The diamond of deuotion cut and squared into sixe seuerall points: namelie, 1 The footpath to felicitie. 1 2 A guide to godlines. 81 3 The schoole of skill. 181 4 A swarme of bees. 209 5 A plant of pleasure. 245 6 A groue of graces. 283 Full of manie fruitfull lessons, auaileable to the leading of a godlie and reformed life: by Abraham Fleming.

The first Blossome.

1 An inuocation, or calling vpon God, ioined with submission. 2 An ac∣knowledgement of Gods manifold blessings and his prouidence. 3 A pe∣tition for the gratious gift of thanke∣fulnes. 4 Testimonies of Gods infi∣nite loue, and of the effects of the shi∣ning Sunne. 5 The sundrie vses of Gods good creatures appointed for mans releefe. 6 Ornaments of the minde. 7 A request for true know∣ledge and perceiuerance, with the o∣peration of the same. 8 Another for thankefulnes. 9 What sacrifice God delighteth in. 10 A supplication for grace to offer vp the same.

1 SEtting before vs (O most mercifull & louing father) the godlie Patriarches, the holie Prophets, the true Conuerts, the constant Martyrs, & all such as haue loued thy glory far aboue their owne life, we prostrate our selues with all

submission on of soule and spirit, be∣fore thy throne of Maiestie, hum∣blie beseeching thée (for Iesus Christ his sake) who is the fulnes of our tore and comfort, to bend downe thine eares, and to heare the praiers which we powre foorth be∣fore thée: and for thy sonne sake, in whom thou art well pleased, grant the request of thy seruants made vnto thée at this present.

2 We know (most gratious God, and louing father,) yea, we cannot but in conscience acknowledge, and with tongue confesse, that mani∣fold, yea innumerable are the gifts which thou hast heaped vpon vs: yea so manie are they, that we can not with voice vtter, neither yet in heart conceiue the greatnes and worthines of them. For wher∣as all other creatures are made, framed, and fashioned to serue the vse of man, and to yéeld themselues obedient and tractable to his com∣mandement and gouernment: one∣lie man representing and bearing

thine owne image and likenesse, ruleth as a Lord, and reig∣neth as a king, ouer all creatures indued with life: yea, there is no∣thing within the compasse of the ample and wide world: but thou (most gratious God) of thine in∣finite loue, and incomprehensible prouidence, hast preordeined and appointed from originall of all be∣ginnings, to turne to the profite, commoditie, vse & benefite of mor∣tall and miserable man. Beasts both wild and tame thou hast made subiect to his power: some seruing for sustenance and nourishment, o∣thersome being made appliable and fit for his ease and assistance in bo∣dilie labour, as partakers of his paines, and fellowe labourers with him in his bodilie businesse.

3 These creatures, O Lord, be∣ing thus ordeined and ordered, by and through thine euerlasting and vnchangeable appointment, thou hast giuen and bestowed vpon vs men, most vnthankfull, and of all

other the vnworthiest of such sin∣gular benefites: thou hast inriched vs with their continuall and inces∣sant increase, and thou doest dailie more and more, with new accesse of graces and good gifts, inlarge thy bountifull liberalitie towards vs, in such wise, that if we had anie féeling of Christianitie: nay, if we were not altogether sold to sinne, and made bondslaues to our owne sensualitie and corrupt concupis∣cence, we could not, but with zeale of spirit, & burning heate of hart, crie out with the Prophet Dauid: O Lord, how wonderfull are thy workes thorough all the world! Great is God, and most worthie to be praised, and his greatnes can not be searched out. One genera∣tion shall praise thy workes vnto another, and they shall declare thy mightie power. I will set foorth in words the glorious Maiestie of thine excellentnes, and thy won∣derfull workes, &c. In considera∣tion therefore, O Lord, of the be∣nefites,

which thou hast, and at this present doest powre vpon vs, (which are so manie, that they can not be numbred, and so great, that they can not be measured,) we be∣séech thée to plant in our harts the good propertie & vertue of thanke∣fulnes, least we prouing a barren and vnfruitefull soile, be so farre from yéelding good and hoalesome hearbes, that we séeme altogether choaked with noisome wéedes, wherewith being ouergrowne, we become vile, despised, contemp∣tible, and nothing worth.

4 There be most liuelie represen∣tations, and such testimonies of thy tender loue towards vs, as more plaine and manifest can not be by anie meanes, neither for the outward eie of the bodie to behold, nor yet for the inward eie of the mind to contemplate and marke: namelie, creatures both heauenlie and also earthlie: heauenlie, as the Sunne, wherein the brightnes of thine omnipatent and vnspeakable

maiestie is testified to the world, which with his glorious beames, and most comfortable heate, (be∣ing the lampe of light and life to all things, which thou by thy word in the beginning didst create,) mini∣streth not onlie to man, but also to beast, foule, fish, yea to the créeping worme, occasion of inward delight and ioie. For, as when it declineth and draweth downe, auoiding the scope and compasse of our eies, it carrieth awaie with it in like ma∣ner the brightnes and glorie of the daie, whereby the darke and vn∣pleasant night approcheth, and créepeth vpon vs: euen so, when it appeareth, clad with roabes of ma∣iestie, and commeth like a Bride∣grome foorth of his chamber, the fogges and mistes of the weari∣some night are chased and driuen awaie, and thereby followeth, ouer the face of the whole earth, most comfortable appearances of thine eternall prouidence, and infallible arguments and tokens of thine

endlesse loue, to the safetie and health of vs vile wretches, and cursed caitifes, notablic continu∣ed. Without the louelie light of this bright shining lampe, which this our transitorie life can by no meanes lacke, it is not possible to accomplish anie thing. Thou (most mercifull father) hast assigned and appointed the same to be the dire∣cter of all our doings: for the want of so necessarie a benefite, procu∣reth palpable darkenes, and most vncomfortable blindnes.

5 For the former excellent bene∣fite therfore (most gratious God) as also for all other: namelie, thy creatures framed and made for the succour of man: for cloath and ap∣parell to couer his bodie, that it may not be annoied with the force of sharpe and nipping stormes, nor féele the smart of anie tempestuous season: for giuing him foules of the aire, fish of the salt sea and fresh ri∣uers, and beasts of the field and fo∣rest to be his sustenance, against

the assaultes of hunger, and to breake the force of famishment, to mainteine nature, prolong life, strengthen the bodie, cherish the heart, and to quicken and reuiue the spirits of the whole man: for prouiding to his vse whoalsome hearbes and plants of speciall ver∣tue, to expell manie contagious and hurtfull diseases, and flowers of most fragrant sauour and plea∣sant smell, to delight the senses: for making the earth bring foorth and yéeld trées of wonderfull force, stones of maruellous indurance, and other metals of strange and singular qualitie, to make him commodious dwelling places, wherein to inhabite and harbour, that neither the rage of frostie winter, neither yet the heate of smothering summer, nor anie sud∣den tempest and storme (except it please thée to worke contrarie to the common course of nature and expectation) can worke his incon∣uenience: for bestowing vpon him

the riches and treasures which lie hid in the secret celles and bosome of the ground, and the pretious pearles of the vnmeasurable and bottomlesse deapth of the Sea: fi∣nallie, for making all things, as well wanting, as indued with life, subiect to his rule, readie at his commandement, and appliable to his seruice, we giue thée most har∣tie thankes, and praise thée for thy goodnes.

6 Besides these externall gifts of thine, wherwith of thine vnspeak∣able and frée liberalitie, thou hast plentifullie stored & furnished man, thou hast most gratiouslie reuea∣led, and euidentlie giuen triall of thy singular care and tender affe∣ction wherewith thou louest him, thou hast illuminated and lighte∣ned him with the lampe of vnder∣standing, reason, and iudgement, whereby he being conducted and guided, hath knowledge to make choice of that which is good, and that which is euill: of that which

is whoalsome, and that which is noisome: of that which is commo∣dious, and that which is iniuri∣ous: of that which is hurtfull, and that which is fruitefull: and so consequentlie, of that which with his nature is agréeable, and that which is repugnant and contrarie to his being.

7 As these thy gifts are great (good God and most louing father) as indéede they are excéeding great and wonderfull: so we beséech thée to powre into our hearts the liquor of true perceiuerance and know∣ledge, that we somewhat, accor∣ding as the deprauation and cor∣rupt state of our nature will per∣mit, may discearne the force and fruite of thy fatherlie fauour, and that this vile and filthie vessell of our bodie, which is polluted, and as it were waxen mooldie with the dregges and léeze of sinne and wic∣kednesse, being sanctified and clen∣sed with the cléere watersprinkle of thy purifieng spirit, may become

a fit and well seasoned vessell, to receiue the swéete and comfortable water of the fountaine of life.

8 And because (most bountifull and gratious God) thou hast giuen vs the vse of all these things, and made vs possessours of the same, we hartilie beséech thée, to instill and let drop into the furrowes of our hearts, the acceptable deaw of thankefulnes, wherewith our en∣trailes being throughlie moistened and made souple, we may remem∣ber, and thinke vpon thy tender loue, and more than fatherlie kind∣nesse, and in thy gifts giue thée glorie, and magnifie thy name with the sound of our tongues, and the consent of our hearts.

9 For, alas, what are we mise∣rable and beggerlie wretches, that haue nothing by inheritance but sinne and wickednes? What are we able to giue, considering that we haue nothing but that which we haue receiued? in respect wher∣of, our owne wretchednes bewrai∣eth

it selfe, and our continuall neede and nakednes is manifest. Onelie this thou requirest, euen the sacri∣fice of praise and thankesgiuing, which is the thing that we are commanded to paie vnto thée. For recompense thou requirest none, since that whatsoeuer thou giuest, thou giuest fréelie, without looking for reward.

10 Wherfore (most mercifull fa∣ther and déere God,) make vs thankefull receiuers of thy bene∣fites, and that we may giue a testi∣monie of our thankefulnes, loose and vntwist the strings of our tongues, and open the pipes of our hearts, that they both may sound foorth thy most magnificent maie∣stie, and praise thée, to whome per∣petuall praise belongeth. Graunt this necessarie petition most boun∣tifull God, for the merits of thy sonne Christ Iesus, our onlie mediatour and aduocate,

Amen.