The monument of matrones conteining seuen seuerall lamps of virginitie, or distinct treatises; whereof the first fiue concerne praier and meditation: the other two last, precepts and examples, as the woorthie works partlie of men, partlie of women; compiled for the necessarie vse of both sexes out of the sacred Scriptures, and other approoued authors, by Thomas Bentley of Graies Inne student.

Another meditation of mans creation.

THine almightie hand, O GOD, keeping al∣waies at one staie, created the Angels in heauen, and the feelie woormes vpon earth; and yet was neither higher in the one, nor

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lower in the other. For like as none other hand could haue created an Angel; so could none other hand haue created a woorme: like as none other could haue crea∣ted heauen; so could none other haue created a leafe of a tree: like as none other could haue made a bodie; so could none other make a haire white or blacke; but onlie thine almightie hand, wherevnto all things are possible alike. For it is not more possible with thee to create a woorme, than an Angel; nor more impossible to spread out the heauen, than a leafe; nor easier to fa∣shion a haire, than to fashion a bodie; nor vneasier to stablish the earth vpon the waters, than the waters vpon the earth: but all that thou listest to doo, that hast thou done. According as thou listedst, thou hast made all things in heauen and in earth, and in the sea, and in all deepe places: and among all other things, thou hast made me according as thou listedst, couldest, and knewest how to doo it. Certes, Lord, thy hand could haue made me some stone, or some bird, or some serpent, or some beast: and it knew how to haue done it; but it would not bicause of thy goodnesse. Why then am I not a stone, some tree, or some beast? Trulie bicause thy goodnesse hath so ordeined it, and bicause thou louedst me first.

And why hast thou done so to me, O maker of hea∣uen and earth, and of the bottomlesse deepe, who hast no neede of me? Wherevpon commeth it that thou hast thus loued me? For lo, I am, bicause thou hast cre∣ated me; and the cause that thou didst create me, and account me in the number of thy creatures, was thy fore-ordinance from euerlasting, before thou madest anie thing, euen from the beginning, before thou didst spread all the heauens; when as yet there were no deepes; neither haddest thou yet made the earth, nor founded the mountaines, neither were anie water∣springs yet broken out. Before thou madest all these

things, I saie, which thou madest by thy word, thou foresawest by the most assured prouidence of thy truth, that I should be thy creature, and also thou willedst that I should be thy creature.

And whence commeth this to me, O most gentle Lord, most high God, most mercifull Father, and al∣waies most meeke? What had I deserued? What kindnesse had I shewed, that it should like thy roiall Maiestie to create me? I was not; and thou diddest create me. I was nothing, and of nothing thou madest me somewhat. And what maner of somewhat? Not a drop of water; not fire; not a bird or fish; not a ser∣pent, or some of the brute beasts; not a stone, or a block; not of those sort of things, which haue but being one∣lie; or of those things that haue but onelie being and growing; nor yet of those kind of things that haue but onlie being, growing, and feeling. But aboue all these things, it was thy will to haue me both of that sort, which haue but being onlie; for I am: and of those that haue no more but being and growing; for I am, and growe: & also of those kind of things, which haue both being, growing, and feeling; for I am, and also doo both growe and feele. Yea, and thou hast made small ods betweene me and the Angels. For I haue receiued reason to knowe thee and thy hand, as well as they.

But I did well to saie there was some ods betweene vs. For they haue the happie knowledge of thee alrea∣die in possession; and I haue it but by hope: they see thee face to face; I see thee in a riddle through a glasse: they see thee fullie; and I but partlie. Howbeit when the thing commeth, which is perfect, then shall the vn∣perfect be done awaie, at such time as we shall behold thee vncouered face to face. And what should let vs to be counted little inferiour to Angels; seeing that thou O Lord, hast crowned vs with the garland of hope, which is decked with glorie and honour; and seeing

thou hast inhonoured vs exceedinglie as thy friends, or rather as fellowes and coequals in all things with thine Angels? Uerelie euen so saith thy truth; They are equall with the Angels, and they be the sonnes of God. And what be they else, than the sonnes of God, if they be made fellowes with the Angels? They shall be the sonnes of God in verie deede. For the sonne of man is become the sonne of God. Trulie when I be∣thinke me of this, I am bold to saie, that man is not onlie little inferiour to the Angels, yea or haile-felowe with the Angels; but also superiour to them: bicause a man is God, & God is a man, & not an Angel. And in this respect I may saie, that man is the woorthiest cre∣ature, because the word, which in the beginning was God with God: the word whereby God said; Let light be made, and light was made: the word, whereby God created althings in the beginning, euen the selfe-same word became flesh, and dwelt among vs, and we haue seene the glorie of it. Lo heere the glorie, when I glorie discreetlie; lo heere the ioie, when I ioie discreetlie; O Lord my God, the whole life and glorie of my soule!

Therefore I acknowledge vnto thee my Lord God, that when thou createdst me indued with reason, thou didst create me after a sort equall with the Angels. For by thy word I may be perfect, to attaine to equali∣tie with the Angels; so as I may haue the adoption of thy children by thine onlie begotten word, O Lord; by thy deer beloued Son, in whom thou art well pleased, by our onelie coheire, which is of the same substance, & euerlastingnes that thou thy selfe art; yea euen by Ie∣sus Christ our onlie Lord and redeemer, our inlightner and comforter, our spokesman with thee, & the light of our eies, who is our life, our sauiour, our onlie hope, who hath loued vs more than himselfe, by whome we haue assured trust laid vp in store, and stedfast faith to thee-ward, and entrance to come vnto thee, because he

hath giuen them power to become the children of God, as manie as beleeue in his name.

I will giue praise vnto thy name, O Lord, who by creating me after thine owne image, hast made me capable of so great glorie, as to become the sonne of God. This trulie can not trees doo; this can not stones doo; this, to speake generallie, can not anie of the things doo that moue or growe in the aire, or in the sea, or on the earth; in asmuch as he hath not giuen them power by thy word, to become the sonnes of God: because they haue not reason. For the power whereby we knowe, consisteth in reason. But he hath giuen this power vnto men, whome he created reasonable, after his owne image and likenesse. Certesse Lord, it is by thy grace that I am a woman, and by grace I may be thy child, which thing the other can not be.

Whence haue I this, O Lord, the souereigne truth and true souereigne, and the beginning of all crea∣tures? Whence haue I this, O Lord, that I may be∣come the child of God, which the other things cannot? Thou art he that endurest for euer, and thou hast made all things at once. Thou hast made man and beasts, stones, and greene things of the earth all at once. For there went no desert of theirs afore; there went no good turne of theirs afore. Thou hast created all things onlie of thine owne goodnesse; no creature hath deserued more than other: for none of them had deserued ought at all. And why then did thy goodnesse shewe it selfe more in this creature, which thou hast made reasonable, than in all other that be without reason? Why was not I as all they be; or why are not all they as I am; or I alone as they be? What had I deserued, that thou shouldest make me able to become the child of God, and denie the same abilitie to all the rest? God forbid that I should thinke so. It was thine onlie grace, it was thine onlie goodnesse, which

brought it to passe, that I might be partaker of that sweetnesse. Of that grace therefore, whereby thou hast created me of nothing, I beseech thee, O Lord, to giue me the grace to be thankefull vnto thee.

And I thy creature will put my trust vnder the shadowe of thy wings, and in the goodnesse where∣through thou hast created me. Helpe thy creature, whome thy gratious goodnesse hath created. Let not that perish through my naughtinesse, which thy good∣nesse hath wrought. Let not that perish through my wretchednesse, which thy singular mercie hath made. For what auaileth it me that thou hast created me, if I shall sinke downe into mine owne corruption? O God, hast thou made all the sonnes of men in vaine? Thou hast created me, O Lord: rule thou the thing that thou hast created. Despise not the worke of thine owne hands, O God. Thou hast made me of naught, O Lord; and if thou gouerne me not, I shall returne to naught againe. For like as when I was not, thou ma∣dest me of nothing: so if thou gouerne me not, I shall yet againe be brought to nothing in my selfe. Helpe me O Lord my life, least I perish in mine owne naughti∣nesse.

Lord, if thou hadst not created me, I should not haue beene at all: but because thou hast created me, I am. Now if thou gouerne me not, I am vndone. For it was not mine owne merits, or mine owne deserts (as I haue said) that made thee to create me; but thine owne most gratious goodnesse and mercifulnes. That louingnesse of thine, O Lord my God, which made thee to create me, I beseech thee let the same make thee to gouerne me. For what booteth it that thy louingnesse caused thee to create me, if I must perish in mine owne wretchednesse; and that thy right hand gouerne me not? O Lord my God, let this mercifulnesse, which caused thee to create that that was not created, cause

thee also to saue that which is created. Let the louing∣nesse, which wan thee to create, win thee also to saue; sith it is no lesse now than it was then. For thou art the verie loue and mercie it selfe, and thou continuest alwaie one, vnchangeable, immortall, and inuisible God, blessed and praised for euer and euer,

Amen.