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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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
the greatest of 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 1â—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 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 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 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 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 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 neuer-satisfied desire to enioye the good that by faith he is assured to come vnto now as he hath 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 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 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 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 in
and yet as much as hee requireth and more then from a great many the more their shame hee receiueth 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 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 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 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 wōder of arte and quicknesse in working what excellent arte 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 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 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 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 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 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 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
student of Diuine misteries 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 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 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 frieÌ„ds 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 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 destructioÌ„ of his enemies shal I hide from my seruant Abraham what I will doe as thogh he wold keep nothing froÌ„ his beloued that he knew fit for his knowledge Againe how loued he Eliah that he wold neuer 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 wheÌ„ 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 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 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 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 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 ofteÌ„times 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 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 repeÌ„tance such hath enerbene is and euer will be the mercye of God vnto maÌ„ as so far doth mitâ—igate the furie of his iustice as reserueth
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
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