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.

A Prayer.

O Most gratious, almighty, most mercifull and holye, glorious & euer louing GOD, who from the highest Throne of thy heauenly mer∣cie, doost vouchsafe to beholde the meanest creature on the earth! & aboue all, with a com∣fortable eye of a fatherly kinde∣nesse, doost beholde man as the chiefe matter of thy workman∣ship! and considering since his first fall by temptatiō, his weak∣nes in resisting the like assault,

doost by the light of thy grace, make him see the difference be∣twixt good and euill, and by the inspiration of thy holye spirit, doost leade him from the traine of sinne, the true way to eternall happinesse: glorious God, that knowest whereof we are made, that our daies are but as a sha∣dow, and we are as nothing without thee, who hath reuea∣led to the simple, and hid from the wise the secret wisdome of thy wil, & to me thy most vn∣worthy seruant hast so often shewed those fruits of thy loue, that makes mee asham'd to think of my vnthankfulnesse to thy holy Maiestie, my forget∣fulnesse of thy grace, and vn∣worthinesse

of thy mercy: Oh my Lord, when I consider these things, with all other the manifolde blessings that from time to time I haue receiued from the onelye bountie of thy blessed hand, what can I doe but in admiration of thy great∣nesse and contemplation of thy goodnesse, giue glorie to thy holy Maiesty, & with thy cho∣sen seruant Dauid in the griefe and shame of my sinne, and on∣ly hope of thy mercie, in true contrition of heart, fall prost∣rate at thy feete, and flie only to thy mercie for my comfort: be∣seeching thee so to direct me in the waies of thy holy will, that seeing thy greatnes in thy good

nes, & thy wisdom in thy loue, thy grace in thy mercie, and thy glorie in thy grace; and confes∣sing my weakenesse, vilenesse, folly, malice, sloath, & basenes, attend the worke of thy will, in working mee to thy holye will: giue me power to cōsider, that although I read neuer so much, beleeue all I reade, and remem∣ber all I beleeue, yet without one drop of the deawe of thy grace it will take no root in my heart: but good Lord consider the corruption of nature through the infection of sinne, in which I accuse, not excuse my selfe vnto thee: make me to know thy will, let me rather crie before thee Hosanna, with

the little Babes, then with the Pharisies make boast of my righteousnesse, and as it hath pleased thy holy Maiestie to make mee consider of thy mercies, so let these considerati∣ons (by taking root in my hart) be so comfortable to my soule, that loathing the world with al the vanities therof, I may in the teares of true penitence, shewe the sorrow of my sin, and in the ioy of thy mercie, I may sing to thy glory. Amen.

FINIS.