Bel-vedére, or, The Garden of the muses

Of God.

God is beyond ••raile sence to comprehend, He first began all, and of all is end.

VVHere God puts too his hand, all else is vaine. God thunders oftner than he strikes or beates. God giues his wrath by weight, but mercie free. Where God doth blesse, abundāce quickly springs. Gods wisdome too much s••archt, is daungerous. Gods iustice ouer-vrgde, strikes heauily. Without the vnderstanding of Gods will, Our wi•• is follie, and our best sight ill. God doth not hate to loue, nor loue to hate. God with his finger strikes, and not his arme. No m〈…〉〈…〉o ••o••re, but God can blesse his dayes, Who ••a••i••n Iob did from the dunghill raise. In vaine it is for man with God to stand. God will controll when mortall men haue done. Gods eq•••••••••• doth euery action ••••ooue. Gods ha••••h••••••••s thunder, who dare him off••nd? Faith finds •••••• passage to ••ods mercie seate.

Where vertue raiseth men to dignitie, There God his blessings still doth multiply. Little auailes Gods gifts where wants his grace. Men order warre, but God giues victorie. Gods mercie doth his iustice farre exceed. God deales not with vs as our sinnes deserue. Gods doctrine is the rule of prouidence. God is eternall, therefore without end. God made all mortall things, and orders them, According to his wisdome, where and when. Gods greatnes is more seene in loue, than wrath. God ne're made any equall to himselfe. If God he••••e not, yet deeme him not v••iust. Gods mercie is the worke of our redemption. If thou lif•• vp thy selfe, God flyes from thee: If thou be humble, then he comes to thee. If God dart lightning, soon he dewes down raine. Gods wrath soone kindled, is as quickly quencht. No misaduentures crosse, where God doth guide. Where God doth saue, no other s••lue doth need. How can that enterprise ill issue haue, Where God himselfe doth guide, doth speed, doth saue. Happy are they who fauour from God find. God and our shame are staies vnto our sinne. Gods iustice doth mans iustice farre excell. Those that God loues, in them he nothing hates. How can a simple current him withstand, Who all the mightie Ocean doth commaund? God loues the faithfull, but doth hate their sinne. Good life begun in earth, in heauen is ended. When Sathan tempts, he leads vs vnto hell, But God doth guide whereas no death doth dwell. When Sathan tempts, he seekes our faith to foile, But God doth seale it, neuer to recoile.

God makes our burning zeale full bright to shine, Amongst the candles of his Church diuine. God euer seekes by triall and temptation, To sound mans heart and secret cogitation▪ God well knowes men, and still his eye doth see, All thoughts of men, ere they conceiued be. God out of season neuer yet doth trie, His children new conuerted by and by. Man made of earth, sounds not the seas profound Of Gods deepe iudgements, where there is no ground. The Lord law-maker, iust and righteous, Doth frame his lawes, not for himselfe, but vs. Gods wisdome guides this worlds societie, With equall power, and equall pietie. Gods word which made the world, and guides it still, To diuers en••s conducts both good and ill. He that preferres not God fore all his race, Amongst the sonnes of God deserues no place. He that the furrowes ploweth of Gods field, May not turne backe his fainting face, nor yeeld. Sathan suggesteth ill, God mooues to grace. God can doe all, saue that he will not doe. Our mightie God, alwaies for his elect, Of wicked things can draw a good effect. God keepes his watch aboue the starrie skies. For his elect, who neuer idle lyes.

Similies on the same subiect.

AS one poore drop is nothing to the sea, So all we can is nothing in Gods sight. As the bright Sunne defaceth candle-light, So Gods great power controlleth all the world. As Princes are to be both lou'd and fear'd, So God the Prince of princes, must haue more.

As with great care a Pilot guides the ship, So with great grace doth God direct the world. As when the soule departs, the body dies: So where God blesseth not, all things decay. As mothers hugge their children in their armes, So God enfolds his chosen with his grace.

Examples likewise on the same.

PHerecides, for his contemning God, Was eate with lice, and dyed miserably. Lucian an Atheist, and denying God, Was afterward in pieces torne with dogs. Iustinian for his light regard of God, Became a foole, and so in follie dyde. Th' Athenians banished Protagoras, Because his bookes question'd the deitie. Socrates did confesse one onely God, And tearn••'d the heathen Gods but vaniti••. Plato, when he wrote any serious thing, Began still, In the name of one sole God.