The Creation .

WHat can I see , O God , in thy Creation but miracles of wonders ? Thou madest something of nothing , and of that somthing all things . Thou which wast without a beginning , gauest a beginning to time , and to the world in time : It is the praise of vs men if when we haue matter , we can giue fashion ; thou gauest a beeing to the matter , without forme ; thou gauest a form to that matter , and a glory to that forme ; If wee can but finish a sleight and vnperfest matter , according to a former patterne , it is the height of our skill , but to beginne that which neuer was , whereof there was no example , whereto there was no inclination , wherin there was no possibility of that which it should bee , is proper onely to such power as thine ; the infinite power of an infinite creator : with vs , not so much as a thought can arise without some matter , but heere with thee , all matter arises from nothing . How easie is it for thee to repaire all out of something , which couldest thus fetch al out of nothing ? wherin can we now distrust thee , that hast prooued thy self thus omnipotent ? Behold to haue made the least clod of nothing , is more aboue wonder then to multiply a world ; but now the matter doth not more praise thy power , then the forme thy wisedome ; what beauty is heere ? what order ? what order in working ? what beauty in the worke .

Thou mightest haue made all the world perfect in an instant , but thou wouldest not . That wil , which caused thee to create , is reason enough why thou diddest thus create . How should we deliberate in our actions , which are so subiect to imperfection , since it pleased thine infinite perfection ( not out of need ) to take leasure . Neither did thy wisedome heerein proceede in time onely , but in degrees : At first thou madest nothing absolute ; first thou madest things which should haue being without life , then those which should haue life and being ; lastly those which haue being , life , reason : So we our selues in the ordinary course of generation , first liue the life of vegetation , then of sense , of reason afterwards . That instant wherein the heauen and the earth were created in their rude matter , there was neither day nor light , but presently thou madest both light & day . Whiles wee haue this example of thine , how vainely do wee hope to bee perfect at once ? It is well for vs , if through many degrees wee can rise to our consummation .

But ( alas ) what was the very heuen it selfe without light ? how confused ? how formelesse ? like to a goodly body without a soule , like a soule without thee . Thou art light , and in thee is no darkenesse . Oh how incomprehensibly glorious is the light that is in thee , since one glimpse of this created light gaue so liuely a glory to al thy workemanship ! This , euen the bruite creatures can behold : That , not the very Angels . That shines foorth onely to the other supreme world of immortality ; this to the basest part of thy creation . There is one cause of our darkenesse on earth , and of the vtter darkenesse in hell , the restraint of thy light . Shine thou O God , into the vast corners of my soule , and in thy light I shall see light .

But whence , O God , was that first light ? The sunne was not made till the fourth day , light the first . If man had then beene , he might haue seene all lightsome ; but whence it had come he could not haue seene : As in some great pond , we see the bancks full , wee see not the springs whence that water ariseth . Thou that madest the Sunne , madest the light , without the Sunne , before the Sunne , that so light might depend vpon thee , and not vpon thy Creature . Thy power will not be limited to meanes . It was easie to thee to make an heauen without a Sunne , light without an heauen , day without a Sunne , time without a day : It is good reason thou shouldest bee the Lord of thine owne workes . All meanes serue thee : why doe wee weake wretches distrust thee ; in the want of those meanes , which thou canst either command , or forbeare . How plainly wouldst thou teach vs , that wee creatures neede not one another , so long as wee haue thee ? One day we shall haue light againe , without the Sunne . Thou shalt be our Sunne ; thy presence shall be our light : Light is sowne for the righteous . This Sunne and light is but for the world below it selfe ; thine only for aboue . Thou giuest this light to the Sunne , which the Sunne giues to the world : That light which thou shalt once giue vs , shall make vs shine like the Sunne in glory .

Now this light which for three daies was thus dispersed thorow the whole heauens , it pleased thee at last to gather and vnite into one body of the Sunne . The whole heauen was our Sunne , before the Sunne was created : but now one starre must be the Treasury of light to the heauen and earth . How thou louest the vnion and reduction of all things of one kind to their owne head and center .

So the waters must by thy command be gathered into one place , the sea ; so the vpper waters must be seuered by these aery limits from the lower : so heauy substances hasten downeward , and light mount vp : so the generall light of the first daies must bee called into the compasse of one sunne ; so thou wilt once gather thine elect from all coasts of heauen to the participation of one glory . Why doe wee abide our thoughts and affections scattered from thee , from thy Saints , from thine Annointed ? Oh let this light which thou hast now spread abroad in the hearts of all thine , once meet in thee : Wee are as thy heauens in this their first imperfection ; be thou our Sunne , into which our light may be gathered .

Yet this light was by thee interchanged with darknes , which thou mightst as easily haue commanded to bee perpetuall . The continuance euen of the best things cloieth , and wearieth : there is nothing but thy selfe , wherein there is not satiety . So pleasing is the vicissitude of things , that the intercourse euen of those occurrents which in their owne nature are lesse worthy , giues more contentment , then the vnaltered estate of better . The day dies into night ; and rises into the morning againe ; that we might not expect any stability heere below , but in perpetuall succession● : It is alwaies daie with thee aboue : the night sauoreth onely of mortalitie : Why are we not heere spiritually as wee shall be heereafter ? Since thou hast made vs children of the light , and of the day , teach vs to walk euer in the light of thy presence , not in the darknesse of error and vnbeleefe .

Now in this thine inlightned frame , how fitly , how wisely are all the parts disposed ; that the method of the creation might answer the matter , the forme , both . Behold all purity aboue ; below , the dregges and lees of all . The higher I goe , the more perfection ; each element superiour to other , not more in place then dignity ; that by these staires of ascending perfection our thoughts might climbe vnto the top of all glory , and might know thine empyreal heauen no lesse glorious aboue the visible , than those aboue the earth . Oh how miserable is the place of our pilgrimage , in respect of our home ! Let my soule tread a while in the steps of thine owne proceedings ; and so thinke as thou wroughtest : When wee would describe a man , wee begin not at the feete , but the head : The head of thy Creation is the heauen ; how high ? how spatious ? how glorious ? It is a wonder that we can looke vp to so admirable an height , and that the very eye is not tyred in the way . If this ascending line could bee drawne right forwards , some that haue calculated curiously haue found it 500. yeares iourney vnto the starrie heauen . I doe not examine their arte ; O Lord , I wonder rather at thine , which hast drawne so large a line about this little point of earth : For in the plainest rules of art and experience , the compasse must needs be six times as much as halfe the height . Wee thinke one Iland great , but the earth vnmeasurably . If wee were in that heauen with these eies , the whole earth ( were it equally inlightned ) would seeme as little to vs , as now the least starre in the firmament seemes to vs vpon earth : And indeed , how few stars are so little as it ? And yet how many void and ample spaces are there besides all the starres ? The hugenesse of this thy worke , O God , is little inferiour for admiraon to the maiesty of it . But oh what a glorious heauen is this which thou hast spred ouer our heads ? With how pretious a vault hast thou walled in this our inferior world ? What worlds of light hast thou set aboue vs ? Those things which wee see are wondrous ; but those which wee beleeue and see not , are yet more . Thou dost but set out these vnto view , to shew vs what there is within . How proportionable are thy works to thy selfe ? Kings erect not cotages , but set foorth their magnificence in sumptuous buildings : so hast thou done , O King of glory . If the lowest pauement of that heauen of thine bee so glorious , what shall we thinke of the better parts yet vnseene ? And if this Sunne of thine bee of such brightnesse and maiesty , oh what is the glory of the maker of it ? And yet if some other of thy starres were let downe as low as it , those other starres would bee Sunnes to vs ; which now thou hadst rather to haue admired in their distance . And if such a skie be prepared for the vse and benefit euen of thine enemies also vpon earth , how happie shall those eternall Tabernacles bee , which thou hast sequestred for thine owne ?

Behold then in this high and stately building of thine , I see three stages ; This lowest heauen for fowles , for vapours , for meteors : The second for the starres : The third for thine Angels and Saints . The first is thine outward Court , open for all : The second is the body of thy couered Temple , wherin are those candles of heauen perpetually burning : The third is thine Holy of Holies . In the first is tumult , and vanity : In the second immutability & rest : In the third glory and blessednes . The first we feele , the second we see , the third we beleeue . In these two lower is no felicity , for neither the fowles , nor starres are happy . It is the third heauen alone , where thou , O blessed Trinity , enioyest thy selfe , and thy glorified spirits inioy thee . It is the manifestation of thy glorious presence that makes heauen to be it selfe ; This is the priuiledge of thy children : that they he reseeing thee which art inuisible by the eye of faith , haue already begun that heauen which the perfect sight of thee shall make perfect aboue . Let my soule then let these heauens alone till it may see , as it is seeene . That wee may descend to this lowest and meanest region of heauen , wherwith our senses are more acquainted ; What maruels doe euen heere meete with vs ? There are thy clouds the bottles of raine , vessels as thin as the liquor which is contained in them : there they hange , and mooue , ( though mighty with their burden : ) How they are vpheld , and why they fall , heere , and now , wee know not , and wonder ; these thou makest one while as some aery seas to hold water : an other while , as some aery fornaces , whence thou scatterest thy sudden fires vnto all parts of the earth , astonishing the world with the fearefull noyse of that eruption : out of the midst of water thou fetchest fire ; and hard stones out of the midst of thinne vapours ; another while , as some steele glasses , wherein the Sunne lookes and shewes his face in the variety of those colours which he hath not ; There are thy streames of light , blazing and falling stars , fires darted vp and downe in many formes , hollow openings , and ( as it were ) gulfes in the skie ; bright circles about the moone , and other planets , snowes , haile : In all which it is enough to admire thine hand , though wee cannot search out thine action . There are thy subtle windes , which wee heare and feele , yet neither can see their substance , nor know their causes ; whence and whither they passe , and what they are , thou knowest . There are thy fowles of all shapes , colours , notes , natures : whiles I compare these with the inhabitants of that other heauen , I find those starres , and spirits like one another : These meteors and fowles , in as many varieties , as there are seuerall creatures . Why is this ? Is it because man ( for whose sake these are made ) delights in change ; thou in constancie ? Or is it , that in these thou maiest shew thine owne skill , and their imperfection ▪ There is no varietie in that which is perfect , because there is but one perfection ; and so much shall wee grow neerer to perfectnesse , by how much wee draw neerer to vnitie , and vniformitie . From thence , if wee goe downe to the great deepe , the wombe of moisture , the well of fountaines , the great pond of the world ; wee know not whether to wonder at the Element it selfe , or the guests which it containes . How doth that sea of thine roare and fome and swell , as if it would swallow vp the earth ? Thou stayest the rage of it by an incensible violence : and by a naturall miracle confinest his waues , why it mooues , and why it staies , it is ●o vs equally wonderfull : what liuing mountaines ( such are thy Whales ) rowle vp and downe in those fearefull billows : for greatnesse of number , hugenesse of quantity , strangenesse of shapes , variety of fashions , neither ayre nor earth can compare with the waters : I say nothing of thy hid treasures which thy wisedome hath reposed in the bowels of the earth and sea ; How secretly , and how basely are they laide vp ? secretly , that wee might not seeke them ; basely , that we might not ouer esteeme them : I neede not dig so low as these mettals , mineries , quarres , which yeeld riches enough of obseruation to the soule . How many millions of wonders doth the very face of the earth offer mee ? which of these herbes , floures , trees , leaues , seeds , fruits , is there ? What beast , what worme , wherein wee may not see the footsteps of a Deitie : wherein wee may not read infinitenesse of power of skill : and must be forced to confesse , that hee which made the Angels and starres of heauen , made also the vermin on earth : O God the hart of man is too strait to admire enough euen that which he treads vpon ? What shall we say to thee the maker of all these ? O Lord how wonderfull are thy works in all the world , in wisedome hast thou made them all . And in all these thou spakest , and they were done . Thy wil is thy word , & thy word is thy deed . Our tongue , and hand , and hart are different : all are one in thee ; which art simply one , & infinite . Here needed no helps , no instruments : what could be present with the eternal : what needed , or what could bee added to the infinite ? Thine hand is not shortned , thy word is still equally effectuall ; say thou the word and my soule shall be made new againe : say thou the word , & my body shall be repayred from his dust . For all things obey thee ; O Lord why doe I not yeeld to the word of thy counsell ; since I must yeeld , as all thy creatures , to the word of thy command ?

Man .

BVt ( O God ) what a little Lord hast thou made ouer this great world ? The least corne of sand is not so small to the whole earth , as man is to the heauen : when I see the heauens , the sun , moone , and stars , O God what is man ? Who would thinke thou shouldst make all these creatures for one , and that one , well-neere the least of all ? Yet none but hee , can see what thou hast done ; none but hee can admire , and adore thee in what he seeth ; how had hee need to doe nothing but this , since hee alone must doe it ? Certainly the price and vertue of things consists not in the quantity : one diamond is more woorth then manie quarries of stone , one loadstone hath more vertue then mountaines of earth : It is lawfull for vs to praise thee in our selues : All thy creation hath not more wonder in it , then one of vs : other creatures thou madest by a simple command ; Man , not without a diuine consultation : others at once ; Man thou didst first forme , then inspire : others in seuerall shapes like to none but themselues : Man after thine own image : others with qualities fit for seruice ; Man for dominion ; Man had his name from thee ; They had their names from man ; How shold we be consecrated to thee aboue all others , since thou hast bestowed more cost on vs then others ? What shall I admire first ? Thy prouidence in the time of our creation ? Or thy power & wisedome in the act ? First thou madest the great house of the world & furnishedst it : then thou broughtest in thy Tenant to possesse it ; The bare wals had beene too good for vs , but thy loue was aboue our desert : Thou that madest ready the earth for vs before wee were , hast by the same mercy prepared a place in heauen for vs whiles we are on earth . The stage was first fully prepared then was man brought forth , thither , as an actor , or spectator , that he might neither be idle nor discontent , behold thou hadst addressed an earth for vse , an heauen for contemplation : after thou hadst drawne that large and reall mappe of the world ; thou didst thus abridge it into this little table of man ; hee alone consists of Heauen and earth ; soule and bodie . Euen this earthly part which vile in comparison of the other , as it is thine ( O God ) I dare admire it , though I can neglect it as mine owne , for loe ; this heape of earth hath an outward reference to heauen , other creatures grouel downe to their earth , and haue all their senses intent vpon it ; this is reared vp towards heauen , and hath no more power to look beside Heauen , then to tread beside the earth . Vnto this , euery part hath his wonder . The head is neerest to heauen , as in place , so in resemblance ; both for roundnesse of figure , and for those diuine guests which haue their seat in it ; There dwell those maiesticall powers of reson , which make a man ; all the senses as they haue their originall from thence , so they doe all agree there to manifest the vertue : how goodly proportions hast thou set in the face ; such as though oft-times we can give no reason why they please , yet transport vs to admiration ; what liuing glasses are those which thou hast placed in the midst of this visage , whereby all obiects from farre are clearly represented to the minde ? and because their tendernesse lyes open to dangers , how hast thou defenced them with hollow bones , and with prominent browes , and lids ? And least they should bee too much bent on what they ought not , thou hast giuen them peculiar nerues to pul them vp towards the seat of their rest ? What a tongue hast thou giuen him ; the instrument not of taste only , but of speech ? How sweet and excellent voyces are formed by that little loose filme of flesh , what an incredible strength hast thou giuen to the weake bonds of the iawes ? What a comely and tower-like necke , therefore most sinewye because smallest . And lest I be infinit , what able arms and actiue hands hast thou framed him , whereby he can frame all things to his owne conceit . In euery part beauty , strength , conuenience meet together . Neither is there any wherof our weaknesse cannot giue reason , why it should be otherwise . How hast thou disposed of all the inward vessels , for all offices of life , nourishment , egestion , generation ; No vaine sinew , artery is ydle . There is no peece in this exquisite frame whereof the place , vse , forme , doth not admit wonder , and exceed it : Yet this body if it be compared to the soule , what is it , but as a clay wall that encompasses a treasure , as the woodden boxe of a Ieweller ; as a course case to a rich instrument , or as a maske to a beautifull face . Man was made last , because hee was woorthiest . The soule was inspired last , because yet more noble ; If the body haue this honor to bee the companion of the soule , yet withall it is the drudge . If it bee the instrument , yet also the clog of that diuine part . The companion for life , the drudge for seruice , the instrument for action , the clog in respect of contemplation . These external works are effected by it , the internall which are more noble , hindered ; Contrary to the bird which sings most in her cage , but flyes most and highest at liberty . This my soule teaches me of it selfe , that it selfe cannot conceiue how capable , how actiue it is . It can passe by her nimble thoughts from heauen to earth in a moment , it can be al things , can comprehend all things ; know that which is ; and conceiue of that which neuer was , neuer shall be : Nothing can fill it , but thou which art infinite , nothing can limit it but thou which art euery were . O God which madest it , replenish it , possesse it . Dwell thou in it which hast appointed it to dwel in clay . The body was made of earth common to his fellows , the soule inspired immediatly from God ; The body lay senselesse vpon the earth like it selfe , the breath of liues gaue it what it is , and that breath was from thee . Sence , motion , reason , are infused into it , at once . From whence then was this quickening breath ? No ayre , no earth , no water was heere vsed to giue helpe to this worke : Thou that breathedst vpon man , and gauest him the holy spirit : didst also breath vpon the body , and gauest it a liuing spirit , wee are beholden to nothing but thee for our soule . Our flesh is from flesh ; our spirit is from the God of spirits . How should our soules rise vp to thee , and fixe themselues in their thoughts vpon thee who alone created them in their infusion , & infused them in their creation ? How should they long to returne backe to the fountaine of their being , and author of beeing glorious ? Why may we not say that this soule as it came from thee , so it is like thee ; as thou , so it , is one , immateriall , immortall , vnderstanding spirit , distinguished into three powers which all make vp one spirit . So thou the wise creator of all things wouldest haue some things to resemble their creator . These other creatures are all body ; man is body and spirit ; the Angels are all spirit , not without a kind of spirituall composition ; Thou art alone after thine owne manner , simple , glorious , infinite ; No creature can bee like thee in thy proper being ; because it is a creature ; How should our finite , weake , compounded nature , giue any perfect resemblance of thine ? Yet of all visible creatures thou vouchsafest Man the neerest correspondence to thee : not so much in these naturall faculties , as in those diuine graces , wherewith thou beautifiest his soule .

Our knowledge , holines , righteousnes was like the first coppy from which they were drawne ; Behold wee were not more like thee in these , then now wee are vnlike ourselues in their losse ; O God we now praise our selues to our shame , for the better we were we are the worse , As the sons of some prodigall or tainted auncestors tell of the lands , and Lordships which were once theirs ; onlie doe thou whet our desires answerable to the readinesse of thy mercies , that we may redeem what we haue lost ; that wee may recouer in thee , what wee haue lost in our selues , The fault shall be ours if our damage proue not beneficiall .

I doe not finde that man thus framed found the want of an helper . His fruition of God gaue him fulnesse of contentment , the sweetnesse which hee found in the contemplation of this newe workmanship , and the glory of the author , did so take him vp , that hee had neither leisure nor cause of complaint . If man had craued an helper , he had grudged at the condition of his creation , and had questioned that which he had , perfection of being . But hee that gaue him his being , and knew him better then himselfe , thinks of giuing him comfort in the creature , whiles hee sought none but in his maker ; Hee sees our wants , and forecasts our releefe , when wee thinke our selues too happy to complaine : How ready will he be to helpe our necessities , that thus prouides for our perfection ?

God giues the nature to his creatures , Man must giue the name , that hee might see they were made for him , they shal be , to him what hee will . In stead of their first homage , they are presented to their new Lord , and must see of whom they hold . He that was so carefull of mans soueraignty in his innocence , how can he be carelesse of his safety in his renouation ?

If God had giuen them their names , it had not bene so great a praise of Adams memory to recall them as it was now of his iudgement ( at first sight ) to impose them , hee saw the inside of all the creatures at first ; ( his posterity sees but their skins euer since ; ) and by this knowledge he fitted their names to their dispositions . All that hee saw were fit to be his seruants , none to be his companions . The same God that finds the want , supplies it . Rather then mans innocency shall want an outward comfort , God will begin a new creation . Not out of the earth which was the matter of man , not out of the inferiour creatures , which were the seruants of Man , but out of himselfe , for dearnesse , for equality . Doubtlesse such was mans power of obedience , that if God had bidden him yeeld vp his rib , waking , for this vse , he had done it cheerfully , but the bounty of God was so absolute , that hee would not so much as consult with mans will , to make him happy . As man knew not while hee was made , so shal he not know while his other selfe is made out of him : that the comfort might be greater , which was seene before it was expected .

If the woman should haue bin made , not without the paine , or will of the man , she might haue bene vpbrayded with her dependance , and obligation . Now shee owes nothing but to her creator : The ribbe of Adam sleeping , can challenge no more of her , then the earth can of him . It was an happy change to Adam of a ribbe , for an helper ; what help did that bone giue to his side ? God had not made it , if it had beene superfluous : and yet if man could not haue beene perfect without it , it had not beene taken out .

Many things are vse-ful & conuenient , which are not necessary , and if God had seene man might not want it , how easie had it been for him which made the woman of that bone , to turne the flesh into another bone ? but he saw man could not complaine of the want of that bone , which hee had so multiplied , so animated .

O God , wee can neuer be loosers by thy changes , we haue nothing but what is thine , take from vs thine own , when thou wilt , we are sure thou canst not but giue vs better .

Paradise .

MAn could no sooner see , then hee saw himselfe happie : His eye-sight and reason were both perfect at once , and the obiects of both were able to make him as happy as he would , when he first opened his eies , he saw heauen aboue him , earth vnder him , the creatures about him , God before him , hee knew what all these things meant , as if he had been long acquainted with them all : He saw the heauens glorious , but farre off , his maker thought it requisite to fit him with a paradise neerer home . If God had appointed him immediatly to heauen , his body had beene superfluous ; It was fit his body should bee answered with an earthen image of that heauen which was for his soule : Had man bin made only for contemplation , it would haue serued as well to haue been placed in some vast desert , on the top of some barren mountaine ; But the same power which gaue him an hart to meditate , gaue him hands to worke ; and work fit for his hands ; Neither was it the purpose of the Creator that man should but liue : mesure may stand with innocence ; he that reioyced to see al he had made to be good , reioyceth to see all that hee had made to be well ; God loues to see his creatures happy ; Our lawfull delight is his : they know not God that thinke to please him with making themselues miserable .

The Idolaters thought it a fit seruice for Baal to cut and launce themselues ; neuer any holy man lookt for thanks from the true God by wronging himselfe . Euery earth was not fit for Adam , but a Garden ; a Paradise : What excellent pleasures , and rare varieties haue men found in gardens planted by the hands of men ? And yet all the world of men cannot make one twig , or leafe , or spire of grasse : When hee that made the matter vndertakes the fashion , how must it needs be beyond our capacity excellent ? No herb , no flower , no tree was wanting there , that might bee for ornament or vse ; whether for sight , or for sent , or for tast . The bounty of God wrought further then to necessity : euen to comfort and recreation : Why are we niggardly to our selues when God is liberall ? But for all this ; if God had not there conuersed with man , no abundance could haue made him blessed .

Yet beholde that which was mans store house , was also his workehouse ; His pleasure was his taske , Paradise serued not onely to feed his senses , but to exercise his hands : If happinesse had consisted in doing nothing , man had not beene employed ; All his delights could not haue made him happy in an idle life . Man therefore is no sooner made , then he is set to worke : Neither greatnesse nor perfection can priuiledge a foulded hand ; Hee must labour because hee was happy ; how much more we , that we may bee ? This first labor of his was as without necessity , so without paines , without wearinesse ; how much more cheerefully wee goe about our businesses , so much neerer we come to our Paradise :

Neither did these trees affoord him onely action for his hands , but instruction to his heart , for here he saw Gods sacraments grow before him ; All other trees had a naturall vse ; these two in the midst of the Garden , a spirituall ; Life is the act of the soule , knowledge the life of the soule ; the tree of knowledge , and the tree of life then , were ordained as earthly helpes of the spirituall part : Perhaps he which ordained the ende , immortality of life ; did appoint this fruit as the meanes , of that life ; It is not for vs to inquire after the life wee had ; and the meanes we should haue had , I am sure it serued to nourish the soule by a liuely representation of that liuing tree , whose fruite is eternall life , and whose leaues serue to heale the nations .

O infinite mercy , man saw his Sauiour before him ; ere hee had need of a Sauiour , hee saw in whom hee should recouer an heauenly life , ere hee lost the earthly ; but after man had tasted of the tree of knowledge , hee might not taste of the tree of life ; That immortall food was not for a mortall stomacke : Yet then did he most sauour that inuisible tree of life , when he was most restrayned from the other .

O Sauiour , none but a sinner can rellish thee : My tast hath bin enough seasoned with the forbidden fruit , to make it capable of thy sweetnesse ; Sharpen thou as well the stomacke of my soule by repenting as by beleeuing , so shall I eate in despight of A-Adam , liue for euer . The one tree was for confirmation ; the other for tryall , one shewed him what life hee should haue , the other what knowledge hee should not desire to haue : Alas , he that knew al other things , knew not this one thing , that he knew enough : how Diuine a thing is knowledge , whereof euen innocencie it selfe is ambitious ? Satan knew what he did , If this bayt had beene gold , or honour , or pleasure , man had contemned it , who can hope to auoide error , when euen mans perfection is mistaken ? He lookt for speculatiue knowledge , hee should haue looked for experimentall : he thought it had beene good to know euill : Good was large enough to haue perfected his knowledge , and therein his blessednesse .

All that God made was good , and the maker of them much more good ; they good in their kinds , hee good in himselfe . It would not content him to know God , and his creatures , his curiosity affected to know that which God neuer made , euill of sin , and euill of death , which indeed himselfe made , by desiring to know them ; now we know well euill enough & smart with knowing it . How dear hath this lesson cost vs that in some cases it is better to be ignorant ; And yet do the sons of Eue inherit this saucy appetite of their grandmother ; How many thousand soules miscarry with the presumptuous affectation of forbidden knowledge :

O God , thou hast reuealed more then we can know , enough to make vs happy , teach me a sober knowledge and a contented ignorance .

Paradise was made for man , yet there I see the serpent ; what maruell is it if my corruption find the serpent in my closet , in my table , in my bed , when our holie parents found him in the midst of Paradise : no sooner is he entred but he tempteth , hee can no more bee idle , then harmlesse , I doe not see him at any other tree ; hee knew there was no danger in the rest ▪ I see him at the tree forbidden . How true a serpent is he in euery point ; In his insinuation to the place ; in his choyce of the tree , in his assault of the woman , in his plausiblenes of speech to auoid terror , in his question to moue doubt , in his reply to work distrust , in his protestation of safety , in his suggestion to enuy and discontent , in his promise of gaine .

And if hee were so cunning at the first , what shall wee thinke of him now , after so many thousand yeares experience ? Onely thou , ( O God ) and these Angels that see thy face are wiser then hee ; I doe not aske why , when hee left his goodnesse , thou didst not bereaue him of his skill ? Still thou wouldst haue him an Angell , though an euill one , And thou knowest how to ordaine his crait to thine owne glory ; I do not desire thee to abate of his subtilty , but to make me wise ; Let me beg it without presumption , make me wiser then Adam ; euen thine image which he bore , made him not ( through his owne weaknes ) wise enough to obey thee ; thou offeredst him al fruits , and restrainedst but one ; Satan offered him but one and restrained not the rest ; when he chose rather to bee at Satans feeding then thine , it was iust with thee to turne him out of thy gates , with a curse : why shouldest thou feede a rebell at thine owne boord ?

And yet wee transgresse daily , and thou shuttest not heauen against vs : how is it that wee find more mercy then our forefathers ? His strength is worthy of seuerity , our weaknesse finds pittie . That God from whose face he fled in the garden , now makes him with shame to flye out of the garden : those Angels that should haue kept him , now keep the gates of Paradise against him ; It is not so easie to recouer happinesse , as to keepe it , or leese it : Yea the same cause that droue man from Paradise , hath also withdrawne paradise from the world .

That fiery sword did not defend it against those waters wherwith the sins of men drowned the glory of that place : neither now do I care to seek where that paradise was which we lost , I know where that Paradise is , which we must care to seeke ; and hope to finde ; As man was the image of God , so was that earthly Paradise an image of heauen ; both the images are defaced , both the first paterns are eternall : Adam was in the first , and stayed not : In the second , is the second Adam which saide , This day shalt thou be with mee in Paradise . There was that chosen vessell , & heard , and saw what could not bee expressed , by how much the third heauen exceeds the richest earth , so much doth that Paradise wherto wee aspire exceed that which we haue lost .