from thy filthinesse admit thee into his prefence take thee into his seruice loue thee as his Sonne and make thee coheire in that Heauenly inheritance which no power shall take from thee but in ioyes euerlasting with his Saints Angels thou shalt cōtinually sing the true and due Halleluiah to his holy Maiestie Thus I say apply these spirituall considerations to thy spirituall comforts that God may the better blesse thee thy reading well considered may the better profit thee and my labour may bee the better bestowed vpon thee which with praier for thy good leauing to thy best cōsideratiō wishing the acknowledging the goodnes of God in all things aboue all things to giue him all glory I end with the Prophet Dauid O al ye works of the Lord blesse ye the Lord praise him magnifie him for euer Finis A Prayer O Most gratious almighty most mercifull and holye glorious euer louing GOD who from the highest Throne of thy heauenly mercie doost vouchsafe to beholde the meanest creature on the earth aboue all with a comfortable eye of a fatherly kindenesse doost beholde man as the chiefe matter of thy workmanship and considering since his first fall by temptatiō his weaknes in resisting the like assault doost by the light of thy grace make him see the difference betwixt good and euill and by the inspiration of thy holye spirit doost leade him from the traine of sinne the true way to eternall happinesse glorious God that knowest whereof we are made that our daies are but as a shadow and we are as nothing without thee who hath reuealed to the simple and hid from the wise the secret wisdome of thy wil to me thy most vnworthy seruant hast so often shewed those fruits of thy loue that makes mee asham'd to think of my vnthankfulnesse to thy holy Maiestie my forgetfulnesse of thy grace and vnworthinesse of thy mercy Oh my Lord when I consider these things with all other the manifolde blessings that from time to time I haue receiued from the onelye bountie of thy blessed hand what can I doe but in admiration of thy greatnesse and contemplation of thy goodnesse giue glorie to thy holy Maiesty with thy chosen seruant Dauid in the griefe and shame of my sinne and only hope of thy mercie in true contrition of heart fall prostrate at thy feete and flie only to thy mercie for my comfort beseeching thee so to direct me in the waies of thy holy will that seeing thy greatnes in thy good nes thy wisdom in thy loue thy grace in thy mercie and thy glorie in thy grace and confessing my weakenesse vilenesse folly malice sloath basenes attend the worke of thy will in working mee to thy holye will giue me power to cōsider that although I read neuer so much beleeue all I reade and remember all I beleeue yet without one drop of the deawe of thy grace it will take no root in my heart but good Lord consider the corruption of nature through the infection of sinne in which I accuse not excuse my selfe vnto thee make me to know thy will let me rather crie before thee Hosanna with the little Babes then with the Pharisies make boast of my righteousnesse and as it hath pleased thy holy Maiestie to make mee consider of thy mercies so let these considerations by taking root in my hart be so comfortable to my soule that loathing the world with al the vanities therof I may in the teares of true penitence shewe the sorrow of my sin and in the ioy of thy mercie I may sing to thy glory Amen FINIS Errata First Consideration Page 4 line 3 for looke vp the heauens reade looke vp to the heauens The second Consideration page 12. line 4. for God reade good The last page of the third consideration the tenth line for deuine reade dimme
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
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
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
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