Mam naturaO Imaginations. right confideration of Gods Judgements. A Thecon[idrraiion if Gods wwd.' Thethird conuderation concerningGbd, isofhis,-,.8rd. DaHidmaketh it the propercie ot a/;lejfrdman,Pfal. J,Z,tomeditAte intbe l~w ofGodda; andnight:and he profetferh ofhml– lcHC,that ;, WtU hismrduationc~ntinuaiiJ: Pfal. 1 1 9· 97. yea ofrentimes hce promifeth ro. . (•) m<dllatein Cjods prmpll, .Jo(b)d<iight in ~ vcrf.rJ' Gadsf/•t•w.ThJSis(c)M.riupraife,that/1>< , i~k~:-.~1 • ~pt lltherheartfundry things which /tjHJJP~~J:.e, And [o ought.euery child of God, high or low,dailyandcontinuallyto meditate mthe B word of God. Bur, alas, this dutie is little knowne, andlelfe pracb[ed: menarefofarrc' from mcdttatingin Gadsword,that they ai'C ignorant of ir. Among many families you il~alf fcar[e find thebookeofGod: andfuch as haue it,for the moU patt,do litle vfe ir.The (latotes ofthe land are by very many fearch– cdout dtligently, btitmthc mcanc time the llatutesol the Lord aro little regarded: oh that men knew rhc (wecrecomf•rt oftheScrtp· rum, Rom. t s. 4· then c.ertenly they would account their meditation therein, lc:r.1 s .1 6. The io14ndreiO)ci~g 'f their h~Art. Now rhe right conuderation of Gods word contiUsin three things: 6rll,wee mu a obferue the truefenfe, aodmeaningofthat C whichwe heare,or rcade;fccondly,wccmufi marke what cxoeriencewee haue had ofthe truth ofthe wo;d in ourownc perfons; as in the exerctfes of Repentance, and Inuocation ofGods name, and in all our Temptations: this is a fpec1all point in this meditatiOn, without whtch the former is norhing. Thirdly, rve mull contlder hmv farrc forth we haue beene anfwerable to Gods word in obedi– ence, andwherein weehaue beene defediue by transgrctlions. Agarne 1 in the word of God,thcrc be both cornmaundements, and promifcs: Thccontlderationof Gods com– rnaundeme:ms is anorabJemeaoes todired, D aOd moderare, not onely our word, and decde•, buralfo our fectet thoughrs and dc– ilrcs:for ifbcforc we thioke,before we will,or [peakc anything, we would fir(! conilder that God comrnaund• vs to thinko, to will,and [pcake thus and thus, this would mightily llay,and fupprclfe tn vs all corruptthoughts and dciircs,all cuill words, and actions. The promiles of God likewife duly confidcred would greatly further vs in good thoughts: for tuth,·m th~tttiJI'nk..t on good rhing1. foal/ hu m~rcu awltruth, ProU.14.11, Thecaufe then why 111any thar knowthe"ilofGod,fomuch (~JJCI!l particular obedience ,IS becaufc that wirh rh~1r knowledgc,rhe.y do notioyne this ferJo~s <.ontiJcr;uion of Godscomrnaunde· )menu, andpromifes, :mdap,ply rhefamcco \t hc1 ro.:-c:J lions. . . "... ihrco•fia"•ti•nofGadt,;.,.~,; . The fourth confidcrationconcerningGod, uofhu "'ork,es : for asD••id faith, Pfai,JJ,a. Tht 'W~rktuftht Lord41"tgrrAt,llndought tD bet (Dught ''"of•llth•tlour bim.Thiscoouderaho bindeth vs to enquire,andfearcb what be rhe workes ofGodtoward vs,hioworke ofcteati· on,hisprouidl:'ncc,preferuauon,with al other hisworkesofmercie and iullice invs, and vpon vs: whether ordinuie,orcxtraordina. ry: The Prophet lf•J denouncctha "'" a– gainfl thofe that had the Harpc, and V toll, Timbrdl and Pipe, and wine tn their lca(ls, andrrgtlrd!d ,.;ot th~ wor~~of God, norcf»>jidtrtd thmork!ifhit h•nds;E(a,s.ll,Jz.whereby we may fccthattheneglecthereol; is agrieuous finoc, andyet it is the common finneof this age. Now for the better performance cf this dul!e,wee mull thus proceedc, 6rll we mull conGdcrourcreatian, howche Lord gauevs bcCing, when we were nothing, and howhce made vs rearonablccrtamres, andnot brute beafh, yea, hecreated 'tsin hiso"'neimage, •·hen as hee migbt if it had [o plea[ed htm, haue made vsToades,Qnd SerFenu.Sccond– ly,nc mull confider his good prouidcnce o– ller vs, how bee bath pr~feruedour ltfe from rim(, eo rime, andfaucdvsfrom manyd;1n· gers.·And htS great patience mull not be for– gotten, how he bath [pared v• from the righ– teous Judgements ofour fins: he might haue ca(l vs into hell in our motherswombe,orfo foone as wee ~.~o·cre bort1e for our ·originall ilnne,but he hath giuen vsalarge timeof re– pentance. Here alfo we mull confider hisex– ceedingfauourin thetime and place of our birrh,and life: hee mighthauefutfered vs to haue becne borne among Infidels: but be– hold we were borne in the bo[omc of Goda Church: he might haue,depriuedvs of the roeanesofour faluation, his holy word and Sacraments,bu! tn his tender merciehe h~th vouchfafed them vnto >'s,to'bringourfoulrs to life. He might hau.ehArd•n<d oHrht•rttA– g•inj/1,;,f••r~,l[a. 63· 17. A•d Mnd<d '""!" ~~·infl hi< light, Rom.u, 8. but yet he hath ' enligl)rcned our mindes to know hi• trurh, andfoftnedour hc..rscaufing va tocrievn– to him for the pardonofourlinnes:hemight hauegiurnv!vptoA rtjrobllu fmfo, Rom.l. z8. when we[warucd .from his teflimoniea, and rcg:trdcd nor the knowledge of his will: butloe, a• aloumg Father he hath oftencb•– flen~dvsforoNrpro{jt, thAtWt~mi"ght Pr pArta~ k!rtofhi&holinrJii:Heb,ll.lO,He might haue left va comfertlelfevqd,er thereproch of the wicked,bur he hath vouchfafed vs his Spirtt, for ollr euedaUmg comfor<er.Thus mull we duly confider of all thefe wonderfull ~·ork es of God cowards vs, :~nd nor J1ke rhe men of/ rbu~ ..
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