Anwick his meditations vpon Gods monarchie and the deuill his kingdome And of the knowledge that man in this life may obtaine of the almightie, eternal, and most glorious godhed: with other thinges not only worth the reading but also the marking and the retayning.

IF ANY MAN BE DE∣sirous to know what God is, let him search the holy Scriptures, & hee shall si••de it thus. God is the only Monarch of Heauen, & Earth, hee is the most glorious inuisible spirite, omnipotent, of him selfe, who hath created, set in order, conserueth and ruleth all thinges in Heauen, Earth and Hell, being the right Maister of all indeede, of euerla∣sting being, had no beginning shall haue no ending, without emparing or alteration through time, there is nothing new vnto him, neither can he waxe olde. For to him there can bee no time past nor time to come, but from euerlasting to euerlasting, one and the same time is euer present with him. Therefore the distinction of time is for Angels, Deuils, mankinde and other creatures which had beginning, and not for God, which had no beginning. Vnus est ille Deus & semper idem.

The same God is that almighty power which the Philo∣sophers of old time found out to bee the first mouer, that cau∣seth all mouing and springing thinges, to moue and spring, to increase and diminishe, as well sencible as insencible, as wel reasonable as vnreasonable creatures. Also they found him to be the cause of all other causes, wherin they differ not much as touching the property of the diety from the Apostle, who sayth * that Christ Iesus as God is all in all.

Other knowledge they had not of him to giue him his right name, because it pleased God not to open him selfe further vnto them.

Therefore the notable wise men of the famous Citty of Athens, worshipped him among the rest of their Gods * by the name of the vnknowne God: by which their doinges it ap∣peareth, that mans wisedome and learning how excellent so euer it is of it selfe, is not able to reatch to the right know∣ledge of the true God, * except hee bee drawen thereunto by the spirite of God, and taught to knowe the Father by the So••ur••.

This first mouer in the only Monarch of al power and do∣minion, who hath created and set in order all thinges visi∣ble and inuisible, by whose incomprehensible power, will and direction euery thing hath his being in Heauen, Earth and Hell. Therefore of necessity it must followe, that what∣soeuer, or to what end soeuer, things are by him created, mo∣ued, encreased or diminished, or by Angels or men, in deed or word committed, or in thought conceaued, yea euen by Satan and his Angells: they all haue their mouing, and dispo∣sition of working by his forepointment and direction only.

This conclusion cannot iustly bee denied: except another power be imagined, that of it selfe can bee, moue, worke, dis∣pose and direct thinges besides and contrary to the power and will of this Almighty and eternall Monarch of all power and dominion, by which false & vile imagination the almightines of our one eternall God to bee creator, & director of all things visible and inuisible should bee vtterly denied. Therefore let all people beware and eschewe the wading in that bot∣tomlesse gulfe, of damnable imagination, vnlesse they care not to bee drowned * in the bottomlesse pit: where the worme dieth not nor the fier euer goeth out.

This is that Almighty Monarch and eternall God, who (after the Heauens and the Earth with their contentes were set in order) created Adam the first man, placed him in Para∣dise, a most delicate place for pleasure with all commodious

thinges: and gaue him in commaundement what to doe, and what to leaue vndone: which commaundement man wilfully brake: hee had also forepointed in his euerlasting and eternal counsell both the meanes and the matter to bring his holy & glorious purpose to his forepointed end. Therefore by his sacred lawe * hee hath concluded all vnder sinne, whereby his taketh iust occasion, to shew mercy in Christ Iesus on whom it pleaseth him: and to doe iustice on the rest, to the miracu∣lous admiration as wel of the holy Angels and his elect peo∣ple: as of all the reprobate wicked people, with the Deuill himselfe and his cursed Angells.

For if hee had shewed mercy on all: then had he hidden in himselfe, halfe his glory: for euery thing is best discerned by his contrary: Therefore the eternall vertue, the in∣finite comfort, and the most pleasaunt fruicte of Gods mercy, could neuer haue beene so precious and comfortable to Gods elect: except it had beene matched with a contrary vertue, as infinite, great, as excellent, and as much to be praysed as it selfe: euen Gods iustice in generall: but especially on the wic∣ked reprobate.

Thus it appeareth how it pleased God to make for his owne purpose, to shew foorth his wonderfull power, a Theater or stage, for the inhabitaunts of Heauen▪ Earth and Hell, to behold his vnspeakable woorkes, and ordained the meanes and matter to work on, how euery thing should come to his forepointed ende: And that was and is, some to sal∣uation, and some to damnation, and all both for to shew foorth his own glory purposed in himselfe before the world was, and to shew himselfe vnto all three regiments, Heauen, Earth, Hell, to Angels, Deuils and mankind, to bee the almighty, eternall, and most glorious God of mercy and iustice.

Oh that men would therefore feare him and submit their willes to his will, because he is the chiefe Monarch, of all in all, will they, nill they.

This is that very true God, whom all the holy and noble Patriarches, from the beginning did serue and honor before

the general flood, with such sacrifices as were then allowed of, vntill wickednes did so abound, (as in these our dayes) that God was (as it were) compelled to destroy by water: and seemed to begin the world anew.

This is that most leuing God, that cannot forget such as loue & feare him. * For when he was to execute iustice vpon the vniuersall world, hee prouided for his seruant Noah, commaunding him 120. yeares before to make the Arke in readines for safegard of him and his: whereas all others for infidelitie, pride, and disobedience with other horrible and filthy sinnes perished by water.

The like kindnes he shewed vnto his seruant Lot, when he by fire and brimstone from Heauen destroyed Sodome and Gomorah, with other Cities. And to all the Godly from age to age hee hath shewed like grace and mercy: and greater to some, by so much as the Gospell surmounteth the law in goodnes towards Gods elect.

This is that God * that those Abraham for a cheefe ser∣uant, made him of counsell what hee would doe to Sodome and Gomorah: hee made him also his friend & chiefe member of his visible Church on Earth: and gaue him this honora∣ble title: the father of beleeuers, of whose seed the promised Messias by a lineall discent, came into the world in his ap∣pointed time, to saue so many of the damned seed of Adam, as God before the world was, had elected to bee saued by the death and rising againe * of that vnspotted Lambe Christ Iesus stain from the beginning in his own person by Gods eternal decree & forepointment, & also * in his elect members.

This is the same glorious maiestie, that hath created the Heauen, and the Heauen of Heauens, with all the heauenly bodies. And also hell with fiery tormentes, the Sky, the Sun, the Mone, the Starres, the Sea, and the Earth, with al their contentes: & last of all man according to his owne y∣mage, and for his owne purpose and eternall glory.

Euerlasting praises be vnto this most holy and glorious God, * that possesseth the Heauens, and hath giuen the Earth

to the children of men, therein to stay and breath a whyle, and so to passe away, some to Heauen, and some to Hel.

Therefore wee ought to learne of Dauid to answere the wicked, when in skorne they aske where is God: wee may say our God is in Heauen, and doth euery where what pleaseth him. Hee is there accompanied with his holy An∣gels and soules of his elect, in such pleasant rest & quiet feli∣citie: as no fleshly eie hath or can see, no eare hath hard it told, because no tongue is sufficient to expresse it, nor learning di∣sribe it, no cunning with pen or pensel able to paint it out, no thought strong ynough to imagine, nor fleshly hart woor∣thy to conceaue it. Saint Iohn in his reuelation hath said so much to blaze and declare the glorious ioy of this almigh∣tie and eternall God (which hee will giue to his elect in the world to come) as is possible for man to speake, write, or vn∣derstand, and yet farre of from that it is indeede. * For we see in this world, as it were but through a glasse, nothing perfectly, but the time will come when wee shall see God face to face. This euerlasting Monarch and almighty Ie∣houa is all in al, and onely may bee said to bee: For none but hee can iustly say without addition: I am: and why? Euen because hee onely, I meane God, hath his being in, of, and by himselfe, and all other creatures in, of, for, from, and by him alone. There was neuer none of Adams lyne (except the holy Ghost wrought in him to that end) that could attaine to the true knowledge of this almighty and onely Monarch.

The heathen Philosophers saw a far of an vnknown thing, which they very well perceiued, to bee the cause of all other causes, & first moouer of all that moueth: further knowledge they could not get by al the wisedome and cunning of men.

Therfore it is most true * that the wisedome of this world is foolishnes with God: And contrarywise, worldly wise men, not yet new borne by the holy Ghost, esteeme the sim∣plicitie of the Gospel very foolishnes in comparison of their owne wisedome.

Therefore they cannot attaine to the true knowledge and

wisedome of God: And why? Euen because * no man can come to the Father but by the Sonne: And again * no man can come to the Sonne except the Father draw him. There∣fore those Philosophers and mighty wise men could not at∣taine to the true knowledge and wisedome of God: neither can the mighty and wise men in these daies reach vnto it, be∣cause they are not drawen thereunto by the holy Ghost proce∣ding both from the Father and the Sonne: and the meanes to bee drawne, is to submitte our selues to the gouernment of Gods woord: wherein by seeking wee shal find the supply of al our want. And set vs * exalt and praise the name of the Lord that only woorketh woonders: * for who so taketh on him to tell out his woonderful woorks, when he hath done al that hee can, hee is new to beginne againe: for it is an vnpos∣sible enterprise.

Notes

• Ephes. 1. 23. Colos. 3. 11.
• Act. 17. 23
• ••••tt. 11. Iohn. 1.
• Reuel. 20. 3 Mar. 9. 46.
• Gal. 3. 2••. Exo. 33. 19.
• Genes. 6.
• Genes. 12.
• Reuel. 13. 8.
• Psal. 1••5 16
• 1 Cor. 13 12.
• 1 Cor. 1 20.
• Iohn 6. 44. 14. 6.
• Esai. 25. 1. Eccle. 18.