and what vnhu­maine kinde of mortall punish­ments, hath mā deuised for man no lesse intolerable then inex­plicable? in some the cryes, the blood, the sorrowes, the mise­ries of the murthered, the impri­soned, the afflicted, and the di­stressed, through the oppression of pryde, and the tyrannye of wrath, may very well euen from Abell to Christ, and from him to the worlds end, [Page] sufficiently conclude the con­demnation of man, for the greatest tyrant in the worlde.

And thus much touching the consideration of the cruelty or tyranny in man.

The sixt Consideration of the basenes of man.

HAuing now spoken of the smalnesse, the vilenesse, the foolishnesse, the hate, and the crueltie in man, let me a litle shew him the basenesse of his condition, in going from that nature of grace wherin he was created, vnto that horror of sinne by which hee is confoun­ded-God in his gracious nature [Page] made him like vnto himselfe in holinesse, purenesse, and righ­teousnesse, and through these graces, amiable in his sight, sociable for his Angells, and coheire with his blessed Sonne in the paradise of the soule: what greater title of honour, then to weare a Crowne? what Crowne so rich as of grace? what grace so high as in Hea­uen? and what glory so great as to bee gracious in the sight of God: all which was man? (through grace) assured of, and through the lacke, carlesse, wherof, hath not only lost all, but through sinne is become vgly in the sight of God, banish­ed the courte of Heauen, and [Page] through the drossy loue of the worlde become a slaue to the Deuill in hell. What basenesse can be more then man by sinne hath thus drawne vpon himselfe? who while hee should looke towards Hea­uen, is digging in the earth, while hee shoulde thinke vpon Heauen is puzled in the world, and while he should be soaring towards Heauen, is sinking into hell: Oh base wretch, that seeing the shame­full nature of sinne, will yet so be meire his soule with the filth thereof, that of the best and noblest creature, hee becometh the worst and most base of all other. Will the [Page] Spaniels leaue their maister to carry the tinkers budget? will the horse leaue the warlike rider to drawe in a carte? and will man leaue the King of Heauen to serue a slaue in hell?

Oh basenes of all basenes! in Heauen is man a companion for the Saintes, the virgins, the martyrs and the An­gells: In hell for the fiends, ougly spirits, and horrible Deuills.

And is not hee of a base spirit, that will leaue the hea­uenly for the hellish com­pany? fie vpon the basenesse of man, that by sinne will bee brought vnto so base a nature: [Page] there is no place so base as hell, which is called the bottomlesse pit, the receptacle of all filthi­nesse, the caue of the accursed, the denne of the desperate, the habitation of the reprobate, the horror of nature, the terror of reason, the torment of sinne, the misery of time, the night of darknesse, and the endles tor­ture, where Serpents, Dragons, Night-rauens, and Shrich­owles, make the best musique in the eares of the damned; where all obiects are so ougly, all substances so filthy, all voy­ces so frightfull, all torments so continuall, all paines so pitiles, all care so comfortles, and all hurte so helplesse, that if a man [Page] through sin were not worse then a beast, hee would not shew more basenesse then in the most beastly nature of the most bea­stly creature: what shall I say? such is the basenesse of sinne in the imbasing of our spirits, and so base are our spirits in the yeelding to the basenesse of sinne, that I must conclude with the Prophet Dauid (thin­king of the glory of God, and the basenesse of man) Oh what is man that thou O God wilt vouchsafe to looke vpon him? And so much in breife touching the consideration of the basenesse of man.

The seauenth Consideration tou­ching the ignominie or de­fame of man.

IT is an olde prouerbe (and too often true) that hee who hath an euill name is halfe han­ged: and surely that man that delighteth in sinne, by the name of a reprobate, is more then halfe damned before hee come in hell, to bee called a villaine is a name of great infamy, and doth not sinne make a man a villaine to God? to be called a Dogge is most hatefull to man, [Page] and is not man called a hell­hound by the hate of his sinne? would not man bee loath to be tearmed a Serpent, and hath not sinne made man become of a Serpent like nature?

Oh the filth of sinne, how hath it fouled, and defiled the nature of man? the vtter infamy of his name, the election of loue, the Image of God? the Lord of the best of creatures, to become the hated of grace, the substance of drosse, the worste of creatures, and the slaue of hell? what a shame is this to man (by sinne) to fall into so foule an infamy?

Is it not a name of great dis­grace to be called a disobedient [Page] Sonne or a faithlesse feruant? a rebellious subiect, or vnthank­full freinde? an vnkinde brother, and an vnnaturall childe? and is not man by sinne become all this vnto God? to bee stub­borne to so louing a Father, false to so good a maister, rebel­lious to so gratious a King, vn­kinde to so kinde a brother, and vnthankfull to so bountifull a Lorde? it is a shame to liue to beare the iust blotts of such blames: one of these faults were enough, but altogether, are too too much.

The Dogg will follow his maister, the Horse will cary his maister, and will man runne from his maister? the Oxe [Page] knowes his stall, and the Asse his cribbe, and shall not man know his place of rest after his labours? then more vile then the Dogg, more vnkinde then the Horse, more foolish then either Oxe or Asse.

Fie what an infamy is this vn­to man? a seruant to entertaine his maister vnkindly, to vse him villanously, and to kill him shamefully, were not this a hor­rible infamy, and did not the Iewes so with Christ? to forget a kindnesse, to distruste a truth, and to abuse a blessing? is not he infamous that doth so, and what sinner but doth so? so that still I see infamy vpon infamy▪ one followeth another by the [Page] venome of sinne to the shame of man: to leaue robes of silke for rotten raggs, sweete wine for puddle water, and a plea­sant walke for a filthy hole: what foole would doe this, and doth not sinneful man doe this? leaue the rich graces (the com­ly vestures of the soule) for the poore fading pleasures of the flesh? the sweete water of life for the puddle watter of death? the filthy pleasures of this world, and the comfortable way to Heauen, for the misera­ble way to hell?

Oh wretched, blinded, sencelesse, & bewitched foole, that doost suffer sinne so much to be-foole thy vnder­standing!

[Page]Looke I say what a name thou iustly gettest, by yeelding thy seruice vnto sinne: a slaue, a foole, a beast, a serpent, a monster, and of the best, the worste creature in the worlde.

Loose the beautie wherein thou werte created, the honour wherwith thou werte inti­tled, the riches whereof thou werte possessed, the libertie that thou enioyedst, the loue wherein thou liuedst, and the life wherein thou reioycedst; to put on deformitie in na­ture, basenes in ciuilitie, beggery in wante of grace, bondage in slauery, hate [Page] hate wherin thou diest, and death wherin thou arte euer ac­cursed; and all this through sin: who now could in the glasse of truth, beholde this vglye ob­iecte of sinne, and would gaine himselfe so foule an infamy, as to be called an obiect? through the loue thereof, hath not Cain from the beginning, bene iustly called a murtherer? Laban a co­zener, Sampson a foole, Achi­tophel a knaue, Salomon an Ido­lator, Symon magus a sorcerer, Diues an Epicure, and Iudas a traytor, and the Deuill a lyar? and wilt thou (Oh man) that readest and beleeuest all this, bee infected, nay delighted in all these sinnes? to receiue the [Page] name of a murtherer, acozener, a foole, a knaue, an Idolator, a a sorcerer, a traytor, and a lyar? Oh most hellish titles to set out the flagge of infamye! which to auoyde, seeing thy vildenes, and knowing thy weaknesse, praye to thy God, the God of good­nesse, to draw thee from the delight of wickednesse, vnto that delight of goodnesse, that may recouer thy credit lost, blot out the spots of thy shame in thy sinne, and through the dropps of the pretious Bloud of his deere beloued Sonne Iesus▪ to wash thee cleane from thyn [...] iniquities, make thee capabl [...] of his graces, thankfull for his blessings, and ioyfull in recei­uing [Page] the gratious name of his faithfull seruant: And so much touching the consi­deration of the infamye orignominy of man.