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 sixt consideration of the grace of God.

IN the mercy of God, finding so great a measure of his grace as in the bountie of his goodnes deserueth no little glory, I can∣not but with admiration speake of that grace, that through his loue made him haue such a fa∣uour vnto man, as to elect him to his loue, to frame him to his image, to inspire him with his spirit, to instruct him in his word, to defend him with his power, to preserue him in his mercie: to dye for him in his

loue, and to receiue him to glo∣rie: all these and what euer o∣ther good wee receiue, either through the loue or mercye of God, are free guifts of his grace, and not for any merrit in man, How can this beame of glorious brightnes bee beheld with the cies of humilitie, but that the soule wold be rauished with the contemplation therof? and say with the Psalmist, Psalme. 103. verse. 8. Gratious is the Lord, and mercifull, long suffering, and of great goodnesse. Furthermore, of so great effect in the working of comfort in the hearts of the faithfull, is this vertue of grace in God, that wee finde the wri∣tings of the Apostles in their E∣pistles,

commonlye to begin with this word Grace: Grace, mer∣cie and peace from our Lord and Sauiour Iesus Christ: As if from grace came mercie, and from mercie peace. Oh consider the works of grace, our election out of a speciall fauour: our creati∣on out of a gratious wisdome: our vocation out of a gratious kindenes: our sanctification out of a gratious holines: our iusti∣fication out of a gratious merit: our redemptiō out of a gratious loue, & our glorification out of a gratious mercy. So that still we see that grace worketh in all thinges to the onelye glorie of God, in whome it worketh to the good of man. Oh how sweet

a salutation was deliuered to the blessed Virgin Mary by the An∣gell Gabriell, Haile Mary full of grace, God is with thee. So that if God be with any soule, it is full of grace, & where the fulnes of grace is, there is surely God: but as it is written of Christ Iesus, Psalme. 45. vers. 7. That hee was annointed with the Oyle of Grace aboue his fellowes, So may wee well say of the Grace of God, it is so excellent in working to the Glorie of God, that as it is infinite in goodnes, so must it haue the same measure in glorie, I say, to be glorified a∣boue all things. Note a little the varieties of the guiftes of this grace of God vnto his seruants:

Moyses hee made a leader of his people, and gaue him the tables of the law: to Abraham he gaue the blessing that should follow in his seede: in Isaack shall the seede be called: at the prayer of Eliah, hee sent raine after a long drought: to Dauid hee gaue a kingdome, and a treasure more worth then many kingdomes, the enlightning knowledge of his holy loue, the spirit of pro∣phesie, the confession of sinne, the repentance of offence, the passion of true patiēce, the con∣stancie of faith, and the humility of loue. To Salomon he gaue es∣peciall wisdome to sit in the Throane of iudgement with the greatest maiestie and wealth of

any earthlye creature in the world, To the blessed Virgin Marie hee gaue the fulnesse of grace, in the conception of his only Sonne; but to him he gaue that grace that filled heauen and earth with his glorie.

Let vs then consider not only the vertue, goodnesse and glory of grace, but with all, the height and glorie therof; which being only in Iesus Christ our onely Lord and Sauiour, let vs in him onely beholde the summe and substance, the beautie & bright∣nesse, the goodnesse and glorie thereof, & forsaking our selues in the shame of our sinnes, only flie to his mercie for the com∣forte of those blessings, that re∣ceiuing

onelye from him, may make vs giue all honour and glorie to him.

And so much for considerati∣on vpon the grace of God.