A divine herbal together with a forrest of thorns In five sermons. ... By…A divine herball together with a forrest of thornes In five sermons. ... By…

That the Herbs of our graces may be meet for the dresser; contentful to GOD, who hath planted, watered, husbanded the Garden of our hearts; we will require in them four virtues: Odour, Taste, Ornament, Medicinal Virtue.

THat the Herbes of our graces may be meete for the dresser; contentful to GOD, who hath planted, watred, husbanded the Garden of our hearts; wee will require in them foure vertues: Odour, Taste, Ornament, Medicinall Vertue.

1. That they have a good odour. God is delighted with the smell of our graces. My Beloved is gone down into his Garden, ¹to the beds of spices, to feed in the gardens, and to gather Lilies. The virtues of Christ are thus principally pleasant; and all our herbs only smell sweetly in his Garden. Because of the savour of thy good ointment, ²thy name is as ointment poured forth, therefore do the Virgins love thee. This savour is sweetly acceptable in the nostrils of God. All thy garments smell of Myrrh, ³Aloes, and Cassia: It is his righteousness, that gives all our herbs a good odour: and in him it pleaseth God to judge our works sweet. When Noah had built an Altar, ⁴and sacrificed burnt offerings on it, the Lord smelled a sweet savour and said, I will not again curse the ground any more for mans sake. ⁵Myrrh and Prankincense were two of the oblations, which the Wise-men offered to CHRIST being an Infant.

1. That they haue a good odour. God is delighted with the smell of our graces. My Beloued is gone downe into his Garden, ¹