Fruitful Instructions and Necessary Doctrines, Part 128 – Part 145
128 Afflictions be the rods of God vntounto the iuſt.
ALthough in the outward apparance of the world and ſence of the fleſh, the iuſt and perfect do ſuffer in this world the like and more greeuous afflictions then do the wicked, yet is their eſtate nothing ſo miſerable: For they knowing that afflictions be the roddes of God their Father, do aſke deliuerance and are aſſured to obtaine the ſame. And thus on what ſide ſoeuer afflictions do co… vntounto the iuſt and perfect, (becauſe they know that God is their defender and keeper) they are not afrayde (as diſcouraged and deſperate) but in all aſſurance they ſay with the prophet: The Lorde is my light and my ſaluation whom then ſhall I feare?Pſ. 27.1. The Lord is the ſtrength of my life, of whom then ſhall I be afraid: They knowe this ſame becauſe of the infallible promiſe:Pſ. 50.15. & 145.18. call vponupon me in the day of trouble and I will deliuer thee, and thou ſhalt glorifye mee. The Lord is neere to all that call vppon him:Mat. 11.28 Luk. 12.32 yea to all that call vponupon him in truth. Come vntounto me (ſayth our Sauiour) all yee that are wearie and heauie laden and I will refreſh you. Feare not little flocke: for it is your fathers pleaſure to giuegive you the kingdome. And God is faithfull (as the Apoſtle witneſſeth) which will not ſuffer his to be tempted aboue their power,1. Cor. 10 13. but will euen giuegive the iſſue with the temptation that they maye be able to beare it. The wicked nowe cannot thus ſpeake in deede: for although they thinke themſelues moſt ſafe and ſure, and make great account of their owne ſtrength: yet becauſe they are hated of God he can well finde them out,Pſ. 7.15. Pſ. 9.15. and bring their enterpriſes and counſels to nothing.
129 Afflictions come for diuers cauſes.
IT is moſt certaine that al miſeries take their originall and beginning at ſinne: but yet God afflicteth his ſeruants for diuers cauſes. For as he doeth not take vengeance on ſome mens ſinnes in this worlde, but deferreth the puniſhmentes vntill an other lyfe that hee maye then vſe them with more ſeuerity: euen ſo oftē times he dealeth more hardly with his faithfull ſeruantes, not becauſe they hauehave committed greater ſinnes then other men, but to mortifye in them the concupiſcence of the fleſh.
Yea ſometyme not reſpecting their ſinnes, hee onelye tryeth their obedience,Pro. 17.3. or els exerciſeth their patience. Euen as wee ſee that the holye man Iob was afflicted, that by his aduerſitie, his godlineſſe might be the better knowne. Wherefore there are two thinges to bee noted, the firſte is that iudgement doth oftentimes begin at the houſe of God:1. Pet. 4.17 and that hee ouer paſſing the wicked doth ſeuerely puniſhe his ſeruantes, and doth more ſharpely ſcourge in correcting the vices of his church. The ſecond is that there are diuers endes why he afflicteth men, for he ſuffered Stephen and other of his apoſtles to be cruelly tormented as if they had beene wicked perſons:Act. 7.58. whereby we may gather that in the puniſhments of men the cauſes of the ſame cannot bee well diſcerned.
130. Patience ouercommeth affliction.
WHatſoeuer he be that ſuffereth the trouble that is layd vponupon him for Chriſtes ſake maye continue without yrkeſomenes euen to the laſt ende. We muſt not therefore call to minde how long we are afflicted,1. Cor. 9. He. 12.12. but we muſt hauehave reſpect vntounto the ende. So runne (ſaith the Apoſtle that yee may obtaine.) Lift vp your handes (ſaith the authour to the Hebrues) that hange downe,Heb. 12.1. & 2. and your weake knees. Againe let vsus runne with patience the race that is ſet before vsus, looking vntounto Ieſus Chriſt the authour and finiſher of our faith. What doth it profit a man to be painefull in any buſines for a time, and then to fainte and giuegive ouer before hee hath brought it vntounto good effect, doth hee not looſe all his labour and trauaile? What doth it profite the runner to runne if he faint in the middeſt of his race, ſhal he hauehave the game or reward? Not without cauſe therefore doth the ſcripture in ſo many places, exhort vsus to patience and perſeuerance. Let vsus not therefore be weake or feeble,1. Theſ. 5.54. Heb. 6.12 but followers of them which through faith and patience inherite the promiſes, which is euerlaſting life after the trauaile and paine of this life.
131. The patience of the faithfull is tride by afflictions.
BEſides the iuſt puniſhment of the open and notorious ſinner, there is alſo another cauſe wherwith God is moued to ſende among men miſerie, affliction and griefes of this world, as namelye to trye and proue ſuch as be good and godly, that their vertues may more ſhine among men to the honour and glory of God. As ſiluer and golde (ſaith Salomon) is tride by fire,Iam. 1.12. Pro. 17.3. ſo doth God proue and trye the heartes of men. In this manner God proued his faithfull ſeruants, Abraham, Ioſeph, and Iob, that by the tryall of their conſtancie, their faith might be the more notable and famous, and both themſelues more in faith confirmed, and God by them more glorified. When God caſt vponupon Iob all theſe miſeries, which the ſcriptures mention, his vnnaturall wife & vnkind frendes with raſh and vncharitable iudgement, woulde needes perſwade him that it was the anger of God and the iuſt puniſhment of his ſinnes that brought all theſe thinges vponupon him. But hee ſtaying himſelfe vponupon the teſtimony of a good conſcience, and the conſtancie of his faith aſſured himſelfe of the good wil of God, and therefore he tooke all patiently ſaying:Iob. 1.21. The Lord hath geuen and the Lord hath taken away, euen as it pleaſeth the Lord ſo be it. In which wordes, we hauehave to learne the ex…eeding comfort which the children of God take in the middeſt of troubles by the prouidence of God, which extendeth it ſelfe to all thinges, ſo that there is nothing ſo baſe or ſimple either without man, or within man,Mat. 10.29. which he neglecteth or is ignorant of.
132 To be partakers of the life of Ieſus Chriſt, we muſt before die with him.
IF we iudge according to our owne fantaſy, we ſhal thinke it vnpoſſible for vsus to be made aliue by being dead & that death ſhould be the meanes of our life, & furthermore yt we muſt bee deſpiſed in the world and ſuffer vile reproches if we will raigne with Ieſus Chriſt? and yet the ſpirit of God telleth vsus that it is moſt certain, and therefore will hauehave vsus beat downe al diſputations, and not reſte our ſelues vponupon our owne thoughtes and imaginations, for ſeeing God hath appointed it ſoe,2. Tim. 2.11. Ro. 6.5. if wee will be his ſeruants we muſt ſtaye our ſelues vponupon his counſell, and ſuffer our ſelues to be guided by him. If we bee dead with Ieſus Chriſt (ſaith S. Paule) we alſo ſhall liue with him. By the word death the Apoſtle meaneth not onelyonly the death of men when God taketh them from the earth:2. Cor. 4.10.11. Col. 3.3. but that we muſt beare the mortification of Ieſus Chriſt in our bodies, to the ende that his life may appeare in vsus. For ye are dead (ſaith he in an other place) & your life is hid with Chriſte in God, euen as the life of trees is hid in the winter. The trees in the winter are drie they ſeeme to be but dead wood without ſtrength: but yet their ſtrength ſheweth it ſelfe in the ſpring time. Euen ſo the caſe ſtandeth with the faithfull: for while they are in this worlde, their life is ſhutte vp in hope.Ro. 8.24. Nowe that which we hope for (as Saint Paule ſayth) is not ſeene, the eye of man cannot attaine vntounto it. It followeth then, that in dying wee muſt liue, and liuing wee muſt dye, not onelyonly with one kinde of death, but wee muſt die dayly, wee muſt decay as touching the outward man, for ſickneſſes, pouertie, afflictions and ſuch like thinges are meſſengers of death which doe, or ought to put vsus in minde, that our life is but a ſhadow, that it is nothing, and that therefore we ſhould renounce the worlde, and vtterly baniſh and reiect all the luſtes and vanities of the ſame.
133 All thinges muſt be forſaken for Gods ſake.
A Faithfull man muſt alwayes more eſteeme and louelove God and his kingdome, then his own life, body, wife, children, friendes and kinred, and all thinges elſe which are in this worlde: ſo that whenſoeuer God ſhal cal vsus away from theſe thinges, we muſt willingly leaue all, and followe God, after the example of our father Abraham.Heb. 11.17. Ge. 22 10. Mat. 10.37 For the Lord ſayth in his goſpell, he that loueth father or mother more then mee, is not worthy of me. And he that loueth ſon or daughter more thē me, is not worthy of me. Wherefore al mē muſt caſt away the care of temporall things, & conſider yt God in vsus, while we were ſound and in health, prouided ſufficiently for vsus and ours. And that therfore nowe,Pſ. 68.5. & 146.9. when as he hath appointed to call vsus away from hence, hee will not forſake our family (eſpecially ſeeing he is a father of the widows and fatherleſſe) but will prouide for them ſome other waye.Io. 19.27. Chriſt on the croſſe was cōtent to hauehave cōmitted his mother vntounto Iohn. So we alſo muſt cō mend vntounto God, & vntounto faithful men, thoſe yt are cōmitted to our charge,1. Pet. 5.7. & ought to be no further careful for thē, but care for & think on things eternal
134 Tribulation bringeth foorth patience.
IF we will ſhewe our ſelues to bee the ſonnes of God, then muſt our afflictions practiſe vsus in patience, & except they do ſo, ye worke of god (thorough our corruptiō) is made voyd & of none effect.Ro. 5.3. Aduerſities hinder not the glorie of the godly, becauſe in bearing them patiently they feele the helpe of God which nouriſheth and confirmeth their hope, therefore it is ſure that they profitte but ill which learne not patience: Neither doeth this let, that there are extant in the Scriptures certaine complaintes of the godly full of deſperation, for God ſometimes for a while, doeth ſo vrge and repreſſe thoſe that are his, that ſcarcely they can breath or thinke vppon conſolation: but ſtraightwaies he bringeth againe to life thoſe whom he had almoſt ouerwhelmed in the middeſt of death. So that is alwaye fulfilled in them which the Apoſtle ſayth,2. Cor. 4.8. & 9. we are afflicted on eueryevery ſide, yet are we not in diſtreſſe: in pouertie but not ouercome of pouertie, we are perſecuted, but not forſakē: caſt down but we periſh not. Patience cō meth not of ye nature of tribulation, wherby we ſee ſome are prouoked to murmur againſt god, yea euē to curſe God: but whē as ye inwarde meeknes which is infuſed by the ſpirit of god & cōſolatiō which is ſuggeſted by ye ſame ſpirite, hath ſucceeded in the place of ſtubbornenes & frowardnes: tribulations are inſtrumentes to beget patience, which tribulation can procure nothing in the wicked and obſtinate, but indignation and murmuring.
135 Patience is a great vertue.
THe greateſt part of men will eaſily grant that patience is a great vertue, as it is in deede: and yet there be verie fewe that knowe what it meaneth: whereby it may ſoone be gathered, that wee be not very haſty to be patient, and to hauehave the vertue that we eſteeme ſo much. God therefore perceiuing ſuch careleſneſſe in men, hath in diuers places (& namely in patient Iob) ſet before our eies the thing that is ſo needefull for vsus:Iob. 1.20. for if wee bee not patient, our faith muſt needs vaniſh away, for it is not able to continue without the ſame.Iam. 1.3.4 For the which cauſe it is, the will of God, that in the midſt of the miſeries of this worlde, wee ſhoulde alwayes hauehave a quiet heart, and be ſo well aſſured of his goodneſſe, as the ſame may make vsus merrie and contented, ſo that wee may boaſt our ſelues againſt Sathan, and againſt all our enemies. But howe were that poſſible if wee did not looke higher then the worlde, and conſidered not that although our eſtate bee miſerable in the opinion of the fleſh: yet ought we to bee contented with it ſeeing our God loueth vsus.
136 True patience what it is.
WE commonly ſay that a man is patient, although hee hauehave no point of true patience in him. For whoſoeuer ſuffreth aduerſitie, him do men call patient, but let vsus with all marke that to be patient, it behooueth vsus to moderate our ſorrowe.Rom. 5.3. If there be any aduerſitie it muſt be aſſwaged by conſidering that God ceaſeth not to procure our welfare continually,Deu. 30.8. and that wee ought to be ſubiect to him, and yt it is good reaſon he ſhould gouern vsus according to his good pleaſure. Herein doth patience make it ſelfe to be knowen.
137 The prouidence of God encr…eth the patience of the godly.
BY gods only ſufferance it is that Tyrantes perſecute, that they ſpoyle men of their goods, that they caſt them into baniſhment into pryſon, and bandes, and that they exerciſe all kinde of crueltie againſt them. It is his will that men are afflicted with ſickneſſe, with pouertie, with hunger and cold, with ſlaunder and reproch, and with all the miſerie that maye befall in the life of man. But becauſe the ſame Lorde and God whiche as a iuſt Iudge ſendeth all theſe thinges is alſo a moſt tender, louing and kinde father: vndoubtedly he wil not ſuffer any thing to happen vntounto vsus,1. Cor. 10.13. but that which ſhall be profitable, and a furtherance to our ſaluation. Wherefore in all troubles and afflictions, (ſeeme they at the firſt neuer ſo greeuous and intollerable) the godly receaue them, and abide in them not only with patience, but alſo with ioy and gladnes. For they perſwade themſelues (as trueth is in deede) that God chaſticeth eueryevery ſonne yt he loueth and …rfo… with cheerefulnes they reioyce in their afflictions knowing that tribulation bringeth foorth patience,Heb. 12.6 Ro. 5.3.patience experience, experience hope, and hope confoundeth not, nor maketh aſhamed. This comforte it was that made Iob patiently to abyde the loſſe of his goods, the ſpoyle of his landes, and the miſerable deſtruction of his children. The ſame comforte cauſed Ioſeph patientlye to abide bondage, impriſonment, ſlaunder, reproche and daunger of his life, for he was certainely perſwaded that nothing was done without the prouidence of his heauenly Father,Ro. 8.28. which cauſed him to be reſolued that it would fall out to the beſt in the ende.
138 The prouidence of God is a great ſecrete.
WHen wee come vntounto God and talk of his works, we ought to conſider yt they be too high ſecrets for our weak wit to reach vntounto, And it behoueth vsus to hauehave the ſame perſwaſion aſwell of Gods prouidence generally,Pſ. 36.6. as of the thinges yt belong to his ſpirituall kingdome. When wee heare that God ordereth all thinges,Io. 5.17. Act. 17.28. and that there is not any thing done in this world without his will: let vsus knowe that it is a ſecret which we ought to marke well. For although eueryevery man graunt that God is ſoueraigne Lord & gouernor: yet notwithſtanding when wee come to this point, that the thinges which we ſee to be ſo trobleſome and out of order, ceaſe not to bee guided by the ſecret prouidence of god, who holdeth the ſterne aboue, & turneth thinges to ſuch end as he thinketh good: we muſt reuerently conſider yt wee be not able to mount vp to ſo high a ſecret, and therfore honor God in the things we know not, vntil he reueale vsus ye things that (as yet) are hidden from vsus.
139 Gods prouidence is ouer all.
WE might learne in al yt we ſee to confeſſe the greatnes of the Lord. Why doth not ye ſtrength of his workes make vsus to confeſſe his power and all the delight wee hauehave in them, why doth it not make vsus acknowledge all his goodneſſe to the children of men? The Prophet Dauid ſaith,Pſ. 8.3.4. whē I behold the heauens which are the workes of thy hands, the Moone and the ſtarres which thou haſt ordeyned: What is man (ſaye I) that thou art mindfull of him, or the ſonne of man that thou ſo regardeſt him? Our ſauiour Chriſt declareth,Ma. 6.26.28. that when we ſee howe God feedeth the ſparrowes and clotheth the Lillies: We are a faithleſſe people, except wee ſee hys prouidence ouer vsus to feede vsus, and to clothe vsus in all our neceſſities. And ſure the truth is, except wee ſee with ſuch eyes the creatures of GOD, wee are become creatures degenerat from that image, wherein wee were firſte formed. If we ſee nothing in the heuens, but that they are lighte, and aboue our reach, the Horſe and Mule ſee this aſwell as wee.
If wee ſee nothing in the earth, but a place to walke in, or to take our reſt vppon it: the beaſts and foules ſe this aſwell as wee. If in our apparell wee ſee nothing but pride of a goodly colour. If in our meate and drinke wee knowe nothing but the pleaſure and ſweetneſſe of the taſte. If hearing ſeing, ſmelling, taſting and ſuch like, be all the delight we can finde in the workes of God: wee hauehave geuen our preheminence to the domme creaturs which hauehave theſe ſences more exquiſit then wee, and wee hauehave turned the hartes of men, into the harts of beaſts who with wiſedome vnderſtanding, knowledge reaſon and prudence can do nothing. And the words of the Pr. are fulfilled in vsus:Pſ 49.20. Man when he was in honor, had no vnderſtanding, hee was compared to the bruite beaſtes, and was made lyke vntounto them.
140 The prouidence of God
IN ſixe dayes the creation of the world was finiſhed, but the gouernement thereof is perpetuall, and God doth continually work in preſeruing and mantayning the order thereof,Act. 17.28. Pſ. 104.29 Io. 5.17. euen as the Apoſtle teacheth ſaying: In him we liue, moue, and hauehave our beeing. Therefore when wee ſee the Sunne riſing, the courſe of the Moone and of the ſtarres, the force of nature in ſeedes, and the encreaſe of our bodies and of the bodies of bruit beaſts: Wee muſte then conſider the prouidence of God, and the continual working of the Father and of the ſonne. Neither doth hee by his generall prouidence onelyonly defend the nature, which he hath created, but doth order and frame eueryevery parte thereof:Pro. 30.5 But eſpeciallye hee defendeth and preſerueth the faithfull, whome hee hath taken into his protection.
141 Nothing commeth by fortune, but by Gods prouidence
AS God of his vneſtimable goodneſſe made the worlde, and all that therein is, for the benefitte and commodity of man, that he might vſe al the inferiour creatures to Gods glory: ſo doth the ſame Lord and maker by his almightye power and infinite wiſedome continuethe ſame. My father ſtil worketh (ſaith our ſauiour Chriſt)Ioh. 1.17. Pſ. 104.29 and I worke when thou hideſt away thy face (ſaith yt P.) they ar trobled when thou takeſt away their breathe they die, and are turned to their duſt. When thou letteſt thy breath go forth they ſhalbe made, & thou ſhalt renue the face of the earth. That which wee call and eſteeme nature, is nothing but the very finger of God working in his creatures,Pſ. 104.29 much more the alteration of naturall courſes and thinges done extraordinarilye. wherefore whē rayne falleth exceſſiuelie to hurte the earth,Gen. 7. or hinder mankinde, as it did in the time of Noah, or when the cloudes be cleane dried vp, that there is no raine at all, as it fell out in the tyme of Achab:1. King. 17 It is moſte euident to bee the worke of GOD, according to his iuſtice puniſhing the breaking of hys Law, and vnthankfulneſſe of his people. In like manner I might ſpeak of the Earth and water, the Sunne and Moone, with the reſidue of the ſtarres, in all and eueryevery of which as it is the finger of GOD, that keepeth them in their naturall order, ſo is it his power that doth alter and change them, and for cauſes to his wiſdome knowne, bringeth out ſuch effectes as be ſometimes rather hurtful, then beneficiall vntounto men.
Therefore when we ſee infections, ſickneſſes or ſuch like, wee muſt looke further then into the courſe of nature and vnderſtand that there is a GOD and an ouerruler of nature, that doth theſe thinges. This is not true only in thoſe things that appertaine to nature, but in thoſe alſo that are done by the will of man, or as we ſaye prophanelie by fortune or chaunce, where as in deede to ſpeake truelye there is neither fortune nor chaunce.Ma. 10.26 That which we call fortune is nothing but the hand of God working by cauſes, and for cauſes which we know not.
Chaunce and fortune are Gods deuiſed by man and made by our ignorance of the true, almightie, and euerlaſting GOD.
42 God by his prouidence preſerueth all
THoſe things which GOD made by his worde, he gouerneth and preſerueth with his euerlaſting prouidence as teſtifieth our Sauiour Chriſt and his Apoſtles in diuers places of the holy Scriptures: For in ye hee is ſaid to reſte the 7. day from all his workes, it is no otherwiſe to bee vnderſtood, then that hee ceaſed from the creation of the heauen & the earth,Gen. 2.2. which we ſee, not that he left of to gouerne the ſame, and to preſerue it. For he beareth vp all thinges (as the Ap. ſaith) by his mighty word.Heb. 1.3. The which thing ought to bring no ſmall conſolation to the mindes of the godly, for ſo they learne to reſt and ſtay themſelus on Gods prouidence, without the which not ſo much as one hair of their head,Luk. 21.18. can periſh. For hee which feeleth by Faith, that al thinges depend vponupon God, he beleueth alſo yt he falleth into the handes of God, when he forſaketh all thinges, and entreth into death.
143 The right conſidering of Gods prouidence.
WHen God vſeth worldly meanes, and ſerueth his turne by men, as by inſtruments, hee doeth it not to leſſen or to diminiſhe his owne authoritie, but contrariwiſe to ſhewe that he hath the guiding of them, and that if he do but command or hiſſe (as he ſaith by his Prophet:Eſa. 5.26. & 7.18.) men muſte neede go forward to execut his will, yea and the very Deuils of hel are cō pelled vntounto it. And although they be vnwilling, & that it is vtterly againſt their intent: yet notwithſtanding God driueth them by violent power to execute the things that he hath ordeyned in his prouidence. And ſo wee ſee now after what ſorte we muſt conſider Gods prouidence: namely that he hath a care of the whole world,Io. 5.17 Pſ 104.29 and watcheth ouer all his creatures, not onelyonly to forſee what may happen (as ſome fantaſticall perſonns imagine that God beholdeth the thinges as it were a far of which are heere beneath and then prouideth for them afterward but alſo (which is more) that nothing may be done which he hath not determined, ſo as his will is the rule of all things. And therefore it behoueth vsus to minde well the prouidence of God to the entent, that when any aduerſity commeth vppon vsus, we may alwayes hauehave reſpect vntounto the firſt cauſe.
144 Nothing commeth but by Gods Prouidence.
GOD hath not created the world to leaue thinges in ſuch ſort that Fortune (as men term it) might gouerne all: but hee intendeth to the maintayning of his creatures as hee doth.
Therefore when wee call GOD the maker of heauen and earth,Pſ. 33.6 Wee muſt not reſtraine it to one inſtant, but wee muſte beare in minde that like as GOD hath framed the world ſo all power is ſtill in him, and hee diſpoſeth thinges heere beneath ſo as he hath a care of vsus,Ma. 10.30. and the haires of our head are numbred, yea, and hee guideth our footeſteppes, ſo as nothing commeth to paſſe, which is not foreappointed by his prouidence.
Beſides him there is none ſette ouer the Worlde, nor none ſette ouer the earthe,Iob. 34.13 whiche beetokeneth that his creating of the worlde, and his gouerning of it, are thinges that goe ioyntlye together. If we imagine that GOD gouerneth not all things, but that ſome thinges happen by chaunce or fortune,1. Tim. 1.17. wee doe great iniurie vntounto God, to whom alone all praiſe and honor is due. It is moreouer a curſed blaſphemie if wee ſhould thinke that the deuil coulde do any thing without the licence of god: for it is aſmuch as if we ſhould make the deuil a parti-creator of the world. Let vsus learne therefore that there is an inſeparable band betwene theſe two thinges: namely that God createth all thinges, and that he gouerneth all thinges.
145 The prouidence of God is not onelyonly generall.
OVr Sauiour Chriſt extendeth the carefull prouidence of God to Sparrowes, and to the haires of our head, to the ende no mā ſhoulde thinke or imagine that it is onelyonly a generall prouidence, as many do in theſe dayes, which as they dare not deny that the world is gouerned by the wiſedome and power of God, ſo they thinke it an abſurde thing to teach that God is occupied about all particular creatures, eſpecially then of the meaneſt ſort: And therefore they expound theſe wordes of Chriſt and other ſuch like ſentences of ſcripture, to be ſpoken by Hiperbole, that is, a manner of figuratiue ſpeech paſſing all truth, thereby to ſignifye: meane truth. But I would learne of ſuch men what it is that ſauing the nature of his godhead may in this reſpect bee ſpoken of him more then trueth,Ge. 17.1. 1. Sam. 2.3 ſeeing he is almightie, of infinite knowledge, and is preſent in all places. So much as they ſhall exempt from Gods diſpoſition in hys creatures, ſo much ſhal they with diſhonor of God pull from his almighty power and infinite wiſedome. We may not thinke it is any diſgracing… of the maieſtie of God, to drawe the ſame his prouidence, to the preſeruation & direction euen of his meaneſt creatures: for he worketh not as men do with labour and griefe, or torment of minde: his very will is inough is do, or alter all things, as hee ſeemeth beſt. And this is the greateſt proofe of his exceeding maieſtie that he ſeeth all things, that he diſpoſeth and worketh al thinges, & that he directeth all his creatures to that ende, for which in the beginning he made them, and yet is the Lord alway righteous and his iudgements true.