Diuine considerations of the soule concerning the excellencie of God, and the vilenesse of man. Verie necessarie and profitable for euerie true Christian seriously looke into. By N.B. G.

The fourth Consideration tou∣ching the loue of God.

OH: who coulde with the eyes of wisdome, in the hu∣militie of the hearte, looke into the vertue of that grace that liueth in the loue of the Al∣mightie, should finde that sence of sweetnes, that should rauish the soule of vnderstanding: but though it bee in it selfe so gra∣cious, and in grace so glorious as exceedeth the exceeding o•• all praise, yet as a Mole-hill t•• a mountaine, a Flie to an Eagle or an Ante to an Elephant, le•• me with the poore widdow put in my myte into the trea¦surie, in humilitie of my hear••

to speake of the life of my soule, which being onely in the loue of the liuing God, let me speake a little in the cōsideration of the same, that the vngratefull world seeing their lacke of grace, may blush at their blindnes, & be ioy∣ful of a better light, where behol∣ding the beautie that rauisheth the soules of the beloued, they shall find the loue that is the ioy of the blessed: touching the which, let me by degrees speake of such points as I find most ne∣cessarie in this consideration: ••et vs first I say consider this first ••oint of the loue of God, that ••efore we were created for his ••eruice, wee were elected in his ••oue, then to make an Image to

it selfe, yea & as it were another it selfe, for the first, Romans 8. Iacob haue I loued, euen before he had done good or euill; There is election prooued in loue.

When the Angell saluted Elizabeth, with the message of her conception, was it not of Iohn the baptist, who was sent to pronounce the word of the Lord, to make streight his way before him? and what greater proofe of loue, then to electe him to such a message? againe, doth not Christ the Sonne of God praye to his Father, that as hee is one with his Father, so his maye be one with him? Oh how can there be so greate a proofe of the election of loue

in Christe, as by his loue to be made one with him: Looke I saie into the excellencie of this incomparable loue in God towards man: first to make him to his Image, and not onely by his worde (as by which he made all other crea∣tures) but as it were by a con∣sent, or consultation of the Trinitie about an especiall worke, to the pleasing of the Deitie, as it is written: Let vs make man in our owne Image according to our likenesse.

But well may it bee saide that Nullum simile est idē, for though he were perfect in respect of our corruption, yet by his fall, it appeareth that the creature

was farre shorte of the perfe∣ction of the Creator: but being falne from that perfection, by the venome of temptation, into the state of damnation, how greate was the loue of God, to effect againe by himselfe the blessed worke of his saluation? for as it is writ∣ten:

GOD so loued the worlde, that hee gaue his onely begot∣ten Sonne to death, that all that beleiue in him shalbe sa∣ued: againe, looke into the ad∣mirable loue of Christe to his be∣loued, to come from the bosome of his Father in heauen, to his graue in the earth: to leaue the seruice of Angelles,

to be skoffed of diuelish crea∣tures; to leaue the ioyes of Paradise for the sorrowes of the worlde; to leaue his Throane in heauen, for a maunger on the earth; to leaue his seate of iudgemente, to suf∣fer death vpon the crosse: well might hee say as in res∣pect of his sorrowes for the sinnes of the worlde, with the punishement that hee was to endure for the sinnes of others, himselfe without sinne, when hee felte the extremitie of those paines that in the sweate of Bloud and water, prooued the passion of true patience, and the life of true loue.

Vt, non est dolor sicut meus, sic non est amor sicut meus; for indeede he knoweth not, nor can he iudge, what loue is that in his heart cannot saie in honour of his loue, neuer such loue: the freinde to die for his ene∣mies; the maister to die for his seruants; the King to die for beggers; the Sonne of God, to dye for the sonne of man: well maye it be saide neuer such loue: to leaue all pleasures to bringe thee to all pleasures; to endure all crosses to worke thee all comforts; to leaue Hea∣uen for a time to bring thee to Heauen for euer.

What art thou that in the thought of such loue, canst not

saie in thy heart, in the ioye of thy soule, as Nullus dolor sicut eius, sic Nullus amor sicute∣ius: as no sorrowe is like to his, so no loue is like to his: doth not hee truely saie that can say nothing but truth? loue one an∣other as I haue loued you: grea∣ter loue then this cannot be, for a man to lay downe lyfe for his beloued: Oh let vs a little me∣ditate vpon this excellent com∣forte that is vnspeakable in God towards man, through his loue was man created the goodlest creature: & where al other crea∣tures haue their eyes bēt down∣ward (to the earth, where they seeke their foode) man hath a face, looking vpwards toward

heauen, where the soule seeketh foode aboue the flesh: Againe, through the loue of God was man made the wisest creature, to know the varieties of natures, to giue names vnto creatures, to note the courses of the heauens, to till the earth, and make his pathes through the seas, to de∣uide the times, to distinguish of doubts, to search into know∣ledge, and to know the giuer and glory thereof: Againe, through the loue of God, man was made commaunder of all creatures vnder the Sunne, Lord of all the earth, fore∣seer of after-times, messen∣ger of the worde of God, student of Diuine misteries,

cheife seruant to the Lord of Lords, freinde to the King of Kings, and coheire in the hea∣uenly kingdome, through the loue of God; hee was made a seruante, but as a friend, a bro∣ther and a coheire: now hee that thinks on these pointes of loue, is worthy of no loue if he cannot say in his heart there was neuer such loue: hee loued man in himselfe, when there was none to perswade him to loue him but himselfe; he loued man as him∣selfe, that he wold haue him one with himselfe; yea he loued man more if more could be then him∣self, that for man to death would giue himselfe: hee made man louingly, he blest man louingly,

hee came to man louingly, and dyed for man most louingly: in the beginning hee shewed his loue without beginning, and in the end will shew his loue without ending, he made him better then his creatures, for hee made him Lord ouer them: hee made them better then his Angells, for hee made them to serue him alittle lower then himselfe. Psalme 8. verse 5. that himself might chiefly loue him: see further his loue vnto man as it is writen, I say 49. 15: Can a Mother forget her children, yet wil I neuer forget thee. Se heere loue more tender then of a mo∣ther, and more carefull then of any other Father: O loue of

loues, what loue is like to this loue? a kingly loue, which defen∣deth his subiects; a lordly loue, which rewardeth his seruants; a friendly loue, that is kind to his friēds; a brotherly loue y^t is kinde to his brothers; a motherly loue, that is tender to her children; a fatherly loue, that is carefull of his Sonnes; and a Godly loue, that is gratious to his creatures; a faithfull loue that neuer fain∣teth; a bountifull loue that e∣uer giueth; a mercifull loue that neuer grudgeth, a pitifull loue that euer releiueth; a mindefull loue, that neuer forgetteth; a gracefull loue that euer loueth.

Now who can enter into the true and due consideration

of loue, worthy louing, & in the thought of this loue, will not e∣uer confesse there was neuer such loue? which regardeth nothing but loue: oh how did God loue Abraham for shewing his loue in Isaack? where God regarding more his will then his worke, would not suffer the sacrifice of his Son, but so loued him, as be∣sides many other great fauours that he did him, could say within himselfe (when he had determi∣ned a destructiō of his enemies) shal I hide from my seruant A∣braham what I will doe? as thogh he wold keep nothing frō his beloued that he knew fit for his knowledge: Againe, how lo∣ued he Eliah that he wold neuer

let him see death? how loued he his seruant Dauid that he made him to his owne heart? how lo∣ued he the blessed Virgine to make her the mother of his bless∣sed Sonne? how loued hee Iohn the Euangeliste, to let him leane in is bosome? how loued hee Paule to bringe him from ido∣latry? & how loued he Peter to forgiue him whē he had denyed him? how loued hee Lazarus when he wept ouer him, how loued he Mary Magdalen when he disposs est her of fowle spirits, and at his Resurrection let her beholde him? and how loued he the Theife when hee carried him into heauen with him?

To recite all the pointes of

his particuler loue to a worlde of vnworthy persons, were more then a worlde could set downe but for so much as I haue said, and more then may bee saide of his loue, I am perswaded, that if wee consider the power, the grace, the wisdome, the bountie, the pittie, the maie∣stie, the mercie, the patience, the passion, the sorrow, the la∣bour, the life, and the tor∣ments of his loue, for our loue; he hath no feeling of loue, or is worthie of no loue, that will not in the ioye of his soules loue, giue all glory to this loue, and say with the Prophet Da∣uid. Psalm 31. verse 23. Loue him all ye his Saints, praise him and

magnifie him for euer. For as there was neuer such a sorrowe as he hath endured for vs, so is there no such loue as he hath to vs, and in his mercie dooth euer shew vs. When he came first in∣to the world, he came as an in∣fant, to shewe vs the mildenes of his loue in further yeares: he came as a doctor in the wisdom of his loue, to teach vs the way vnto eternall life, in the vertue of his loue: he came as a Phisition to cure vs of all diseases: in the power of his loue, he came like himselfe as a God to driue out the Deuils from vs: and in the meekenes of his loue, came as a Lambe to be sacrifised for vs: & in the care of his loue, at the

right hand of his father, is now a Mediator for vs, & in the glo∣rie of his loue, into the possessi∣on of our inheritance, that hee hath purchased for vs: will re∣ceiue vs: oh milde! oh wise! oh vertuous! oh powerfull! oh meeke! oh carefull! oh glori∣ous loue! who can thinke of this loue, and in the true glorie of true loue, cannot most truely say, there was neuer such loue! no, as Non est dolor sicut eius, so Non est Amor sicut eius. And thus much touching the consi∣deration of the loue God.