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
that thou O God wilt vouchsafe to looke vpon him And so much in breife touching the consideration of the basenesse of man The seauenth Consideration touching the ignominie or defame of man IT is an olde prouerbe and too often true that hee who hath an euill name is halfe hanged and surely that man that delighteth in sinne by the name of a reprobate is more then halfe damned before hee come in hell to bee called a villaine is a name of great infamy and doth not sinne make a man a villaine to God to be called a Dogge is most hatefull to man and is not man called a hell-hound by the hate of his sinne would not man bee loath to be tearmed a Serpent and hath not sinne made man become of a Serpent like nature Oh the filth of sinne how hath it fouled and defiled the nature of man the vtter infamy of his name the election of loue the Image of God the Lord of the best of creatures to become the hated of grace the substance of drosse the worste of creatures and the slaue of hell what a shame is this to man by sinne to fall into so foule an infamy Is it not a name of great disgrace to be called a disobedient Sonne or a faithlesse feruant a rebellious subiect or vnthankfull freinde an vnkinde brother and an vnnaturall childe and is not man by sinne become all this vnto God to bee stubborne to so louing a Father false to so good a maister rebellious to so gratious a King vnkinde to so kinde a brother and vnthankfull to so bountifull a Lorde it is a shame to liue to beare the iust blotts of such blames one of these faults were enough but altogether are too too much The Dogg will follow his maister the Horse will cary his maister and will man runne from his maister the Oxe knowes his stall and the Asse his cribbe and shall not man know his place of rest after his labours then more vile then the Dogg more vnkinde then the Horse more foolish then either Oxe or Asse Fie what an infamy is this vnto man a seruant to entertaine his maister vnkindly to vse him villanously and to kill him shamefully were not this a horrible infamy and did not the Iewes so with Christ to forget a kindnesse to distruste a truth and to abuse a blessing is not he infamous that doth so and what sinner but doth so so that still I see infamy vpon infamy one followeth another by the venome of sinne to the shame of man to leaue robes of silke for rotten raggs sweete wine for puddle water and a pleasant walke for a filthy hole what foole would doe this and doth not sinneful man doe this leaue the rich graces the comly vestures of the soule for the poore fading pleasures of the flesh the sweete water of life for the puddle watter of death the filthy pleasures of this world and the comfortable way to Heauen for the miserable way to hell Oh wretched blinded sencelesse bewitched foole that doost suffer sinne so much to be-foole thy vnderstanding Looke I say what a name thou iustly gettest by yeelding thy seruice vnto sinne a slaue a foole a beast a serpent a monster and of the best the worste creature in the worlde Loose the beautie wherein thou werte created the honour wherwith thou werte intitled the riches whereof thou werte possessed the libertie that thou enioyedst the loue wherein thou liuedst and the life wherein thou reioycedst to put on deformitie in nature basenes in ciuilitie beggery in wante of grace bondage in slauery hate hate wherin thou diest and death wherin thou arte euer accursed and all this through sin who now could in the glasse of truth beholde this vglye obiecte of sinne and would gaine himselfe so foule an infamy as to be called an obiect through the loue thereof hath not Cain from the beginning bene iustly called a murtherer Laban a cozener Sampson a foole Achitophel a knaue Salomon an Idolator Symon magus a sorcerer Diues an Epicure and Iudas a traytor and the Deuill a lyar and wilt thou Oh man that readest and beleeuest all this bee infected nay delighted in all these sinnes to receiue the name of a murtherer acozener a foole a knaue an Idolator a a sorcerer a traytor and a lyar Oh most hellish titles to set out the flagge of infamye which to auoyde seeing thy vildenes and knowing thy weaknesse praye to thy God the God of goodnesse to draw thee from the delight of wickednesse vnto that delight of goodnesse that may recouer thy credit lost blot out the spots of thy shame in thy sinne and through the dropps of the pretious Bloud of his deere beloued Sonne Iesus to wash thee cleane from thyn◠iniquities make thee capabl◠of his graces thankfull for his blessings and ioyfull in receiuing the gratious name of his faithfull seruant And so much touching the consideration of the infamye orignominy of man FINIS Conclusio TO conclude as a Chirurgian that hath receiued a woūd hath many medicines salues which well applyed might giue him ease and restore him to health though he haue knowledge how to make vse of them yet if he put not his knowledge in practise shall either languish or perish through want of helpe So in this woun◠of the soule made by sinne whereas euery man must b◠vnder God his owne Chirurgian and helper Though hee heare reade beleeue and feele the goodnes of God many wayes in his power wisdome loue grace and glorious mercy towards him yet if hee do not meditate vpon the same thankfully consider and truely confesse his vnworthinesse of the least part thereof hee may either languish or pertish in the consuming paine of sinne or dispaire of grace or mercy Looke then vpon the greatnes of God and the smalnesse of man the goodnes of God and the vilenesse of man the wisdome of God and the folly of man the loue of God and the hate of man the grace of God and the disgrace of man the mercy of God and the tyranny of man and the glory of God and the infamy of man and fixing the eye of the heart vpon the one and the other how canst thou but to the glory of God and shame of thy selfe with ablushing face trēbling spirit falling prostrate at the feete of his mercy in admiration of the greatnesse kindnes and goodnes that the Lord in his mercy hath extended vnto thee but cry with the Prophet Dauid Oh Lord what is man that thou doest visit him Which comfortable visitation when thou findest in thy soule acknowledge in the greatnesse of his goodnesse the wisdome of his loue and glory of his mercy that of so small so vile so foolish so hateful so tyranous so disgracefull so infamous a creature by the infection of sinne his glorious maiestie out of his mere mercy will vouchsafe in the pretious Bloud of his deare and onely beloued Sonne Iesus Christ to wash thee cleane
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