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
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
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