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unto you. Wherein I fhall do my endeavour, first, to prove unto you that all good things come down unto us from above, from the Father of light. Secondly, that Jefus Chrift, his Son and our Saviour, is the mean, by whom we receive his liberal goodnefs. Thirdly, that in the power and virtue of the Holy Ghoft we be made meet and able to receive his gifts and graces. Which things diftinctly and advifedly confidered in our minds, muft needs compel us in moft low reverence, after our bounden duty, always to render him thanks again, in fome teftification of our good hearts for his deferts unto us. And that the entreating of this matter in hand may be to the glory of Almighty God, let us in one faith and charity call upon the Father of mercy, from whom cometh every good gift and every perfect gift, by the mediation of his well-beloved Son our Saviour, that we' may be affifted with the prefence of his holy Spirit, and profitably on both parts, to demean ourfelves in fpeaking and hearkening to the falvation of our fouls.

In the beginning of my fpeaking unto you, good Chriftian people, fuppofe not that I do take upon me to declare unto you the excellent power, or the incomparable wisdom of Almighty God, as though I would have you believe that it might be expreffed unto you by words; nay, it may not be thought, that that thing may be comprehended by man's words, that is incomprehenfible. And too much arrogancy it were for duft and athes to think that he can worthily declare his Maker. It paffeth far the dark understanding and wisdom of a mortal man, to speak fufficiently of that divine Majesty, which the angels cannot understand. We fhall therefore lay apart to fpeak of the profound and unfearchable nature of Almighty God, rather acknowledging our weaknefs, than rafhly to attempt what is above all man's capacity to compafs. It thall better fuffice us in low humility to reverence and dread his Majefty, which we cannot comprife, than by overmuch curious fearching to be overcharged with the glory. We fhall rather turn our whole contemplation to anfwer a while his goodness towards us, wherein we fhall be much more profitably occupied, and more may we be bold to fearch. To confider the great power he is of, can but make us dread and fear. To confider his high wifdom, might utterly discomfort our frailty to have any thing to do with him: but in confideration of his ineftimable goodnefs, we take good heart again to truft well unto him. By his goodness we be

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affured.

Dan. xi.

Prov. xvi.

Heb. xi.

affured to take him for our refuge, our hope and comfort, our merciful Father, in all the courfe of our lives. His power and wifdom compelleth us to take him for God Omnipotent, Invisible, having rule in heaven and earth, having all things in his fubjection, and will have none in council with him, nor any to afk the reason of his doing. For he may do what liketh him, and none can refift him. For be worketh all things in bis fecret judgment to his own pleasure, yea, even the wicked to damnation, faith Solomon. By the reafon of his nature, he is called in Scripture confuming fire, he is called a terrible and fearful God. Of this behalf, therefore, we have no familiarity, no accefs unto him; but his goodness again tempereth the rigour of his high power, and maketh us bold, and putteth us in hope that he will be converfant with us, and eafy unto us.

It is his goodness that moveth him to fay in Scripture, It is my delight to be with the children of men. It is his goodness that moveth him to call us unto him, to offer us his friendship and prefence. It is his goodness that patiently fuffereth our ftraying from him, and fuffereth us long, to win us to repentance. It is of his goodness that Prov. viii. we be created reasonable creatures, where else he might have made us brute beafts. It was his mercy to have us born among the number of Chriftian people, and thereby in a much more nighnefs to falvation, where we might have been born (if his goodness had not been) among the Paynims, clean void from God, and the hope of everlasting life. And what other thing doth his loving and gentle voice, fpoken in his word, where he calleth us to his prefence and friendship, but declare his goodness only, without regard of our worthinefs? And what other thing doth ftir him to call us to him, when we be strayed from him, to fuffer us patiently, to win us to repentance, but only his fingular goodness, no whit of our deferving? Let them all come together that be now glorified in hea ven, and let us hear what anfwer they will make in these points before rehearfed, whether their firft creation was in God's goodnefs, or of themselves. Forfooth, David would make anfwer for them all, and fay, Know ye for furety, even the Lord is God; be bath made us, and not we ourfelves. If they were afked again, who fhould be thanked for their regeneration, for their juftification, and for their falvation? whether their deferts, or God's goodnefs only? although in this point every one confefs fufficiently the truth of this matter in his own per

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fon; yet let David answer by the mouth of them all at this time, who cannot choose but fay, Not to us, O Lord, not to us, but to thy name give all the thanks, for thy loving mercy, and for thy truth fake. If we fhould afk again, from whence came their glorious works and deeds, which they wrought in their lives, wherewith God was fo highly pleased and worshipped by them? let fome other witnefs be brought in, to teftify this matter, that in the mouth of two or three may the truth be known.

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Verily, that holy Prophet Ifaiah beareth record, and Isa. xxvi. faith, O Lord, it is thou of thy goodness that baft wrought all our works in us, not we ourselves. And to uphold the truth of this matter, againft all jufticiaries and hypocrites, which rob Almighty God of his honour, and afcribe it to themselves, St. Paul bringeth in his belief: We be not, 1 Cor. iii. faith he, fufficient of ourselves, as of ourselves, once to think A&ts xvii, any thing but all our ableness is of God's goodness. For be it is, in whom we have all our being, our living, and moving. If ye will know furthermore where they had their gifts and facrifices, which they offered continually in their lives to Almighty God, they cannot but agree with David, where he faith, Of thy liberal band, O Lord, we have received that we gave unto thee. If this holy company therefore confefs fo conftantly, that all the goods and graces, wherewith they were endued in foul, came of the goodness of God only; what more can be faid to prove that all that is good cometh from Almighty God? Is it meet to think that all fpiritual goodnefs cometh from God above only; and that other good things, either of nature or of fortune (as we call them) come of any other caufe? Doth God of his goodness adorn the foul with all the powers thereof, as it is; and come the gifts of the body, wherewith it is endued, from any other? If he doth the more, cannot he do the lefs? "To justify a finner, to new create him from a wicked perfon to a righte ous man, is a greater act," faith St. Auguftine, " than to make fuch a new heaven and earth as is already made." We muft needs agree, that whatfoever good thing is in us, of grace, of nature, or of fortune, is of God only, as the only Author and Worker.

And yet it is not to be thought that God hath created all this whole univerfal world as it is, and, thus once made, hath given it up to be ruled and used after our own wits and device, and fo taketh no more charge thereof. As we fee the fhipwright, after he hath brought his fhip to a perfect end, then delivereth it to the mariners, and

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taketh

Heb. ii.
Heb. iii.

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taketh no more care thereof. Nay, God hath not fo created the world, that he is carelefs of it: but he ftill preferveth it by his goodness, he ftill ftayeth it in his creation. For elfe without his fpecial goodnefs it could not stand long in this condition. And therefore St. Paul faith, that he preferveth all things, and beareth them up ftill in his Word, left they fhould fall without him to their nothing again, whereof they were made. If his efpecial goodnefs were not every where prefent, every creature fhould be out of order, and no creature should have his property, wherein he was firft created. He is therefore invifible every where, and in every creature, and filleth both heaven and earth with his prefence: in the fire, to give heat; in the water, to give moisture; in the earth, to give fruit; in the heart, to give his ftrength; yea, in our bread and drink is he, to give us nourishment, where without him the bread and drink cannot give fuftenance, nor the herb health, as the Wife Wifd. xvi. Man plainly confeffeth it, faying, It is not the increase of fruits that feedeth men; but it is thy word, O Lord, which preferveth them that trust in thee. And Mofes agreeth to Deut. viii. the fame, when he faith, Man's life refleth not in bread only, but in every word which proceedeth out of God's mouth. Wifd. xvii. is neither the herb nor the plafter, that giveth health of themJelves; but thy word, O Lord, faith the Wife Man, subich bealeth all things. It is not therefore the power of the creatures which worketh their effects, but the goodness of God which worketh in them. In his Word truly do all things confift. By that fame Word that heaven and earth were made, by the fame are they upholden, main2 Pet iii. tained, and kept in order, faith St. Peter, and fhall be till Almighty God fhall withdraw his power from them, and fpeak their diffolution. If it were not thus, that the goodnefs of God were effectually in his creatures to rule them, how could it be that the main fea, so raging and labouring to overflow the earth, could be kept within his bounds and banks, as it is? That holy man Job evidently fpied the goodness of God in this point, and confefsed, that if he had not a fpecial goodness to the prefervation of the earth, it could not but fhortly be overflowed of the fea. How could it be that the elements, fo divers and contrary as they be among themfelves, fhould yet agree and abide together in a concord, without deftruction one of another, to ferve our ufe, if it came not only of God's goodnefs fo to temper them? How could the fire not burn and confume all things, if it were let loofe to go

whither

whither it would, and not ftaid in its fphere by the goodnefs of God, meafurably to heat these inferior creatures to their riping? Confider the huge fubftance of the earth, fo heavy and great as it is: how could it fo ftand stably in the space as it doth, if God's goodnefs referved it not fo for us to travel on? It is thou, O Lord, faith David, Pfal. ciii. which baft founded the earth in bis flability; and during thy word it shall never reel or fall down. Confider the great ftrong beafts and fishes, far paffing the ftrength of man; how fierce foever they be and strong, yet by the goodness of God they prevail not against us, but are under our fubjection, and ferve our ufe. Of whom came the invention thus to fubdue them, and make them fit for our commodities? Was it by man's brain? Nay, rather this invention came by the goodness of God, which infpired man's understanding to have his purpose of every creature. Who was it, faith Job, that put vill and wisdom in man's head, Job but God only, his goodness? And as the fame faith again, xxxviii. I perceive that every man bath a mind; but it is the infpiration of the Almighty that giveth understanding. It could not be, verily, good Chriftian people, that man of his own wit upholden fhould invent fo many and divers devices in all crafts and feiences, except the goodness of Almighty God had been prefent with men, and had stirred their wits and ftudies of purpose to know the natures and difpofitions of all his creatures, to ferve us fufficiently in our needs and neceffities: yea, not only to ferve our neceffities, but to ferve our pleafures and delight, more than neceffity requireth. So liberal is God's goodness to us, to provoke us to thank him, if any hearts we have. The Wife Man, in his contemplation by himself, could not but grant this thing to be true, which I reafon unto you. In bis bands, faith he, be we, and our words, and all our Wild, vii. wifdom, and all our fciences and works of knowledge; for it is he that gave me the true inftruction of his creatures, both to know the difpofition of the world, and the virtues of the elements, the beginning and end of times, the change and diverfities of them, the courfe of the year, the order of the ftars, the natures of beafts, and the powers of them, the powers of the winds, and thoughts of men, the differences of planets, the virtue of roots, and whatsoever is hid and fecret in nature, I learned it. The Artificer of all thefe taught me this wifdom. And further he faith, Who can fearch out the things that be in bea- Wifd. ix, ven? For it is hard for us to fearch fuch things as be on earth, and in daily fight before us. For our wits and D d 3 thoughts,

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