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ALbeit the most part of Christians throgh their wicked life arrive not to that estate wherin holie David was, when he said to God; Thy iudgements ô Lord are pleasant unto me, as indeed they are to al those that live vertuously, and have the testimonie of a good conscience: yet at least∣wise,
that we may say with the same prophet; The iudgements of the Lord are tru and iustified in themselves: And again; Thou art iust ô Lord, and thy iudgement is right. I have thought good, to ad a reason or two mo in this chapter, wherby it may appeer how great our offence is to∣wards God, by sinning as we do, & how righ∣teous his judgments and justice are against us for the same.
2 And first of al is to be considered the ma∣jestie of him against whom we sin: for most certain it is (as I have noted before) that every offence is so much the greater, and more gree∣vous, by how much greater and more noble the person is against whom it is done, and the partie offending more base and vile. And in this respect God (to terrifie us from offen∣ding him) nameth himselfe often, with certain titles of majestie, as to Abraham; I am the al∣mightie Lord: And again; Heaven is my seat, and the earth is my footstoole. And again, he comman∣ded Moises to say to the people in his name, this ambassage; Harden not your necks any longer, for that your Lord and God, is a God of gods, and a Lord of lords, a great God, both mightie and terrible, which accepteth neither person nor bribes.
3 First then I say, consider (gentle Christian) of what an infinite majestie he is, whom thou a poore woorm of the earth, hast so often and so contemptuously offended in this life. We see in this world, that no man dareth to offend
openly, or say a word against the majestie of a prince within his own dominions: and what is the majestie of al the princes upon earth, com∣pared to the thousandth part of the majestie of God, who with a word made both heaven and earth, and al the creatures therin, and with halfe a word can destroie the same again: whom al the creatures which he made, as the Angels, the heavens, and al the elements be∣sides, do serve at a bek and dare not offend? Only a sinner is he which imboldeneth him∣selfe against this majestie, and feareth not to offend the same, whom the Angels do praise, the dominations do adore, the powers do tremble, and the highest heavens togither, with Cherubins and Seraphins do daily honor and celebrate.
4 Remember then (deer brother) that eve∣rie time thou dost commit a sin, thou givest as it were a blow in the face, to this God of great majestie, who (as Saint Paul saith;) Dwelleth in an unaccessible light: which no man in this world can abide to look upon: As also it appeereth by the ex∣ample of Saint Iohn evangelist, who fel down dead for very fear at the appearance of Christ unto him, as himself testifieth. And when Moi∣ses desired to see God once in his life, & made humble petition for the same: God answered, that no man could see him and live: but yet (to satisfie his request, and to shew him in part what a terrible and glorious God he was) he
told Moises, that he should see some peece of his glorie: but he added, that it was needful he should hide himselfe in the hole of a rock, and be covered with Gods own hands for his defence, while God (in some measure of his majestie) did passe by in glorie. And when he was past, God tooke away his hand, and suffe∣red Moises to see his hinder parts only, which was notwithstanding, most terrible to behold.
5 The prophet Daniel also describeth the majestie of this God shewed unto him in visi∣on, in these words; I did see (saith he) when the thrones were set, and the old of many dais sate down: his apparel was as white as snow: his haire like unto pure wool, his thron was of a flame of fire, & his chari∣ots were burning fire, a swift flud of fire came from his face: a thousand thousands did serve him, and ten thousand hundred thousands did assist him, he sate in iudgement, and the books were opened before him. Al this and much more is recorded in scrip∣ture, to admonish us therby what a prince of majestie he is whom a sinner offendeth.
6 Imagin now (brother mine) that thou se∣est this great king sitting in his chaire of maje∣stie; with chariots of fire; unspeakable light; and infinite millions of Angels about him, as the scripture reporteth. Imagin further, (which is most tru) that thou seest al the creatures in the world stand in his presence, and trembling at his majestie, and most carefully attending to do that for which he created them: as the hea∣vens
to move abovt: the earth to bring foorth sustenance: and the like. Imagin further that thou seest al these creatures (how big or little soever they be) to hang and depend only of the power and vertu of God: wherby they stand, move, and consist: and that there passeth from God, to ech creature in the world, yea to everie part that hath motion or being in the same some beam of his vertu: as from the sun, we see infinite beams to passe into the aire. Consider (I say) that no one part of any crea∣ture in the world (as the fish in the sea, the grasse on the ground, the leaves of the trees, or the parts of man upon the face of the earth) can grow, moove, or consist, without some litle stream of vertu, and power come to it conti∣nually from God. So that thou must imagin God to stand as a most glorious sun in the midst: and from him to passe foorth infinite beams or streams of vertu to al creatures that are, either in heaven, earth, the aire, or the wa∣ter, and to every part therof: and upon these beams of his vertu, al creatures to hang: and if he should stop but any one of them, it would destroy and annihilate presentlie some crea∣ture or other. This I say, if thou shalt consider touching the majestie of God, and the infi∣nite dread that al creatures have of him, ex∣cept only a sinner (for the devils also do fear him, as Saint Iames saith:) thou wilt not mar∣vel of the severe judgement of God, appointed
for his offence. For sure I am, that very shame of the world maketh us to have more regard in offending the poorest frind we have in this life, than a wicked man hath in offending God: which is an intollerable contempt of so great a majestie.
7 But now if we adjoin to this contemplati∣on of majestie, another consideration of his benefits bestowed upon us: our default wil grow to be far greater, for that to injurie him who hath done us good, is a thing most de∣testable even in nature it selfe. And there was never yet so fearce an hart, no not amongst brute beasts, but that it might be woon with curtesie & benefits: but much more amongst reasonable creatures doth benificence prevail, especially if he come from great personages, whose love and frindship (declared unto us but in smal gifts) doth greatly bind the harts of the receavers to love them again.
8 Consider then (deer Christian) the infi∣nite good turns and benefits which thou hast receaved at the hands of this great God, ther∣by to win thee to his love, & that thou shoul∣dest leave of to offend and injurie him, and al∣beit no toong created either of man or An∣gel, can expresse the one halfe of these gifts which thou hast receaved from him, or the va∣lew of them, or the great love and hartie good wil wherwith he bestowed them upon thee: yet for som memorie sake, I wil repeat certain
general and principal points therof, wherunto the rest may be referred.
9 First then he hath bestowed upon thee, the benefit of thy creation, wherby he made thee of nothing to the likenes of himselfe, and appointed thee to so noble an end, as is to serve him in this life, and to reign with him in the life to come, furnishing thee for the present with the service and subjection of al creatures. The greatnes of this benefit may partly be conceaved, if thou do imagin thy selfe to lak but any one part of thy bodie, as a leg, an arm, an eie, or the like: and that one should freely geeve the same unto thee: or if thou wantest but any one sense, as that thou were deafe or blind, and one should restore sight or hearing unto thee: how wouldest thou esteeme of this benefit? How much wouldest thou professe thy selfe beholding unto him for the same? And if the gift of one of these parts only would seeme such a benefit unto thee: how great oughtest thou to esteeme the free gift of so manie parts together?
10 Ad to this now (as I have said) that he hath created thee to the likenes of no other thing, but of himselfe; to no other end, but to be his honorable servant in this world, and his compartener in kingly glorie for al eternitie to come: and this he hath done to thee, being only a peece of dirt or clay before. Now ima∣gin thou of what maner of love proceeded
this. But yet ad further, how he hath created al this magnificent world for thee, and al the creatures therof to serve thee in this busines: the heaven to distinguish times and seasons, and to geeve thee light: the earth, and aier, and water, to minister most infinit varietie of crea∣tures for thy use and sustinance: & hath made thee lord of al, to use them for thy comfort and his service. And what magnificent gifts are these? And what shameful ingratitude is it, to turn the same to the dishonor and injurie of so loving a geever as thou dost, by using them to serve thee in sin.
11 But yet consider a little further, the be∣nefit of thy redemption, much greater than al the former: which is, that thou having lost al those former benefits again, and made thy self guiltie by sin of eternal punishment, wherto the Angels were now delivered for their sin committed before: God chose to redeeme thee, and not the Angels, and for satisfieng of thy fault, to deliver his own only Son to death for thee. O Lord, what hart can conceave the greatnes of this benefit? Imagin thy selfe (be∣ing a poore man) hadst committed a greevous crime against a kings majestie, together with some great man of his cheefest nobilitie, and that the king being offended highly with you both, should notwithstanding pardon thee, and put the noble man to death: and further also (being no other way to save thy life) shuld
lay the pains of death du to thee, upon his on∣lie son and heir, for thy sake: how much woul∣dest thou think, that this king loved thee? How greatly wouldest thou esteeme thy selfe beholding and bounden to that yong prince, which should offer himselfe to his fathers ju∣stice to die for thee a poore worm (and not for the noble man, as he would not die for the An∣gels) and to put his head in the halter for thine onlie offences? Couldest thou ever have the hart to become enimie to this man after, or willingly and wittingly to offend him? And yet, such is our case, and much more bounden towards Christ and his father, whom the most of us notwithstanding do daily offend, disho∣nor, and injurie by sin.
12 But yet there follow on mo benefits of God unto us, as our vocation and justificati∣on: vocation, wherby he hath called us from infidelitie, to the state of Christians; and ther∣by made us partakers of this our redemption, which infidels are not. For albeit he paid the ransom for al in general: yet he hath not im∣parted the benefit therof to al, but to such on∣ly as best it pleased his divine goodnes to be∣stow it upon. After which followed our justifi∣cation wherby we were not only set free from al our sins committed before, and from al pain and punishment du to the same: but also our souls beutified and inriched with his holie grace, accompanied with the vertues theolo∣gical,
as faith, hope and charitie, and with the gifts of the holie Ghost: and by this grace we are made just and righteous in the sight of God, and intitled to the most blessed inheri∣tance of the kingdome of heaven.
13 After these do insu a great number of benefits togither (as to us being now made the children and deer frinds of God) and eve∣rie one of them, of infinite price and valu. As the gift of the holie sacraments, left for our comfort and preservation, being nothing else but conduits to convey Gods grace unto us, especially these two which appertain to al, to wit, the sacrament of Baptism, and of his bles∣sed bodie and blood, wherof the first, is to purge our souls from sin, the second to feed and comfort the same after she is purged. The first is a bath made of Christ his own blood, to wash and bath our wounds therin: the second as a most comfortable and rich garment, to cover our soul withal after she is washed. In the first, Christ hath substituted in his place his spouse the church, to pronounce in his name remission of sins: in the second he hath left himselfe, and his own flesh and blood Sacra∣mentally to be a precious food, to cherish hir withal.
14 Besides al these, there is yet another gift named our preservation, wherby God hath preserved us from so many dangers into which others have fallen, and wherin we had
fallen also; if Gods holie hand had not staied us: as from superstition, heresie, and infidelitie, and many other greevous sins: and especially from death and damnation, which long ago by our wickednes we deserved to have beene executed upon us. Also there are the benefits of godlie inspirations and admonitions, wher∣by God hath often both knocked inwardly at the doore of our conscience, and warned us outwardly by so many wais and meanes: as are good books; good sermons; good exhor∣tations; good companie; good example of others; and a hundred means else, which he at divers times hath and doth use, therby to gain us & our souls unto his eternal kingdome, by stirring us to abandon vitious life, and to be∣take our selves to his holie and sweet service.
15 Al which rare and singular benefits being measured, either according to the valu of themselves, or according to the love of that hart, from which they do proceed, ought to move us most vehemently, to gratitude to∣wards the giver: which gratitude should be, to resolve our selves at length to serve him unfai∣nedly, and to prefer his favor before al world∣ly or mortal respects whatsoever. Or if we can not obtain so much of our selves; yet at least∣wise not to offend him any more by our sins and wickednes.
16 There is not so fearce or cruel a nature in the world (as I noted before) but is mollified,
allured, and woon by benefits: and stories do make report of strange examples in this kind, even among brute beasts, as of the gratitude of lions, dogs, and the like, towards their mai∣sters and benefactors. Only an obstinate sin∣ner is he, among al the savage creatures that are, whom neither benefits can move; nor cur∣tesies can mollifie; nor promises can allure; nor gifts can gain to the faithful service of God his Lord and maister.
17 The greatest sinner that is in the world, if he give his servant but twentie nobles a yeere, or his tenant some litle farm to liue up∣on, and if for this they serve him not at a bek; he crieth out of their ingratitude: and if they should further maliciously seek to offend him, and to joine with his professed enimie against him; how intollerable a matter would it seem in his sight? And yet he himself, dealing much more ingratefully and injuriously with God, thinketh it a matter of no consideration, but easily pardonable. I say, he dealeth more in∣gratefully with God, for that he hath receaved a thousand for one, in respect of al the bene∣fits that a mortal man can give to another: for he hath receaved al in al from God: the bread which he eateth; the ground which he trea∣deth; the light which he beholdeth; togither with his eies to see the sun; and finally what∣soever is within, or without his body: as also the mind, with the spiritual gifts therof, wher∣of
ech one is more woorth than a thousand bodies: I say also, that he dealeth more injuri∣ously with God, for that notwithstanding al these benefits, he serveth Gods open enimie the devil, and committeth daily sin and wic∣kednes, which God hateth more than any hart created can hate a mortal enimie, being that in very deed which persecuted his Son our savior, with such hostilitie, as it tooke his most pretious life from him, and nailed him fast to the wood of the crosse.
18 Of this extreem ingratitude and injurie, God himselfe is inforced to complain in di∣vers places of the scripture, as where we saith; Retribuebant mihi mala pro bonis. They returned me home evil for good. And yet much more vehe∣mently in another place, he calleth the hea∣vens to witnes of this iniquitie, saieng; Obstu∣pescite coeli super haec. O you heavens be you astoni∣shed at this. As if he should say by a figurative kind of speech, go out of your wits you hea∣vens with marvel, at this incredible iniquitie of man towards me. For so he expoundeth the whole matter more at large in another place; Audite coeli & auribus percipe terra: Harken ye hea∣vens, and thou earth bend hither thine eares: Filios enutrivi & exaltavi, ipsi autem spreuerunt me: I have norished up children and have exalted them, and now they contemn me. What a pitiful complaint is this of God against most vile and base worms of the earth? But yet God amplifieth this ini∣quitie
more by certain examples and compa∣risons; The oxe (saith he) knoweth his owner, and the asse knoweth the manger of his Lord and maister: but yet my people know not me: wo be to the sinful na∣tion, to the people loden with iniquitie, to this naugh∣tie seed, to wicked children. What complaint can be more vehement than this? What threat∣ning can be more dreadful than this wo, com∣ming from the mouth of him which may pu∣nish us at his pleasure?
19 Wherfore (deer brother) if thou have grace, cease to be ungrateful to God any lon∣ger: cease to offend him which hath by so ma∣nie wais prevented thee with benefits: cease to render evil for good; hatred for love; con∣tempt, for his fatherly affection towards thee. He hath done for thee al that he can: he hath given thee al that thou art: yea and (in a cer∣tain maner) al that he is woorth himselfe: and meaneth besides to make thee partaker of al his glorie in the world to come, and requireth no more for al this at thy hands, but love and gratitude. O (deer brother) why wilt thou not yeeld him this? Why wilt thou not do as much to him, as thou wouldest haue another man to do to thee, for lesse than the ten thousand part of these benefits which thou hast receaved? For I dare wel say, that if thou hadst given a man but an almes at thy dore, thou wouldest think him bound to love thee for it, albeit thou hadst nothing in thee woorth love be∣sides.
But now thy Lord (besides these his gifts) hath infinite causes to make thee love him, that is, al the causes which any thing in the world hath to purchase love, and infinite more besides: for, if al the perfections of al things created in heaven and in earth (which do pro∣cure love) were put togither in one, as al their beautie; al their vertu; al their nobilitie; al their goodnes, and the like: yet thy Lord and Savior whom thou contemnest, doth passe al this, and that by many and infinite degrees: for that he is not only, al these things togither; but also he is very beautie it selfe; vertu it selfe; wisdom it selfe; sweetnes it selfe; nobilitie it selfe; goodnes it selfe; and the very fountain and welspring where hence al these things are derived by litle peeces and parcels unto his creatures.
20 Be ashamed then (good Christian) of this thy ingratitude, to so great; so good; & boun∣tiful a Lord: and resolve thy selfe for the time to come, to amend thy course of life and beha∣vior towards him. Say with the prophet, which had lesse cause to say so than thou; Domine pro∣pitiare peccatomeo: multum est enim. O Lord pardon me mine offences: for it is great in thy sight. I know there is nothing (O Lord) which doth so much displease thee, or dry up the fountain of thy mercy, and so bindeth thy hands from dooing good, as ingratitude in the receavers of thy benefits, wherin hitherto I have exceeded al
other: but I have done it (O Lord) in mine ig∣norance, not considering thy gifts unto me, nor what account thou wouldest demaund a∣gain of the same. But now seeing thou hast vouchsafed to make me woorthy of this grace also, wherby to see and know mine own state and default: I hope hereafter by direction of the same grace of thine, to shew my selfe a bet∣ter child towards thee. O Lord, I am overcome at the lenth with consideration of thy love: and how can I have the hart to offend thee hereafter, seeing thou hast prevented me so many wais with benefits, even when I deman∣ded not the same? Can I have hands ever more to sin against thee which hast given up thine own most tender hands, to be nailed on the crosse for my sins heretofore? No, no, it is too great an injurie against thee (O Lord) and wo woorth me that have done it so often here∣tofore. But by thy holy assistance, I trust not to return to such iniquitie for the time to come: to which (O Lord) I be∣seech thee for thy mercy sake, from thy holie throne of heaven, to say, Amen.
Psa. 118.
Psal. 18.
The maiestie of God.
Gen. 17. Esai. 66.
Deu. 10.
Psa. 148.
Iob. 9.
1. Tim. 6.
Apoc. 1.
Exo. 35.
Dan. 7.
A contem∣plation of the maiestie of God.
Iac. 2.
A conside∣ration of the benefits of God.
The benefit of creation.
The benefit of redemp∣tion.
1. Pet. 2.
The benefits of vocation and iustifi∣cation.
Rom. 8. 1. Cor. 1.
Rom. 5. 1. Co. 13. Esai. 11.
The benefit of the sa∣craments.
The use of sacraments.
The benefit of preserva∣tion and in∣spiration.
Apoc. 3.
Aelian in hist. animal.
The intolle∣rable ingra∣titude of a sinner.
Sin persecu∣ted Christ unto death.
Gods com∣plaint a∣gainst sin∣ners.
Psal. 34.
Iere. 2.
Isai. 1.
Isai. 4.
Causes of love in God besides his benefits.
A praier.
Psal. 24.