Divine considerations treating of those things which are most profitable, most necessary and most perfect in our Christian profession by John Valdesso.

CONSID. L.

In what the Depravation of man doth consist, and in what his reparation doth consist. In what Christian Perfection doth consist.

COnsidering that which I understand and know of Gods being, inasmuch as he is im∣passible and immortall, and inasmuch as he is

wise, just, mercifull, faithfull, and true; and con∣sidering that which I understand and know of the being of a man, inasmuch as he is passible, and mortall, and inasmuch as he is ignorant, im∣pious, vindicative, false, and a lier: And un∣derstanding by the testimony of holy Scripture, that man in his first creation was created after the image and similitude of God; I come to un∣derstand that there is as much difference from the kind of being in which God created man, to that kind of being wherein he now is and a∣bides; as from that being which I know of God, to that being which I know of man. And knowing by testimony of holy Scripture, that for the sinne of the first man, from that first perfect being, and that being like unto God, man is come to this imperfect being, and like unto the being of other animals, inasmuch as pertains to his body, and to the being of evil spirits as touching his soul; I come to under∣stand, that the evil which is come to mankind by the sinne of the first man, consists in this, that of impassible he is become passible, subject to cold, and to hear, to hunger, and to thirst, with all other corporall incommodities; and of im∣mortal he is become mortal, subject unto death; and of wise he is become ignorant; of just, impi∣ous; of mercifull, vindicative; of faithfull, false; and of true, a lier. Whereby I understand, that because the evil into which mankind fel through

sinne, toucheth men in their bodies and in their minds, the grace which God hath pleased to do unto mankind by means of Jesus Christ our Lord, appertains likewise both to bodies and to minds; and so it is, that assoon as a man is cal∣led of God, and doth accept for his the justice of God executed on Christ; being made a member of Christ, he begins to be partaker of that first reparation, which is of the mind, and is by the death of Christ. And it is also true, that that man who shall depart from this life a member of Christ, shall be partaker of the last reparati∣on which shall be of the body, and shall be by the resurrection of Christ, and shall be in the generall resurrection of all men; in such sort, as they who are members of Christ, by the death of Christ do repair the evil of their minds in this present life, if not altogether, yet in part; and they do repair by the resurrection of Jesus Christ the evil of their body in life everlasting, and then shall they have recovered intirely that image, and that similitude of God with which they were created, being in their bodies impas∣sible and immortall, and being in their minds just, wise, mercifull, faithfull, and true, in which I understand our whole felicity doth consist.

After that I have understood all this, I re∣solve my self, that the proper exercise of a Chri∣stian in this present life, is to attend unto the re∣paration of his mind, and to recover the image

and similitude of God, with which he was cre∣ated. And albeit, as I have said, so much of this is recovered as there is (as a man may say) of the incorporation in the death of Christ in a man; neverthelesse I understand it appertains to a Christian to exercise himself to recover it in this manner: When he shall be solicited by the depravation of his mind unto impiety, remem∣bring himself that God is just, he shall say, No, to me it belongs to be just, and not impious. When he shall be solicited unto revenge, remem∣bring himself that God is mercifull, he shall say, No, to me it appertains to be mercifull, and not vindicative. When he shall be solicited unto wrath, remembring himself that God is pati∣ent, he shall say, No, to me it appertains to be patient, and not wrathfull. When he shall be solicited to falsity and lies, remembring himself that God is faithfull and true, he shall say, No, to me it appertains to be faithfull and true. When he shall be solicited to desire to be esteem∣ed and prized of the men of this world, remem∣bring himself that God is a pilgrim and stran∣ger in this present life, he shall say, No, to me it appertains to be a pilgrim and stranger with God, that I may be altogether like unto God. And finally, when he shall be solicited to any thing, which may redound to the hurt of his neighbour in any sort whatsoever, remembring himself that God loves men so much, that to re∣pair

their evil and damage, in which they were thrown down headlong, he gave his own Son unto death, he shall say, No, to me it appertains to have love and charity. And so running through all those things, with which a man may be solicited by his own affections through the depravation of the mind, he shall find perfecti∣ons in God, with which he may represse them; and so by little and little he shall go on, aug∣menting in himself the reparation of his mind, which is the first thing, and he shall go every houre more perfecting the reparation of his bo∣dy, which is the last. And in this exercise I un∣derstand the Christian perfection consisteth. I would say, that so much is a Christian more or lesse perfect in this life, inasmuch as occupying himself in this exercise, he doth obtain more or lesse of that part which is to be gotten in this present life, of the image and likenesse of God, with which he was created. And for this cause I understand, that our Lord Jesus Christ conclu∣deth his discourses of Christian perfection, say∣ing, Be ye perfect as your heavenly Father is perfect: as if he should have said, Finally, I exhort you that you attend to be like unto God in perfection: he is perfect, and do you also at∣tend to be perfect as he is. And this is properly a Christian admonition, inasmuch as it is of Je∣sus Christ our Lord.