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 aduancâ—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 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 theÌ„ 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 oâ— all praise yet as a Mole-hill tâ— a mountaine a Flie to an Eagle or an Ante to an Elephant leâ— me with the poore widdow put in my myte into the treasurie in humilitie of my hearâ— 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 coÌ„sideration 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 â—et vs first I say consider this first â—oint of the loue of God that â—efore we were created for his â—eruice wee were elected in his â—oue then to make an Image to 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 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 ideÌ„ for though he were perfect in respect of our corruption yet by his fall it appeareth that the creature 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 shal be 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 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 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 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 beÌ„t downward to the earth where they seeke their foode man hath a face looking vpwards toward 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
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 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 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 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 stādeth with the pleasure of the 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 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 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 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 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 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 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
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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 electioÌ„ 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 iâ— that loue to liue with vs and that euer-liuing loue neuer to leaue vs here on earth with his 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 vnspeâ—kable goodnes in this our election when wee were not wee 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
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 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 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 redemptioÌ„ 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 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 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 patieÌ„ce 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 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 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 vnto this people But since to speake or thinke of the glory of God or the least part thereof is â—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 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 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 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 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 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 of the glorie of God The second part of consideration concerning man and first touching the weakenesse or smallnesse of man 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 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 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 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 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 heare 's 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 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 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 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 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 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
DIVINE CONSIDErations of the Soule Concerning the excellencie of God and the vilenesse of man Verie necessarie and profitable for euerie true Christian seriously to looke into By N. B. G. LONDON Printed by E A. for Iohn Tappe and are to be solde at his shop on the Tower-Hill nere the Bulwarke Gate 1608 To the right worshipfull and worthy Knight Sir Thomas Lake one of the Clarkes of his Maieiesties Signet health happinesse and Heauen WOrthy KNIGHT The longe affectionate duty wherin I haue followed your vndeserued fauour hath made me study how to prooue some parte of my protestation but finding my spirite by the crosses of fortune vnable to be it selfe in the best nature of thankfulnesse I haue yet by Gods greate blessing laboured in the vineyard of a vertuous loue where hauing gathered those fruites that are both pleasant and holsome bounde vp this little handfull I presente them to your patience knowing that your loue to learning your zeale in Religion and your wisdome in iudgement being able in diuine Considerations to finde comforte aboue the worlde will vouchafe to make that good vse of them that maie giue me comforte in your regarde of them but least tediousnesse maie prooue displeasing yea in matter of much worth I wil leaue my labour to your liking and my seruice to your imploimeÌ„t in which I humblye rest in heartie prayer for your much happinesse Yours deuoted and obliged at commande NICH. BRETON To the Reader MAnye reade they knowe not what too many they care not what but how necessarie is it for all men before they reade to consider what they reade and to what end they bestowe both time labour in that excercise I refer to the iudgement of their discretions who are able to finde the difference betwixt good euill you then that reade this little worke to your greate good if you well disgest the considerations contained in the same Let mee intreate you what you finde for your good to esteem of as you haue cause and what may be to your dislike to correct in your kinde patience in a little room is matter enough for the good consideration of a coÌ„templatiue sperit which looking towards heauen and longing to bee there shall finde such comfort in these considerations as I hope shal giue cause to gloriefie God the Author of all good and not thinke a misse of me that by his goodnes haue set them downe for the good of all his Seruants of which number not doubting you to be one I leaue you in this and all your good labours to his onely gratious blessing Your well wishing friend N. B In praise of these Diuine Considerations GOe little Booke the Iewell of delight The heauenly organ of true vertues glory Which like a christall mirror sets in sight The truest tract of high Iehouahes story Which who so reades shall finde within the same Gods powerfull loue to those that feare his name I reading of it did much comfort finde And so no doubt may euery Christian doe That is to vertue any whit inclind Such right directions doth it lead him to Read then dear friend for heere I dare well say To know God truely is the ready way And more within this lttle volume heere Who so doth read with due consideration His owne estate most vilely will appeare If not reformed by heauenly meditation Consider then and doe aplaud his paine That thus directs true knwledge to obtaine And for my selfe as hauing gain'd therby These few lines of my loue shall specifie Pleasure attend the author that did write it Heauens happinesse the heart that did indite it True comfort be to him that loues to read it And ioy betide his soule that truely treads it I. T. A Diuine Poem O Lord that knewst me ere that I was knowne And sawst the cloath before the thred was spunne And framd'st the substance ere the thought was growne From which my being in this world begunne Oh glorious God that onely of thy grace Didst all and onely to thy seruice make me and hauing giuen me heere an earthly place Vnto the Guard of thy faire grace dist take me Of all pure bright and euer-seeing eye That seest the secret thoughts of euerie heart Before whose presence doth apparantlie Heauen earth Sea Hell in all and euerie part In wisdome more O then wit can comprehend That mak'st and iudgest gouern'st euerie thing power of all powers on whome all powers attend Spring of all grace from whence all glories spring From that high holy heauenly throane of thine Where mercy liues to giue thy glorie grace Looke downe a little on this soule of mine That vnto thee complaines her heauie cace Oh sweetest sweete of my soules purest sence That in thy mercie madst me first a creature And in the truth of loues intelligence The neerest image to thy heauenly Nature And hauing framde me to thy fauours eye Didst with thy finger fairely write me out In holy writ of heauenly Misterie How I should bring a blessed life about Forbidding onely what might be my harme Commaunding onely what might doe me good preseruing me by thy Almigtie arme and feeding me with a celestiall foode Thou madst the ayre to feede the life of nature That I might see how weake a thing it is The earth the labour of the sinfull creature Which beares no fruite but onely by thy blisse Thou madst the water but to clense or coole Or serue thy creatures in their sundrie vse That carefull wit might reason not befoole In vsing nature to the soules abuse The fire thou madst to câ—eere the chilling colde With a reuiuing heate of natures neâ—de That reason might in natures ruine holde How farre that Force might stand the life instead Thus vnder heauen thou madst these Elements To maintaine all those creatures thou hast made But so that nature with her ornaments shall haue a time to flourish or to fade But that same heauenly fire that doth enflame The heart and soule with a continuall heate Whose loue doth liue but in thy holy name Where faith doth mercy but for grace intreate Where that did kindle or that Cole to finde Or smallest peice or sparckle of the same I found the eye of nature was too blinde To finde the sence or whence thee secret came Till by the inspiration of that grace That to thy seruants doth thy goodnesse showe I found thy loue the euer liuing place From whence the substance of this sweete doth flowe And when I saw within this soule of mine How farre thy loue exceedes the life of nature and natures life but in that loue of thine Which is the being of each blessed creature Then I begâ—n to finde the foile of sinne And onely long'd to liue in mercies grace and hate the world that doth their hel begin That doe not long to see thy heauenly face And thus perplexed in that passions griefe That hath no ease but in thy mercies eye To thee that art the faithfull
soules releife haue I laide open all my misery THE First part of consideration concerning God 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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◠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 in which himselfe only knoweth himselfe is incomprehensible therfore aboue the power of cōtemplation 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 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 workes shew but a little of that greatnes
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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 Shrich-owles 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 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