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.

HAuing now set downe a few notes touching the ne∣cessarie consideration of the greatnesse, goodnesse, wisdom, loue, mercie, grace and glory of God, Let mee a little speake of the contrarieties in man, in mine opinion not vnnecessarie to be considered: and first, of the weakenesse or smallnesse of man: First of his smallenesse touching the substance of his

creation, it was of the slime of the earth, then what could bee lesse, or of lesse force, quantitye or esteeme? Next for the substance of generati∣on, what was man before the meeting of his Parents? not so much as a thought, then which nothing could bee lesse, then by the effect of consent, What was his substance? as in his creation a matter of like moment, the quantitie not greate, and the force little, contained in a little roome: bred vp in darkenes with paine and sorrowe, fed by the nauil•• without vse of sence or mem∣ber. Then come into the world, is in quantitie little, in strength

meere weaknes, naked and fee∣ble like anowne adiectiue that cannot stand alone, cryeth for it knoweth not what, either paine that it cannot expresse, or for want of that it cannot aske for: Now continuing long time in this weaknes, being come to fur∣ther yeares, what doth it finde but it owne imbecillitie, desi∣ring that it cannot haue, behol∣ding that it cannot compre hend, and enduring that it can∣not helpe.

Subiect to sinne, by the cor∣ruption of nature, by tempta∣tion of the flesh, by the enchant∣ment of the worlde, and the iclousnesse of the Deuill: sub∣iect to the burning of the fire,

to the drowning of the water, to the infection of the aire, to the swallowing of the earth: sub∣iect to sicknesse, subiect to care, to sorrow, to want, to wronge, to oppression, to penurye, to ignorance, to presumption, to tyranye, to death: so vnable to defend himselfe, that a flea will byte him, a fly will blinde him, a worme will wound him, and a gnat will choake him.

And for his sences, his hea∣ring may greeue him, his sight may annoye him, his speeche may hurt him, his feeling may distemper him, his smelling may infect him, and his tasting may kill him: in summe, poore thing proud of nothing, come of little

better then nothing, and shall returne to (almoste) as little a•• nothing: muste hunger, must thirst, must labour, must sleepe, must loose the vse of his sences, and committe him∣selfe to trust: must waxe olde, must die, cannot chuse, hath no power to withstand any of these: and though hee haue the commaund of creatures, is but himselfe a creature, and can no longer liue then to the will of the Creator: sees the Sunne, cannot behold the brightnesse: heares the windes, knowes not whence they blowe: feeles the ayre, knowes not how to lay holde of it: sees the fire, dares not touch it: sees a world

of earth, but possesseth little of it, perhappes none of it: lookes at Heauen, but can∣not come at it: and in summe, as a substance of nothing, or if anye thing, like a Clocke, that no longer mooueth then by the will of the Clockema∣ker: So no longer man then in the wil of his maker: what shall this little, weake, small creature think, when he shal in the glasse of true sence beholde the obiect of himselfe, and then think vp∣on the greatnes of his God, in whome not onely himselfe but all creatures in heauen & earth haue their being, and without him haue no being? in how little a compasse himselfe, with∣all

his is contained, while such is the greatnesse of his God, as filleth heauen and earth with his glory; who comprehendeth all things, not comprehended in any, nor all; but aboue all in himself, in the infinitenes of him∣selfe. Oh poore man what canst thou doe, but with Iob lay thy finger on thy mouth, and say: I haue spoken once and twise, but I will speake no more: I thought I was something, but I see I am nothing, at least so little a thing, as in it selfe is nothing: My righ∣teousnesse is as a filthy cloth, my strength is Weakenes, my dayes as a shaddowe, my life but a spanne, and my substance so smal, as but in thee my God is as nothing or worse

then nothing at al: thus I say wilt thou say when beholding the least of gods creatures, thou shalt consider thyne owne smalnesse; and looking on the one and the other with the Prophet Dauid, say in the admiration of his glo∣rious goodnes, Psalme 8. vers. 4. O God what is man that thou doest vouchsafe to looke vpon him?

And thus much touching the smalnesse or weaknes of man.