DIVINE CONSIDErations of the Soul, Concerning the excellency of God, and the vileness of man. Very necessary and profitable for every true Christian seriously to look into. By N. B. G.  
LONDON Printed by E A. for john Tappe and are to be sold at his shop on the Tower-Hill, near the Bulwark Gate. 1608   

To the right worshipful and worthy Knight, Sir Thomas Lake, one of the Clerks of his Maieiesties' Signet: health, happiness and Heaven.  
WOrthy KNIGHT The long affectionate duty, wherein I have followed your undeserved favour, hath made me study how to prove some part of my protestation: but finding my spirit by the crosses of fortune, unable to be itself, in the best nature of thankfulness, I have yet, by God's great blessing, laboured in the vineyard of a virtuous love, where having gathered those fruits, that are both pleasant and wholesome, bound up this little handful, I present them to your patience, knowing that your love to learning, your zeal in Religion, and your wisdom in judgement (being able in divine Considerations, to find comfort above the world) will vouchsafe to make that good use of them, that may give me comfort in your regard of them: but least tediousness may prove displeasing yea in matter of much worth, I will leave my labour to your liking, and my service to your employment, in which I humbly rest in hearty prayer for your much happiness.  
Yours devoted and obliged at command: NICH. BRETON.   

To the Reader.  
Many read they know not what, too many they care not what, but how necessary is it for all men before they read, to consider what they read, and to what end they bestow both time & labour in that excercise, I refer to the judgement of their discretions, who are able to find the difference betwixt good & evil: you then that read this little work to your great good, if you well digest the considerations contained in the same, Let me entreat you what you find for your good, to esteem of as you have cause, and what may be to your dislike to correct in your kind patience; in a little room is matter enough for the good consideration of a contemplative spirit, which looking towards heaven, and longing to be there, shall find such comfort in these considerations, as I hope shall give cause to gloriefie God the Author of all good, and not think a miss of me, that by his goodness have set them down for the good of all his Servants: of which number, not doubting you to be one, I leave you in this and all your good labours, to his only gracious blessing.  
Your well wishing friend, N. B   

In praise of these Divine Considerations.  

Go little Book, the jewel of delight:  
The heavenly organ, of true virtues glory:  
Which like a crystal mirror sets in sight:  
The truest tract of high jehovahes story:  
Which who so reads, shall find within the same  
Gods powerful love, to those that fear his name,   

I reading of it did much comfort find:  
And so no doubt, may every Christian do:  
That is to virtue any whit inclined:  
Such right directions doth it lead him to.  
Read then (dear friend) for here I dare well say:  
To know God truly is the ready way.   

And more, within this lttle volume here  
Who so doth read with due consideration,  
His own estate most vilely will appear:  
If not reform by heavenly meditation.  
Consider then▪ and do applaud his pain:  
That thus directs. true knwledge to obtain.   

And for myself, as having gained thereby:  
These few lines of my love shall specify:  
Pleasure attend the author that did write it:  
heavens happiness the heart that did indite it:  
True comfort be to him, that loves to read it,  
And joy betid his soul: that truly treads it   
I. T.   

A Divine Poem.  

O Lord that knewst me ere that I was known,  
And sawst the cloth before the thread was spun  
And framd'st the substance, ere the thought was grown  
From which my being in this world begun:   

Oh glorious God, that only of thy grace:  
Didst all and only to thy service make me:  
and having given me here an earthly place:  
Unto the Guard of thy fair grace dist take me.   

Of all pure bright, and ever-seeing eye:  
That seest the secret thoughts of every heart,  
Before whose presence doth apparently,  
Heaven, earth, Sea, Hell, in all and every part.   

In wisdom more O then wit can comprehend!  
That mak'st and judgest, gouern'st every thing▪  
power of all powers, on whom all powers attend,  
Spring of all grace from whence all glories spring   

From that high, holy, heavenly throne of thine:  
Where mercy lives to give thy glory grace.  
Look down a little on this soul of mine,  
That unto thee complains her heavy case.   

Oh sweetest sweet of my soul's purest sense,  
That in thy mercy, mad'st me first a creature!  
And in the truth of loves intelligence,  
The nearest image to thy heavenly Nature.   

And having framed me to thy favours eye,  
Didst with thy finger fairly write me out,  
In holy writ of heavenly Mystery,  
How I should bring a blessed life about.   

Forbidding only what might be my harm,  
Commanding only what might do me good:  
preserving me by thy almighty arm  
and feeding me with a celestial food.   

Thou mad'st the air to feed the life of nature,  
That I might see how weak a thing it is▪  
The earth, the labour of the sinful creature,  
Which bears no fruit but only by thy bliss.   

Thou mad'st the water but to cleanse or cool,  
Or serve thy creatures in their sundry use:  
That careful wit, might reason not befool  
In using nature to the soul's abuse.   

The fire thou mad'st to c●eere the chilling cold,  
With a reviving heat of natures nedde;  
That reason might in nature's ruin hold  
How far that Force might stand the life instead.   

Thus under heaven, thou mad'st these Elements  
To maintain all those creatures thou hast made,  
But so, that nature with her ornaments  
shall have a time to flourish, or to fade   

But that same heavenly fire that doth inflame  
The heart and soul with a continual heat:  
Whose love doth live but in thy holy name,  
Where faith doth mercy but for grace entreat.   

Where that did kindle, or that Coal to find,  
Or smallest piece or sparkle of the same:  
I found the eye of nature was too blind,  
To find the sense, or whence thee secret came.   

Till by the inspiration of that grace,  
That to thy servants doth thy goodness show:  
I found thy love the ever living place,  
From whence the substance of this sweet doth flow   

And when I saw within this soul of mine,  
How far thy love exceeds the life of nature,  
and nature's life, but in that love of thine,  
Which is the being of each blessed creature:   

Then I beg●n to find the foil of sin,  
And only longed to live in mercy's grace,  
and hate the world, that doth their hell begin,  
That do not long to see thy heavenly face.   

And thus perplexed in that passions grief:  
That hath no ease but in thy mercy's eye  
To thee that art the faithful soul's relief  
have I laid 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 eyes of judgement may read what is necessary for the understanding of humane reason: yea, and the best part part of the most perfect and divine contemplation, of the most gracious and blessed spirits in the world: for if it please the Almighty God of his infinite goodness, so far to inspire the soul of man with the grace of his holy spirit, as that being by the heavenly power thereof, Drawn from the world to behold the courses of higher comforts, when leaving the delights of fading vanities, he shall be ravished with the pleasures of eternal life.  
Then may he say with the Prophet David (entering into the contemplative consideration that may well be called the admiration of the greatness and goodness of God) as it is written, in the 8. Psalm verse 3. Lord when I consider the heavens, the Moon and the Stars that thou hast made, what is man (say I) that thou wilt look upon him? yea let me say unto thee (Oh man) if thou couldst with an humble spirit look into the greatness of the goodness of God in the power of his creation, in the wisdom of his workmanship, in the preservation by his grace, and in the increase, by his blessing: if with all this thou couldst note the difference of Heaven and earth, the brightness of the heavens, & the darkness of the world: the pureness of the Sun and Moon and Stars, and the dimness of the obscured light of earthly natures: the perfection of the Angels, and the corruption of man; the glory of the divine, and the disgrace of our humane nature: well mightest thou say to thyself, oh what am I? a worm, dust & ashes, & a substance of all foul and filthy corruption, that my GOD, the pure and bright, gracious, holy, good, and glotious essence of the incomprehensible Deity, will vouchsafe to cast down the least look of his mercy upon me?  
Since therefore there is nothing that can be so truly pleasing to the spirit of man, as knowledge, neither is there any thing well known but by the true consideration of the substance, nature or quality thereof: let me begin to enter into this necessary course of consideration, in which we shall find what is most necessary, fit and convenient, for the use, profit, pleasure, and honour of man; that the object of the eye, considered by the sense of the spirit, the substance digested by the power of reason, nature may find most comfort in the virtue of the application.   

Touching Consideration in general.  
FIrst, and above all things, we are to consider what is above all things to be considered; then for the excellency of the goodness in itself; and last, for the good that from it we receive: for in the instinct of nature we have planted in ourselves an insatiable desire of knowledge, whereby we find in ourselves, somewhat more than ourselves, leading us to a longing after somewhat above ourselves, which if by a light enlightening our minds we be led out of the darkness of our blinded sense of nature, to the clear beholding of the glorious brightness of God's graces, we shall see that in him only and altogether, is the infinite goodness and incomprehensible greatness of all perfect knowledge, and knowledge of all perfection; and that so much nearer cometh our nature unto the divine: as by the light of grace we feel in ourselves, an apprehension or participation of those graces, that essentially do only dwell, and are inheritant in the divine nature. To come to a plainer explanation of the first due point of consideration: every thing is to be desired for some good that it doth contain in it self, and may bring unto other: the goodness therefore of every thing, must be considered before the thing itself be effected. Then if good be for the goodness desired; the better that the good is, the more it is to be desired, and so the best good for the best goodness to be best and most desired.  
Now who is so evil, that hath the least sparkle of God's grace, but by the light of the same, doth see in the wonder of his works, the glory of his goodness? but leaving all doubts, there is no doubt to be made, that God is in himself the essence of all goodness, the first mover, the continual actor, and the infinite furnisher of all good, in thought, word & deed; where, when, & in whatsoever: this first position then granted that god is only good & the only essence of all goodness, what objection can be made, why he should not be above all things to be desired, humbly to be affected, faithfully to be loved, lovingly to be served, duly to be obeyed, and infinitely to be glorified? for the Athists, whom the Psalmist calleth fools, Psalm, 53. verse 1. that said in their hearts there is no God, because they know no good, I say nothing to them, but their souls shall find there 1 a Devil that taught them, and will reward them for their evilly but for them that know there is a God, and have a feeling of his goodness, in the comfort of his grace: let me a little speak unto them touching the points that I mean to speak of in the considaration of the greatness of God above all things, and for which for all things in all, & above all things he is to be admired, loved, and honoured: and first touching the greatness of God.   

The first consideration touching the greatness of of God.  
TO consider the greatness of God, at least that greatness in which himself only knoweth himself is incomprehensible, & therefore above the power of contemplation, meditation, & consideration of man or Angels whatsoever; for in the majesty of his power, he is incomprehensible in his wisdom; unsearchable in his graces; incomparable, and in his glory infinite: in all which he doth so far exceed the compass of all consideration, as in the humility of confession must be left only to admiration; But for so much as of his mercy he hath left to our contemplation, let us with such humility consider thereof, as may be to his glory and our comfort. Touching therefore his greatness, let us humbly lift up the eyes of our hearts to the beholding of those things, that in the excellent great workmanship of the same, we may find that there is a further greatness, than we can ever find again. Let us consider in the Creation of all creatures, his admirable power, who but spoke the word & they were made; oh powerful word, by which all things were created; and if his word was so powerful, how much more powerful is he that gave such power unto his word? loath I am to enter into particularities, to set down the greatness of his power, though the least of his works show not a little, and the greatest of his works show but a little of that greatness which his glory doth contain; where such varieties as well of the forms, as natures of creatures, aswell in their differences as agreement, in number so innumerable, as prove an infiniteness in the power of their creation, yet when the greatest of all things under the heavens, yea the heavens themselves shall wax old as doth a garment, and (as a vesture) shall be changed, how great is his power, who shall lose no part of his grace, but increase infinitely in his glory? Who hath spanned the heavens but the finger of his hand? who hath settled the earth but the word of his mouth? who hath digged the great deep, but the wisdom of his will?  
Look up the heavens, they are the works of his hands: look down to the earth, it is the work of his word: behold the Seas how they are obedient to his will: now to behold in the Sun the light of the day, the Moon and the Stars; as it were the lamps of the night; yet these so keep their courses in a continual order, that one is not hurtful to another, but all and every one in their service to man, perform their duties to their Creator: Doth not the consideration of these objects to our eyes, strike an impression in our hearts of an admirable power in the greatness of his workmanship? Again, to behold the thick clouds, whereby the Sun is obscured, the boisterous & tempestuous winds, whereby the highest Cedars are shaken, and the terrible lightning and thunders, that amaze the hearts of the beholders: are not these great proofs of a great power? But let us look down a little lower upon the earth, and consider how it is possible that so great and huge a Mass should be carried in such a circumference; Again, the world of great & huge trees in the woods, with great and strange wild beasts in the wilderness; the one to bear fruit, the other to feed and breed, as it were to an infinite increase, & yet place and food enough for all. Again, to behold the raging Seas how they roar against the banks of the earth, to whose bounds they are limited: & to consider of the great & huge fishes that make their walks in these watery paths: are not all these, spectacles, great apparent proofs, of a most great and admirable power? Again, to note the great and stout Fowls, that with the force of their wings make their passage through the air, & yet neither the lights of the heavens, the creatures in the earth, nor seas, nor birds in the air, shall longer retain their places, then standeth with the pleasure of the Almighty: Oh how admirable is that greatness to whom all things are in such obedience, which in him only having their being, are only at his will in their disposing?  
But let me come a little lower to thee: Oh man, compounded of the worst matter, the very slime of the Earth, how great a power is in thy God that hath created thee, not by his word only (as he did all other creatures in the Earth) but above them all in a Divine nature of grace; so near unto himself, as that he would in the greatness of his love, call thee his Image, & to this Image of himself, give so great a power over all his creatures, that both Sun, Moon, and Stars in the heavens, the beasts in the field, the birds in the air, the fishes in the Sea, the Trees in the woods, and the minerals in the earth, should all be subject to the disposing of thy discretion & obedient to thy command. Hath he not made the great horse to carry thee, the great Lion to be led by thee, the Bear, the Wolf, the Tiger and the Dog, yea withal other beasts, to stand afraid at the frown of thy countenance? yea doth he not coward their spirits to become serviceable to thy command? doth not the Falcon stoop her pitch to come down to thy fist, and make her fight at the Fowl, to feed thy hunger or pleasure? doth not the Dog leave his kennel, and make his course at the Dear for thy food or thy sport? doth not the fish come out of the deep waters and hang upon thy bait, for thy profit or thy pleasures? & what a greatness is this to have this command over so many creatures? but again, consider withal how much greater is that infinite greatness in thy Creator, that hath given such greatness to his Creature.  
Again, consider withal, the greatness of his glory, and glory of his greatness, that his Angels tremble at his brightness: if he touch the hills they shall smoke, and the Mountains shall melt at his presence, and no man can see him and live: so great is his Brightness, as no eye can behold: so pure his essence, as exceeds the sense of nature: so deep his wisdom, as is unsearchable in reason: & so infinite his perfection, as surpasseth the power of consideration: and therefore let us consider, that in regard of that Almighty power, in his greatness the greatest: yea, and all power without him is so great a smallness as nothing can be less.  
Again, let us in admiration of his greatness, and knowledge of his goodness, consider whom we are to think on, how we are to think of him, what we are to think of ourselves without him, and what we are only in him: For the first, whom we are to think on, is the incomprehensible Majesty of all powers, the biginner of all times, the Creator of all things, the Commander of all natures, the disposer of all properties, the life of all beings, and the endless glory of all graces: absolute in his power, resolute in his will, incomparable in his wisdom, and admirable in his work: thus I say, let us consider whom we are to think of, not a Creature but a Creator: not a King, but a King of Kings; not a power, but a power of powers; and not an Angel but GOD: now how shall we think of him? with fear and trembling, and remember the sayings of Matthew, Chapter 10. verse 28. Fear not him that can destroy the body, but fear him that can destroy both body and soul.  
And therefore when we fall into sin, let us fear the greatness of his wrath, and the great power in his fury: for though he fed Elias in the Wilderness by the Ravens, and preserved Daniel in the Den from the Lions, made the Dogs lick the sores of Lazarus, and made the Sun to stay his course at the prayer of josuah, yet, with the wicked he maketh his Creature in the vengeance of his wrath, took another course, for the Lions devoured the false Prophets: The Bears came out of the wood to destroy the children that mocked the Prophet: the dogs fed upon jesabel, and the darkness blinded the Sodomites, till fire came down from Heaven to consume them.  
Consider therefore (I say) whom we are to think on? in one word which concludeth all that can be spoken, God & not man: for in God is all greatness, without whom the greatest of all powers, is but the power of all smallness: but since so great is his greatness every way, as is no way to be comprehended, let us only know and acknowledge his infiniteness therein to be such, as we must humbly leave to admiration, and say with the Prophet David, Psalm. 1●6. vers. 26. Praise ye the God of heaven for his mercy endureth for ever.  
Now let us see what we are without him; as bubbles of water that breaks in an instant: or a blasted flower ere it be out of the bud: the shame of nature: meat for Dogs: fuel for fire: outlaws from Heaven, and Prisoners for Hell. Oh fearful state of such as fear not God: fear therefore the greatness of his wrath, lest you be consumed in the greatness of his fury.  
Now what are we to think of ourselves in him, the chosen vessels of grace, the comaunders of all earthly powers, the companion's of his Saints▪ coheirs in the heavenly Kingdom, & brethren with his blessed Son and our Saviour jesus Christ: thus great doth his greatness make his, both in this world, & in the world to come: and thus much for the first point of consideration of the greatness of God.   

Touching the goodness of God the second Consideration.  
IT is a position infallible, that of goodness can come nothing but good: God then being the only & ever true and pure essence of all goodness, of him what can be spoken but all good? is it not written, that whatsoever he created, he saw that it was good? and having made man to his own Image, the best good, how did he show to him his exceeding goodness, in giving him dominion over all his good creatures? only the Tree of life excepted, which though in itself it was good, yet in that he knew it was not good for man to meddle with, he forbade him to taste of the fruit thereof; & this good warning his good God gave him, that there might nothing but good come to him: but we may well say there is nothing good but God; it is the word of truth spoken by the Lord of life. Our Saviour jesus Christ, when the pharisees called him good Master, his answer was, why call you me good? there is none good but God: And if the only begotten Son of God would not be called good, how can this title of good, be properly given to any of his creatures? though it pleased him to say that he saw every thing was good that he created, yet it was good only respectively as it came from his goodness, and only effectively as might serve to his glory: for though the spirit of man by the grace of the holy Ghost do participate with the great blessing of God, which from his goodness proceeding, cannot be but good; yet only and altogether in God doth abide and dwell that pure essence & Eternal goodness, which may only make him be justly and properly called good.  
Now all goodness being in him and of him, and whatsoever is or may be in any part thought, or called good, must be only in respect of God, the only giver of the same: and whatsoever good we receive, is things good, & all the good that he created for the good use of man, that good knowledge, knowledge of goodness, and goodness of knowledge, the perfection whereof is only in himself, and the participation whereof should be in none but the Image of himself: this Image did he choose to make in man, and this good only to bestow upon man: now howsoever the Devil by corruption of temptation, hath drawn away the hearts of those outward men which retain in their souls small or no part of the Image of God, unto the delight of evil, yet those men that are touched with the least part of God's grace, have not only a hateful loathing of the nature of evil, 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 goodness of God elected for his best creature, his best servant and coheir with his only beloved Son in his heavenly Kingdom: he hath also elected him to that knowledge of God, that by the good thereof, may breed in him the grief of sin, unto which by corruption he is a subject, and a never-satisfied desire to enjoy the good that by faith he is assured to come unto: now as he hath elected man only, and above all his creatures to this knowledge of good, which he did as it were choose out of all his blessings, to bestow only upon man, so did he withal give him knowledge how to come to the possession of that good, to which only he is elected: Oh how infinite a goodness is this in God towards us, in this gracious benefit of our election! oh what heart can (without the ravishing joy of the soul) think upon this goodness of God towards man, that (as I aforesaid) having chosen him for his best creature, his best servant and coheir, with his bestand only beloved Son, he did not only inspire his soul with an especial knowledge above all other creatures, but with this knowledge of good, a knowledge likewise of a direct way to come unto it; which way is not to be sought in a strange country, nor among the Saints or Angels, but even here at home, and in his holy word, and that way to be only found, by the faith of that grace, that in the good creatures of God doth only work to his glory: in some, when he himself is both the way to life, and the life of the faithful. What an excellent comfort is this in one word, one truth, and one Christ; to seek and find the way to our is from the abundance of his mercy, and for the which we are bound in all humility to give him glory: let us acknowledge all goodness to be only in him, and himself the glorious Essence of the same: consider with thankfulness the good that unworthily we receive from him.  
First let us think on the goodness of God, in out election, that being the worst matter to work upon, he would show the best of his working, in framing a substance to the Image of himself: can there be any thing so good unto man as to be made the Image of God? and when in the righteousness of the soul, which is the best goodness in man, we be most like unto God? what glory are we to give unto him, who ingrafteth in our hearts such a love unto righteousness, and such a righteous love unto his grace, as that by the virtue thereof we become as it were members of his sacred body, & branches of the Tree of life: Consider I say thus, first the goodness of God in our election from the slime of the earth, the worst matter in the world to work upon, 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 lives, man only in his grace to live for ever: in himself, he is only all goodness, and from whom only being only good, we receive this first good of our election: how great a proof of the glorious essence of the goodness in God is this? that not by persuasion of Angels, nor the merit of any power of nature, this free election of man above all creatures, & under him to be Lord over them, fell unto us by the only gracious working of his holy will to his only infinite glory & our unspeakable comfort: Now let us again consider a further goodness, that from his grace we receive in our election, not only to be made the best best of his creatures, but to serve him with such love that we maic live with him in glory: he hath not only chosen us for his best creatures, but also for his best servants; yea his beloved sons, and not only sons, but coheirs with his blessed Son in the heavenly kingdom: he hath chosen us before the world, to preserve us in the world, and to take us out of the world to eternal joys above the world: Oh what tongue can express the greatness of this his goodness towards us, besides the infinite comforts, graces and blessings, that ever in this life he bestoweth upon us? he created all things could give him nothing to persuade or allure him to make us to his Image, being created: we were so poor, that we had nothing but what he gave us, & therefore could give him nothing for our creation: when he had given us dominion over his creatures, what could we give him but what was his own, and whereof he had no need, but might command at his will? nay more, what did man give him but unthankfulness in being disobedient to his commandment? and lastly being fallen through sin, so far from the state of grace that there was no means but the death of his dearest Son and our Saviour, for our redemption: what could we give him having nothing? and if we had had all the world it was but his own, and as nothing to recompense this admirable point of his goodness in our redemption: Consider then for our election we could give him nothing, and therefore it was only of his grace: for our creation we had nothing to give him, for we had nothing but what he gave us: for our redemption the least drop of the precious Blood of his dear beloved Son, was more worth than the whole world: Oh then think we could give him nothing worthy of so great a love as to die for us: with the grace of his holy spirit he doth sanctify us, and who can think or dare presume to buy that glorious blessing of him, shall with Simon Magus perish in the horror of such a sin, the least spark of his grace, being more worth than the whole world; and the world all his, and man but a creature in the world. Again, for our justification, his only righteousness in his life and death, his patience, and his Passion, is the only substance of our justification: for as we are justified by faith in his Blood, an effect of grace in the inspiration of his holy spirit: so is that precious Blood of his, the glorious ground of our belief, whereby only we are justified: our election then from grace, our creation in grace, our redemption by grace, out sanctification by grace, our justification by grace, and our glorification by grace: what hath the world, or man, if he had the whole world to purchase the least part of the glory that the only goodness of God hath in his mercy ordained and reserved for the good of man?  
Let then no man be so blind or blinded with the mist of arrogancy, as to run into merit in himself, or to mingle our salvation? Oh let us a little consider, how many are the sundry, yea and infinite varieties of God, that by the goodness of our election we receive from the mercy of the Almighty: first to be created to his own Image, to be inspired with a Divine knowledge above all his creatures, to have dominion over so many creatures, to be fearless of damnation by the assurance of our election to salvation, to use the things of the world, as if we had them not, to account the world with all the pomp and pride thereof, but as vanity, to have a loathing of sin, and a love to virtue, to be furnished of what is necessary to be defended from evil, preserved from hurt, to dread no danger, to be weary of the world, and long to be with Christ: To speak of the goodness of his bounty daily bestowed upon his creatures, as beauty to some, strength to other, to other wealth, to other wisdom, to other honour, to other divine inspirations; these I say are no small causes to make us consider of his goodness towards us: but above all, to give us himself, in his love to be with us, with his grace to guide us, with his power to defend us, with his word to instruct us, & with his holy spirit to inspite us: to find the way made for us to our eternal joys that none shall take from us, to which before the worlds & world without end, he hath only elected us: oh man how canst thou think humbly enough, thankfully enough, and joyfully enough of the goodness of thy God, in this good of thy election? in sum what goodness can be greater unto us, then to know that God to his dearest love through his beloved only dearly Son jesus Christ, hath elected us, & as it were chosen his love above all his creatures, in his Son jesus Christ our Lord and Saviour, to be bestowed upon us; i● that love to live with us, and that everliving love never to leave us here on earth; with his infinite blessings in his gracious goodness to comfort us, and in heaven to reserve a Crown of glory for us, to create us when we were not, to redeem us being lost, to preserve us from destruction, to give his dearest Son to death for our sins, to assure us of salvation, and to receive us to glory.  
All this did he, and all good that ever was, is, or ever will or can be, for us, to show and make us consider of his goodness towards us: for let us in brief a littltle consider how freely, and only of his grace he hath thus made manifest his unspeakable goodness in this our election, when we were not: we gle his corrupt actions with the pure merit of Christ jesus for his salvation; but say with job all our righteousness is as a filthy cloth, and with the Prophet David, Psalm 116. verses 11. 12. meditating upon the greatness of his goodness towards him, what shall I give the Lord for all that he hath done unto me? I will take the Cup of Salvation, and be thankful to the Lord: see here all that we are, and all that we can give him for all the good that we receive from him, bare thanks: and yet as much as he requireth, and more than from a great many (the more their shame) he receiveth.  
But let those that feel these great effects of grace in the goodness of the living God, say with the holy Prophet, Psalm 136. verse 1. be thankful to the Lord, and speak good of his name, for his mercy endureth for ever: but since so infinite is his goodness in all things and to all things, and specially to man above all things, let me only wish all men for their own good, to acknowledge all goodness only to be in the Lord, the only Author and substance thereof; & whatsoever is good in heaven or earth, is only a free gift of his grace, that must only work to his glory; the election of man to be an effect of love in the grace of his goodness, and not to dream of merit, but to give glory unto mercy, for the benefit of such a blessing, as being freely given to man, through our Lord jesus Christ by his merit, is only confirmed to the eternity of his glory: and thus much touching the goodness of God.   

Touching the wisdom of God the third Consideration.  
TO speak of the wisdom of God, is so far above the capacity of man, that it is rather with all humble reverence to be honoured and admired, then either to be spoken of or considered: yet for so much as the creature doth give glory to his Creator, in praising and with admiration beholding the excellent workmanship in the variety of his works, and finding it so far above the reach of reason, as must noedes proceed from a virtue of divine grace, he doth in contemplation acknowledge a wisdom of that excellency, that maketh him say with the Prophet David, in the 104. Psalm 24. verse, Oh how wonderful are thy works? in wisdom hast thou made them: but though the wisdom of God as it is in itself, is an other himself, and not to be comprehended of any but himself, yet the effects thereof in all things, do give him so great a praise, as make him above all things, to receive the highest of all glory: for to enter into particulars, let us begin to look into his creation, in the power whereof he showeth no small part of wisdom: as in the brightness of the Sun, Moon, & Stars, and the clearness of the sky, the courses of the Planets, & the motions of the Celestial powers: in the operations of the elements, in the perfection of proportions, in the diversity of creatures, in the wonder of art, and quickness in working: what excellent art hath he taught nature, in painting all the Trees, fruits, and flowers of the earth? yea and all the hairs, skins, feathers, and scales of beasts, fowls, and fishes? the eevennes & pureness of every one, of whom being truly considered, will startle the best wits in the due consideration of that only point of wisdom.  
Again, what a further secret cunning hath he taught nature, in perfuming so many Trees, herbs, and flowers, all growing out of this dark and dusky earth: by what wisdom he doth unite the people, and having divided the languages, how he gives the means of understanding: how he makes the fishes paths, and the ships passages through the seas, the birds walks through the air, and the Salamanders dwelling in the fire, and the worms houses in the earth: how admirable is this wisdom that so worketh all things by itself? To speak of the excellency of Arts, in the secrecy of their working, what can it finally approve but an admiration of knowledge in the master of them? But having with Solomon found by the light of grace, and experience of labour, that all things are vanity, except only the virtue of that grace, that enricheth the soul with inestimable treasure: what a point in wisdom is this, not only to instruct the soul of man in knowledge of natures, with their qualities and effects, but through the power of itself to breed a kind of spiritual knowledge in the apprehension of Faith, that in contemplation of heavenly treasure, maketh trash of the whole world.  
Oh superexellent exllencie in wisdom, that frameth the heart unto the soul, to seek out the way of life, and in the prison of the flesh, preserves it from the peril of infection; that man being created the Image of perfection, can never be destroyed by the venom of corruption, but in the days of iniquity, being guided by grace, escaping the snares of hell, shall fly to the joys of heaven.  
Consider that if man by the wisdom of God attain to this excellent knowledge, how to walk through the passages of nature, to make use of them for his service, to withstand the temptation of sin, to receive the instructions of grace, to despise the delights of the world, to bridle the affections of the flesh, and overcoming the power of death, to find the path unto life; if this I say, and more than can be said, by the instruction of the divine wisdom, man hath power to attain unto, think how infinite is that wisdom from whom only cometh the essence of this, and all knowledge: in whom it only liveth, and without only whom all is but mere ignorance: And since it is written, that the beginning of wisdom, is the fear of God; learn only that lesson, and fear to be otherwise learned: Paul thought he knew enough in Christ, & him crucified: and enough wise shalt thou be, if thou canst apply his knowledge to thy comfort.  
But to return briefly to speak of the wisdom of God, it is in the heavens so high, in the earth so large, in the water so deep, in the air so secret, and in the fire so powerful; in all things so exquisite, and in perfections so infinite, that I will only in the admiration thereof, give glory to the same, and say with the Apostle 1. Corin. chapter 3. verse 19 The wisdom of the world is foolishness before God; And again, with the Prophet David, Psalm 104. verse 24 Oh Lord how excellent are thy works in wisdom hast thou made them all. Psalm 139. verse 6. Such knowledge is too excellent for me. O all ye works of the Lord, praise him and magnify him for ever: but since so many and so infinite are the praises that may worthily be given unto it: I cannot so leave off, but I must speak 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 things for the goodness of it, it is good in, and to all things, for the greatness of it, it comprehendeth all things for the grace of it, it is gracious in all good things, and for the majesty of it, it is glorious above all things: for in the power of it is the life of virtue; in the life of it is the mercy of love; in the love of it is the blessing of grace; and in the grace of it, is the eternity of Glory: who seeketh it shall find it, who findeth it shall love it, who loveth it, shall live in it, who liveth in it, shall joy in it, and who so joyeth in it, shall be blessed by it. It is brighter than the Sun, purer than Gold, sweeter than the honey and the honey comb, and for the worth of it, it is more worth than the whole world: it beautifies nature, it rectifieth reason, it magnifies grace, and glorifieth love: it loveth humility, it advanceth virtue, it enricheth knowledge, and maintaineth honour: it laboureth in heaven for such as from heaven are preserved for heaven, to bring them to heaven: in some, it is where it is the bliss of nature, the honour of reason, the light of life, and the joy of love.  
The elect love her, the Saints honour her, & God only hath her: in sum, so much may be said of her, and so much more good than can be said or thought is in her, that fearing with the divine light of my praise, to obscure the glory of her worthiness, I will only wish the world to seek her, the godly to find her, the gracious to love her, the virtuous to serve her, the faithful to honour her, and all the creatures in heaven and earth to praise her: and so much, touching the consideration of the wisdom of God.   

The fourth Consideration touching the love of God.  
OH: who could with the eyes of wisdom, in the humility of the heart, look into the virtue of that grace that liveth in the love of the Almighty, should find that sense of sweetness, that should ravish the soul of understanding: but though it be in itself so gracious, and in grace so glorious as exceedeth the exceeding o● all praise, yet as a Molehill t● a mountain, a Fly to an Eagle or an Ant to an Elephant, le● me with the poor widow put in my mite into the treasury, in humility of my hear● to speak of the life of my soul, which being only in the love of the living God, let me speak a little in the consideration of the same, that the ungrateful world seeing their lack of grace, may blush at their blindness, & be joyful of a better light, where beholding the beauty that ravisheth the souls of the beloved, they shall find the love that is the joy of the blessed: touching the which, let me by degrees speak of such points as I find most necessary in this consideration: ●et us first I say consider this first ●oint of the love of God, that ●efore we were created for his service, we were elected in his ●oue, then to make an Image to itself, yea & as it were another itself, for the first, Romans 8. jacob have I loved, even before he had done good or evil; There is election proved in love.  
When the Angel saluted Elizabeth, with the message of her conception, was it not of john the baptist, who was sent to pronounce the word of the Lord, to make straight his way before him? and what greater proof of love, then to elect him to such a message? again, doth not Christ the Son of God pray to his Father, that as he is one with his Father, so his may be one with him? Oh how can there be so great a proof of the election of love in Christ, as by his love to be made one with him: Look I say into the excellency of this incomparable love in God towards man: first to make him to his Image, and not only by his word (as by which he made all other creatures) but as it were by a consent, or consultation of the Trinity about an especial work, to the pleasing of the Deity, as it is written: Let us make man in our own Image according to our likeness.  
But well may it be said that Nullum simile est idem, for though he were perfect in respect of our corruption, yet by his fall, it appeareth that the creature was far short of the perfection of the Creator: but being fallen from that perfection, by the venom of temptation, into the state of damnation, how great was the love of God, to effect again by himself the blessed work of his salvation? for as it is written:  
GOD so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son to death, that all that believe in him shallbe saved: again, look into the admirable love of Christ to his beloved, to come from the bosom of his Father in heaven, to his grave in the earth: to leave the service of Angels, to be skoffed of devilish creatures; to leave the joys of Paradise for the sorrows of the world; to leave his Throne in heaven, for a manger on the earth; to leave his seat of judgement, to suffer death upon the cross: well might he say as in respect of his sorrows for the sins of the world, with the punishment that he was to endure for the sins of others, himself without sin, when he felt the extremity of those pains that in the sweat of Blood and water, proved the passion of true patience, and the life of true love.  
Vt, non est dolor sicut meus, sic non est amor sicut meus; for indeed he knoweth not, nor can he judge, what love is that in his heart cannot say in honour of his love, never such love: the friend to die for his enemies; the master to die for his servants; the King to die for beggars; the Son of God, to die for the son of man: well may it be said never such love: to leave all pleasures to bring thee to all pleasures; to endure all crosses to work thee all comforts; to leave Heaven for a time to bring thee to Heaven for ever.  
What art thou that in the thought of such love, canst not say in thy heart, in the joy of thy soul, as Nullus dolor sicut eius, sic Nullus amor sicuteius: as no sorrow is like to his, so no love is like to his: doth not he truly say that can say nothing but truth? love one another as I have loved you: greater love than this cannot be, for a man to lay down life for his beloved: Oh let us a little meditate upon this excellent comfort that is unspeakable in God towards man, through his love was man created the goodlest creature: & where all other creatures have their eyes bend downward (to the earth, where they seek their food) man hath a face, looking upwards toward heaven, where the soul seeketh food above the flesh: Again, through the love of God was man made the wisest creature, to know the varieties of natures, to give names unto creatures, to note the courses of the heavens, to till the earth, and make his paths through the seas, to divide the times, to distinguish of doubts, to search into knowledge, and to know the giver and glory thereof: Again, through the love of God, man was made commander of all creatures under the Sun, Lord of all the earth, foreseer of aftertimes, messenger of the word of God, student of Divine mysteries, chief servant to the Lord of Lords, friend to the King of Kings, and coheir in the heavenly kingdom, through the love of God; he was made a servant, but as a friend, a brother and a coheir: now he that thinks on these points of love, is worthy of no love if he cannot say in his heart there was never such love: he loved man in himself, when there was none to persuade him to love him but himself; he loved man as himself, that he would have him one with himself; yea he loved man more if more could be then himself, that for man to death would give himself: he made man lovingly, he blessed man lovingly, he came to man lovingly, and died for man most lovingly: in the beginning he showed his love without beginning, and in the end will show his love without ending, he made him better than his creatures, for he made him Lord over them: he made them better than his Angels, for he made them to serve him a little lower than himself. Psalm 8. verse 5. that himself might chiefly love him: see further his love unto man as it is written, I say 49. 15: Can a Mother forget her children, yet will I never forget thee. See here love more tender than of a mother, and more careful then of any other Father: O love of loves, what love is like to this love? a kingly love, which defendeth his subjects; a lordly love, which rewardeth his servants; a friendly love, that is kind to his friends; a brotherly love that is kind to his brothers; a motherly love, that is tender to her children; a fatherly love, that is careful of his Sons; and a Godly love, that is gracious to his creatures; a faithful love that never fainteth; a bountiful love that ever giveth; a merciful love that never grudgeth, a pitiful love that ever relieveth; a mindful love, that never forgetteth; a graceful love that ever loveth.  
Now who can enter into the true and due consideration of love, worthy loving, & in the thought of this love, will not ever confess there was never such love? which regardeth nothing but love: oh how did God love Abraham for showing his love in Isaac? where God regarding more his will then his work, would not suffer the sacrifice of his Son, but so loved him, as besides many other great favours that he did him, could say within himself (when he had determined a destruction of his enemies) shall I hide from my servant Abraham what I will do? as though he would keep nothing from his beloved that he knew fit for his knowledge: Again, how loved he Eliah that he would never let him see death? how loved he his servant David that he made him to his own heart? how loved he the blessed Virgin to make her the mother of his blesssed Son? how loved he john the evangelist, to let him lean in is bosom? how loved he Paul to bring him from idolatry? & how loved he Peter to forgive him when he had denied him? how loved he Lazarus when he wept over him, how loved he Mary Magdalen when he disposs est her of fowl spirits, and at his Resurrection let her behold him? and how loved he the Thief when he carried him into heaven with him?  
To recite all the points of his particular love to a world of unworthy persons, were more than a world could set down but for so much as I have said, and more than may be said of his love, I am persuaded, that if we consider the power, the grace, the wisdom, the bounty, the pity, the majesty, the mercy, the patience, the passion, the sorrow, the labour, the life, and the torments of his love, for our love; he hath no feeling of love, or is worthy of no love, that will not in the joy of his soul's love, give all glory to this love, and say with the Prophet David. Psalm 31. verse 23. Love him all ye his Saints, praise him and magnify him for ever. For as there was never such a sorrow as he hath endured for us, so is there no such love as he hath to us, and in his mercy doth ever show us. When he came first into the world, he came as an infant, to show us the mildness of his love in further years: he came as a doctor in the wisdom of his love, to teach us the way unto eternal life, in the virtue of his love: he came as a Physician to cure us of all diseases: in the power of his love, he came like himself as a God to drive out the Devils from us: and in the meekness of his love, came as a Lamb to be sacrificed for us: & in the care of his love, at the right hand of his father, is now a Mediator for us, & in the glory of his love, into the possession of our inheritance, that he hath purchased for us: will receive us: oh mild! oh wise! oh virtuous! oh powerful! oh meek! oh careful! oh glorious love! who can think of this love, and in the true glory of true love, cannot most truly say, there was never such love! no, as Non est dolor sicut eius, so Non est Amor sicut eius. And thus much touching the consideration of the love God.   

The fifth consideration of the mercy of God.  
IN this admirable virtue of the love of God, I find the great and gracious work of his mercy towards man, which Considering the wickedness of our nature, and the woefulness of our estate, is necessary to be considered: for so far had the temptation of the Devil poisoned the heart of man, as through the sin of pride, sought not only to drive him out of Paradise, but (in as much as he might) to throw him down into hell, when the Angel of his wrath was sent to give him punishment, yet wrought his mercy so with his justice, as saved him from perdition: yea, though he cursed the earth for the sins of his creature, yet he blessed his labour with the fruit of his patience, and reserved for his belief a joy in his mercy: Look through the whole course of the Scripture, how his mercy ever wrought with his justice, yea, & as it were had oftentimes the upper hand of it: as in the time of Noah, when sin had made as it were the whole world hateful in his sight, that he said within himself he repented that he had made man, yet in his mercy he made an Ark to save Noah and his Children, yea, and of all living creatures, reserved some for generation: in Sodom and Gomorrah he saved Lot & his Daughters: & yet Adam deserved nothing but destruction for his disobedience. Noah deserved no grace for his drunkenness, not Lot any favour for his Incest, & yet mercy so wrought with justice, that God not only for gave their sins, but blessed their repentance: such hath enerbene, is, and ever will be the mercy of God unto man, as so far doth mitigate the fury of his justice, as reserveth comfort for the penitent. Oh how sweet are the reports and proofs of the mercy of god unto man in all the world! For is it not written by the Prophet David, Psa. 145. vers. 9 His mercy is over all his works? And again, speaking of his mercy, Ps. 103. 13 As a father pitieth his own Children, so is the Lord merciful unto all that fear him, and in Psa. 103. verse 12. As far as the East is from the west, so far hath he set our sins from us: and in the 136. Psalm, through every verse, speaking to all his works, both in heaven & earth, he useth these words. Bless him and praise him, for his mercy endureth for ever. In mercy he turned his wrath from the Israelits when Moses stood in the gap: in mercy he saved Moses' floating in the reeds: in mercy he preserved the children in the surnace of fire: in mercy he preserved the the Israelites from the host of Pharaoh: in mercy he preserved David, and delivered him from all his troubles: in mercy he delivered joseph from the pit and the prison: in mercy he sent▪ his Prophets to warn the world of their wickedness, and to pronounce comfort to the penitent: in mercy he sent john Baptist, to deliver the tidings of salvation: and in mercy he sent his only Son jesus Christ to be a Saviour of all his people: Oh infinite mercy, worthy of infinite glory! Consider again how powerful is his mercy in all his works, to feed five thousand people with a few Loaves and Fishes, and with the fragments to fill more baskets than the Loaves when they were whole: to heal the deceased that touched but the hem of his garment: to give sight to the blind, knowledge to the simple, health to the sick, soundness to the lame, comfort to the penitent: to drive the Devils from the possessed: to give life to the dead, and joy to the faithful.  
These words of glorious mercy, doth the most gracious and glorious word of truth plainly and truly lay before us, to make us with the holy Prophets justly say: Oh the infinite light and bottomless depth of the mercies of our God Glory be to the Lord, for his mercy endureth for ever.  
Again, how absolute he is in his mercy, where he saith, I will have mercy, where I will have mercy, and therefore be free both in his power and will, hath mercy for all that will humbly and faithfully call upon him: and again, all are under sin, that all may come to mercy: Oh how all glorious is that mercy which is extended over all!  
Let us therefore look a little into the blindness of man, in the imagination of his own merit, of the mercy of the living God, which is only a fruit or effect of grace, or free gift of his only glorious love. How did Adam merit mercy, when he fled from his presence? What merited Moses when he angered the Lord? What merited Noah when he was drunkens? What merited Lot when he committed Incest? What merited the Israelites with their golden Calf? What merited David when he committed murder and adultery?  
Again, what merited Mary Magdalen that had seven Devils within her? what merited Paul that persecuted Christ in his people? what merited Peter that denied his master? & what merited the world to work the death of the Son of God? all & every one (in the judgement of justice) nothing but damnation. Look then into the inexplicable glory of the mercy of God, which not only forgave all these, but saved all, and blessed all, and so will ever, all those whom and wheresoever, that ashamed are of their sins, and confessing their merit of nothing but wrath and destruction, in the humble faith of repentance, fly only to the mercy of God in the merit of Christ jesus for their salvation. Oh the powerful mercy in the love of God, that will not suffer his justice to execute his wrath upon sin! and though such be the pure and glorious brightness of his grace, as cannot endure the foul and filthy object of sin, yet doth his mercy so rule the power of his wrath, as will not let him destroy the sinner with his sin: many are the afflictions that he layeth upon his beloved: many are the corrections that he useth to his Children: many are the sorrows that he inflicteth upon his Elect, but all is for sin) in the love of a Father, in the care of a Master, & mercy of a God) as only means to purge them of those evils 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 saved from destruction; & by the regeneration of grace, brought to eternal salvation: Oh the virtuous, gracious, and glorious nature of mercy, which hath such power with God in the preservation of his people! It keekeepeth the fire that it fall not from heaven to consume us: it keepeth the water that it riseth not to drown us: it keepeth the air that it doth not infect us: & keepeth the earth that it doth not swallow us: it keepeth us in peace that dissension do not spoil us: it keepeth us in plenty that want do not pinch us: it keepeth us in love that malice cannot hurt us: and keepeth us to God that the Devil cannot confound us.  
In sum, it is a gift of grace, a work of glory, a bounty in God, & a blessing to man, to speak of these days wherein we live, and of the late times which we cannot forget: Let us a little consider the mercies of God towards us, how often were we preserved from foreign enemies by Sea, and civil or uncivil enemies at home; when not the policy of man, but the only mercy of god did break the forces of the one, and reveal the devices of the other? And while our Neighbour Countries by continual wars have shed a world of blood, we have been preserved in increase of people: and while they have been mourning in the punishment of sin, we have been singing in the joy of grace: oh how are we bound to give glory unto God for the abundance of his mercy, and say with the Prophet David, Psal. 136. verse. 26, Great is the God of Heaven, for his mercy endureth for ever. But as I said of love, the life of mercy; so of mercy the glory of love: since it is so infinite in goodness, as exceedeth in worthiness the height of all praise that the heart of man can think, or the tongue of man can express, I will only say with the Prophet, Psalm. 106. verse. 1. to all powers whatsoever. Bless ye the Lord and praise him, for his mercy endureth for ever.  
And thus much touching the consideration of the mercy of God.   

The sixth consideration of the grace of God.  
IN the mercy of God, finding so great a measure of his grace as in the bounty of his goodness deserveth no little glory, I cannot but with admiration speak of that grace, that through his love made him have such a favour unto man, as to elect him to his love, 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 preserve him in his mercy: to die for him in his love, and to receive him to glory: all these and what ever other good we receive, either through the love or mercy of God, are free gifts of his grace, and not for any merit in man, How can this beam of glorious brightness be beheld with the eyes of humility, but that the soul would be ravished with the contemplation thereof? and say with the Psalmist, Psalm. 103. verse. 8. Gracious is the Lord, and merciful, long suffering, and of great goodness. Furthermore, of so great effect in the working of comfort in the hearts of the faithful, is this virtue of grace in God, that we find the writings of the Apostles in their Epistles, commonly to begin with this word Grace: Grace, mercy and peace from our Lord and Saviour jesus Christ: As if from grace came mercy, and from mercy peace. Oh consider the works of grace, our election out of a special favour: our creation out of a gracious wisdom: our vocation out of a gracious kindness: our sanctification out of a gracious holiness: our justification out of a gracious merit: our redemption out of a gracious love, & our glorification out of a gracious mercy. So that still we see that grace worketh in all things to the only glory of God, in whom it worketh to the good of man. Oh how sweet a salutation was delivered to the blessed Virgin Mary by the Angel Gabriel, Hail Mary full of grace, God is with thee. So that if God be with any soul, it is full of grace, & where the fullness of grace is, there is surely God: but as it is written of Christ jesus, Psalm. 45. vers. 7. That he was anointed with the Oil of Grace above his fellows, So may we well say of the Grace of God, it is so excellent in working to the Glory of God, that as it is infinite in goodness, so must it have the same measure in glory, I say, to be glorified above all things. Note a little the varieties of the gifts of this grace of God unto his servants: Moses he made a leader of his people, and gave him the tables of the law: to Abraham he gave the blessing that should follow in his seed: in Isaac shall the seed be called: at the prayer of Eliah, he sent rain after a long drought: to David he gave a kingdom, and a treasure more worth than many kingdoms, the enlightening knowledge of his holy love, the spirit of prophesy, the confession of sin, the repentance of offence, the passion of true patience, the constancy of faith, and the humility of love. To Solomon he gave especial wisdom to sit in the Throne of judgement with the greatest majesty and wealth of any earthly creature in the world, To the blessed Virgin Marie he gave the fullness of grace, in the conception of his only Son; but to him he gave that grace that filled heaven and earth with his glory.  
Let us then consider not only the virtue, goodness and glory of grace, but with all, the height and glory thereof; which being only in jesus Christ our only Lord and Saviour, let us in him only behold the sum and substance, the beauty & brightness, the goodness and glory thereof, & forsaking ourselves in the shame of our sins, only fly to his mercy for the comfort of those blessings, that receiving only from him, may make us give all honour and glory to him.  
And so much for consideration upon the grace of God.   

The seventh consideration of the glory of God.  
Having thus considered of the greatness, the goodness, the wisdom, the love, the mercy & grace of God towards man, I cannot but find in this good God, an admirable glory, who containing all these excellencies in himself, and being indeed the very essence of the same, doth in the virtue of his bounty, appear so gracious unto this people: But since to speak or think of the glory of God, or the least part thereof, is ●o far above the reach of the power of reason, as in all confession must be only left to admiration: Let me only say with the Apostle, Glory only belongeth unto the Lord, in his presence so glorious is his brightness as nothing can see him and live: and therefore in a bush of fire he spoke, but not appeared unto Moses: upon the mount in a cloud and a pillar went before his people in the wilderness: was as it were enclosed in the Ark; in an Angel did appear unto his Prophets, and in his Son jesus Christ, so far as he would and might be seen to his Apostles and Disciples, but for his glory, his divine essence cannot be seen of any but himself, verified by his own word, john 1. chap. verse 18. No man hath seen the Father but he that came from the Father, even the Son of man that hath revealed him: and again, verse 28 I came from the Father, and I go to the Father, for the Father & I am one, with his glory he filleth both heaven & earth, as it is written, Heaven and earth are full of the Majesty of thy glory: and again, in the Psalm 19 verse 1. The heavens declare the glory of God, and the firmament showeth his handy work, his works speak of his glory, his Saints write of his glory, his Angels sing of his glory, and all powers do acknowledge his glory.  
It is higher than the Heavens, larger than the Earth, deeper than the Sea, purer than the fire, clearer than the sky, brighter than the Sun: The power of strength, the life of Love, the virtue of mercy, the beauty of grace, the honour of Wisdom, and the Essence of Majesty: The Angels tremble before it, the Saints fall at the feet of it, the Prophets behold it a far off, and the souls of the elected do adore it: and being then so far above the power of man, to come nearer the thought of it: How can the heart of man but in admiration speak of it? it lives in the wisdom of the wise, in the virtue of the valiant, in the liberality of the Charitable, in the patience of the Temperate, in the virginity of the chaste, in the constancy of the faithful, in the humility of the loving, & in the truth of the Religious: it dyrects the will of the Trinity in the unity of the Deity: it commands the service of the Angels, it blesseth the prayers of the Saints, it pardoneth the sins of the repentant, it prospereth the labours of the virtuous, and loveth the souls of the righteous: in sum, it is the Majesty of Majesties, the power of powers, the virtue of virtues, the grace of graces, the honour of honours, the Treasure of treasures, the Blessing of blessings, and the being of beings: and in all effects so near unto God himself, that as he is in his glory incomprehensible, so is the same for the infinite perfection of all worthiness inexplicable; it drove out of Paradise the disobedient to the command of it; it made the earth swallow the murmurers against the will of it; it sent fire from heaven, to consume the Captains that came against the servant of it; it divided the Sea to make a walk for the chosen of it; it made the same Sea to drown the host of the enemies of it; it sent destruction upon the Cities that wrought abomination in the sight of it; it drowned the world for sinning against it; and hath cursed the jews for the death of the beloved of it: in sum, it is in all so far beyond all that can be said or thought of it, in the infiniteness of excellence, that in humility of adoration I will leave it to the service of the wise, the love of the virtuous, the honour of the blessed, and the admiration of all.  
And thus much for consideration of the glory of God.    

The second part of consideration concerning man: and first touching the weakness or smallness of man.  

Having now set down a few notes touching the necessary consideration of the greatness, goodness, wisdom, love, mercy, grace and glory of God, Let me a little speak of the contrarieties in man, in mine opinion not unnecessary to be considered: and first, of the weakness or smallness of man: First of his smallenesse touching the substance of his creation, it was of the slime of the earth, then what could be less, or of less force, quantity or esteem? Next for the substance of generation, what was man before the meeting of his Parents? not so much as a thought, than which nothing could be less, then by the effect of consent, What was his substance? as in his creation a matter of like moment, the quantity not great, and the force little, contained in a little room: bred up in darkness with pain and sorrow, fed by the navel without use of sense or member. Then come into the world, is in quantity little, in strength mere weakness, naked and feeble like anowne adjective that cannot stand alone, crieth for it knoweth not what, either pain that it cannot express, or for want of that it cannot ask for: Now continuing long time in this weakness, being come to further years, what doth it find but it own imbecility, desiring that it cannot have, beholding that it cannot comprehend, and enduring that it cannot help.  
Subject to sin, by the corruption of nature, by temptation of the flesh, by the enchantment of the world, and the iclousnesse of the Devil: subject to the burning of the fire, to the drowning of the water, to the infection of the air, to the swallowing of the earth: subject to sickness, subject to care, to sorrow, to want, to wrong, to oppression, to penury, to ignorance, to presumption, to tyranny, to death: so unable to defend himself, that a flea will bite him, a fly will blind him, a worm will wound him, and a gnat will choke him.  
And for his senses, his hearing may grieve him, his sight may annoy him, his speech may hurt him, his feeling may distemper him, his smelling may infect him, and his tasting may kill him: in sum, poor thing proud of nothing, come of little better than nothing, and shall return to (almost) as little a● nothing: must hunger, must thirst, must labour, must sleep, must lose the use of his senses, and commit himself to trust: must wax old, must die, cannot choose, hath no power to withstand any of these: and though he have the command of creatures, is but himself a creature, and can no longer live then to the will of the Creator: sees the Sun, cannot behold the brightness: heareth the winds, knows not whence they blow: feels the air, knows not how to lay hold of it: sees the fire, dares not touch it: sees a world of earth, but possesseth little of it, perhaps none of it: looks at Heaven, but cannot come at it: and in sum, as a substance of nothing, or if any thing, like a Clock, that no longer moveth then by the will of the Clockemaker: So no longer man than in the will of his maker: what shall this little, weak, small creature think, when he shall in the glass of true sense behold the object of himself, and then think upon the greatness of his God, in whom not only himself but all creatures in heaven & earth have their being, and without him have no being? in how little a compass himself, withal his is contained, while such is the greatness of his God, as filleth heaven and earth with his glory; who comprehendeth all things, not comprehended in any, nor all; but above all in himself, in the infiniteness of himself. Oh poor man what canst thou do, but with job lay thy finger on thy mouth, and say: I have spoken once and twice, but I will speak no more: I thought I was something, but I see I am nothing, at least so little a thing, as in itself is nothing: My righteousness is as a filthy cloth, my strength is Weakness, my days as a shadow, my life but a span, and my substance so small, as but in thee my God is as nothing or worse than nothing at all: thus I say wilt thou say when beholding the least of gods creatures, thou shalt consider thine own smallness; and looking on the one and the other with the Prophet David, say in the admiration of his glorious goodness, Psalm 8. vers. 4. O God what is man that thou dost vouchsafe to look upon him?  
And thus much touching the smallness or weakness of man.   

The second Consideration, touching the vileness or wickedness of man.  
NOw I have a little spoken of this smallness or small strength of man, a thing doubtless most necessary for every man to think upon, least finding his greatness in command over the creatures of the earth, he forget the Creator both of heaven and earth, & all things in the same: so let me tell him, that finding his smallness to be so great, and his greatness to be so small, as maketh him nothing more than in the will of the Almighty, he must withal look into the vileness of his nature, in the wilful offending of his most good and glorious God▪ for in his first offence, how much did he show the vile wickedness or wicked vileness of his condition, in forgetting the goodness of his God, in framing him of so vile a matter as the slime of the earth, a living creature to his own glorious image? then to plant him in Paradise, a place of so much pleasure, to give him so large a possession, as of all his ground, his fruit, yea & command of all his creatures upon the earth: thus not like a Lord, but like himself Lord of Lords, to give him a world of earth, & there only to except one Tree, with a sharp warning of death, in the touching of the same, when neither his love in his creation, his bounty in his possession, nor his care in his command regarded, but either carelessly forgotten, or wilfully disobeyed: Oh what greater vileness could be showed then in such unthankfulness? and what greater greater wickedness, then to shake hands with the Devil, to offend the God of so much goodness? but more to make him blush at his own shame, in beholding the foulness of his abominable filthiness, let man in the glass of truth see the leprosy of his soul, by the infection of sin.  
Pride hath defiled humility, covetousness charity, lechery chastity, wrath patience, sloth labour, envy love, and murder pity: so that whereas man was before in these virtues a creature of God's love, and in whose presence he took pleasure, now through these vices is he become a most ugly and hateful creature in the sight of the Creator: what Peacock more proud of his tail then man is of his trumpery? what Tiger is more cruel to any beast, than one man to another? what Goat more lecherous than the licentious libertines? what Dog more covetous in hiding of meat, than the dogged miser in hoarding up of money? what Snake more venomous than the tongue of the envious? and what Dormouse so sleepy as the slothful Epicure?  
Consider then if there be a vile nature in any of these, how much more vile is man, that hath the condition of all these?  
Oh should a man have his Image or proportion drawn according to his condition, how monstrous would he find himself? with a tigers head, a goats beard, a Snakes tongue, a hog's belly, a Dormouse cie, and a bears hand: But let the Image go, and look into the vileness of man, and see if it be not such as passeth the power of description: when God is forgotten, the Devil shallbe remembered; when grace is forsaken, sin shallbe entertained; and when Christ shallbe crucified, judas shallbe moneyed.  
A Dog will fawn on his master, Oh how much worse than a Dog was man that was the death of his master? an Elephant is a monstrous beast, and yet is pitiful to man, & will lead him out of the wilderness: but man more monstrous than any beast, will lead man into wickedness: the Goat hath his time, wherein to show the heat of his nature, but man spareth no time to follow the filthiness of his lust: the Dog will be satisfied with a little that he hath hidden, but the usurer is never satisfied till he be choked with his Gold: the Lion will not pray upon the blood of a Lamb, when the murderer will not spare the blood of the infant: the Ant will work for provision for his food, while the Epicure will burst in the bed of his ease.  
See then (oh man) the vile substance of thy condition, whereby, of the best creature in thy creation thou art become the worst in thy corruption: & therefore looking on the goodness of thy God, and the vileness of thyself, Thou mayest well say with Peter: Luke chap. 5. verse 8. Lord come not near me, for I am a polluted creature, and with the Prophet David, Psa 44. ver. 16. Shame hath covered my face, yea and beholding the leprosy of thy soul by the spots of thy sin, stand without the gates of grace, that the Angels may not abhor thee, nor the Saints be infected by thee, till thy heavenly Physician with the Blood of the Lamb have cured thee of thy corruption: Look I say (oh vile man) upon the wickedness of thy will, to offend thy good God, to be a servant to sin, the ruin of thyself, and the plague of thy posterity.  
In thy riches see the rust of covetousness; in thy pride see the fall of Lucifer; in thy lechery see the fire of lust; in thy wrath see the blood of murder; in thy sloth see the filth of dross: and thus beholding thy besmeered soul, see if thou canst see so vile a creature, vile in unthankfulness, vile in haughtiness, vile in covetousness, vile in slothfulness, vile in furiousness, vile in filthiness, and so vile, in all vileness.  
Thus I say look into thyself, and see what thou art, and if such thou be not, think of the greatness of the goodness in thy God, that by the virtue of his power in the mercy of his love, hath healed thee of thy sin, & made thee fit for his service, which till thou findest in thyself, think there is not so vile a creature as thyself.  
And thus much touching the vileness or wickedness of man.   

The third Consideration, touching the folly or Ignorance of man.  
THe smallness and vileness of man thus considered, we are now to look a little upon the folly or ignorance of man, not a little needful with the precedents & what shall follow to be considered: First, to the first point of folly; could there be a greater folly thought upon, then to lose the benefit of Paradise, for the bit of an Apple, for touching one tree to lose all, to lose the pleasure of ease, to labour for food, to forget god, to listen to women, to distrust God and to believe the Devil; to lose the beauty of perfection, for the foulness of corruption; and as much as in him lay, to leave heaven for hell: are not these (without comparison) so high points in ignorance, as make a full point in folly? But leaving the first folly of the first offender, Oh what a swarm of follies hath this ignorance begotten in the world? which like Snakes in a Beehive, sting the takers of misstaken honey? what a folly is it in man to worship a golden calf, which at the hour of his death, can give his body no breath, but in the time of his life, may hasten his soul into hell? For example read, the history of Dives, and see the fruit of such a folly.  
Again, what a folly is it for man to make an Idol of his fancy, when Samson with his Dalila may show the fruit of wantonness? Again, what a folly it is to execute the vengeance of wrath, Let the murder of Cain speak in the blood of his brother Abel: what a folly is envy, let the swallowing of Coran, Datha● and Abiram speak in their murmuring against Moses: what a folly is pride, look in the fall of Lucifer: But as there are many great follies in the world, so there are many and great fools; but above all, one most great fool which we may justly call fool by the word of God, Psalm 53. verse 1. The fool hath said in his heart, there is no God: This fool do I hold the fool of all fools, who hath been so long with the Devil that he hath forgotten God, for he is more fool than the Devil, who will acknowledge God, tremble at his Majesty, and be obedient to his command; & therefore I may well say, that he is not only a devilish fool, but worse than a Devil fool, and so the fool of all fools: Now to speak of follies in particular, nor of a number of Idle fools, such as when they are gay, think they are rich, or when they can prate they are wise, or when they are proud they are noble, or when they are prodigal they are liberal, or when they are miserable they are thrifty, or when they can swagger they are valiant, and when they are rich they are honest:  
These and a world of such idle fools, lest I should be thought too much a fool, for standing too much upon the fool, I leave further to talk of, & hoping that the wise will confess, that all the wisdom of the world is foolishness before God; and therefore man finding in himself so little touch of true wisdom, as may make him then confess all the wit he hath to be but mere foolishness without the grace of God, in the direction thereof. I will leave what I have written unjustly to the correction of the wise, and for the unwise, to the amendment of their indiscretion: and thus much touching the consideration of the folly of man.   

The fourth Consideration, touching malice or hate in man.  
NOw having spoken mine opinion, touching the foolishness of man, I find that folly or ignorance of better judgement, to have begotten in him a kind of malice or hate, as it were opposite or contrary to the love of God, or at the least contrary to that love which God commandeth to be in man, where he saith: john chap. 13. verse 34. Love one another as I have loved you: for in some wicked people it is too apparent, which I may rather term Devils than men, those Atheistical villains, that if they have not their wills will not only murmur against God, but with jobs wife seem to curse God; and with the Devil blaspheme God: may not these justly be called the reprobate, that but looking towards heaven, dare stir up athought against the glory thereof: and being themselves but earth, dare move against the Great or of heaven and earth.  
Oh how hath the Devil had power with man, so to poison his soul with the venom of temptation, as by the power of the corruption, to bring him to etrrnall confusion? but as the Devil through his malice at the greatness of God, was cast down from Heaven, so hath he ever since and during his time will, by the same poison, in as much as he can, keep man from Heaven: but leaving to speak of the ungracious, ungrateful and malicious nature in some man towards God, most grievous to be spoken of: let me come to the malice or hate of man to man, 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 soul unto eternal death! Gen. chap. 4. ver. 8. what need I to allege examples, either in the book of God, or words of books in the world, touching that vile & hellish nature or humour of malice in the corrupted nature of man, when it is daily seen even almost in all kingdoms, Countries, Cities, and Towns, to be an occasion of civil discord, yea and sometime of great and long wars, to the utter spoil of many a common wealth: do not we see even sometime before our eyes, how many are hated even for the good that is in them? and for the good that they intent to them that hate them? when a wise man reproveth a fool of his folly, will not the fool hate him for being wiser than himself, or for telling him of his folly? yea, will he not carry it in mind many a day, and work him a mischief if he can, for his good, and as the jews did with Christ, put him to death for teaching them the way of life, hate him for his love, and kill him for his comfort? Oh malicious nature in the heart of man! if the law give land to the right heir, will not the wrong possessor hate both the heir for his right, and the law for giving it him, though himself would be glad if the case were his own to have it so? if two friends be suitors for one fortune, if the one carry it, is it not often seen, that the other will hate him for it? yea, of a friend become a foe, for enjoining that he should ever have had if the other had miss it? is it not often seen that upon a humour of jealousy a man will hate his wife, and the wife her husband, the son the father, and the mother the daughter, brother and sister, neighbour and neighbour, and all one another sometimes for a trifle, & that with such a fire of malice, as is almost unquenchable. Oh how too full are the Chronicles of the world, of the horrible and miserable Tragedies, that have proceeded out of that hellish spirit of malice, that hath spit her poison through the hearts of a great part of the whole world, to the destruction of a world of the inhabitans therein?  
Let me a little speak of this wicked spirit, and how it wrought the fall of Lucifer from Heaven (through his malice) at the Majesty of the Almighty: again, being fallen from Heaven, how it wrought in him the fall of Adam, envying his blessed happiness in Paradise, and therefore by temptation, sought in as much as he could, his destruction: In Cain it wrought an unnatural hatred to the death of Abel: in Esawe it wrought an unbrotherly hatred to the great fear of jacob: in Pharaoh it wrought an unkindly hatred to the poor Isralites, because they throve by their labours under him & increased in his kingdom: it wrough a hate in the children of jacob to their brother joseph, because their father loved him in brief, you shall find in the whole Scripture the hate of the wicked unto the godly, because God blesseth them: and as in the divine writ, even in these our days, do we not see the good hated of the evil? which being the spirit of so much wickedness, as worketh so much mischief, what doth it differ from the Devil? Truly I think I may well say, that as it is written, God is charity and he that dwelleth in charity dwelleth in God, and God in him: so contrarily the Devil is malice and he that dwelleth in malice dwelleth in the Devil, & the Devil in hlm: But where God entereth with his grace, the Devil hath no power with his malice, and though he drove Adam out of Paradise, yet he could not keep him out of Heaven: and therefore of greater power is the mercy of God, than the malice of the Devil: but seeing such is the vile nature of malice, as doth figure nothing more truly than the Devil, let no man that can truly judge of it, but hate it as the Devil, which maketh a man, in whom it is hateful unto God, wicked unto man, thrown down out of Heaven, and cast into hell, from which God of his mercy bless all his servants for evermore: and thus much touching the consideration of the hate or malice in man.   

The fifth Consideration of the cruelty in man.  
NOw as it is evident by too many proofs, that one evil begetteth another, so in this it appeareth that from the hate or malice of man, proceedeth the cruelty or tyranny executed upon man: for what beast in the world was ever found so tyrannous unto another, as one man hath been to another? yea such a power hath tyranny in the hearts of some men, as hath been the spoil and death of many a thousand: what tyranny did the jews show in the crucifiing of our blessed Saviour jesus Christ, which did proceed, not out of any desert in him (who deserved all love and honour of all people) but out of a malicious humour yfused into their souls by the power of the wicked find? examples of this vile and pestilent humour, not only the books of God, as well in the old as the new Testament, as in many lamentable histories extant to the whole world, is too full of the persecution of the Prophets and the chosen people of God, by the wicked and unbelieving Princes, and people of the world; some their eyes put out, other their tongues cut out, some broiled upon hot Iron, other boiled in scalding lead: some torn in pieces with horses, some flayed quick, some starved to death, other tortured with unspeakable torments, in some for the displeasure conceived of some one, how many thousands have suffered either death, or undoing, or both: when whole houses, whole Cities, yea and almost whole Kingdoms, by the bloody execution of tyranny, have been brought almost to utter confusion: a Lion when he hath licked his lips after warm blood, returns to his den and takes his rest: the Dog if he fight with his match, if he run away from him, and cry, he seldom pursues him, and if he kill him, he leaves him, and as it were mourning goeth from him, that he hath been the death of him: & so of many other beasts, Wolves, Tigers, and such like death, or flight satisfies their cruelty: But man more fierce than the Lion, more bloody than the Wolf, more tyrannous than the Tiger, and more dogged than the Dog, will never be satisfied, till he see the death and seek the ruin of the father, child, wife, and servant, kindred and generation, and never taketh rest through fear of revenge, so that he is not only tyrannous unto other, but through the vexation of his spirit, is become even a torment unto himself, while fear and wrath keep him in continual perplexities: Oh how unnatural, how monstrous in this horrible disposition have many been in the world, some murdering their own children, yea in the time of their infancy, some their parents, some their brethren, some their Princes, some their Prophets, some their masters, some their servants? what cruelty, yea more than in any beast, will many such a one show to another in pride, malice, orrevenge? the examples whereof the world is every day too full of: what Butcher can more cruelly tear in pieces the limbs of a beast, than one man in his malice will the very heart of another? what scourges, what terrors, what tortures and what unhumaine kind of mortal punishments, hath man devised for man no less intolerable than inexplicable? in some the cries, the blood, the sorrows, the miseries of the murdered, the imprisoned, the afflicted, and the distressed, through the oppression of pride, and the tyranny of wrath, may very well even from Abel to Christ, and from him to the world's end, sufficiently conclude the condemnation of man, for the greatest tyrant in the world.  
And thus much touching the consideration of the cruelty or tyranny in man.   

The sixth Consideration of the baseness of man.  
Having now spoken of the smallness, the vileness, the foolishness, the hate, and the cruelty in man, let me a little show him the baseness of his condition, in going from that nature of grace wherein he was created, unto that horror of sin by which he is confounded-God in his gracious nature made him like unto himself in holiness, pureness, and righteousness, and through these graces, amiable in his sight, sociable for his Angels, and coheir with his blessed Son in the paradise of the soul: what greater title of honour, then to wear a Crown? what Crown so rich as of grace? what grace so high as in Heaven? and what glory so great as to be gracious in the sight of God: all which was man? (through grace) assured of, and through the lack, careless, whereof, hath not only lost all, but through sin is become ugly in the sight of God, banished the court of Heaven, and through the drossy love of the world become a slave to the Devil in hell. What baseness can be more than man by sin hath thus drawn upon himself? who while he should look towards Heaven, is digging in the earth, while he should think upon Heaven is puzzled in the world, and while he should be soaring towards Heaven, is sinking into hell: Oh base wretch, that seeing the shameful nature of sin, will yet so be meire his soul with the filth thereof, that of the best and noblest creature, he becometh the worst and most base of all other. Will the Spaniels leave their master to carry the tinker's budget? will the horse leave the warlike rider to draw in a cart? and will man leave the King of Heaven to serve a slave in hell?  
Oh baseness of all baseness! in Heaven is man a companion for the Saints, the virgins, the martyrs and the Angels: In hell for the fiends, ugly spirits, and horrible Devils.  
And is not he of a base spirit, that will leave the heavenly for the hellish company? fie upon the baseness of man, that by sin will be brought unto so base a nature: there is no place so base as hell, which is called the bottomless pit, the receptacle of all filthiness, the cave of the accursed, the den of the desperate, the habitation of the reprobate, the horror of nature, the terror of reason, the torment of sin, the misery of time, the night of darkness, and the endless torture, where Serpents, Dragons, Night-ravens, and Shrich-owles, make the best music in the ears of the damned; where all objects are so ugly, all substances so filthy, all voices so frightful, all torments so continual, all pains so pitiles, all care so comfortless, and all hurt so helpless, that if a man through sin were not worse than a beast, he would not show more baseness then in the most beastly nature of the most beastly creature: what shall I say? such is the baseness of sin in the embasing of our spirits, and so base are our spirits in the yielding to the baseness of sin, that I must conclude with the Prophet David (thinking of the glory of God, and the baseness of man) Oh what is man that thou O God wilt vouchsafe to look upon him? And so much in brief touching the consideration of the baseness of man.   

The seventh Consideration touching the ignominy or defame of man.  
IT is an old proverb (and too often true) that he who hath an evil name is half hanged: and surely that man that delighteth in sin, by the name of a reprobate, is more than half damned before he come in hell, to be called a villain is a name of great infamy, and doth not sin make a man a villain to God? to be called a Dog is most hateful to man, and is not man called a hellhound by the hate of his sin? would not man be loath to be termed a Serpent, and hath not sin made man become of a Serpent like nature?  
Oh the filth of sin, how hath it fouled, and defiled the nature of man? the utter infamy of his name, the election of love, the Image of God? the Lord of the best of creatures, to become the hated of grace, the substance of dross, the worst of creatures, and the slave of hell? what a shame is this to man (by sin) to fall into so foul an infamy?  
Is it not a name of great disgrace to be called a disobedient Son or a faithless servant? a rebellious subject, or unthankful friend? an unkind brother, and an unnatural child? and is not man by sin become all this unto God? to be stubborn to so loving a Father, false to so good a master, rebellious to so gracious a King, unkind to so kind a brother, and unthankful to so bountiful a Lord? it is a shame to live to bear the just blotts of such blames: one of these faults were enough, but altogether, are too too much.  
The Dog will follow his master, the Horse will carry his master, and will man run from his master? the Ox knows his stall, and the Ass his crib, and shall not man know his place of rest after his labours? then more vile than the Dog, more unkind than the Horse, more foolish than either Ox or Ass.  
Fie what an infamy is this unto man? a servant to entertain his master unkindly, to use him villainously, and to kill him shamefully, were not this a horrible infamy, and did not the jews so with Christ? to forget a kindness, to distrust 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 upon infamy▪ one followeth another by the venom of sin to the shame of man: to leave robes of silk for rotten rags, sweet wine for puddle water, and a pleasant walk for a filthy hole: what fool would do this, and doth not sinful man do this? leave the rich graces (the comely vestures of the soul) for the poor fading pleasures of the flesh? the sweet water of life for the puddle water of death? the filthy pleasures of this world, and the comfortable way to Heaven, for the miserable way to hell?  
Oh wretched, blinded, senseless, & bewitched fool, that dost suffer sin so much to befool thy understanding!  
Look I say what a name thou justly gettest, by yielding thy service unto sin: a slave, a fool, a beast, a serpent, a monster, and of the best, the worst creature in the world.  
Lose the beauty wherein thou wert created, the honour wherewith thou wert entitled, the riches whereof thou wert possessed, the liberty that thou enjoyedst, the love wherein thou livedst, and the life wherein thou reioycedst; to put on deformity in nature, baseness in civility, beggary in want of grace, bondage in slavery, hate hate wherein thou diest, and death wherein thou art ever accursed; and all this through sin: who now could in the glass of truth, behold this ugly object of sin, and would gain himself so foul an infamy, as to be called an object? through the love thereof, hath not Cain from the beginning, been justly called a murderer? Laban a cozener, Samson a fool, Achitophel a knave, Solomon an Idolater, Simon magus a sorcerer, Dives an Epicure, and judas a traitor, and the Devil a liar? and wilt thou (Oh man) that readest and believest all this, be infected, nay delighted in all these sins? to receive the name of a murderer, acozener, a fool, a knave, an Idolater, a a sorcerer, a traitor, and a liar? Oh most hellish titles to set out the flag of infamy! which to avoid, seeing thy vildenes, and knowing thy weakness, pray to thy God, the God of goodness, to draw thee from the delight of wickedness, unto that delight of goodness, that may recover thy credit lost, blot out the spots of thy shame in thy sin, and through the drops of the precious Blood of his dear beloved Son jesus▪ to wash thee clean from thyn● iniquities, make thee capable of his graces, thankful for his blessings, and joyful in receiving the gracious name of his faithful servant: And so much touching the consideration of the infamy orignominy of man.   
FINIS.   

Conclusio.  
TO conclude as a Chirurgeon, that hath received a wound, hath many medicines & salves, which well applied might give him ease, and restore him to health (though he have knowledge how to make use of them) yet if he put not his knowledge in practice, shall either languish or perish through want of help, So in this wound of the soul made by sin whereas every man must▪ b● under God, his own Chirurgeon and helper, Though he hear, read, believe, and feel the goodness of God many ways, in his power, wisdom, love, grace, and glorious mercy towards him, yet if he do not meditate upon the same thankfully, consider and truly confess his unworthiness of the least part thereof, he may either languish or pertish in the consuming pain of sin, or despair of grace or mercy: Look then upon the greatness of God and the smallness of man; the goodness of God, and the vileness of man; the wisdom of God, and the folly of man; the love 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 upon the one and the other, how canst thou but to the glory of God, and shame of thyself, with ablushing face, & trembling spirit, falling prostrate at the feet of his mercy, in admiration of the greatness, kindness, and goodness, that the Lord in his mercy hath extended unto thee, but cry with the Prophet David, Oh Lord what is man that thou dost visit him?  
Which comfortable visitation, when thou findest in thy soul, acknowledge in the greatness of his goodness, the wisdom of his love, and glory of his mercy, that of so small, so vile, so foolish, so hateful, so tyrannous, so disgraceful, so infamous a creature, by the infection of sin, his glorious majesty out of his mere mercy, will vouchsafe in the precious Blood of his dear and only beloved Son jesus Christ, to wash thee clean from thy filthiness, admit thee into his presence, take thee into his service, love thee as his Son, and make thee coheir in that Heavenly inheritance, which no power shall take from thee: but in joys everlasting with his Saints & Angels, thou shalt continually sing the true and due Halleluiah, to his holy Majesty.  
Thus I say, apply these spiritual considerations, to thy spiritual comforts, that God may the better bless thee, thy reading well considered may the better profit thee, and my labour may be the better bestowed upon thee: which with prayer for thy good, leaving to thy best consideration wishing the acknowledging the goodness of God in all things, above all things to give him all glory, I end with the Prophet David▪ O all ye works of the Lord, bless ye the Lord, praise him & magnify him for ever.  
Finis.   

A Prayer.  
O Most gracious, almighty, most merciful and holy, glorious & ever loving GOD, who from the highest Throne of thy heavenly mercy, dost vouchsafe to behold the meanest creature on the earth! & above all, with a comfortable eye of a fatherly kindness, dost behold man as the chief matter of thy workmanship! and considering since his first fall by temptation, his weakness in resisting the like assault, dost by the light of thy grace, make him see the difference betwixt good and evil, and by the inspiration of thy holy spirit, dost lead him from the train of sin, the true way to eternal happiness: glorious God, that knowest whereof we are made, that our days are but as a shadow, and we are as nothing without thee, who hath revealed to the simple, and hid from the wise the secret wisdom of thy will, & to me thy most unworthy servant hast so often showed those fruits of thy love, that makes me ashamed to think of my unthankfulness to thy holy Majesty, my forgetfulness of thy grace, and unworthiness of thy mercy: Oh my Lord, when I consider these things, with all other the manifold blessings that from time to time I have received from the only bounty of thy blessed hand, what can I do but in admiration of thy greatness and contemplation of thy goodness, give glory to thy holy Majesty, & with thy chosen servant David in the grief and shame of my sin, and only hope of thy mercy, in true contrition of heart, fall prostrate at thy feet, and fly only to thy mercy for my comfort: beseeching thee so to direct me in the ways of thy holy will, that seeing thy greatness in thy goodness, & thy wisdom in thy love, thy grace in thy mercy, and thy glory in thy grace; and confessing my weakness, vileness, folly, malice, sloth, & baseness, attend the work of thy will, in working me to thy holy will: give me power to consider, that although I read never so much, believe all I read, and remember all I believe, yet without one drop of the dew of thy grace it will take no root in my heart: but good Lord consider the corruption of nature through the infection of sin, in which I accuse, not excuse myself unto thee: make me to know thy will, let me rather cry before thee Hosanna, with the little Babes, then with the pharisees make boast of my righteousness, and as it hath pleased thy holy Majesty to make me consider of thy mercies, so let these considerations (by taking root in my heart) be so comfortable to my soul, that loathing the world with all the vanities thereof, I may in the tears of true penitence, show the sorrow of my sin, and in the joy of thy mercy, I may sing to thy glory. Amen.  
FINIS.   

Errata.  
First Consideration, Page 4 line 3 for look up the heavens, read look up to the heavens.  
The second Consideration page. 12. line 4. for God read good.  
The last page of the third consideration, the tenth line, for divine read dim.