God created this vessel good; man poisoned it in the seasoning. And being thus distained in the tender newness, seruat odorem testa diu: it smells of the old infection, till a new juice be put into it, or rather it self made new. As David prays: Create in me, oh Lord, a clean heart, 1and renew a right spirit within me. GOD made us good, we have marred ourseluesa,nd behold: we call on him, to make us good again. Yea, even the vessel thus recreated, is not without a tang of the former corruption. Paul confesseth in himself a body of Death, 2as well as David a native uncleanness. 3The best grain sends forth that chaff, whereof before the sowing, it was purged by the fan. Our contracted evil had been the less intolerable, if we had not been made so perfectly good. He that made heaven and earth, air and fire, Sun and Moon, all elements, all creatures good, surely, would not make him evil, for whom these good things were made. How comes he thus bad? Deus hominem fecit, homo see interfecit. In the words of our Royal Preacher, Eccles. 7. Lo, this only I have found, 4that God hath made man upright: but they have sought out many inventions. Man was created ⟨p. 17⟩happy, but he found out tricks, to make himself miserable. And his misery had been less, if he had never been so blessed: the better we were, we are the worse. Like the posterity of some profuse or tainted Progenitor, we may tell of the Lands, Lordships, honours, titles, that were once ours; and then sigh out the song, fuimus Troes, we have been blessed.
God created this vessell good; man poyson'd it in the seasoning. And being thus distayned in the tender newnesse, seruat odorem testa diu: it smels of the olde infection, till a new iuyce bee put into it, or rather it selfe made new. As Dauid prayes: Create in me, oh Lord, a cleane heart, 1and renew a right spirit within me. GOD made vs good, we haue mar'd ourseluesa,nd behold: wee call on him, to make vs good againe. Yea, euen the vessel thus recreated, is not without a tang of the former corruption. Paul confesseth in himselfe a body of Death, 2as well as Dauid a natiue vncleannesse. 3The best graine sends forth that chaffe, whereof before the sowing, it was purged by the fanne. Our contracted euill had been the lesse intolerable, if we had not been made so perfectly good. Hee that made heauen and earth, ayre and fire, Sunne and Moone, all elements, all creatures good, surely, would not make him euill, for whom these good things were made. How comes he thus bad? Deus hominem fecit, homo se interfecit. In the words of our Royall Preacher, Eccles. 7. Loe, this onelie I haue found, 4that God hath made man vpright: but they haue sought out many inuentions. Man was created ⟨p. 17⟩happy, but hee found out trickes, to make himselfe miserable. And his misery had been lesse, if he had neuer beene so blessed: the better wee were, we are the worse. Like the posterity of some profuse or tainted Progenitour, wee may tell of the Lands, Lordshippes, honours, titles, that were once ours; and then sigh out the song, fuimus Troes, we haue been blessed.
- 1Psal 51. 10.
- 2Rom. 7.
- 3Psal. 51.
- 4Eccles. 7. 29.
