On this manner ought we to 1ponder with our selves the inestimable benefits & great gifts of God toward us. First that he made us not like to brute beasts, but like unto his own image, neither did he place us in hell, or in some other dolorous & sorrowful place, but in joyful Paradise, where all kind of pleasures did abound. He endowed 2us with wit, reason, discretion, prudence, wisdom, knowledge & with ⟨image 42⟩all other things, that should move 3us unto godliness & virtue, setting us at our own liberty to do what so ever we would, only he gave us a commandment to abstain from the tree of life, & told us like a merciful father before, that when so ever we did taste of it, we should dye the death. Notwithstanding this his most gentle premonition through 4y• subtlety of Satan, we brake his most godly precept, & throw our selves into the death, whereof he told us before, so that no we of all earthly creatures we ware become most miserable. Yet behold again the great goodness of God toward us, wham we had worthily deserved to be damned for evermore, he did not, as he handled the Angels, 5straightways cast us into hell fire, but mercifully sent us into this world, that we might here repent, deplore, lament, & bewail our sinful ⟨image 43⟩& abominable offence, that by this means through the divine pro uidence we might afterward be restored to our old innocency & be saved. Neither sent he us hither as into a salt, barren, & desolate place, or wild forest, but rather into such a kingdom, as flourisheth with all kinds of riches, treasures, pleasures, & most goodly possessions, so that we can desire nothing, but that we have it here ready at hand. He hath garnished the earth with green grass, sweet herbs & most pleasant flowers. He hath given us all kinds of grain to sow in the earth for our sustenance. He sendeth us rain & temperate heat in convenient time for the fortunate increase thereof. He hath planted us trees, & garnished them in time of the year with most goodly green leaves & fruits to serve our necessary businesses, for divers causes. And as he ⟨image 43⟩hath replenished the earth with all kinds of beasts, so hath he stuffed the sea & other waters with innumerable sorts of fishes. And of all these things with many other mo 6hath he made us Lords, rulers, go uernours, owners.
On this manner oughte we to 1pōder with our selues the inestima ble benefites & great giftes of God towarde vs. Fyrst that he made vs not lyke to brute beastes, but lyke vnto his owne ymage, neyther dyd he place vs in hell, or in some other dolorous & sorowefull place, but in ioyfull Paradise, where all kynd of pleasures dyd abound. He endewed 2vs with wyt, reason, discrecion, pru dence, wisdome, knowledge & wyth ⟨image 42⟩al other thynges, that should moue 3vs vnto godlynes & vertue, setting vs at oure owne liberte to do what so euer we woulde, only he gaue vs a cōmaundement to abstayne from the tree of lyfe, & told vs lyke a mer cifull father before, that whan so euer we did taste of yt, we should dye the death. Notwithstondynge this his moost gentle premonicion thorowe 4y• subtilite of Satā, we brake his moost godly precepte, & throwe our selues into ye deathe, wherof he tolde vs before, so that no we of all earthly creatures we ware become moost miserable. Yet beholde agen the great goodnes of God towarde vs, whā we had worthely deserued to be damned for euermore, he dyd not, as he handled the Aungelles, 5streyghtwayes cast vs ito hell fyre, but marcyfully sente vs into thys world, that we myght here repent, deplore, lament, & bewayle our synfull ⟨image 43⟩& abhominable offence, that by this meanes thorow the diuine pro uidence we myght afterward be re stored to our olde innocency & be sa ued. Neyther sent he vs hyther as into a salte, barrē, & desolate place, or wyld forest, but rather into such a kyngdome, as florysheth with all kyndes of rytches, treasures, pleasures, & moost goodly possessions, so that we can desyre nothynge, but yt we haue it here redy at hande. He hath garnysshed the earth wt grene grasse, swete herbes & moost plesant floures. He hath gyuen vs all kyndes of grayne to sowe in the earthe for our sustenaunce. He sendeth vs rayne & temperate heate in conuenient tyme for ye fortunate encrease therof. He hath planted vs trees, & garnysshed thē in tyme of the yeare withe moost goodly grene leaues & fruites to serue our necessary businesses, for diuers causes. And as he ⟨image 43⟩
- 1We ought •ut to set before our […] ye been fytes of godWe ought• •ut to set before oure 〈…〉 ye bene fytes of god
- 2Gen. 1.
- 3Gene. […].Gene. 〈…〉.
- 4Gene. iii.
- 5Job. iiii. ii. Petre. iii.Iob. iiii. ii. Petre. iii.
- 6Psal. viii. Heb. ii.
